This chapter was getting so long I had to cut it in half, look out for the next half in a few days!
I'm too tired to proof read again sorry *slapped*
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Hey, Sunshine, please move your head a little..." A voice brought me out of sleep and I frowned.
....
Paiinn.
I cringed and opened my eyes a little. Oh, this is not a pillow.
"Sorry..." I mumbled quietly, lifting my head off of his chest and repositioning myself back on the floor.
Uiiggghhhhh.
I didn't really pay attention to what he was doing, but the next moment I realised he'd gone.
What the fuck...
What time is it...
I huffed and turned over, snuggling in the sheets, briefly aware of the sound of the shower turning on before falling back to sleep.
--
Uggghhh.
I moaned loudly before cursing when I opened my eyes to bright light.
Nooooo.
"Fuck..." I mumbled, sitting up and blinking for a few moments trying to remember where I was.
Where the fuck am I...
Carpet...
What the actual fuck.
I sat up completely and just stared ahead of myself for a long time.
What...
Drink...needed...
It was only when I got to the stairs that I realised where I was.
Oh.
Oh yeah.
Oh fuck.
I shook my head, confused to hear chatting coming from the kitchen.
Both of those voices are too deep to be one of the younger brothers...
I sighed and rubbed my eyes before carefully making my way down the stairs.
"Hey Sunshine." Aaron greeted, and I took a moment to take in the sight before me.
What....when ...
When did he get here...
"Hey..." I said cautiously, while watching Luca suspiciously.
I glanced around trying to see any evidence of the others, but everything was silent.
"When did you get here?" I eventually said, as he seemed to be pretending he'd been here all along.
"I drove up this morning. Aaron wanted some help with you." He said and Aaron tssked.
"That is not what I said. I said that they keep getting into trouble, and that's it." He defended, and I rolled my eyes before walking towards the living room.
"Ah ah, come back here." He said and I sighed.
Fucccckk.
Not in the mood for this.
I looked at Aaron, avoiding Luca as much as I could.
"Mhm?" I grumbled as politely as I could.
"I need to have a look at you." Luca said and I made a face.
"You can see me can't you?" I retorted grumpily.
"Riley." Aaron warned and I sighed.
"Sorry, fine."
I walked towards Luca purposefully slow and he gave me a look before kind of harshly grabbing the side of my face and lifting it up.
"Um, ow." I complained as he glared and examined my face like he thought he was a doctor or something.
This bitch.
"Please can you not." I huffed when he pulled my eye lid down and then looked at my gums.
"Well, he's not anaemic..." He sighed while ignoring me.
Still the same old Luca... treating me like I'm not here.
"Can I see that cut of yours?" He asked and I regarded him for a moment before trying my best not to make a salty remark.
I just silently pulled the jumper sleeve up and let him lift my arm.
"I need to treat that." He stated and I sighed.
"Could you perhaps wait, until I feel less... dead?"
"No." He barked and I gave Aaron an accusing glare.
"Why did you do this?" I asked and he chuckled awkwardly.
"It's for the best. I think..." He said quietly before sipping his coffee even more awkwardly.
"Ow!!" I yelped when I felt intense stinging, and looked to see Luca dabbing the cut with some kind of chemical. "Ow, fuck! No, stop!" I tried to pull away from him but he seemed to be showing no mercy.
"Asshole." I commented and glared at him when he finally let my arm go.
"I'm noticing a personality change, although it could be the fact he's hungover and also pretending he hates me." He pondered and I sneered.
"No one's pretending here apart from you."
"Well he does seem a little moodier lately." Aaron commented and I pouted.
"... Sorry."
"...and then there's the constant sleeping, and the panic attacks, and the reckless behaviour." He sighed.
"I'm sorry sleeping is offensive to you." I snapped and he gave me a look.
"When do these panic attacks happen?"
"Randomly.." I answered and Aaron shook his head in protest.
"When he's alone. But that's not necessarily the trigger. It's when things get stressful, or there are people. He doesn't like to touch people anymore, and he tends to have negative thoughts, and he shivers when around crowds. Basically signs of anxiety."
How the fuck does he notice all that.
"I don't recall you being telepathic." I commented.
"You don't notice what you say? You're constantly degrading yourself."
"Well I mean, that's just...life?"
"No some people are happy sometimes." He said almost sarcastically and I gave him a look.
"Look. People are sad sometimes, don't judge me for it " I commented before grabbing a can of energy drink from the rack and leaving the room.
Now I don't even have a phone to go on.
...ugh.
Fuck, bitch.
I turned around.
"I need some painkillers." I huffed and Luca immediately started searching around in his bag.
"You can have these but I also want you to take this." He said as he handed me some aspirin and a red mystery tablet.
"... What is it?" I questioned as I took them from him.
"It'll make you less...prone to anxiety." He said and I gave him a look before sighing.
"Fine." I said, glancing at Aaron to see he didn't look very happy about it, before deciding I didn't care what it was anyway.
I walked into the other room and sat down, not really wanting to socialize. I crushed the tablets because knowing me I wouldn't be able to swallow it whole, and then took them one by one.
I should have got plain water...
I grumbled to myself before just resting my head against my palm and wincing.
Uggghhh.
"Hey." A quiet voice suddenly said, and I looked up to see Caleb fully clothed and perfectly happy.
Fuck.
"Looking good." I commented and snickered to myself.
"You're probably feeling a bit shit aren't you." He chuckled and sat on one of the other seats.
"Worth it." I said, then shook my head. "That's a lie, I wish I went to bed early like you did."
He smiled at me and I sighed before practically downing the can of sugary drink.
"How's Nate?" I wondered and he made a face.
"He's only made a few angry animal noises so far. I don't think he's getting up for a while."
"Hey there Caleb." Luca said as he entered the room, and a look of genuine shock and confusion crossed his features.
"Wha- when did you get here?" He wondered as he stood up.
"Early in the morning, Aaron called me last night."
"Jeez, I didn't realize they were in that much trouble." Caleb looked happy to see him, and actually even gave him a hug, making me make a sour face.
Ugh, holding a grudge is so draining...I want to go to bed.
"Are we leaving then?" He asked curiously, and Luca sighed before sitting down. I just watched him flatly.
"No, not yet. Hopefully tomorrow." He said and Caleb sighed.
"Cornwall is really not popular with you lot." I chuckled in amusement and he shrugged.
"I just miss home I guess."
"I've really had enough of water, for a long while." I said with a sigh.
"You're lucky that cut of yours didn't get infected with something painful." Luca commented and I rolled my eyes.
"Fucccckk." Someone shouted and slammed a door open making me jump, Alex came through the door a few moments later.
"I hate it in that room." He huffed before blinking at our new guest. "Hey." He greeted Luca casually before collapsing onto the sofa next to me.
"Hunter is super annoying." He said and I blinked at him silently. "Not very talkative this morning I see." He chuckled before sitting up properly.
"You didn't drink much last night?" Luca asked, and he shook his head before suddenly frowning.
"Wait a minute. You weren't here before...he wasn't here before right?" He asked in confusion and I shook my head at him in amusement.
"Is Hunter awake?" I asked as I stood up.
"Yeah I think so."
"Okay, I'm getting changed." I said before making my way up the ladder.
Hunter was just sat on Nate's bed looking extremely fed up and I smiled at him before grabbing my bag.
"Hey..." He mumbled groggily, before sighing and lying back down.
Seeing as he decided to go back to sleep, I got changed in there and then headed back down.
Ugh...my phone...
I bit my lip before subconsciously heading for the kitchen.
Aaron was stood in there staring out of the window.
"Are you okay?" I wondered and he smiled at me.
"Are you?"
"Uh...I guess." I narrowed my eyes at him. "You didn't answer the question." I said as I stood next to him, and he sighed before smiling at me.
"I don't know. But I guess that's a common response to that question."
"... What's wrong? Are you still fighting with Luca?"
"Lately it's always been one thing or another, but yes basically." He said quietly while looking behind him.
"What this time..." I mumbled, not sure I actually wanted the answer.
"I don't think you should take those tablets. Nasty chemicals. I mean, who knows what they do to you, long and short term."
"Right, you're more of an apple a day kind of guy?" I chuckled and he rolled his eyes.
"I never took any medication for my issues, look at me now." He said and I gave him a teasing raise of my brows.
He scoffed. "Oh shut up."
"Didn't say anything~!"
I laughed when he gave me a light shove before sighing boredly. "What are we doing today...?"
"Oh you poor child, no phone to save you from the outside world." He sighed and I gave him a look.
"We're the same generation, so you're the weird one by not caring about your phone."
"Hmm. You don't feel like sleeping?"
"Now that you mention it." I sighed and he looked perturbed.
"Sorry." He mumbled and I smirked.
"I'm teasing, well, I'm a little tired, but I don't have to go to bed, if there's something interesting to do."
"I doubt anything I'm doing will be interesting." He said and I shrugged.
"Don't go anywhere though. As soon as Nate gets up we're having a talk." He said and I grit my teeth.
"Oh. That doesn't sound fun." I commented and he gave me a stern look.
"Uh, anyways bye." I chuckled awkwardly and left the room.
"Riley!" Alex jumped up to me and I blinked at him. Too much enthusiasm this time in the morning. "We're heading to the beach soon, want to come?" He asked and I bit my lip.
"Um, I'm not sure I'd be allowed." I said and he sighed.
"What are you, 9? They're not your parents."
"Alex, I nearly drowned last night because I got wasted at a local bar and picked a fight. I think it's best if I don't stir things up both here and out there."
"Stop shouting out here godamnit." An irritated voice interrupted Alex's reply and Nate grumpily stomped passed us.
He walked around the corner and came back out with a packet of aspirin before disappearing back into the dark room.
"That doesn't count as getting up right?" I asked Aaron as he poked his head out round the corner and he rolled his eyes.
"Hunter, Nate, get up now!" He called, and immediately received displeased cries from both rooms.
"Nathan get out here!" He banged on the recently closed door, getting a large thump from what was probably a thrown shoe in reply making me smirk.
I walked into the living room and sat down as the fight to get them up got a bit loud, and wondered why Luca didn't get up to help as he just sat there looking tired.
How early did he get here...
"Fuck you Aaron." Nate grumbled as he sat down on the sofa semi-aggressively, and I bit my lip awkwardly.
I really hope he doesn't tend to remember drunken nights out.
Aaron stood at the door with his arms crossed, making everyone just sit there in tense silence.
"Uh..." Caleb looked like he was about to say something, before just mumbling something incoherent and quickly escaping the room.
"You all awake?" Aaron eventually asked and Nate just huffed in response.
Welp...
He turned away from where Hunter and Alex were sitting and just focused on Nate and I.
"I hope you two realize you're grounded for a long time." He said, and Nate scoffed.
"You're kidding? Seriously?!" He protested, but I just sat quietly.
I mean, that's really not a punishment for an introvert.
Aaron just stared at him flatly, and he eventually scoffed again before sitting back angrily.
"What about those two!" He pointed at Alex angrily and he just pulled his tongue out at him.
"Well they managed to drink a responsible amount and at least remain self aware the whole night. You two almost got yourselves killed."
"No way, I was fine it was just Riley that nearly died." He said and I couldn't help but snigger in surprise.
Woooww.
"And I understand that it was mainly your fault he was that drunk in the first place?" He raised a brow at him and he frowned.
"Was it?" He seemed to be struggling to remember for a while before awkwardly chuckling. "Oh yeah..."
I just rolled my eyes at him while Aaron sighed.
"I mean...he didn't have to drink them." He defended with a shrug.
Aaron looked at me sharply and I smiled sheepishly.
"Well, that's why you're both grounded." He gave a sharp exhale. "And Nathan, you're doing the washing for at least a week when we get home."
"What the fuck. You're just using this as an excuse to be lazy and off-load your chores on me now." He huffed and I gave him a look while Aaron just stood there patiently.
This brat.
"Those aren't my chores, they're the maids, maybe I should give the maid a week off and you can do all the housework? Is that what you want?" He questioned calmly and Nate glared at him before huffing.
"No, okay, I did bad, I get it." He muttered. "Can I go now?"
Aaron turned around and looked at Alex pointedly. He blinked at him and then smiled awkwardly.
"Alex, remind me to never agree to any of your ideas again." He quipped, and Hunter smirked before nodding.
"We all knew it was a bad idea, I mean, it was Alex's." He joked and Nate chuckled quietly while Alex just looked a bit put off.
"It's not my fault Nate's an idiot!" He said and Nate glared at him.
"Hey, uncalled for!"
I sighed before deciding to stare out the window. Hmm, not the best weather in the world, but at least it's not raining.
"Oh you're definitely an idiot." Hunter fired hotly and Aaron sighed.
"You're the idiot, I was having fun!"
"Oooh yeah I could tell that!" He remarked, his tone laced with suggestion and I bit my lip.
Umm.
Nate opened his mouth, ready to fire back, but thankfully chose to be cautious and stayed silent. He glanced at me quickly and I avoided eye contact.
"Oh nothing to say now huh?" Hunter didn't let it go and I started staring him down intensely.
If this bitch doesn't shut the fuck up soon..
"What about you?" He said when he caught me glaring at him and I blinked.
"What?"
Alex just looked confused, and I glanced at Aaron to see he was staring at me.
"What??" I questioned and he narrowed his eyes.
"Do you have something you'd like to share with us Hunter?" He asked calmly, and Hunter's glare softened.
"Um, no I guess not." He said awkwardly and Nate let out a sigh.
Luca gave out an annoyed sigh as well, and I looked to see him glaring accusingly at me.
What? What conclusion has he possibly jumped to with that small amount of words??
So quick to assume honestly!
"Wait what the fuck is he doing here?" Nate questioned and everyone sighed at him.
"You seriously didn't notice until now?" Alex asked incredulously and I chuckled.
"Okay that's enough, how about you lot go with Luca and do something." Aaron sighed in exasperation and Luca blinked.
"Me? I don't even know my way around."
"Well I guess they'll show you around, come on." He said before walking back into the kitchen, and I could tell he just wanted a break.
"At least let me shower goddamn." Nate complained as he stood up, and Hunter left after him and headed upstairs.
"You left your stanky ass Labrador socks on my bed asshole!!" Nate called from our room.
"You deserve it loser! Don't test me or you know you'll regret it!" Hunter shouted back and I dragged a hand down my face.
Fucccckk.
I sighed before standing up and going outside.
I sat down by the edge of the creek again and put my chin on my knee.
Rip phone...
Sorely missed.
I stared at the ripples in the water for a while, feeling slightly chilly, but not enough to actually go and get a jacket.
They all say they miss home, but I don't really understand what they mean.
Do they miss the privacy of their own room? Or maybe they don't like being in strange places.
But, surely the longer they stay here the more accustomed they'd be to the place...
I guess I can relate to the feeling of wanting to return to a place. Despite how much I hated some of the places I've lived, I'd still want to return to it on a cold rainy day, rather than stay in the street.
But I don't think it's the same thing. Maybe it's not about the convenience of a building, but something else that makes it a 'home' rather than a 'house'.
I feel kind of weird calling their place my home, I am kind of a guest really.
The House is a better name for it. Or maybe Their House.
I remember one of my neighbours telling me that a home isn't a place, but a state of being. They said as long as they have the ability to smile when they see their trusted loved ones, and the peace of feeling looked after, they had a home.
That could just be them trying to reassure themselves because they were being evicted, but maybe it had some truth to it.
"Not planning on going for another dip are you Sunshine?" An amused voice called, and I smiled before turning to face him.
He was standing next to me with a freshly brewed coffee. This man has an addiction...
"No, I don't think I want to go swimming for a long time." I stated and he smirked before sitting down.
"The only thing I dislike about back home is that it doesn't have a stream outside." He commented as we both watched a duck swim past.
"There's the waterfall in the forest though." I pointed out.
"Yeah I'm too lazy to walk all the way up there just to relax with a coffee." He joked and I rolled my eyes.
"Why don't you build a house there then?" I smirked and he smiled at me.
"Actually." He started. "I did try do that once."
"What??"
He chuckled at my reaction.
"I had this phase where I had decided I wanted to be a lonewolf, because I was fed up of babysitting my brother's while they were going through the moody 'I hate you' phase. So I secretly built this treehouse a little way off from the creek."
"How old were you??"
"17. It was a pretty good treehouse to be honest. Could never get electricity for it though." He smiled in amusement. "I had a few nights in it once I'd finished building it. But ended up missing everyone too much and scurried home."
I chuckled at the thought. "Is it still there?"
"Yes. Till this day no one knows where it is. Well, they actually think I ran to a friend's house, so they don't know it exists."
He sighed and leaned back on his arms. "I still go there sometimes when I need a break... Maybe I'll take you there when we get back." He smiled at me and I frowned.
"But then you couldn't hide there when you need a break from me."
He laughed and then shook his head with a smile. "I doubt you'd ever be as bad as a gang of moody little brothers."
"They do get to you don't they, when they act like they hate you..." I wondered quietly while picking at some grass.
"Well, it's no secret that I'm a bit oversensitive, but I get over it eventually."
"You're not oversensitive, you're the right amount of sensitive." I mumbled, and he smiled before patting my leg and standing up.
"Come on, Alex says he's going to take Luca to the beach. I think you should take the time to talk to him."
"Luca?" I looked up at him with a frown.
"I mean, you can talk to Alex as well if you want, you don't really look like you have the energy for it though." He remarked and I smirked.
"I'd prefer not to talk to him." I sighed.
"Being angry is too much energy, and it hurts your mental health, so why bother."
I frowned. Why is he so insistent that I make up with him? He's still angry at him right? If I was angry at someone I wouldn't try and convince someone else to be friendly with them. Isn't that kind of masochistic?
I'm pretty sure he's aware of what our relationship was, does he really want that?
Is this his way of pushing me away?
Does he hate me?
Okay, I'm definitely overthinking this.
Hmm, maybe I am having more negative thoughts than usual...
"Fine, I will." I gave in with a sigh and he smiled before offering me his hand.
"Bloody hell." I exclaimed when he practically launched me onto my feet and he chuckled.
He gave my hand a firm squeeze before letting go, and I sighed before heading inside.
"There you are, let's go already!" Alex chirped while Nate was rushing to get his shoes on behind him.
"Slow the fuck down bitch." He complained and I smiled at them.
"I'm ready."
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Yeah so much future drama I've already written, tensions can only rise and this house can only feel smaller...