Summer Lovin' - Started - FULL

Eve

Eve blinked, once, twice, and three times before she understood what Sullivan had just said. He liked her? Like… Like, like? Eve was extremely confused, surely someone as kind as Sullivan already had girlfriend…Right?

Eve had asked Sullivan out onto the porch to thank him for last night. Before she had begun drinking the lemonade she had set the bay leaf Sullivan had given her in resin. A thank you present for being kind. When she had heard about all the trouble she had caused, especially seeing Anne, Eve felt horrible. It was her fault half the house was injured. On top of that she actually managed to make Sullivan angry.

She had held Oly’s hand true, but he looked upset, and Eve hadn’t really thought it would have caused any misunderstandings. Oly was good person, of course he would already have someone he was interested in.

When Sullivan just glanced at the leaf, which was attached to a leather cord, and stared coldly at her, Eve felt like sinking into the ground. Her confused, hung-over mind grasped for the words to explain.

“I’m sorry. You’re completely right, I… I really am not worth the trouble. I never thought … that anyone would even care. Maybe have a laugh at my expense but…” Eve trailed off, glancing up at him.

“I don’t hate you. I admire you more than anyone else, even when I was little I wanted to be like you. Maybe… maybe it would have been better for me and everyone else If I just didn’t get close to anyone. I’m sorry Sullivan.” Eve turned on her heel, passing everyone else ignoring their calls for her. She locked herself in her room, and cried as quietly as possible.

Even if Sullivan had liked her romantically, she’d definitely screwed up. It was her own fault for getting drunk, and for getting everyone hurt. Now more than ever, Eve thought she wasn’t good enough to even ask for forgiveness, friendship or a relationship with anyone, much less Sullivan.

Anne

I found myself in the bed, and the curtains closed. I had a tight bandage around my forehead, and saw light coming in the room. I sat up, and I saw Sammy next to me, and looking at me.

"You should get some rest." she said, holding my head down but I caught her hand and placed it on mine.

"I'm fine. Really." I said, smiling.

"Well... Eve came in to check up on you. She looked pretty bumped out." she said and slowly looked at me.

"Well, I better go after her then." I said, getting out the bed and stretching my arms.

I looked in the mirror to find the bandage on my head. I removed it, the scar burning a little. I scowled a little due to the pain. It has cut through the whole skin. Ouch, I thought I would cry like a baby out there. It looks painful. I shook my head and shrugged and opened the door to go to Eve.

I saw Sullivan and Eve speaking. I smiled but then, I saw Eve going in, crying a little. Sullivan looked at the floor and watched her close the door behind him. I looked at him and felt sad for him. I walked till Eve's room and saw Sullivan there. He smiled weakly.

"Hey... How are you feeling now?" he asked me.

"I'm okay. Its burning a little, that's all." I replied. He nodded and looked away.

"Hey, is Eve okay?" I asked him.

Sullivan pointed towards Eve's room door. "I think I hurt her." he said.

I wanted to ask him what he told her, but he already looked gloomy. So, I ended the conversation by nodding and opened the door but before I could enter Sullivan stopped me to say one more thing.

"Hey, Anne?"

"Yeah?" I asked.

"Tell Eve that I'm really sorry. I didn't mean to. I really didn't." he said.

"Well, I don't really know what you're talking about but I'll tell her." I said, nodding and giving him a small smile and then, entered the room, closing the door.

Eve turned to look and wiped her tears off, and turned to me, smiling. She waved. "Anne! How're you feeling?"

"Great, thanks. What happened to you?" I asked, siting beside her on the bed. She looked away.

"You know what happened last night. I got drunk and said horrible things to everyone, especially Sullivan." she said, tears trolling down.

I wrapped my arms over her, and gave her a tight hug and I could hear her crying.

"Eve... Its okay. And Sullivan apologizes for what he told or did to you. He's really sorry." I said, patting her back and she sat up again, looking at me.

"Do you know about it?" Eve asked me.

"I would if you cared to tell me." I said, shrugging and flashing a smile.

Eve looked a little uncomfortable for a moment. I think I said the wrong thing. Oh, shit. Why am I so stupid?

"Or maybe not." I said, making it up for her.

"No. I'll tell you." she said. "But you're going to promise me not to tell anyone, okay?"

"Cross my heart and I hope to die." I winked at her.

"Well..." she said and started off what Sullivan told her. I looked at her with my wide eyes. Man, she should not have been catching Oly's hand that time! And poor Sullivan, he must have felt so bad.

"And its all because of me, everyone got hurt and especially you!" she squeaked and cried harder.

"Eve, its okay. Really. Everything's over and its now all in the past. We can't change it, right? My brother can be a total idiot at these things. Just, I'm sorry at his behalf, okay?" I said and she nodded.

So, Sullivan likes Eve. Eve likes Sullivan. So, its kind of... Love, no? That's pretty awesome! They would make a great couple but what about Oly? Oly likes Eve too. This is confusing.

I sighed and she ends her big story and she rests her head on my shoulder, and my head over her head. We sit there quietly for awhile, until someone opens the door and we sit up to see who it is.

Spoiler

Here comes Oly to make everything even more awkward!!!

Oly felt as if he was flying. Eve didn't hate him! Eve had HELD HIS HAND! Sure, she'd then gone off to talk to Sullivan, but Eve had HELD HIS HAND!
Did that mean Eve maybe... maybe... liked him? Oly thought. Of course not, Eve wouldn't LIKE him but...
Oly realised that he had to tell her, he had to tell her how he felt. He'd always prided himself on being honest, and he knew that he couldn't stand it any longer.
Oly turned towards the stairs, skipping and juggling four balls. Too late, he saw Anne coming down the stairs. A ball flew into her head.
"Sorry!" cried Oly, "Are you alright?" she nodded. "You don't know where Eve is, do you?"
Anne looked as if she was considering whether she should tell him, "In her room..."
"Thank you!" His heart was in his mouth as he neared her door. He knocked, remembering Eve's response last night and wincing.
"Come in."
Oly flung the door open. He'd come straight out with it, he decided. Tell her right away. This second.
"Eve!" said Oly, "I like you! I really really like you! I think you're beautiful, funny, talented, sweet, kind-"
Oly stopped, seeing her tear-stained face. Suddenly, he felt awkward. Had he made a dreadful mistake?

Archer

“And then after she introduced herself, I said ‘really? I thought your initials would be ‘QT’! Then she stepped on my foot.” Brown said, head situated comfortably in Molly’s lap. While he hadn’t exactly participated in any of the rough and tumble last night, he had slipped and cracked his head on the cement. Apparently that was enough to get a little sympathy.

Archer rolled his eyes. “I would have too; you seriously need to work on your pick-up lines dude.” Brown glared at him.

“Yeah? I think your upset that I’m on my way to taking’ your throne as alpha ladies man.” Archer felt his eye twitch. Maybe it was true that everyone had started hooking up, Amber and Hudson, Molly and Brown etc. But it was going to be a cold day on the sun when Brown was better with the girls than him.

Archer heard a door slam and a little pink and black blur- Eve, dart upstairs. Sullivan entered a little bit after that, taking a seat next to him. Archer whistled nonchalantly turning the page of his book. Oly floated though the room and up the stairs. I turned to Sullivan, who was sulking in his seat.

“Soo… Would it be intrusive if I asked your feelings on Eve?” Sullivan glared at me. I rolled my shoulders. “Does she know?”

“I told her just now… maybe not in the best way.” Sullivan tilted his head back looking at the ceiling. I just sighed.

“You guys are putting me and everyone else in a pretty bad place. It’s almost like being forced to pick a side.” I looked around the room at my siblings and almost siblings. “Might as well even the playing field. Oly probably skipped over to Eve’s room to tell her he likes her.” Sullivan’s eyes widen, turning his head in the direction of Eve’s room. Sullivan was good guy, but he could be pretty dense sometimes.

Archer leaned back in his seat. He’d even the playing field, and that was all he was going to do. He’d learned his lesson about messing with other people’s relationships, Archer thought looking at Amber and Hudson. ‘They could work it out themselves.’ He turned to the next page of his book.

Opal

Rolling my eyes, I swung my legs off the arm of the couch and announced, "You all are losers. Alright, everyone get down here."

When the rest if them popped their heads in the room, I took Archer by the hands and pulled him up off the couch.

"Archer," I said, looking him directly in the eye. I realized we were nearly the same height...wow. That rarely happens.

I placed a kiss on Archer's cheek. Then I kissed him on the mouth.

When I pulled back, I smiled and said, "If you want something...just trust and go for it."

Archer

Archer blinks, processing what exactly just happened. He runs a hand though his hair, huffs out a breath and sits down. The tall boy just wants to laugh at the ridiculousness he has been subjected to over the past two days. “Just go for it, huh?” Archer laughs a bit “That’s exactly what gets me in trouble all the time in the first place.”

Archer leans back in his seat, looks up at the ceiling, and keeps his focus there. “There used to be a boy named Archer who didn’t flirt with anyone. He was in love, once upon a time. She was beautiful, carefree, wild, tall, and graceful. She never held back, always charging in head first. She did what she wanted, and went after who she wanted.” Archer smiled at the memories.

“That was the problem though. We amplified each other’s personalities, including our flaws. I stopped caring about anything or anyone who wasn’t her. She didn’t feel the same.” Archer’s siblings winced, remembering how distant their brother had been and how hurt he had become.

“She cheated on me pretty frequently, it turned out. Not that she ever cared to make our relationship definite. Ended up getting pregnant and leaving the island.” Archer closed his eyes, opened them, and turned his head to the white haired girl.

“What do you like about me Opal? We only met yesterday. Do you like that I’m spontaneous? Tall? Flirty, exciting, and new? I need someone to keep me on the ground, not pump me so full of helium I can’t see the ground anymore.” Archer sat up “Would you marry me? I’ve always said, I’d only date my future bride. You wouldn’t, I know you wouldn’t.” Archer smiled gently then.

“I’ll apologize for sounding harsh, but there are boys here that are much better for you.” Archer stood up and walked out the door. He needed some air. Looking at Opal was hard; it was as if his old love had appeared before him out of thin air. Archer sighed, if he had been a different man, it would have been so easy to fall in love with her a second time.

Spoiler

My attempt to make Archer a little less one-dimensional

Opal

“What do you like about me Opal? We only met yesterday. Do you like that I’m spontaneous? Tall? Flirty, exciting, and new? I need someone to keep me on the ground, not pump me so full of helium I can’t see the ground anymore.” Archer sat up “Would you marry me? I’ve always said, I’d only date my future bride. You wouldn’t, I know you wouldn’t.” Archer smiled gently.

“I’ll apologize for sounding harsh, but there are boys here that are much better for you.” Archer stood up and walked out the front door.

Pursing my lips, I followed him out the door and closed it behind me. Standing beside him, I looked infront of me, arms crossed over my chest.

Slowly, I said, "Archer, did you know I'm deaf?" I didn't wait for an answer, "I went deaf when I was three years old. Did you know that this past year my mom died? I was depressed for a bit, but had to pull myself out of it to get my brother and father out of it. Did you know that I made my hair white after she died because it was my way of saying that life is colorless without her? Colorless, soundless. I kept it because it has a new meaning - that you have to make your life colorful. That you can't let a chance bad thing suck the color, the happiness, out of your life forever."

Taking a breath, I began to take my hearing aids out and said, "Archer, I like you because you're more than what you seem. I like you because you're different and you're not afraid of it. I like you because you've been hurt, and you don't let it stop you." Raising my eyebrow, I asked, "Right?"

Holding my hearing aids in my hand, I concluded, "You know, my parents met when they were in college. Got married two months after they met. Like you said, we only met yesterday. Maybe you don't know what I would or wouldn't do. Yet."

Showing him my hearing aids, I said, "I can't hear without these. Let me know when you have something you want me to hear, and I'll put them back in."

With that, I walked down the stairs of the porch to make my way to the beach.

Chance

I just watched my sister kiss a boy. The first one in...a year? I just watched that boy turn her down.

I blinked once.

Twice.

Three times.

Four times.

"So...no offense, but does she do that often?" Inquired Mae.

Shaking my head slowly, I kept staring at the door they'd walked out of and said, "Never."

Hudson

Everyone was quiet after Opal and Archer walked out. That is, until dorky Mae asked, "So...no offense, but does she do that often?"

"Never." He said, shocked. I would be, too. If Ash kissed a random guy and THEN got turned down, I think I'd have to kill him.

Turning to Amber, I whispered, "Awkward."

I stared into Amber's eyes, and gave her a crooked smile. Lola nudged my hand with her head, wanting to be pet. Rolling my eyes, I tucked my hands under my arm pits and said grumpily, "I lost my hands in the war."

Amber smiled a large smile, and pet Lola.

"Don't do that!" I shouted teasingly, "You'll distract her! Seriously, how is she supposed to keep me from purple popsicles if you're petting her all the time!"

Standing up, I anounced, "Guys, we have to go grocery shopping later. Moms gave us a list, it's hanging on the fridge...I don't know where they are."

Eve

Spoiler

(Switching to first person POV to see which I like better.)

I just sat there and looked at Oly, turned, grabbed professor Crunchy, and ran out of the room without a word. I rushed down stairs and though the living room and out the back door. I didn’t even look over my shoulder to see if anyone was following.

Why, I thought to myself, why? Why would you like me? I’m uninteresting, and I always whine and complain, but never do anything about it. I didn’t have much to offer in terms of redeeming qualities. The more I thought, the more frustrated I became. I pushed and pushed sprinting down the beach and into the woody grassy area. My clumsiness caught up to me and I landed on the ground, hard.

My chest was heaving up and down, heart beating fast, and legs in pain from all the running. Professor Crunchy had landed a few inches away from me. I focused on a bright pink flower that was in front of me.

Sullivan and Oly. Oly and Sullivan. They were both amazing, and could do so much better. I didn’t even notice, had been obvious? Why hadn’t anyone mentioned it earlier? How long had they liked me? Who did I like? Did I even like one more than the other? All my life I’ve been trying to figure out what other people liked and wanted but….

What did I want? My stomach growled, making me finally sit up. I moved to pick up Professor Crunchy. I wanted apple juice. I complained to myself, thinking about what had started this whole mess. I looked up, I had actually ran much farther than I had initially thought. I could see the entrance to Town from where I was sitting.

I had my wallet and cell phone, and needed some alone time anyway. I shrugged my shoulders and began walking toward town. No one would come looking for me there. It wasn’t like me to sneak off, and that’s exactly what I need right now. To not be me.

Could that have gone worse? thought Oly, collapsing on to Eve's abandoned bed.
No, no it probably couldn't have done.
Oly wondered for a moment about going after her, but thought he'd probably already upset her enough. What had he expected, rushing into her room and declaring his feelings like that? He knew she liked Sullivan.
Oly picked up a pen, lying on the desk. He found a piece of paper and folded it in half. Eve he wrote.
I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that. I put you under pressure when I know you like Sullivan, and it wasn't fair. I guess I just wanted you to know, but I hope we can still be friends. Sorry.
Oly

Sighing, Oly put it on her pillow and left the room. Closing the door, he turned around and saw Sullivan.

Spoiler

I'm in Liverpool for the weekend and won't be able to write. Keep Oly moving please, just play him how you think he'd act.

Hudson

After illegally fitting everyone into our rented mini-van, and I called driver, we made our way to the grocery store not far from our house.

When we arrived, we filed out of the car like a bunch of clowns - a little girl actually pointed at us to her mother.

Grabbing a shopping cart, we all began to make our way through the store in a mob, Anne reading off the list to us and someone grabbing it. And, of course, there were those of us who just grabbed what they wanted and tossed it in the cart.

"We need five boxes of cereal." Anne read off, then added, "Hey...has anyone seen Eve."

Shaun

"Hey," Anne said. "Has anyone seen Eve?"

Eve! And Anne! That reminded me of something.

"Hey, Hudson," I said quietly, walking up alongside Hudson. "I know you were wanting to try that cupcake recipe you found...do you think you could help me bake a cake, too? I wanted to make one...you know, as an apology. For Anne and Eve. And Anne likes food, so...can you help me? I can't cook to save my life, but you can at least follow a recipe."

"Sure," Hudson answered. "Nice timing. Here, you can find the ingredients."

"Thanks," I said, taking the little sticky note Hudson offered me. "Cocoa powder, baking soda, unsalted butter..." I took a sharp turn into the baking aisle. "And..." I muttered to myself, "maybe a few other things..."

Spoiler

Sorry for the late post. My internet bursted. :/

Anne

I kept calling off the stuff written in the list as Amber, Opal and the other girls, except Eve helped me pick them up. The boys helped with the trolley and we already had 3 of them. That's when Eve came into my memories again.

"Hey! Has anyone seen Eve?" I asked.

All of us looked around and some of them just shurgged. I frowned. How could Eve not come? She still isn't crying inside her bedroom, is she? Well, I really can't blame her. She must be so confused and ended with two guys. Why? Why is life so complicated?

I shook my head and saw Shaun whispering to Hudson again. Another prank for us, huh? What a bother! I ignored him and kept walking and bumped into Sullivan again. I looked at him, straight at the eye. He looked hurt and was worried.

I don't know who to choose between Oly and Sullivan because both of them are great people. I'm worried for her too. Mae came around and told me the whole story about what happened between Opal and Archer. Yuk. Okay. Weird.

Never thought Opal would be that sudden. I mean, they just met YESTERDAY. Now, everyone has a love except me. Of course, Chance has got a crush on Mae, I'm pretty sure of that because he keeps looking at her, and I giggle everytime I see him do that. Its just so funny. Oly would be great with Mae too but now that he likes Eve... And Sullivan on the other side its almost like a game of Tug of War!

Opal comes to me and then I rewind the story of Archer and Opal. Okay, why? Why can't I think of something ELSE?

"Hey, Anne." she says, smiling and wraps her hand on mine.

"Opal!" I say.

"Dude, do you think Chance could fall in love?" she asks.

Oh, not this love thing again.

"Chance? Well--"

"I mean, he's gay but still. It can happen right because I sense something like that? Do you?"

"Well, I think he keeps looking at Mae everytime but I'm not too sure. But anything can happen. If he does, he's sure to be a great guy." I say.

"Chance has always been a great guy. He's very positive. Well, that's what I think. Mae would be lucky to have him but... Oh well. I don't know. That's what I like most about him. And the fact, that I am falling for him a little. But I'm not too forceful. If he wants Mae, he can have her. Of course, I would be sad but I can't change his thoughts." I said.

Oh crap. I can't believe that I told her that. I close my eyes tightly.Opal laughs in a funny way taking it all cool. "You're being too kind, you know that? I mean, you're letting your own sister take him away." she says.

"I love Mae because she know's who she is. And I wouldn't fight with her over a guy."

"So you like Chance?"

I shut up after that. I just smile weakly but inside I wanted to say "Yes!". Anyway, I'm positive that Chance likes Mae more than me. That is obvious. Some part of me is falling in love but the other part, I'm more worried about Eve. We had to get home.

All of us, puts in our cash and I stare at Chance again. He's looking at Archer. I dump in most of my cash and Archer drives the car to get us home.