the clothes I was going to be wearing to the airport, letting out a sigh of happiness. This was actually happening. I was going to travel with my friends to a bunch of different countries to have the time of our lives.

I couldn't wipe the stupid grin off my face even if I wanted to.

I slung my bag over my shoulder and looked around for my suitcases. I frowned when I didn't see them. I opened my door and peeked my head out.

"Ma?" I called out.

"Yes?" She called back.

"Where are my suitcases?" I asked.

"Your dad took them to the car while you were in the shower." She said.

I frowned, in confusion, "Dad's here?"

"Hey, Ede," He called to me.

I quickly looked back to my room and smiled. I wasn't going to be seeing this room for a long while, I would miss it. I sighed.

Shaking myself from my daze, I hurried downstairs and walked into the living room. I spotted my dad sitting on the couch and I walked over to him, hugging him. He smiled as I pulled back.

"Hey, dad," I responded to his statement from earlier. I placed my bag down on the floor, taking a seat next to him on the couch.

"You excited?" He asked.

I nodded, vigorously, a wide smile on my face. He smiled, softly.

"You better not forget us." He said, giving me a look.

Before I could respond, Lydia piped in from the kitchen.

"She can forget me," She said.

My jaw dropped and I looked at Dad for a little help, but he just shrugged, an amused smile on his face. I turned and glared at Lydia.

"Gladly," I spat.

She snickered from the kitchen.

I looked at the clock that was shining on the screen of the microwave. It read 2:01.

I turned to Dad, "When are we supposed to leave?"

"As soon as your friends get here which needs to be in the next 10 minutes." He said, glancing at the watch on his wrist.

I picked my phone up and called Leah. She picked up on the first ring.

"We literally just turned into your neighborhood." She said.

"Oh, okay. Do you know where Julia is?" I asked.

"No," She had said, "I called her a few minutes ago and she said she was 10 minutes away."

"Oh, okay. See you in a few." I beamed.

"Okay, bye, bye." And she hung up.

I got a text from Julia a minute later and laughed.

Julia: Stop rushing us! You know my dad is a slow driver!

I smiled, pocketed my phone, and walked over to the kitchen, where my mom talked to Lydia. My mom stopped and smiled as I approached. Lydia turned to look at me.

"We're getting a dog," She said, smiling widely, "A Huskey."

My eyes widened as I turned to Mom. She was already shaking her head. At that, my mood fell. I turned to Lydia, a smile on my face, "Mom would love to get you a dog."

I turned back to Mom who had a disapproving smile on her face to which I snickered. When the doorbell rang, I rushed to the door expecting to see Leah, but Julia was standing next to her, too. Their families stood behind them, bright smiles on their faces.

I squealed in delight as they did, too, wrapping each other in a hug. Once we pulled back, I invited them inside.

Leah's parents stood tall and proud, radiating extravagance and money. Behind them, Leah's younger brother, Tate, strolled in his head in his phone. I smiled, ruffling his bright blonde hair to which he gave me an annoyed look, his cheeks tinting pink.

"Nice to see you, too, Tate," I said as he walked over to the couch. I thought he was ignoring me, but I was proved wrong when I saw a faint smile on his cheek.

I said 'hi' to Julia and Leah's mom and her boyfriends. They gave me bright and warm smiles, asking me if I was excited about the trip.

I nodded, eagerly, "Excited is an understatement."

I turned to Julia's younger sister and smiled. She was also 14, had the same beautiful curly hair Julia had, the same shy smile. I patted her head as she looked up at me.

"Hi, Eden." She had said.

"Hi, Jenny," I smiled.

I watched her sit down a foot away from Tate, look at him awkwardly and sigh. She then pulled out her phone and scrolled through it before giggling for a while. Tate picked his head up and looked at her, a frown on his face. She turned to him and showed him the phone. I watched as he cracked a smile and looked at her. She blushed and looked back at her phone.

My eyes widened, a smile making its way to my face. I stood next to Julia and Leah.

"I think Jenny likes Tate," I said, staring at the two on the couch.

Julia's eyes widened and Leah rolled her eyes, "You're late."

Julia and I looked at Leah. Julia spoke up, "I kinda ship."

Leah nodded, "I do, too, but Tate is dumb. He'd probably break her poor angel heart without realizing."

I nodded, "I guess, they'll have to work it out themselves."

Leah snickered, "Imagine they get married and we end up as sisters-in-law."

Julia got excited, but I frowned, "And where does that leave me,"

Leah shrugged, "Maybe you'll get a dog and Julia's dog will fall in love with yours and have like 17 puppies."

I frowned, "That isn't as nice as yours."

Julia and Leah laughed as we continued to talk about anything and everything. As we were putting Julia and Leah's suitcases in the back of our car, someone called me.

I turned to see Hamza making his way from his house to ours. A smile made its way to my face as he got closer.

"Miss me already?" He asked, a bright smile illuminating the already bright sky. I blushed as I noticed Leah and Julia staring at him. They've never met him before. I kinda made it my job for that not to happen, but here we are.

"You wish," I responded, having trouble breathing as he stood behind me and taking the suitcase from my hand, putting it in the car.

Once he backed up, I was able to breathe again just to lose it as he slung his arm over my shoulder. I looked up and noticed his eyes on Leah and Julia.

"You must be Leah and Julia. I'm Hamza." He said, his eyes moving from Leah to Julia then, finally, to me.

I nodded, pointing at Julia, "This is Julia," And then I pointed to Leah, "And Leah."

He nodded, "Pleasure to meet you both,"

I looked at him, "What are you doing here?"

He took his arm off my shoulder and sat in the trunk of the car, rocking his legs back and forth. He had the same cheeky smile on his face that I've found just downright adorable since I've met him.

"I can't say bye to my best friend?" He asked.

Before I could joke to him about me being his "best friend", Leah cut in.

"Hey, buddy. We're her best friends. She doesn't need anymore." She huffed, a teasing smile on her face.

Hamza's eyebrow cocked up, a smile on his face, "Then what am I?"

Julia spoke up, "The guy who's madly in love with her, but can't get any closer cause her best friends are stuck up and picky."

My eyes widened and I looked at Hamza who let out a loud laugh. I watched as he jumped off the trunk, landing on the ground on his feet.

"I think Eden's the one who's madly in love with me," He said.

My cheeks flamed red and I rolled, punching him softly on the arm. He started to walk away but turned around.

"Call me when you get there," He said, winking.

I nodded, waving at him as he walked back into his house. I turned to Julia and Leah, but before I could say anything, our parents started walking over to us, ready to part ways.

Leah glared at me, playfully, "We will talk about this."

My eyes widened and I focused on Julia and Leah saying goodbye to their families. Julia and Leah would be coming with my parents and me to drop us off at the airport. I watched as tears stung Julia's mom's eyes as she strangled Julia with a hug. Julia had a sad smile on her face as she pulled back.

"Call us every day," Her mom pointed at her. She nodded and turned to Jenny and glared at her playfully.

"Can I have that tube of lip gloss you never use?" Jenny asked, smilingly.

Julia shrugged, "Sure, but only the clear one!"

Jenny rolled her eyes, nodding, and wrapped her sister in a hug. My eyes trailed to Leah's family and I smiled softly.

Her dad had Leah's shoulders in her hand, it looked like she was telling her something important. I looked to Leah who had an annoyed smile on her face. Her mom was watching them, a tearful smile on her face.

"Make sure you don't hang around weird kids, like Yale-bound kids." She shivered in disgust. My eyes widened in amusement as I climbed into the car with Mom, Dad, and Leah. It was awkwardly quiet in here and I took a seat, looking back at Lydia in her booster seat. She was sitting alone in the last row to which she was probably mad at.

"What's going on between them right now?" I whispered.

She shrugged, "Mom started grumbling to herself when he sat down in the driver seat."

I nodded and turned back around. Eventually, Leah and Julia climbed into the car and took their seats. Leah wanted to sit in the back with Lydia which made her really happy and Julia sat next to me.

As soon as everyone was sitting down and buckled, dad pulled out of the driveway, waving at Leah and Julia's parents. We then made our way to the airport.

-

We pulled up to the airport's departure area that was bustling with travelers and families saying their goodbyes. Everyone climbed out of the car and started placing the suitcases on little trolleys. Once everything was put where it was supposed to be, my mom got a call.

"Hello?" She asked once she picked up. She waited a few minutes as the person on the other side of the phone spoke.

"We're towards the back of the departure area," She said as she looked around. Her face turned into one of surprise as she started waving her arms at a car.

"Oh, I see you! I'm waving at you, right now." She said, excitedly.

The person said something and they quickly hung up. I looked at Leah and Julia in confusion as the car pulled up behind ours. I watched as the door to the van slid open and a little girl stepped out.

"I swear to God if they are not hot..." Leah said, lightly gripping my arm. I let out a laugh at that and rolled my eyes.

"We're only here to have fun," I said, but quickly forgot what it was I was saying as the first guy stepped out of the backseat.

The guy was tall, much taller than the three of us. He had bright green eyes and beautiful brown skin that matched his light brown curly hair. I heard Leah release a soft breath.

"Woah," Julia and Leah said in unison.

"Woah, indeed," I said, but we all quieted down as the second guy got out. He had on a smile that could literally blind anyone who stared right at it. He was in the middle of laughing like a maniac at something and accidentally stumbled into the other guy who got out.

"Is he drunk?" Julia asked.

I looked closer, "I don't think so,"

"He's mine," Leah whispered.

My eyes widened, a laugh bubbling out of me. The guy looked to be as tall as the other one. He had very dark brown hair and skin that looked like it hasn't seen the sun in a year. He was just really pale in comparison to the other guy.

I looked to the car as the last guy climbed out. My eyebrows rose but fell just as quickly, my lips pulled into a frown. It was the guy who helped us at the grocery store.

I watched as he ruffled the little girl's hair and looked up, making eye contact with me. A smirk made its way to his lips and he walked over towards us.

"Heck, no," I said and turned around, walking over to Lydia who was trying to catch a bird on the ground.

She stopped and looked at me, "You're gonna scare the bird away,"

I rolled my eyes and she looked behind me, "Who are those guys talking to Julia and Leah?"

"The guys we're going on a trip with," I said, sighing.

She frowned and skipped her way towards them. My eyes widened, and I tried to pull her back, but she grabbed my hand pulling me along instead. I looked at her, shocked. How did she do that?

Before I got free myself from her death-grip, she pulled me into the center of the group. She then let me go. She looked at the three guys and gave them a cheeky smile.

The tall guy with the light brown hair crouched down to her level, jutting his hand out for her to shake, "I'm Jude,"

I watched Lydia's smile grow as she took his hand and shook it, "I'm Lydia,"

He nodded and she turned around, grabbing my arm again, "This is Eden. She's shy."

"I am not," I said, trying to free myself from her grip again.

She smiled at me and turned to the guy standing next to Jude, the guy with dark brown hair and pale skin, and said, "Make sure she has fun and she brings me something from wherever you're going..."

She was asking for his name.

"Dawson," He finished for her and nodded, "Will do,"

She nodded and stepped in front of the last guy and I rolled my eyes.

"What's your name, mister?" She asked.

He chuckled, "Atlas,"

My eyes widened. The way he said it was really hot. I shook my head from my thoughts when I realized what I was thinking.

She nodded, "Make sure Eden doesn't do drugs. It's bad."

Atlas's eyes widened, but he nodded nonetheless. She nodded and turned back to me, "If you do anything bad, I'll make sure to tell Mom about your stash under the sink."

My eyes widened, "How do you know that you little-"

My stash consisted of a lot of things. I had candy, energy drinks (which I am not allowed to drink), a vape I haven't tried out yet, and a bunch of other incriminating things. I packed them with me, but they'll still believe whatever Lydia says.

I groaned, "Whatever, Lydia. I won't."

She nodded and ran over to dad who was talking to the other little girl. My cheeks flushed red as I noticed that all eyes were on me. Julia and Leah looked to be on the verge of dying from laughter. Atlas, Dawson, and Jude were all looking at me with amused smiles on their faces.

Before I could say anything, Leah started laughing really loud followed by Julia and Dawson. A smile erupted on Jude's face and Atlas was just watching all of it unfold, a small smile on his lips.

"You all suck," I said.

I watched from the sidelines as everyone introduced themselves to each other. I didn't have to since Lydia went and did that for me. Leah definitely took a liking to Dawson because she couldn't stop laughing like an idiot.

Mom and dad followed by another lady walked over to us. Almost immediately, all conversations stopped.

"Well, you guys got acquainted really quick." Mom said, smiling.

The lady turned to me and smiled, "Hi, I'm Ms. Foreman, but you can call me Linda. I'm Atlas's mom."

I gave her a wide and friendly smile, "I'm Eden,"

She gave me a warm look and I smiled. She just radiated loving mother energy.

She introduced herself to Leah and Julia who complimented her and told her how pretty she was. She smiled and let out a laugh, thanking them.

I groaned in my head. She probably likes them better than me now. Mom stood next to me and smiled, "Why do you look so annoyed?"

I groaned, "It's nothing. Lydia's just a devil."

Mom laughed, "Well, look on the bright side. Now you don't have to deal with her for like a month."

I nodded, "I guess,"

I looked and everybody was starting to say goodbye and I turned to Mom who looked kind of sad. I wrapped her in a hug and she let out a tearful laugh on my shoulder.

"Mom, don't cry." I groaned, "As soon as you do, I will."

She laughed, pulling away from me. She planted a kiss on my forehead, "You'll be a good girl for me, right?" She asked.

I nodded, "The best,"

She smiled and walked over to the car. Dad came up to me and I ran up to him, wrapping him in a hug. He let out a laugh as I buried my face in his shoulder.

"Make sure to call whenever you can, okay?" He asked.

I nodded, "I will,"

He pulled back and planted a kiss on my cheek, "Don't forget to have fun, okay?"

I laughed, "I won't forget."

He laughed and walked over to the car, climbing in. Lydia walked over to me and opened her arms for me.

"Are you sure you want me to hug you?" I asked.

She glared at me and I laughed, wrapping her in a hug. After a few seconds, she started squirming around.

"You can let me go now, Ede." She said.

I smiled and put her down, watching her bound away and into the car. I turned back around and saw that Linda was walking away from the group. She stopped when she saw me and took my hand in hers, squeezing it lightly.

"I don't wanna push this on you, but you'll take care of them, right? They're like my kids, all of them." She said, tears prickling her eyes.

I smiled at her, pulling her into a hug, "Of course, I will."

She smiled once she pulled back and lightly gripped my arm, "Thank you. Have fun, okay?"

I nodded and watched her get into her car. I stood there, a soft smile on my face.

"E, come on!" Leah called.

I shook myself from my thoughts and sped up to the group. We pushed our trolleys towards the check-in and I glanced behind me to see if I could still see my family. I frowned when I couldn't.

"Hey, we'll be okay," Julia said, squeezing my hand.

I nodded. I looked up and noticed Atlas's hard eyes on mine. My eyes widened and I looked away. He was so damn difficult to read and so... intimidating.

I noticed that Leah was chatting animatedly with Dawson and Jude was showing Atlas something on his phone.

I placed my head on Julia's shoulder, a smile on my face. We'd have fun this summer, I decided. This summer would be really different.

A/N: This chapter was long. Atlas is really hot. Dawson is UGH i love him. Jude can be the father of my children. Hamza is a whole damn sweetheart I COULD DIE. i love eden so so much. her personality is just so lovely. lydia is funny. and my writing sucks.

I was watching Kurtis Conner, finished banging my head to maneskin for a few hours, listened to good 4 you (slowed) on repeat, and listened to that lovely playlist up there... all while writing this chapter :) And yes, it took that long to write. stay safe !!