Before the ball, Brandon had invited everyone to take a long night drive. They all meet up at the park where they all agreed to go near Merida's house. Since Beth was back, she only allowed her daughter to ride in and not drive.

"Leo! Be careful, okay?" Beth with narrowed eyes told Leo. "Bring her back safe and sound."

Leo chuckled. "Of course, Mrs, Hollyn."

Beth then waved at them. Though she really worries, she can't just cut one wing off of her daughter. Leo, that boy she knows, she knew him.

At their meeting place, Brandon was giggling when everyone showed up. Lisa, Yuri, Merida, Leo, Jacob and him.

"Okay, so the boys will take whoever they want to ride in their cars, okay?" Brandon told them.

Lisa frowned. "It should be girls!"

"Hush, Lisa!" Brandon snapped. "I happen to came up with this, so you better hush and let us decide."

Lisa rolled her eyes and scorned at Brandon.

There was no more objection so Brandon picked who he wanted to be with and since he's moving on from Merida then his best pick was Yuri. "I'm taking Yuri," he stated.

Yuri hid a smile since she was into Brandon. "Nice pick, Jackass!" Then Brandon and her high fived.

The next to choose was Leo. Jacob thought that he would pick Merida but to everyone's surprise he took Lisa's hand and pulled her close to him. "I'm taking Lisa," he said with a smile.

Merida didn't know why but her heart ached the moment Leo took Lisa's hand without any hesitation. They leave it no choice but for Merida to ride with Jacob. Because Merida was hurt, she immediately went inside Jacob's car.

"Bro, why did you--"

Jacob and Brandon was about to ask when Leo cut them off. "You let me choose, didn't you?" Then he went inside his car.

Jacob ground his jaw and went inside his car. The rules was windows down, follow Brandon and have fun. But how was they supposed to have fun?

When they started driving, Jacob cleared his throat and spoke, "I'm sorry you're with me."

"It's no big deal," she answered.

"If you want, at the next stop, I could talk to--"

"No!" Merida grunted looking at him. Her face annoyed. Now Jacob was sure that Merida has some kind of feelings for Leo or so he thinks.

"Alright," he whispers. "I'm sorry."

Now Merida feels bad. "I'm sorry too. I didn't mean to bawl at you like that."

Jacob flashed a fake smile. He wanted to know. "Do you have... some kind of feeling for Leo, Love?" Asking that made him tighten his grip on the steering wheel.

Merida glanced outside the window. "I don't know. I might have feelings for him." Honesty was very important, and she was speaking it.

He chuckled his pain away. "Let's stop thinking about us for a while and enjoy this night Brandon had come up for us. It shouldn't be long and we'll be at the bonfire sight."

"Yeah..." she muttered.

***

On the other car, where Leo was driving he kept changing the music as Lisa is doing the same thing. He heard him groaned in frustration couple of times and he just have to laugh.

"Quit it, Leo!" Lisa yelled.

"You quit it!" Leo chuckled.

"I didn't know you could be this annoying!" She rolled her eyes.

"Yes, because you happen to be someone who hates my music," he told her.

They gone quiet for a moment and then Lisa cleared her throat. "Thanks for saving me earlier. I'm really in the process of moving on and being with him seemed like not a good idea."

A corner of Leo's mouth curved up. "I know."

"But didn't you noticed? Merida seemed like... she was hurt earlier." Lisa did notice it. Well everyone kind of did but then it surprised her how Leo seemed not to care.

"She's confused, Lisa."

"How are you sure?" she asked him, frowning.

"Merida still loves Jacob and I don't want to confuse her. If she loves me, she'd tell me." The look on Leo's face told Lisa how much pain he was feeling too. "All we are... are broken people who tries to believe that what we're choosing is right."

Lisa saw through his glistening eyes. For that, tears had flooded her eyes but she didn't want to cry so she yelled. "I'm so happy I am in a car with Leo!"

Leo only laughed with what Lisa did. And then they heard the front car and Yuri yelling something that they didn't seem to understand.

At their bonfire sight at a beach, the boys had circled around the fire acting like indians. Ofcourse, Brandon lead the guys to do it. Soon enough, they all did it.

Then the girls started to dip their toes in the water just at the shoreline. Brandon and Jacob was skipping rocks at the ocean, counting how many skips and who was better while Leo had laid down cause that's who he is.

"Why did you shout that earlier?" Merida was so curious so she asked Lisa.

Lisa turned to her and giggled. "Because Leo was being funny," she answered. She was observing what would cross Merida's face.

"Did you guys hear me shout too?" Yuri questioned them.

"You were loud!" Lisa yelled.

"Oh you heard that!"

"Yes!"

When Merida's girlfriends started to get a little crazy, she excused herself. At where Leo was she stand still and watch him notice her. He opened his eyes and stared at her.

"Is something wrong?" he asked her.

"Yes. Why didn't you take my hand?" With a raised brow she asked.

Leo chuckled and sit up. "Do you know you're adorable when you act like that? It looks like you're into me," he joked.

"Should I laugh now?" She sneered and sat beside him.

Suddenly, Leo wrapped his arm around her waist that made her glance at him. "Don't you think what you're doing is rude?"

He snickered. "Do you know what's rude, Love?"

Merida turned to Leo and stared at his eyes. "What is rude, Leo?"

When Leo saw that four of their friends were busy he had to do it. He claimed her lips like it wasn't a bad thing. He tasted it like after this night he wouldn't taste them again. Savouring her lips because he knows it wasn't his to taste forever. Though this might end in three beats of his heart, atleast he had three beats to taste those lips of painful memories.

Leo backed away and smirked at Merida. "That was rude of me, wasn't it?"

Merida didn't say anything but instead she hugged him tight. "I don't want to lose you," she whispers in his ear.

"You're not going to lose me, Love." But I'm going to lose you.

***

So they joined the squad skipping rocks on the ocean. And when they started noticing meteor shower they wowed at it. It must be one of those night in their lives that they'll forever remember.

"Do you guys think we'll still get along together when we start going to college?" Brandon asked in a worried tone.

"If you keep in touch then we'll still gather occasionally," Jacob answered.

"What if one of us stops texting? Would it be fine to talk behind his back?"

They all laughed at that.

"I don't think my girls will ever talk behind my back," Yuri proudly giggled. "Right girls?"

Lisa and Merida nodded.

"What are you so scared of, Brandon?" Merida questioned.

"I don't know. I got a strange feeling that two of us here will disappear all of a sudden." Then he looked down embarrassed at his thoughts.

"You're just thinking too much," Leo uttered. "There's no way two of us here will disappear."

Yuri glanced at her cousin. It's been a while since she saw him and now she's glad. If she didn't transfer to this school the she would've find something like this. Some say beautiful things takes time to make and yes, that's ideal. But then some say, the ones that lasts is the best and that's more than being beautiful.

All of a sudden Jacob clears his throat and turned to Leo. "I'm sorry for ruining our friendship because of a girl I barely know."

Leo as he is, guffawed. "After all those years, I'm glad you saw through it," he joked and the bro hugged Jacob.

They heard someone sniffed and they looked at Lisa. Who was looking at them weirdly too. "What the hell are you guys looking at me like that? I'm not the one looking away!" And then she pointed out Brandon who wiping his tears.

"What?" Brandon loudly asked, looking at everyone with furrowed brows. "I'm just happy! It's not my fault I'm getting emotional!"

Again, they laughed at Brandon's childish act. He's such a baby and Yuri came to his rescue. They would be the perfect couple.

So just for souvenir, they took a picture together again. All boys at the back since they all were taller and then girls in front. A night to remember for them high schoolers.

The ride home was indeed a long way drive and since it was Leo who asked Beth for permission then he has to return Merida safe. Their drive to her house was fast and they stopped in front.

"Have you decided?" Leo asked Merida.

"Yes and I want to be with you for the dance," she replied.

"Then what if you see Jacob dancing with another girl?"

"Then I'll let him be!" Merida shouts, the look on her face told Leo what he wanted to know. Her frown slowly vanished and her face went pale.

It was an obvious answer that Merida gave him so he painfully smiled again. "It's okay. I know it still angers you."

"Leo, you're not going away, right?" she unhappily asked him. Her eyes begging him to stay.

"As long as you need me, I'll be just here."

Merida hugged him tight. She's being selfish but she was confused, scared and mad. She knows she likes Leo but then Jacob... she loves Jacob.

They broke the hug and Merida told Leo goodnight. It was then when Leo chuckled at himself and cried like a man. Thinking about it, he can be either selfish and shows up or he can let her go and then ...

"Trust Him... " he whispered and drove away.

***

(08.04.20)