Belief

5.6

*warning major fetus 5sos feels watch at your disclosure^*

Maddie's POV

The morning sun was beating down on the struggling-to-stay-alive-lawn out front of our house. Grace and I sat on the grass watching Ashton and Luke load the back of the car with our backpacks and sleeping bags. Despite the slight chill of the California fall, it was a beautiful day out, although Michael disagreed.

"Why do we have to spend a night outside?" Michael groans, plopping down on the grass next to Grace and resting his head on her lap.

She brushes his hair out of his face, laughing down at him, "It will be fun Mikey." Grace messes with his hair. "I even packed your ps3, and your ds for when the outdoors start to overwhelm you."

"This is why you are the best," his eyes crinkle up, grinning up at her. "Did you bring yours too so we can finish our battle later?"

"Is that even a question?" Grace rolls her eyes teasingly.

Ashton shuts the trunk, walking over to us with an excited smile, he loves adventuring. Luke takes a seat next to me, slinging his arm loosely around my shoulder.

"Where is Calum?" Ashton looks around. "We are leaving now," he claps his hands, motioning for us to get in the car. We had to borrow their friend's van.

"I'll drive," Grace offers, not trusting any of the boys. Ashton runs inside real quick, dragging Calum out with him. Michael gets shotgun so he can talk to Grace. Ashton pushes Calum to sit next to him in the row in front of Luke and I.

"I don't understand why I have to come," Calum groans, sinking down in his seat as Grace starts driving.

"Because it is going to be fun and we are all going," Ashton crosses his arms.

"Yeah, but you don't have a girl who hates your guts going either," Calum covers his face. "Do you know how hard it is going to be to even look at her?"

"It will give you a chance to fix things," Ashton attempts to give Calum hope. He obviously wasn't there to witness their last fight.

"Or it will give her a chance to murder me in the woods and hide the evidence," Calum stuffs on his headphones, turning away from Ashton and facing the window.

"Is it really that bad?" Ashton turns back to look at me, raising his eyebrows. He rests his arms on the back of his seat so he is on his knees, facing Luke and I.

"Sort of, yeah," I shrug. Charlie and Calum were far too complicated for me to understand. "Where are Charlie and Zach anyway?"

"They are meeting us there, Zach said they just left," Ashton holds up his phone to show me he has been texting Zach.

"You better not be replacing me," I tease him, pushing Ashton's head back down so he sinks back into his seat.

Luke scoots closer to me, wrapping his arm around my waist. I rest my head on his shoulder, and trace the back of his hands. He pulls out his earphones, giving me one bud. I watch as he selects a playlist called "her". He glances at me, his teeth grazing over his lip ring, hiding his bashful smile.

-

Everyone pulls on their backpacks, the silence of the forest bringing a sense of calmness to the group. The sun grazes above the treetops that surround us on all sides. All eyes were scanning the surrounding woods, absorbing the sense of pureness and freedom.

That was until another car pulled up, Zach and Charlie grabbing their backpacks and walking over to us. They looked like they came off the cover of some punk album or grunge magazine. Both in thick black hiking boots, black skinny jeans torn at the knee, and a faded black t-shirt. Charlie's waves were as wild as ever, pulled back with a black bandana, her lips stained a dark shade. I glance over to Grace, our hair in messy ponytails and a simple white t-shirt. Charlie was ready to break a heart, that was for sure.