Lakehouse Love

Change of Plans

Stood beside the hired, while Rita play Tetris with the Feder family's bags, Roxanne types away at her phone before looking to the base of the hill where five out of nine of the kids are playing in the lake. Noticing the sudden guilt rise in her chest at the thought of pulling her kids away from fun to sit in a hotel for another consecutive year, Roxanne's honey eyes drift to her eldest daughter sat on the front porch steps.

Jay stares down at the dirt surrounding the bottom of the wooden steps, her sketchbook discarded in her packed duffle bag along with her walker-man and Mr Carrot. A bubble of dull anger brewing in her stomach due to the idea of having to leave the lake she has grown to love in favour of another stupid trip across the world. A soft bump to her shoulder breaks Jay from her trance and she looks over to see Nate now sat beside her with a sad smile.

"How long till you guys leave?"

"Probably an hour or two."

"You have my number right? I can't have my new best friend forgetting about me?"

"Best friend?" Jay repeats turning to Nate with an arched eyebrow and a playful smirk on her lips. "You've known me for like, three days. I think it takes longer than that to class someone as your best friend"

"Hey, this could of been like some really cheesy teen romance novel where I fell in love with you." Nate jokes sending the girl a matching smirk.

"Oh, God." Jay responds with a short chuckle as her smirk is replaced by a genuine smile.

"Don't worry. If I'm gonna fall in love with you, I'm in it for the long game." Nate announces looking out to his younger sibling playing in the lake.

"The long game?"

"You know. Building up a friendship on trust, loyalty and respect. Being only a phone call away if you need someone to talk too. Then, maybe, when the timing in right we'll see where it goes."

"You know your wasting your time right."

"That's your view."

Silence falls between the pair as Becky bursts through the lake house doors with a wide smile on her face. The teens watch as she races down the stairs past them before spinning around as she reaches the trees.

"We're not leaving."

"What do you mean, Ladybug?" Jay questions wanting to make sure she hear her little sister correctly.

"MUMMY SAYS WE'RE STAYING." Becky cheers racing down to the others playing in the lake.

<♤•♤•♤> <♤•♤•♤> <♤•♤•♤>

Dropping her teal towel onto a sun-lounger followed by her trio-coloured 'just do it' backpack, Jay pulls off her over-sized Boston Bruins jersey and white striped black basketball shorts prior to tossing the clothing over her backpack. Turning as a plain white tee lands on her sun-lounger, Jay smiles at Nate as he pulls off his snapback before leaning past her to place down his snapback.

"Am I gonna be stuck with you the rest of the weekend?" Jay jokes smirking playfully at the hazel eyed boy.

"Gotta build up that friendship somehow right?" Nate teases matching the girl's smirk before Charlotte and Donna rush over, nudging Nate back.

"We're going on a water slide." The girl's cheer as Becky runs over and leaps into her sister's arms.

"Then what are we waiting for." Jay responds, smiling widely at the younger girls then moving to follow the father's and other kids towards the biggest slide; Nate following close behind after shaking his head.