TH1RTEEN || ✓

CHAPTER 1: Entry No. 1

Thursday, 7:38 PM

Three years in college...and counting. I'd note the long hours of restlessness had grown boredom planted on my fibers. I never imagined the school I had picked out would bring me days of resentment.

    But I had to strive. Or else, where would I end up?

    After five hours of waiting tables, I received a phone call. It was Lewis.

    Was I surprised? Well, no. Lewis made it sure I was being checked up on from time to time. He, as people would say it, was a good friend that appeared once in every lifetime.

   However, this time he called, I was indeed in pure surprise. A good kind of surprise.

    "An outing? Really?" My heartbeats raced. "Of course! I mean, yeah, yeah, sure. No, no problem. I can drive. Mhm. Saturday it is, then?"

    A smile sprouted in me. I leaned against the counter and patted my nape. I felt excitement lifting my chin up.

    "Hold on, Lew," before he could hang up, the pessimistic side of me wanted to cement the good news for good. "This is happening, right? This thing should definitely press on." Fractals of hope hung on my every word.

    "Of course! Pssh. Don't worry, Harris. This time we can all enjoy for a whole day. This isn't a drill." He laughed.

     This might actually be it! That one break that I wouldn't miss for the world. And I'd get to see all of them again.

    The long weeks I've spent saving up for a small house, all the all-nighters, I could actually be out there for real. With everyone.

    Before I slipped to dreamland tonight, I made sure I thank the skies for what was to come. I couldn't actually believe it. After two years, our group would finally be complete in this one trip. The second family I had, we'd be together again.

    
Saturday, 11:03 AM

At last, the day indeed came. Ricky let me get his van yesterday night so I could actually go and pick the girls up once we've done unpacking. We had just finished unloading the van. There were other bags and baggage that the group had dropped.  Now, the girls were currently scolding us for being two and a half hours too late. It wasn't my fault, really. The hotel we were staying for the night stood in between alleys I've never even heard of.

    Just this Thursday, my friends and I decided to fully commit on our decade-old plan of our own outbound. All together. I, for one, was looking forward to it. But how it was all starting was not really how I expected. I bet, not everyone's as well.
    
    "Thank you, guys. Now we just wasted the perfect time of the day." Ava put her hands on her hips. She always did that, being cranky and sweet at the same time.

     Monica then proceeded to push the cart containing our stuff and gave me a look. "Blame Harris over here. He drives slower than a snail. And why would any of you pick the earliest time anyway?"

     "Because that's when the light is much healthier than how it is now," said Andrea, dabbing a kerchief on her forehead. "We can't go out trekking with a sun like this."

      "Where are we going again? We're gonna trek on a noon?" Noah peered from his phone, playing with Ricky's van keys. "Who picked the first place?"

      Smiling-face Sadie pointed to me.

      "I did," I proudly raised a palm. "Liverwest Cove. Down past Livereast Lake. Don't worry, I know the place very well. We'll be there, twenty tops."

     I knew Lewis and Ava were aware of my situation and they were kind enough to let me pick out our first place to spend lunchtime at.  I reckoned they let me so I'd feel delighted. Which I was, really.

    However Kimmy and Luis could not make it. So I guessed this wasn't the get-together I pictured in my mind three nights before. But, that was just fine as well. I knew both Kimmy and Luis would tag along if they were available.

      As a reaction, Rosie grunted, clinging her arms around Ava. "What are we doing here, then? Let's all go now!"

      "Wait!" Monica shouted with glares. I could clearly see beads of sweat trickling from her scalps, pushing three full carts of all our belongings at the same time. And here I was, lifting only three luggage, struggling.

    "This would've been easy if Luis was here." Monica growled in a whisper.

     I heard Allison sigh beside me. She muttered how this was going to be a very long day.

     All eight of us climbed the van, leaving the hotel and started for the road. Our three other friends told us they'd wait at the Cove and ready our cottage for the afternoon.

    We were a lot of friends in our circle. And yes, you might wonder, we were a handful of names one might lose under a bed, so I wouldn't list all three of them just yet. But bear with me.

     At the back, Ava, Rosie, Sadie, Andrea, Allison and Monica were seated. Noah sat with me at the front as I drove for the trip.

    When we arrived, Lewis was the one who met with us at the entrance, while Ricky, who owned the van, and his girlfriend Diya, guarded our cottage.

    Lunch soon commenced just minutes after our arrival. A banquet-like feast stuck on our noses. Although I warned the group to never full their stomachs, for waiting ahead of us was a tiring trip up the venue I picked for our first activity. I was more than thankful to have all of us around a huge table and share chatters alongside eating brunch. The girls were humming and singing along karaoke songs from their phones. Noah and Monica were hoarding leftovers perfect for our trip to the second place. Ricky and Diya made fun of Rosie as she sung. Lewis mostly did all the hosting the whole time.

     We had not exchanged how are you's just yet, but the sight of them decreased my longing feeling.

     Even as a boy, I'd never had this many of a crewmate before. They helped me create my childhood.

     I had ten of them today. And they had one of me.

    And I was happy to have them here, even without Kimmy and Luis. I sure did hope the next time they'd come with us.

    I'd make this day count.