"They should be pulling up any minute..."
"There they are!" Ari smiled, pointing to a dark truck pulling in across the street. Cove smiled too, shutting off her phone and putting it in her pocket. Leo and Miles got out of the truck, also smiling. Ari ran up and gave her boyfriend a hug.
"Hey, shortie," Leo said with a smirk. Ari couldn't help but smile at his remark; he had grown in height over the summer, and now he was a head taller than Ari.
"I was taller than you just a few months ago." She replied with a grin.
Leo laughed. "Yeah, but know I'm taller." He ran his hand through her hair before touching her cheek and kissing her on the head.
"Alright you two," Cove said with a smirk, "We need to unpack Ari's things."
Ari was moving into Cove's room; they were both excited. Cove got to be a roommate with her best friend, while Ari didn't have to live alone. It was Saturday, the Saturday before senior year to be exact. Everyone walked into the Ellingson's house together, each person carrying a bag. Ari was carrying her backpack and her suitcase was dragging behind her. Cove was carrying two backpacks; Miles was dragging a suitcase behind him, and behind everyone was Leo, struggling to hold up a suitcase himself.
"What do you have in here?" He panted, setting down the suitcase at the bottom of the stairs.
Ari smirked. "Want to switch?" She asked.
"Yes, yes please," Leo let go of the suitcase and grabbed the bag Ari handed him; the weight of the second bag made him fall to the ground. Ari laughed out loud. Quickly, Leo scrambled up and wiped off his jacket, folding his arms like nothing happened. Ari moved one of her tears of laughter before pulling Leo into a hug.
"Aw," She sighed, still smiling big, "I love you." Leo smiled down at her and planted a kiss on her nose.
"I know you do," teased Leo as the two smiled at each other. Leo closed his eyes and leaned in for one of their smiling kisses—when Ari jokingly turned away and walked up the stairs, causing Leo to almost fall forward. He gazed at his girlfriend as she rushed up the stairs, a smile planted on his face.
"Come on!" Miles called, and Leo lugged the bag up one stair at a time.
In the room, Ari and Cove were planning where to put everything, while Miles and Leo continued unpacking.
"Do we really have to unpack all of this while they plan?" Leo groaned, breaking a sweat from the suitcase he was carrying. He had made it to the middle step. "And why do I always get stuck with the heavy ones?"
Miles shrugged, carrying his large box up to the second floor with ease and setting it just inside the door. "You keep grabbing them. Besides," He smirked. "You don't want to impress your girlfriend?" Miles continued to smirk as Leo straightened up and tugged on his jacket. He took a deep breath and lugged the suitcase to the front of the door without setting it down. He beamed and flexed his muscles.
"I don't need to try and impress her, I already—" Miles smacked the back of Leo's head, both of them grinning.
"Already what? Okay, come on, we only have a few bags left."
When the boys—finally, considering how Leo continued to choose the heaviest suitcases—finished moving the bags, the four friends started on the decorating part. Ari and Leo built the bed frame and the bookcases, the dresser and the desk, while Cove and Miles moved Cove's furniture into one half of the room.
"Alright...I need the screwdriver," Ari held out her hand as she read the directions carefully. She went to twist the screw when she gave Leo and skeptical look. "Screwdriver, dummy. You have four eyes, use em'." She passed the hammer back to Leo, who laughed as he gave her the screwdriver. She couldn't help but crack a laugh back.
"So the bed goes there." Cove pointed to wear her dresser was, and Miles nodded. "We just need to move the mattress and everything else so it's easier." The two looked at each other and smiled, running over to the bed and throwing everything off, making a pile of pillows and blankets by her desk. Miles grabbed a pillow and threw it at Cove, followed by a smile from her. She hit him with the pillow in return, and he held up his hands in defeat. Smiling, Cove looked over to see Ari smirking at her. Cove rolled her eyes playfully and went back to moving the mattress off the bed frame.
Everything was assembled, and all the furniture was moved. The group stood in the middle of the room, feeling achieved. "I think we can all agree that we nailed this," Ari said, looking at each of her friends. Everyone nodded.
Miles held up his keys; his new keys, given that he had—finally—passed his driver's test. "Who wants food?" He asked with a smile. Ari groaned.
"Me, I'm literally dying over here," Ari groaned. Cove shrugged, as did Leo.
"Alright then." Everyone got in Miles' truck, and he drove to Taylor's Diner. They all ran to their normal booth, smiling and laughing as a joke. Ari and Leo knew what they wanted; they always got the same thing every time. Cove and Miles, on the other hand, were always in a different mood for something. They helped each other look for something to eat. Ari leaned against the wall and her feet lay crossed on Leo's lap while they talked.
When the group got their food, they talked about senior year approaching. Somehow, the subject always managed to change.
"Do you have pickles on your burger?" Cove asked Leo, disgusted.
"Duh, you ask that every time," Sighs Leo. He set down his burger and pretended to pout.
"Speaking of Leo's burger—" Ari grinned, reaching over and grabbing a bit of his meal. He pretended to scold her, but kissed her cheek afterwards.
"It's fine, you can have a bite of my food whenever. I don't mind." Ari gave a side smile and went in to give Leo a kiss; before turning away at the last minute and lightly hitting his chin. Sighing of disappointment yet smiling, Leo turned back to his food.
Later, the group walked out of the diner, joking and laughing as the walked to Miles' truck. "Last sleepover before we're seniors?" Asked Cove.
Everyone agreed.
Soon enough, Monday came by. Cove drove Ari today; they decided they would switch off every day. Ari was wearing her usual outfit, since she never went all out; baggy jeans, her classic, black converse (which were even worn to prom the previous year), an oversized band tee and her earrings. Cove was wearing blue jean shorts and a lightly tucked in, mildy baggy teal striped shirt with white airforces.
As the girls walked up to the high school, they could see Miles and Leo waiting for them at the front ramp. Leo looked over with a smile and the smile grew. He was wearing a blue shirt, which matched his blonde hair, baggy black jeans and converse. Miles wore a white long sleeved, layered with his classic green shirt, baggy khaki pants, a small black chain necklace, and white shoes. His ginger hair was still messy, as always.
The four of them all met up and walked into the school. As juniors, they had one long hallway full of lockers. They would get their new lockers in their first period. The group started talking about schedules; Ari had a bunch of her classes with Leo, which enlightened the both of them, other than a few, but she had Cove or Miles in those, so she was fine.
Cove had a few classes alone, but she rather liked being alone if she wasn't with her friends, and she had her other classes with Ari, Miles and one with Leo.
Miles and Leo shared the same schedule; only Miles had accelerated classes, so they only took a few classes together.
The group was still talking when the door opened. The only thing was; it was 5 minutes until bell, so everyone should be at school. A girl walked in; a very pretty girl, to be exact. She had lighter brown, shoulder length hair. She had individual freckles placed carefully throughout her face; even if there weren't many there. Her eyes were honey kissed and bright. They glinted off the light in the middle of the hallway. Smiling, she looked around. She noticed the group staring at her and walked over.
