Where it All Began

Packing

•Just a little time jump•
Maddie's POV
Wes and I leave in exactly a week for Chicago and I feel like I haven't packed a thing.. I helped Wes pack his things first and he is going to help me today and tomorrow. I'm in my room trying to figure out what to do first and I hear a truck door close outside. I look out the window a smile as I see Wes jump out of the truck. He's walking to the door but I see him turn around and run back to the truck. I don't see what he grabs by he stuffs it in his pocket. I shrug it off and wait for Wes upstairs. Once he makes it up, I turn around and go hug him. Hey baby. He wraps his arms around my shoulders and kissed my head. Ready to do this? Yes and no. I think I'm ready to leave but it's gonna be hard. I understand. We will do it together, yeah? I smile and hold my grip around his waist tighter. Absolutely. After that we start to pack my things.
Hey babe? Can you go downstairs in the closet and grab the extra packing tape? It should be in the box on top of the cabinet. Yea, I'll be back in a minute. Thank you. While Wes was gone, I went to my closet and pulled out a box from the very back, that honestly I had forgotten about. I smiled as wide as possible when I saw what it was. I remember making this box when we were younger but we never did anything with it. It just ended up sitting in the back of my closet. I heard Wes come back upstairs behind me. Here ya go. Thanks. Hey! Come look what I found! Wes came over next to me and slung his arm over my shoulder as he looked at the box. This is incredible! You still have this old thing? I honestly forgot I had it. It was in the back of my closet. Most people wouldn't be this excited to find a box of a bunch of crap that was put together when they were 14. This was different though. Way different. When Wes was 14 and I was 13, we had just started being friends. We had gone to the dance together that spring and from then on out we were a couple. This box is filled with multiple pictures and things from that night. I picked up my favorite picture of the whole night. It's had the two of us standing in front of the lake at Abby's house where we took pictures. His arm was wrapped around my waist and my hand was on his chest. We had the biggest smiled on our face. The picture that came after that was also one of my favorites. It made us look like fools but it was a good picture. We decided to do the 'Titanic' pose in front of the pond. It was great and all but as Wes was setting me down, his grip slipped from around my waist and I almost fell into the pond. The greatest thing was that his mom had managed to get a picture just as he grabbed me to keep me from falling into to the water. I remember it like it was yesterday. Wes pulls me into a hug and kisses my head. I smile and wrap my arms around his waist. After a minute if standing there in a hug, he speaks up. You ready to finish packing? Yeah, let's get this done with. I pull from his embrace and walk towards the box that has all of my sweatshirts in it and I peek down further into the box. What I saw made me start to tear up. Wes glanced up and saw a tear rolling down my face. He walked over and asked me what was wrong. Hey, hey, hey, what's wrong baby? I'm sorry. It's just crazy to think that she's been gone for almost 2 years. Sometimes just a wave of it hits me and I just break down. Most of the time it's when I find this sweatshirt. It is the last thing I have a Logan. It was the last thing she gave me, before she got on that god damn plane. Hey, when that happens, you gotta talk to me. Remember, this promise ring is to talk to each other. Always be there. Never let the other one get down. It's going to be okay. Thank you. I just can't believe she's gone, still. It's okay to cry. Just let it out. It'll all be okay in the end. With that I nodded and Wes gave me a kiss on the cheek and took the box from my hands. I dried my tears and continued to pack with the thought of Logan in the back of my mind.
About 3 hours later, all of my things wee packed and ready to go, besides things I would need in the next 5 days before we leave. Wanna order a pizza or something? Make it movie night? Yea sure. We can go downstairs and watch a movie with the family for the last time before we leave.. We will probably have to wait like half an hour to start the movie though. Hannah should be getting dropped off around 7. She went to a friends house this morning for the day. She will be heartbroken if she doesn't get to curl up into your side and watch one last movie. Wes laughed at that and pulled out his phone. I'll go ahead and order pizza and then we can go downstairs to find a movie. 20 minutes later the pizza guy pulled up alongside of Hannah and her friend. I opened the door for the pizza guy with Wes behind me. I grabbed the pizza and tried to hand it to Wes so I could pay. Nope, you're not paying. I am. Go set the pizza on the counter? I'll make sure Hannah gets in okay. Fine.. I walked away and Wes gave the delivery guy the money for the food.
Wes's POV
I made Maddie go into the kitchen so I could pay for the food and get Hannah in okay. I was fine with it and I'm sure Hannah will be too. She's like another little sister to me. I gave the guy the money and he walked back to his car and drove off. I walked outside and walked up behind Hannah who was still talking to her friend. Olivia, I think is her name, saw me so I put my finger up to my lips telling her to be quiet. I snuck up behind Hannah and picked her up and threw her over my shoulder. Wes!!!! Put me down!! No! Never! I twirled her around in the air before I put her down back down on the ground. She turned around to face me and started to smile under the fake anger that she tried to put on her face. Ready to go eat? Pizza just got here. Yeah I'm coming. I started to slowly walk away and heard her talking to Olivia. Olivia talked first. So who is he again? He's my sisters boyfriend. He's like a big brother to me. He's been around forever. And the way him and Maddie act around each other, I have a felling he's going to be around for a very very long time. Oh, I remember him now. He was at your birthday party a few years ago and was the one who threw you and Maddie into the pool. Yea that'd be him. Okay I gotta go. Thanks for letting me come over for the day. I needed it. Anytime girl, just say the word and we will go again. Awesome. Bye Liv. Bye Hannah. I heard Hannah start to run up behind me so I knelt down like I usually do so she could jump on my back. She ran up and jumped on my back but this time she held her arms around my chest longer than normal. Almost giving me a hug. I heard her start to sniffle behind me so I set her back down and knelt down to her level to look her in the eyes. Hey, what's wrong Hannah? It's nothing. Just that I can't even believe that you and Maddie are leaving next week. I love you guys. I don't wanna see you go. We love you too. But, if you want to, we have an extra bedroom in our apartment, for your fall break for school we can see if we can arrange you coming to stay with us. How does that sound? Sound good? I guess that could be okay she said starting to smile. Yeah? Alright! Let's go inside and eat. It's movie night! I picked her up and put her on my back to bring her inside. After we grabbed our pizza and settled into the couch, Maddie on one side of me and Hannah on the other, we all sat to watch the movie.
Close to the end, I looked over at Maddie curled up in my side asleep and smiled. I kissed her on her forehead and looked at Hannah then. She was passed out, also curled into my side. The rest of Maddie's family was also asleep, her parents, brother and sisters. I smiled at how much I cherish all the time I can with this family. It's all so amazing. I decided to help out a little and bring Hannah up to bed and then carry Maddie up. I carefully got up trying not to wake either of them. Once I was up I gently lifted Hannah up to carry her upstairs to bed. She, instinctively, wrapped her arms around my neck in her sleep. I carried her up the stairs and put her down in bed and covered her up with a blanket. After quietly shutting her door I went back downstairs and picked Maddie up to take her to bed. Laying her down in bed woke her up slightly. She realized where she was and came to a little bit more. Stay here with me? I smiled and nodded. Yeah, only if you want me to, though. Of course. Come here. I went to lay next to her after I took my shirt off. I laid down and wrapped my arm around her shoulder. I felt Maddie relax and start to fall back asleep. She put her hand on my chest and slowly drifted off to sleep. I sat awake for a little bit and heard her door open. I looked up and saw Maddie's mom look in. She asked me to stay.. I quietly whispered so I wouldn't wake her. Oh, it's fine. Did you get Hannah to bed? I nodded. Thank you so much. You didn't have to. It's all fine. It was my pleasure. She's really going to miss us.. Yep. She thinks of you as a brother. Alright. Goodnight. See you in the morning. Goodnight. She closed the door to let us sleep. I looked over at the clock on the dresser that said 1:08am. I sighed, kissed Maddie's forehead, and slowly drifted off to sleep. I could get used to nights like this...