I Promise You

(19) Castle on the Hill {Part One}

The three months I had in London went by way too fast. Okay, they aren't over yet, but soon. I got about two weeks left, which is never enough. I knew I was going to miss Phoebe and Poppy, Hanna and of course Jake. Also I would miss my other new friends Jonah, Hollis and Alice. Even Jesse, since he is staying until summer or better has to stay till summer.

"I talked to my parents and they are cool with me camping, but only because it's our way to say goodbye to the greatest person we have ever met, except each other of course!" Hanna said. "That's so sweet of you!" I said and went on to hug her. At the beginning of this trip, I would have never thought I would be that good friends with Hanna. She wasn't like the people I usually hang out, but in the end it was what I liked most about her. Also on my flight here I would have never thought to meet that many friends that I was going to miss like those three girls.

"Well, my parents are on board as well. They can't wait for the empty house!" Phoebe said "But they will miss you of course" She quickly added. "I better hope so!" I said, faking a serious face. "Was it really the best idea to let Hanna pick the place?" I asked and Hanna could have killed me in that moment. "Oh, she knows a great place! Her grandpa took her camping all the time when she was younger" Poppy said. "Show her the photos!" Phoebe said, but Hanna refused. She said I had to see it by myself to understand it. I wasn't up to discuss, so I just kept quiet and agreed.

The weekend came way too fast and we were gathering the camping things of the Lewises. "You sure you don't want me to drive you?" Phil asked and all three of us agreed. We were sure. Getting there is part of the fun or so I heard.  So there we were. Phoebe, Poppy, Hanna, Jonah, Holbrook, Jake, Mike and I. "Hanna, lead the way" Poppy said and Hanna started walking "Follow me people" She yelled. By now all of us were still happy, although we had to hike to the destination. But on our way there, one after another was getting annoyed. First one was Poppy. I had to say, money was on Jake, since he wasn't used to something like hiking. I don't think you do that often when your family owns half the city. But he pulled through. I was actually annoyed before him. So much for my theory.

What felt like hours later Hanna finally stopped walking and dropped her bags. "We're here" She said and we looked around. We were close to an old castle or better what's left of it.

It was actually quite beautiful. "Wow..." I said, letting myself fall. My feet couldn't carry me any further. "Why don't you come here anymore?" I asked. "I grew up and wasn't into camping anymore, also I didn't want to return without my grandpa" She said and I looked at her "I'm sorry" I immediately apologized. I don't know what it is like to have old grandparents. I'm just 17 years younger than my mom, so her mom is younger than others.

"It's okay" She said and sat down next to me. "So I'm saying the boys can put up the tent" Hanna said and all four looked at us sitting there. In front of them on the ground. All four of us.

Let's sum the boys in front of us up. We have a college student with platinum hair, a rich boy, another rich boy and the boy that only goes outside to ride his bike. Yeah, they are our hero's!

"Didn't Morgan take you and Jordan camping when you were younger?" Mike asked and I smiled "He did. So? You could have joined us, but it was too dirty for you" I mocked him. "Hello?! Please not in front of the girlfriend!" He said and I looked to Poppy "I wanna hear the story!"

"So, the one and only time my grandpa took little Mike camping with us was when I was 8 and he was about 6 or 7. My cousin Jordan was about 10. Grandpa drove us out into the woods and we helped him set up the tent. It was summer by the way. Then little Mike tripped and landed in the dirt. It was dry. No mud. Just leaves and dirt and he started screaming and crying and acted like he had fallen of a tree or something like that, while I really was up a tree and laughing so hard. My grandpa tried to make me shut up, but he couldn't reach me. Jordan on the other hand fought with himself not to laugh" I told them and they all laughed.

"I have never been in the woods before that day nor have I played in the dirt as a child. I'm the son of an actress and a director. I lived reel life, not real life" Mike defended himself. "Was that before or after Jordan and you stopped being friends?" Phoebe asked. "The summer before. Just a few months later he destroyed my birthday cake and I haven't really talked to him since"

"Okay, done with the walk down memory lane and help us set this stupid thing up!" Mike snapped at me. "Cute" I said, still not moving. That's when Mike had enough and pulled me up.

"Okay okay!!" I said and ended up setting the tent up on my own.

"Never let a city boy do a small town girl's job" I said, being proud of my work. I had all right to be proud, since I put it up myself, while four dudes couldn't do it!

"Let's explore the castle" Phoebe said, pulling Jonah with her. "Be careful!" Hanna yelled after them. "Come on!" I said to Jake and pulled him with me and into the castle. "Wow... it's beautiful!" I said. By now Jake had taken the lead. He took me up some stairs and onto a kind of balcony. "Wow..." I said again, walking further onto it. He walked up to me and hugged me from behind, resting his head on my shoulder. "I don't ever wanna leave" I said and laid my head back. "And I don't want you to leave either. I love you!" He said. "I love you too!" I said, turned around and kissed him briefly.

"It won't even feel like home there" I said, wrapping my arms around him and laid my head against his chest. "Can't you stay longer?" He asked and I sighed "Sadly not.."