I Promise You

(20) Castle on the Hill {Part Two}

This moment right now. This one with Jake, I never want it to end. I wanted to press pause so bad, but couldn't find the remote. I didn't wanna lose my first love. Loving him was the greatest thing I have ever done and having to lose him, feels like losing a part of myself. It's not like I'm not complete with him. No, he doesn't complete me, he improves me. He makes me better. He makes me wanna be a better person. I even got into less trouble while being with him. I think Principal Higgins is the first of his kind to actually miss a Harding, before yelling at them.

Right now, all the reasons to go home just weren't important enough. Mom and Dad? I'm not so sure if I'll be happy to see them. Caleb? Okay, he maybe is a reason to return home. Evie and Ronnie? I don't know. They are probably mad at me for not returning their calls, but I just couldn't. I didn't know what to say or do.

"Hey, where did you go to?" Jake ripped me out off my thoughts, but I didn't mind. "I'm scared" I told him honest. "I think I would be scared as well. I mean if I'd be in your situation" He said and kissed my forehead. "I told you, I could come with you! I really don't mind!" He said again. That was really cute of him and I would have said yes in a heartbeat, but I had to think realistic. He has school here. His life was here. I start at Jefferson again less than in two weeks. He couldn't come with me.

"No, this is something I have to do alone, no matter how much I love you for the offer" I said, when I suddenly noticed a flash. I turned around and saw that Hanna was standing there with a camera. "What are you doing?" I yelled. "You'll thank me later!" She yelled back and disappeared.

After a while, the two of us went back to the rest and sat down around the flashlights, that they had put up instead of a campfire. It was totally adorable. Especially the orange scarf over it to give it the campfire feeling. "I love you guys" I said after a while. I could just stuff you in a bag and take you with me" I said. "Awe, we feel the except same way" Hanna said. "Except we want to lock you up, so you can't leave" Poppy added, which had made me laugh. "I can't believe I find a best friend that is like a sister to me and then she leaves" Phoebe said and I grabbed her hand "I will always be your sister, no matter where I am and always just one call away. Just make sure to call me when I'm actually awake" I said and she forced a smile. Being happy on my goodbye trip wasn't something that came easy to us.

Phoebe, Poppy, Hanna and I became a group. The four best friends from Ashwood Academy. It was even harder for me to leave them, than it was with Ronnie and Evie. Maybe because I know that those two will always be there, maybe that is because of our father. With my three girls that's different. I didn't know if I was ever going to see them again. I hoped I would, but I had no idea when that would be.

"What's your favorite memory of Promise" Hanna asked and I looked at her "Why does this start sounding like a funeral?" "Because it's the end of the Famous Four" Hanna answered. "They are called the Famous Five" I reminded her. "So? They were four people and a dog, we are four people as well, we just don't have the dog" She explained. "Fine. Convinced" I said. "What did you and your friends in M.C. call each other?" Hanna asked. "We never really called us that, but we were the Three Musketeers" I told them. "What are we?" Jake asked and I turned my face to look at him. "I don't know. We're not criminals, so we're not Bonnie and Clyde. Our families don't hate each other and we don't wanna kill ourselves, so we aren't Romeo and Juliet either" I said and continued thinking. "Noah and Allie from The Notebook?" Hanna suggested "Just the other way around"

"I don't know if I should thank you or hit you" I said and she laughed. "Thank me. You're gone in a week" Hanna said and I laughed.

Needless to say we laughed a lot this night.

"Back to my original question! Favorite memory of Promise" Hanna said. "Okay, I'll start!" Phoebe said "When you helped me get together with Jonah. You set up a group date and one by one ditched us. Thank you for that" She said and smiled at me. "You're welcome bestie" I said. "Oxford Street" Hanna said and I smiled at the memory of that. "Oxford Street was great, wasn't it?" I asked. "Yeah, not only because of the shopping, but also because it was the first time the two of us spent time together as best friends" Hanna said and I think I blushed a little. When I first saw Hanna, I would have never thought to get so close to her. She is one of my best friends.

"Awe!" I said and hugged her, since she and Holbrook were sitting on my left. "I like this moment right here" Poppy said and I smiled "Me too" I told them. "My favorite moment was Paris" Jake said. "Paris was amazing!" I said and turned around and kissed him.

They boys finished the round and I yawned. "No..." I said, realizing I was getting tired "I don't wanna got to bed yet..." I whined. "I'll go with you" Jake said and got up, then helped me. "Fine.." I said and we went to the tent and got into our sleeping bags, which were of course laying next to each other.

As we laid down, he put his arm around me immediately. I placed my hand on his. "I don't want this to end" I said. I could feel him breathing on my neck. "Me neither" He said.

I tried to stay awake as long as possible, but it didn't work. I ended up falling asleep, knowing that my time here was almost up. Only one week left at Ashwood. One week left with Jake, Phoebe, Poppy, Hanna and Jonah. I will even miss Holbrook, although I barely know him. Well, I do know him, but not that well.