At End's Gate

ARE WE THERE YET?

They then took their bags and began to move. Erin was also given a gun. They moved alert arching Erin. They moved through the yards. The journey was now a bit weird. People did not know what to say, how to make a conversation with their new member. No one could make up how much trauma he went through so everyone didn't bother asking him what happened to him and how he survived. He would tell them all on his own. Paige kept looking at him, checking the way he walked.

"Paige my love, I'm okay"

Paige nodded and looked at Conner who was leading the way. He flinched a little. Clearly he was frustrated. Paige could only imagine how he was feeling. He loved her. Hearing Erin being all lovey dubby with her probably made him feel uncomfortable. Who wouldn't feel uncomfortable? She thought to herself that if she was in such a scenario she would probably end up lashing out but Conner was trying his best to be cool. He was talking to Erin kindly.

"Are we there yet?" Blake tried to humour everyone with a childish voice seeming as if he was annoyed. Everyone laughed lowly. Blake winked at his sister. Paige clearly understood what he was trying to do. He was trying to divert the awkward atmosphere she was feeling." Good. I was tired of walking as if we didn't have any conversation whatsoever. Okay, James since you're such a good socialist you can give us a topic to discuss."

James chuckled." Creep! You actually know I had a low circle of friends and now you mock me calling me a good socialist," he said using hand gestures that were showing that his brother's statement was ironic. They laughed again." Okay I'll tell a story then. There once was a..."

"Oh no. You can stop. Confirmed you can't even give small talk. I take it back. Good socialist my foot," Blake mocked.

"Okay fine. Does anyone wanna here the story about how Blake had a crush on his middle school teacher that he..."

"James!!" Blake threatened, his face oozing embarrassment as everyone laughed.

"Okay fine baby bro. I won't reveal your dark past."

"B don't mind him," Paige tried to defend her youngest brother.

"Oh now you talk but when he was calling me an antisocial creep you were okay with it," he said scoffing Paige as he laughed." Sister dear I definitely question your allegiance."

"J don't start."

Alexis laughed." You truly are siblings."

"Yeah you're in the middle of disaster but you still can bicker," Lisa joined in.

Paige smiled and noticed Erin gaze at her amused by her joy. She also noticed Conner smiling as well. She couldn't see his face clearly since he was leading the way but she could make out the smile lines with a far side view.

"Yeah they bicker all the time. Most of the time when I went to visit they usually wouldn't be talking to each other. They would give each other the silent treatment as a means of punishment." Erin chuckled. Everyone joined in the laughter. Although they needed to be alert they also needed to converse with each other in order to make Erin feel welcome.

"They are ridiculous," Conner joined in. Paige felt happy. Conner was being nice to Erin. This made her feel joy.

Erin laughed."Not even. That's just minor. There was a time when James was in his freshman year that he started playing with the wrong crew and he snuck out to go to a party..."

"Yes," James laughed," I remember. I was going through a phase back then."

"Yeah your punk phase," Paige added.

"I was invited to Billy Clark's party. He was my friend."

"Billy Clark? Wasn't he the goth guy who got suspended last year?" Lisa said with a stunned expression on her gorgeous face.

"Yeah he's the one," James chuckled," like I said I was going through a phase. Paige absolutely loathed him. I told my parents about the party. They said I wouldn't go so I asked Paige for her help. She refused. I got pissed the night of the party. I took my phone and scrolled through my playlist. I came to the song What the hell by Avril Lavigne. After listening to it a couple of times. I decided to sneak out. I got to the party and started dancing with my friends and couple of girls who were a bit a older than me."

"James no! They were freaking seniors," Paige said with anger and annoyance highlighted on her face.

"So Paige called me and I went with her to the party. We got in. The music was so loud. I think the song was My way by Calvin Harris. We couldn't find him so Paige went up to the DJ and took the microphone and started threatening James to come out of the crowd." Erin started laughing.

"What did she say?" Alexis asked with a grin.

"She threatened to castrate me if I didn't come with her."

They all burst into laughter." Oh my gosh," Lisa said as she laughed.

"She literally ruined my high school experience," James said glaring at his sister.

"You did a good job at doing that on your own brother," Blake teased.

"Shut up nimrod," James threatened.

Laughter evoked again." We're here," Conner said as he pointed at their new shelter.

Paige was shocked." We're already here?"

"Yeah. Your bickering paid off after all. It gave us a good distraction," he said as he winked to her with his green eyes shimmering due to the sun. Paige smiled at him. Erin noticed. He gave a slightly jealous expression. Paige noticed.