ten // 5sos

0.1

The wind blows on the roof on the humongous house. The little girl with light brown pigtails glances up with a frown prominent on her innocent little face. Steph rubs her sister's back. "It's going to be alright. " She assures with an hopefully convincing smile. Everyone has just eaten dinner and it is getting even darker outside.

Macie Richardson's lips are pressed in a firm line. She pushes up her glasses and does not offer a verbal response to her elder's dismay.

She steps away from her and stops at the entrance to the kitchen. She turns and faces the display on a small table. Shined and polished china in the shape of little boys, Indians to be exact. Her little hand reaches to touch one of them, but she stops at the sound of yelling.

"DON'T TOUCH. " Scolds Raven, with a harsh look on her face. Macie backs away from it, frightened. Raven pushes the dolls away from her grasp.

"Sorry." She mutters out her weak apology and went into the kitchen. Despite the older appearance of the rest of the house, the kitchen is very updated and had a lot of upgrades. She sits down the table and pulls her dolls out of her bag. One is a redhead by the name of Scarlett, the other a black-haired doll with dark skin named Nettie. The dolls are standing up on the table.

This house sure is weird, "says" Scarlett, Macie indicates she is talking by leaning her body forward.

I'll say, "says" Nettie in response

Why can't we just go home? Nettie asks Macie, her glass deep brown eyes baring into the girl's hazel.

"Because," she whispers hastily, trying to make sure the older kids can't hear. She lets out a deep breath. She does not want to give them another reason to make fun of the youngest one. "I need to show Stephanie and the others that I'm not the baby Max thinks I am. " She lowers her voice further, to be safe.

Stupid, says Nettie and sits down. Macie smooths out the doll's old-timey dress, patched together by loose sewing. It is a burgundy type of color, and maculated with age.

You just don't understand, Macie thinks to herself. She hears the others laughing and having fun. It sucked being nine.

Ashton Irwin examines his fingers. Being the anxious person he is, he has a habit of biting his nails down to their nubs. One finger, the index, has a sliver of nail growing from it. The temptation eats at him until he gives in, clipping it off with his sharp teeth.

"Seriously?" Max cringes her nose in disgust. "Do you really have to do that here?" Ashton automatically takes his finger out of his mouth.

Ashton ignores her. Why did Luke invite her anyway? He glances at her, looking for a reason in her appearance. Maybe it is her looks. Maybe Luke is attracted to her cruel dark eyes and eternally scowling face. Ashton thinks she would look better if she smiled, genuinely.

Ashton tries to seek the best in everyone, and he was really trying with Maxwell. But what good quality does she have besides.. well nothing. At least she's not ugly. He shrugs.

Everyone, well except for the weird kid, is either sitting on their phones or asleep. Calum and Michael fall under the sleep category. Michael's snoring eventually annoys him. He begins to lean on Ashton. Ashton stares at him quizzically and nudges him off.

"Hhm?" He murmurs groggily and wipes his eyes.

"You were snoring and leaning on me. " Ashton tells him, deadpanning.

"Sorry. " Michael replies curtly and crosses his arms dramatically. "There's really nothing to do here but sleep. " Ashton's eyes roll at his friend.

"Tell me about it. " Max pipes in, tapping away on her phone. Can she not like have the typing sound on her iPhone? That is a major peeve of Ashton's.

Michael groans. "No one cares what you think. " He gets up and walks to the kitchen, most likely to grab a drink.

iii

"All I'm saying is that your sister's a buzzkill. " Maxwell Griffin says to Stephanie. She can't understand why anyone would bring an seven-no eight-whatever year old to a supposed vacation.

She's an idiot, the blue haired girl concludes, and settles on that.

Max gets up to get something from the garage and Stephanie watches her walk away. She wishes that she would be gone forever.

Suddenly, the lights turn off.

"What's happening?!" Candice asks frantically.

"I don't know. " Simoné screeches.

After a few minutes if excruciating silence, and not a soul daring to move, the sound of a gun going off pierces through their ears. All the guests can hear afterwords, is the sound of a certain girl, letting out a bloodcurdling scream, until her death.

And Stephanie becomes sick to her stomach.

-

Shit got real though. I didn't like Max either so I just had to kill her sorry if you actually liked her. (which I highly doubt considering the comments on last chapter)

[dedicated to strawberrycal for adding my story to her reading list. Thank you so much]