instagram | benjamin pavard

chapter thirty (real life)

"are we ready to go?" i ask, grabbing my bag.

"we're gonna have to take two cars, dude," tom says.

"yeah...we have thirteen people with us," jonah joins in.

"okay, we have my car that can hold five, and the why don't we can that can hold eight," i say. "we can do jacob, liam, ethan, myself and one other person in my car, and the rest in the van."

"nah, bro, i'll switch with one of the girls and go in the van. i'm tryna roadtrip with the boys," ethan replies.

"oh, that was major shade," corbyn laughs.

"wow, ethan, i feel offended," i joke. "but whatever. we'll do myself, jacob, liam, tessa and natalie in my car."

"dope! let's get this roadtrip started!" harrison exclaims.

we all get in our cars, and start our trip to the beach.

"should we turn on some music?" i ask, driving down the road behind the why don't we van.

"can you play something different?" liam asks.

"yes, liam," i chuckle.

tessa, who's sitting in the passengers seat, plugs her phone into the aux and plays something different.

"look at us, we could paint a perfect picture. about us, from your head to toe i'll fit you," liam sings, and jacob secretly records him.

***

"venice beach, we have arrived!" tom yells, stepping out of the van.

"everyone grab your things," i say. "liam, you have your bucket and shovel?"

"yeah!" liam replies, happily.

"awesome, hold someone's hand, okay?"

liam reaches his hand up to ethan's.

ethan takes his hand, and we all walk to the beach.

we walk on the sand, finding a good spot to set our stuff down.

we put our stuff down.

jack, zach and corbyn run down to the water, jumping in immediately.

i hear liam laugh, and i look over to see him watching them.

tessa, natalie and i lay out our towels, staying up on the sand with liam as he makes a sandcastle.

ethan, jacob, daniel, jonah, tom and harrison go down to the water as well.

"chloe?" liam says, looking up at me. "when am i gonna meet ben?"

"i don't know, bub. maybe when i'm on tour if he comes to a show," i reply.

"i really wanna meet him. i wanna meet the boy who stole my sister's heart."

tessa and natalie laugh.

"bubs," i laugh. "which one of the boys said that? i don't think you would say that on your own."

"jonah said it."

with that, liam runs up to ethan, who has walked up to us to get him and bring him to the water.

i turn to the girls, seeing them with smirks on their faces.

"jonah said it...interesting," tessa says.

"oh shut up," i reply.

i look to the water where all the boys are.

i watch jonah play with liam.

jonah looks up, and our eyes meet.

he sends me a smile, and i return it.

"he's still in love with you," natalie says.

i sigh.

"this is such a weird situation. i feel so bad because i know that he's hurting, even if he doesn't show it. but i love ben."

"i know. but at least jonah is being good about it," tessa joins in.

"yeah, true. anyway, should we join the boys?"

"for sure."

the three of us walk down to the water.

"chloe! look at what tom can do!" liam yells.

he watches tom excitedly, as tom does a backflip, making liam laugh out of excitement.