Bloom

50. cats Van Gogh

Haven

My eyes drooped, Tara couldn't stop talking about Luke and we had been sitting in the bus for over four hours. I was glad it was the last part of the journey, my muscles had become stiff again, my bum feeling like a wooden plank. I really wanted to walk, but we weren't allowed to. The Mcdonalds break had been too short either.

"So, the next thing he said was that he'd never met anyone like me. I rolled my eyes, who doesn't say that, right? But he seemed so genuine, and now I still know it's true. We're dating but he wants to ask me officially in Amsterdam. How romantic?" Tara rambled, staring at Luke, who was now sitting with Louis.

I tried to smile at her. I did feel happy for her, I just didn't trust Luke for several reasons. He seemed like the type to just let her go like that whenever he would've found someone else. I wouldn't say it, though. Last time I had tried telling her, she told me I was just jealous that Zephaniah wouldn't ever say that to me.

Glancing at Zephaniah, I wondered how he felt at this moment. William had insisted that he would sit next to him for the remaining time of the journey, but he hadn't really seemed to like it. His headphones were around his neck, but he wouldn't put them on. I knew it was because he was afraid it would be rude towards William.

Seeing him like that- so insecure, so quiet and so reserved, I couldn't believe what had happened on the ferry. He had seemed so loose, so himself. As if he finally fully trusted me. I didn't know about that, though, I just truly hoped it would be the reason. How else did he come so loose around me? So open, so warmed up.

"Are you even listening?" Tara frowned, roughly nudging my arm, but at the exact same time- I had looked outside, the road sign confirming we had just arrived in Amsterdam.

"Amsterdam!" I cheered loudly, accidentally standing up from my seat. "We're in Amsterdam!" I yelled again, trying to squeeze in a happy dance, the narrow space not really letting me.

William laughed, more students chuckled at me while others scolded me for screaming them awake. "That's right, ladies and gentlemen. We have just arrived in Amsterdam! Now, we're not straight away going to the Amsterdam Central, sorry about that, but we will be driving to Amsterdam Sloterdijk, which is part of the municipality of Amsterdam. The guest families are all in that area, and its only a quarter or so away from Amsterdam Central. We'll have a meeting point where the guest families will bring you to every day, and from there we will travel to Amsterdam together. Now please listen carefully as I'll be naming the groups and the family's name you'll be staying at. Once I've called your names, you can go outside the bus. The right family will be waiting for you."

"Jeremy Smith, Lindsey Anderton, Sophia Hallewell, Ittarah Malik and Dave Blackwood, you'll be staying with family van der Smith. Coincidence, Jeremy? I think not." William chuckled, frowning at his own joke after that. The class laughed, but my heart secretly thumped a little louder. I was way too excited, and couldn't find out who our guest family would be, or more like what they would be like.

Ittarah climbed over me, kissed my cheek but pouted. "Bye, Have. Take care of Luke."

"As if." I chuckled, nudging her arm. "Bye, Tara. You'll have fun!" I grinned at her eye roll.

Focusing back on William, my heart skipped a beat when I heard my name. "Haven Sparks, Luke Leighton, Abel Mitchell, Norah Oakes, Louis Tomlinson and Zephaniah Malik, you'll be staying with family ter Linden. They'll be waiting for you guys outside the bus now. Go get your luggage and have fun!"

Quickly slipping my bag over my shoulder, I left my seat and got shaken by Norah, who had gripped my shoulders. "Have! Have! Have!"

"Stop." I chuckled, softly pushing her away. My eyes met Zephaniah's ones, he seemed to be extremely nervous. More nervous than he had been while meeting my family that time with the so called tea party. I felt bad, I wanted to make him feel at ease again, but I didn't really know how.