The Harsh Reality Of Life

An Unexpected Guest

Not every friendship is perfect and not every relationship is seemed to last forever, but what matters is that it happened and that you were happy during those moments of your life.

Driving through the hollow streets of the quite ends of California mostly consisted of little arguments and weird conversations. Nick being the oldest and wisest decided to drive.

"We there yet?" Lea moaned, waking up a few others that were asleep in the van. Chloe couldn't afford to close her eyes. She loved seeing the sun rise in California, there was just something different and special about it. Not even feeling a bit sleepy or the least bit light headed due to the van, Chloe put her headphones in, blocking out everything and everyone.

Maddie leaned on Liam's left side, her fingers tangled in his. Liam never really fancied long trips but was a hundred percent ready for a summer in his parents cabin. From what everyone's heard, the cabin is not too big but it's not too small either. It's a wooden cabin and there's even a bonfire place.

"Rise and shine sleepy heads!" Nick shouted, jumping out from the compressed vehicle.

"We're here?!" Lea exclaimed.

"Yeah, we are." Tyler sarcastically smiled at her. "So quickly get your ass out, I need to go to the bathroom."

Lea rolled her eyes. "On second thought, this van doesn't seem to bad-"

"Lea, Stop torturing him..." Maddie said, getting out.

Liam was right. It was perfect. It was small in a cosy way, the girls immediately loved it. It was a two storey shingle style cabin with a porch and had a modern woodstove and skylights in the second floor. It looked much bigger on the inside, a real trick to the eyes.

Tyler huffed in order to express how tired he was. Jumping onto the closets couch, he seemed worn out to the others.

"How are you that tired? You only sat in a van for a few hours not run a freaking marathon." Lea said.

"Do they always have to bicker?" Jessica asked.

Everyone settled in and got ready for the night. There was no other cabin or house that was near the area, you'd have to go out a few miles to spot the first house. There was a gas station that was about 30 minutes away, but that was it.

There were two sides to the second floor, a side for the guys and a side for the girls which then separated into their own rooms.

"We need to get started on dinner. I'll cook tonight." Chloe smiled grabbing a kitchen apron. Luckily, there was no separation between the dining room and the kitchen.

"Oh jolly!" Tyler sarcastically added, throwing his hands up in the air.

"Oh shut it, you've never even tasted her cooking." Lea snapped.

"Which is why I'm so scared." Tyler laughed.

"Okay guys, I need to tell you all something." All eyes landed on Liam. "Look I know how we said that it would only be us eight, but there's someone I invited to stay with us this summer."

"Who?" Chase asked.

"Dean..." Liam said with a huge smile.

The name caught Maddie's attention. Dean?

"Dean? As in Dean Carter that left school a few years ago?" Maddie asked.

"Yeah, I heard he was back in town. He was my mate, and I really think he'd love it if we bring him in like he was our own, like how it used to be."

To everyone else he was just a vague memory, he was the quiet one out of all of us. Never spoke up to even save his own ass, never took care of his appearance and how he looked. He seemed lost at the time. The thought of the 'quiet boy' who was probably a young adult now come to everyone's mind, especially Maddie's.

'Knock, knock'

Liam's eyes shot to the door and jogged to it opening it while everyone continued with their work.

"Dude!" Liam laughed practically tackling Dean into hugging him.

"It's been so long man!" Dean spoke up.

Then everyone looked at the mysterious new man and boy was he different then he remembered. His eyes were icy blue and his brown hair was gelled down, making it look like a darker feature. He dressed with a bit more sophistication than Liam, wearing darker colours. His cologne spread through the room but his smile was undeniably one of the nicest things that a particular brunette had ever seen.

Dean turned his attention to the wide eyed petite brunette that was closely studying him.

"Maddie, it's been so long." He smiled.

It was like talking to a stranger even though she had known him for most her life. She put down the bowl of salad on the wooden table and walked up to him.

"Oh my, Dean." She whispered ever so loudly. "Y-you look so...different."

"I've been talking care of myself." He said softly.

The rest of the next hour consisted of Dean catching up with everyone, it was like he never left. Tension grew in the air as everyone argued over dinner.

"God!" Lea huffed. "Can you stop acting like a child?" she motioned to Tyler.

"I just-" Chloe interrupted the two.

"I am making pasta so therefore we are ALL eating it." Chloe said straight up to lessen the tension that was soon building up.