Thank you for waiting patiently for the first chapter of 2019!
I really wanted the first chapter to be special so I did all of this. This chapter is the most words I've ever written in my life of being a Wattpad Author. This chapter is more based around the twins, hehe,
JUST SO YOU KNOW!
- Sensitive topics are covered for only a brief moment.
- Things like: Sexual Abuse , Depression
- This chapter has really tiny bits of sexual innuendos, (if you look at it with a magnifying glass)
- Chapter inspired by the Disney show, Liv and Maddie.
Word count: 7767
=~~~=

"Ell! Have you packed already?" Edd asks his twin, merrily dancing to some song she was listening to in her headphones.

"Ell?" Edd calls, but there was no response from his sister.

"ELL!"

The cola-loving girl almost fell to her feet when she heard Edd's raised tone of voice. "What?!" She responds, annoyed by the interruption.

"Have. You. Packed. Already?" Edd says his question more slowly, as if teaching a child how to say words for the first time.

"Me? Packed? For what?"

"Oh my god, are you serio—"

"Just kidding! Got all things in my bag, extra clothes, toothbrush, blanket, towels, sunscreen, sketchbook, pencils, flashlights, and most important of all, two packs of cola!"

"How were you able to fit two packs in? Doesn't matter! I packed two as well."

"There's a reason why we're twins."

Edd gives his sister a nod, giving his sister a brief smile. However, he suddenly felt saddened at her statement.
Although they were twins, he never felt like they were equal. Ever since they were children, Ell was always the favored one.

What changed?

They're on their way to adulthood already. It's not like who earns the highest score on a test matters anymore.
Ell became so carefree in her teenage phase but still kept up the reason why she's always the favorite, knowledge and charisma. Edd always tried his best for improvement, but all the while, he still didn't feel enough.

When will it be his turn?

Honestly,

He was always so envious of his sister.

She was the goofy and joking side of the twins, but knew exactly when things are serious.
He was the caring and uptight side of the twins, he gave everyone everything he's got with nothing left for himself. Exactly what was he good at that his sister hasn't done yet?

"Oh, Edd,"

He loses his train of thought once he heard the call of his name from his sister.

"Yeah?"

"When wearing a bikini, what would suit me? Stripes or polka dots?"

"Why are you asking me this?!"

"Well, duh! You're my brother by blood! Other than (Y/N), you should help me with my decisions!"

"Look, boys will stare at you at the resort if you wear a bikini! Why not just wear a t-shirt then undergarments?"

"T-shirts would be hard to swim in though! So! Stripes or polka dots?"

"Fine! Polka dots!"

~

"Who will need this many bags for only a one week stay?!" Tom aggressively points to the 5 bags piled up in front of the car,

"Oh...those are mine." You step out from the group with no shame.

"(Y/N), we're staying there for a week, not for a month." The eyeless boy reminds you.

"My parents always taught me that if you fail to prepare, you're prepared to fail, alright?" You remark, crossing your arms as if you were a child being told off for having too much candy.

Tom exhales, clearly not having any of your BS today. "Fine, fine. Whatever. We'll just have to load them at the top and hope that they don't fall off in the middle of the ride."

The car was packed, none of you in the back could even move without somehow elbowing the person you're sitting beside with.
Ell was beside the right window, followed by Edd, then you, and then Matt sitting beside the left window.

Tom complained the whole ride why he had to sit beside his always opposing brother, while Tord just slept on his complaints.
Matt played a game on his phone and Edd kept constantly bugging you if you were sleepy or dizzy the majority of the ride.

A few more minutes later, the car became quieter, Tom was now more focused on the road in front of him and Tord is full-on napping like a baby, Matt let out cute snores as he leaned on the window and you fell asleep on Edd's shoulder.

Ell could've took a picture if they weren't so crowded.
Disappointed with the missed-out opportunity, she glances out the window. The environment slowly going from city buildings, to trees and mountains, and is deliberately starting to mix in with sand.

Next, she looks over to her twin who was comfortable in your presence, sleeping peacefully. Smiling, she turns back to the surroundings outside.

She's been pondering lately,

About Edd.

He's been working so hard with keeping up with college and his work-in-progress series that he's constantly talking about to her.
She always could take note of the afflictive look he would wear when he would finish a drawing or animation of his.

The dissatisfaction presented in his eyes whenever he makes one small mistake.
The brunette boy has always been so harsh on himself ever since childhood and she's fearful of the fact that that might never change.

Nothing the world does can make Ell forgive her biological parents for damaging her brother, her twin, her partner, her touchstone, her most dearest best friend...her other half.

Nothing can and nothing would.

It has always been their fault that he ended up like this.

Ell was positive that nothing she or anyone can do will make Edd stop his always so contravening thoughts that filled his head everyday.
She was hopeless that Edd won't get the help he needed.

Until you came back.

Ell couldn't describe how happy she was when Edd was finally smiling so genuinely when you were around, how much more frantic he would get when you were in some sort of worrying situation.

She thought everything was fine.
She thought everything was fixed.

...but she was wrong.

. . .

"Tom?" Ell calls out the oldest who was in the driving position.

"What?" He replies, voice stern.

"Edd's pills are safely secured in your bag, right?"

"Yeah. It's always on me when he's around."

"That's good..." Ell relaxes her tensed shoulders, until she remembers something else.

"Did you bring Susan, though?" The green-hooded girl asks.

"Yeah, why?"

"For New Years, I want my brother to know how much he has accomplished this year and had always find the energy to get out of bed every morning, and I want you to play me a tune while I sing something, if that's alright?"

"I..." Tom falls silent by Ell's little request but soon smiles from the drivers mirror, "Of course. He doesn't know how much he means to us and I think he rightfully deserves to know."

"Thank you."

~

"OH MY GOD." Matt's shout was enough to wake everyone up from slumber.
"IS THAT A T-REX WATER SLIDE?!?!" The ginger-haired boy excitingly rolled down the window to see it much more clearer.

You moan softly before going back to snuggling into Edd's chest, however Edd was now fully awake, not sure if he'll be able to go back to sleep but still put his arms around you to make sure you return to dreamland safe and sound.

"Matt, was it really necessary to scream?" Edd rubs his eyes tiredly, followed by a yawn.

"Who does not get excited when you see a giant T-rex slide just a few miles more?!" Matt responds, his eyes dazzled in amazement mixed with excitement.

"You had to scream, didn't you?" Tord groans of annoyance and harshly pushes down his weight on his chair.

"Careful! You almost hit me, you idiot!" Ell voices, irritated from the back.

"Alright, you dimwits! Calm down, there's like 10 miles more!" Tom shouts at the gang, being met with the same quiet atmosphere that was present from the last hour.

~

"Well, that was a lot of effort just to find our hut." Matt says tiredly, resting on the couch almost immediately.

You come in, holding a bunch of plastic full of cooking materials. "Before everyone can rest, we should assign roomates. There are exactly 3 rooms in this hut with each having a bathroom. That means, we'll go by partners." You explain to the tired mess in front of you.

"Remind me to thank your parents for getting us a V.I.P hut when we meet them again." Tom says, just lying on the soft carpet as if he was just plain paper.

"Heh, sure. Everyone, shout out the name of the person you want to be roommates with!" You say, counting down from 3 to 1 with your fingers.

"(Y/N)!"
"TOM!"
"ELL!"
"EDD!"
"(Y/N)!"
"MATT!"

. . .

"SERIOUSLY?! NO ONE SAID MY NAME?!" Tord beams in discontent.

Everyone bursts into laughter, finding joy in an exasperated Tord.

"Well that didn't matter anyways, we're going by age. That means, Tom's with Tord, Edd's with Ell, and I'm with Matt!" You state, earning an adorable grin by your new roommate.

"This has got to be one of the worse vacations yet." Tom responds bitterly.

"New years just made me wish for it to be December 31 already." Tord crosses his arms and puffs out his cheeks, disappointed with who he had to room with.

"Tord, don't get pouty with me now. It's dad's wish!" You chuckle, ruffling up his hair.
"Anyways, Matt, if you aren't tired enough, please move my stuff to our room because I'll cook dinner for us. Ell, you're helping me because I'm still a beginner at this and I might burn the hut down!" You point to the mentioned girl and she merrily obliges.

"Wait...all those 5 bags?!" Matt stares at your figure, dumbfounded.

"Yep!" You pop your head out the kitchen, giving him a smile before returning.

"Haha, good luck. I'll go and fix my stuff and Ell's over at our room." Edd gets the bags and goes into the designated room they were assigned to.

Matt lets out a tired whine, before proceeding to move each individual bag to the rooms.

~

"This is my side of the room, and that one's yours. The only thing we'll ever share is the bathroom and the door, you got that? No one will be going to each other's side of the room without permission and I swear to God, if you start watching hentai while I'm peacefully sleeping, I will have no problem with pulling your guts out." Tom explains to his Norwegian brother, who was already so bored on his bed, nodding to whatever the oldest was rambling about.

"I won't do any of those if you'll do the same to me. So, like, can I sleep now?" Tord yawns.

"Fine." Tom replies, he was drained of energy as well.

"Guys! Dinner's ready!" You say as you enter into their room without permission, earning irritated looks from the two. "You can sleep all you want later on! Your hunger is more important." You comfort them softly before they decide to maul you alive.

"What's for dinner?" Tord asks.

"Steak." You reply.

"That's okay, I guess." The red-hooded boy stands up from his bed, walking pass you. You look at Tom who seem to just be ready to sleep all day tomorrow.

"Please? Me and Ell worked really hard on it!" You say.

"Ugh, stop that weird puppy eyes thing. It's so cringe." Tom sluggishly walks pass you into the dining area. You cheered, happy that he decided to try it for you.

The boys sat down while you got the steak from the kitchen and also getting the rice and put it on the table.

"Woah! (Y/N)! This looks good!" Edd compliments, and coming from him, a master chef, you couldn't help but feel like you accomplished a really important achievement.

"It smells nice too!" Matt admires and sniffs the appetizing aroma coming from your showpiece-like creation.

"Bon appétit!" You announce and everyone dashingly munches down your flavorful meal. You note the sight of satisfaction and light in their orbs as they savor the tastes of the food that you couldn't help but look delighted with their reaction.

"It's good." Tom gives you a thumbs up, amazed by the fact that you could learn so quickly.

"I had a great teacher." You say, only now are you noticing the green-hooded girl was missing from the dining table. "Wait, where is Ell? I thought she just need the bathroom?" You ask.

"She told me that she'll be in our room to do something. She grabbed a plate when she went in, though. So she's eating!" Edd replies.

"Ah, that's good." You say and you grab your first bite of your steak.
Wow, it did taste amazing. But it wouldn't be as good as Ell's cooking, though.

Dinner was done and Matt helped you in washing the dishes while Tom invites in Edd to their room. Tord just shut his eyes close then he was automatically knocked-out on his bed. From the dizzying ride and from your perfect meal, the Norwegian boy was able to sleep peacefully without waking up.

"Tom, you know I could do this myself," Edd tells his eyeless brother, who was searching through his bags for the medicine.

"And have you overdose again? No. That's not happening." Tom replies.

"Seriously? Do you really not trust me?" Edd keeps his arms at his sides, annoyed by the fact that his brother wasn't enduring trust in him, "and besides! I've learned! I've learned how it is to be like that! I don't want it to happen again!"

Tom stands up from his knees, holding the pills in his hands as he turns around to face his gainsaying brother. "Look, you don't know how much distraught you caused to everyone by trying something you aren't suppose to. Have you ever thought about how I felt during that time? Edd, I'm only trying to protect you. Please. The last thing I want is to lose one of the most important people in my life, I'm not having any of that bullcrap!"

Edd's pupils dilate at what he was hearing.
An ache can be felt from his heart. He really wanted to forget what happened, but his past would just keep coming and it just won't stop. He had always thought he wasn't enough, but hearing the fact that he means a lot to the people around him made him feel so much guilt.

He thought nobody needed him here.
He thought everyone would be happy if he was gone.
All of those things came from the adults he had originated from.
They were his biological parents. Of course he would believe their words.
And so, he grew up with that mindset.
His adoptive parents were always there for him, but that didn't change the feeling that was always following him everywhere, constantly telling him that everyone's words were just lies.

Oh, how he feels so ashamed.

To leave a mark on each person he has interacted with, that he had actually become an important role in their life is just...

Disgusting.

No one should waste such effort for him to keep breathing.
Why has he always been thinking about others instead of himself?
If he had just been selfish from the beginning, no one would've wanted him. He wouldn't have met such a loving family, he wouldn't have met you.
Everyone would have been happy if he just went up and disappear because he's a bad person.

But he isn't.

That's why people are so stubborn about letting him go.

That's why people care about him so much.

"...Edd?! Why are you crying? Was it something I said?" Tom's voice was filled with worry and concern for his brother who was now shedding tears freely. The crying boy still kept his hands at his sides, not bothering to wipe the teardrops from his face.

Tom felt synthetic.
There he goes again. Making his brothers cry.
When will he just stop?
Clearly, all he does is bring sadness to them.
Nothing good always comes out.
But...
He won't.
He won't stop.
He won't quit on them.
How much distress he gives them only gives him more reasons to right his wrongs. They need to know that he cares.

Before he knew it, Edd began sobbing.

"Edd," Tom can feel his heart turn heavy. He always hated the sight of people crying. Especially those who are close to him. He'd seen it with Matt once. Now Edd?
After a moment of standing helplessly in front of the brunette, Tom finally found it in his strength to pull the crying boy into a tight and comforting embrace.

His brother wept beside his ear, sobs and cries can be heard all throughout the room. Tom rubbed his back comfortingly but-

"D-don't do that..." His brother instinctively backs away and he avoided making eye-contact with the eyeless boy in front of him, "...my mother used to do that to me...I never liked the way she used to touch me..." Edd says as he wipes a remarkable amount of tears from his face.

"The way she used to touch you...?"

Edd sniffs, trying to wipe away his tears as fast as he could. "I'm sorry."

"Why are you apologizing? Crying won't harm anyone. Let it all out, okay? You could even hug me all you want." Tom extends out his arms, chuckling slightly at his actions.

With a hint of hesitation, Edd slowly makes his way into his brother's arms again.

"Careful with the snob," Tom mutters jokingly, unfortunately not hearing a response from Edd.

"...Have I ever told you about my family before?" Edd asks.

"All you ever told me when I asked is that they died in a fire."

"B-before that..."

"Then that's a no. You never bother..."

"...I was never enough to them...my d-dad would yell at me if...if I ever had a low score. M-mom—" Edd stops himself at the mention of his mother. He didn't know what was so wrong. She was supposed to be the woman he would look up to at times of need, someone to be there when he was injured, someone to care for him...

She did all of that. But in a way...he found it strange.

Was touching him in places he felt uncomfortable something a mother would do?

The answer was always a no.
Edd was young but old enough to know that something wasn't right.
Giving him a bath was something he was afraid of doing ever since the first moments he had with his mother. Instead of feeling clean, he had always felt so dirty and uncomfortable with every bath.

Hands were gentle and soft with every scrub, she explored every inch of his body, giving some sides a soft squeeze, fingers were gently caressing his buttocks and especially between his legs and he remembered he couldn't help but feel so sensual at every rub—

She saw him more than a son. More than a child.
Edd couldn't help but notice the way her eyes always have a weird light in them.

what

was

so

wrong?

"I don't want to talk about it anymore."

Tom looked surprised by the abrupt statement, but he couldn't say no. If Edd didn't want to talk about it then he won't.
What was important is that he had his medicine.

"O-Okay...if you don't want to then that's fine. We should really get you to consume your medicine. Come on, let's go." Tom says, standing up with Edd following after him. "I'll let you do it yourself but I'll be watching you, alright?" The eyeless male remarks to the green-hooded boy.

"Alright."

~

"Edd! You're back! So like, I finished arranging my stuff as you asked, and I got the stuff ready for tomorrow and I'll be having a morning swim AND! I was hoping you could join me?" Ell leans over to the direction of her brother, ignoring the puffy eyes and red nose that was clearly obvious on his face.

"Morning swim?"

"Yeep! Oh! (Y/N)'s coming too, so, yey!"

"Fine, fine..."

"Are you okay? Tom gave you the medicine, right? Did he give you one tab? You don't feel like fainting? I mean you're probably really tired and—"

"I'm feeling okay, Ell." Edd stops his overreacting sister and falls directly on his bed, turning away to the wall where he couldn't see his sister.
Ell snickers a bit, tip-toeing to Edd's side and jumps on the bed.

Ell finds this as an opportunity to back-hug her twin who only responded with an annoyed grunt. A moment of silence fell on the two as Ell drifts off to sleep.

"...Ell."

"Hmm?"

"Has dad ever did anything to you that you were uncomfortable with?"

"Dad? Of course not! He's a sweet man! He gave Tom guitar lessons, he gave Tord fake guns to shoot with, he gave you and me Cola whenever we wanted and he sometimes let Matt get away with watching cartoons late at night when Mom wasn't home!"

"Ah...I mean...our dad—our biological father, has he ever done anything to you that you felt uncomfortable with?"

Ell shifts a bit in her spot, taken aback by the question.

"He never did. He would praise me for being so 'wonderful' and 'amazing' and yeah, that's what a proud father would do but I was never so comfortable with the way he treated you when you failed. It infuriated me to a degree...but I just couldn't do anything. Why are you asking me this?"

"M-mom..."

"Her? She was a nice woman. She just had problems that we were too young to understand."

Ell felt a feeling stirring inside.
Was Edd feeling something then?

"Edd, look at me," Ell demands her brother, who seemed to start quivering.
"Are you crying?" She questions, making Edd turn to face her.

She was right.

His eyes were brimming with tears threatening to roll right down his soft cheeks.
Ell sits up as she finds herself wrapping his face with her hands, wiping the sudden drops with her thumbs.

"Is...Is there something you want to tell me about her?" Ell helps her brother to sit up as well, him holding her wrists for support.

"Is it...n-normal for a mother to make her child feel things he isn't supposed to experience at a young age?" Questions Edd, embarrassed and confused about his past. Why is he bringing up his past now?

"No! No of course not! That's such a horrible thing!" Ell replies almost instantly to his question. "Did...did mom...?" Ell looks at her brother with surprised eyes.

After all these years, he comes out and tells her this?

All she ever knew is that he was diagnosed with Major Depressive Disorder when he was 16. That's it. She never knew the cause, she never knew the treatments. All her adoptive parents did say is that they'll take care of it.
They kept a close eye on Edd for a few months, then they had to move to Australia.

Edd went neutral for a couple more years.
And recently was when he finally let out everything he was hiding.
Ell had taken all the times Edd was fine for granted.

Was the reason why he was diagnosed with MDD was that of their mother?
Because he can't let go of his past?
...Or was it something else?

With no warnings, Ell hugs her brother out of nowhere, to which Edd took warmly.
"Ell..." Edd mumbles, digging into her shoulders for comfort.

"How come...I didn't know about this? Edd, you know I was always there! F-from the very beginning! I...I could've h-helped you, I would have done everything if I knew you were s-still suffering behind my back! You know how much I care about you, right?"

Ell's embrace tightens.

"You told m-me once...you didn't feel like you were enough for the world...but you know what? You're enough for me! You matter to me! You're special to me! I would lose my mind if I suddenly lost one of the most important people in my life! You don't know how much I cherish you from the bottom of my heart!"

ah

so that's what was so

w r o n g .

he mattered.

he is cherished.

he

is

i m p o r t a n t.

"They always said I was—"

"Yes, I know! They said you were an outcast! A failure! A disappointment! But one speck of negativity is nothing compared to the endless positivity surrounding your life! Have you ever thought of (Y/N)'s reaction when you attempt to succumb to your disorder?! She had a panic attack because of you. She couldn't think of losing you! Why? Because that's it! You matter to her!"

Ell takes a sharp inhale, wiping away excess tears coming out of her eyes.

"Being cared for and being enough isn't a bad thing, Edd."

The boy pulls away from the embrace of his sister. He didn't say a single word.

"You...love her, don't you?" Ell asks her brother who looked down.

"...yes." He quietly responds.

"You've done a good job showing that. But who will she fall in love with if the person loving her suddenly didn't exist? Won't she be heartbroken?"

Edd lets out a disheartened chuckle, "What if she has 3 three other men to choose from, then?"

"You've kissed her once, right? She melted into the kiss, didn't she?"

"Y-yes. But I was still on medication at that time! S-something in me just made do that out of nowhere! And...and besides!! She...just probably melted into it so that she wouldn't seem rude to p-pull away..."

"How about that one time where you desperately wanted to hug her on the day of your release from the hospital?"

"Again! Medications! Legal drugs can do that to you sometimes, okay? I felt hazy! Where'd you even hear that from? You weren't ever there!"

"L-look, Matt went up and told me anyway, and I was in the park."

"Matt told me that you went to hang out with your girlfriends that time!"

"That was a lie I made up! I had to look as petty as possible!"

"Why though?"

"So that (Y/N) wouldn't have to force me to go if we weren't on the right terms! You know how stubborn she gets if she wants someone to go!"

"I've...always wondered...how'd you become part of your dream crew?"

"That's...a story for another day. I'm tired." Ell wipes the tear stains that stayed on her face.

"Yeah, alright." Edd agrees, followed by a yawn.

"Hey, Edd? Before you go to sleep..."

"What is it?"

Ell leans forward, planting a soft peck on Edd's tear-stained cheek. "Did you miss my goodnight kisses?"

Edd stayed silent, blushing a bit by the sudden action, but proceeded to nod.

"You gave me surprise pecks whenever I felt scared or when I needed comfort."

"Yep! Some were for good luck too!"

"Yeah...but you stopped doing it once we hit puberty—I mean our tween-age years."

"W-well, others found it weird for siblings to do that so...I stopped."

"That just meant we were really close."

"Ah...does that mean you want the pecks back?"

"Goodnight..."

"I'll take that as a yes. Goodnight!"

Ell smiles lovingly down her brother before proceeding to wipe away his and her tears and going back to the same position they were in before.

~

The whole week consisted of laughs and screams.
The crew went out for barbecue, they made a checklist to see if they can go to every waterslide there was to ride, they had swimming contests, fights were present,
Tom mostly loved the lazy river and kept coming back to it,
Tord loved spraying everyone with his water gun,
The twins spent all their time together going on all the slides,
You being scared with the bigger slides and mostly hung around the kid's pool,
And Matt played on the sand basically.

~

And on the final day, December 31, the group decided to go by roommate and have each a final visit around the resort then have a small campfire while waiting for New Years to come.

And of course, Tord and Tom had agreed to do another 1V1 challenge.

"First to make a full circle in the lazy river will get a steak from (Y/N)!" Tord, of course, challenges the oldest who was drinking his orange juice (since alcoholic beverages weren't allowed inside the main resort).

"Seriously? The lazy river is my best friend. I can basically tell it to up the speed for me then it will do as I say," Tom replies coolly, taking another sip of his juice.

"Oh really? Then, I challenge you to the 3 challenges to do when in a resort!" Tord says, pulling up his phone.

"1! The race of the lazy river! 2! The cannonball from the waterfall! And 3! All you can eat!"

"This guy never turns down a challenge. Especially when he knows he'll win." Tom puts down his beverage and proceeded to stretch up.

"Oh, this is gonna be hilarious," Tord smirks competitively at the eyeless boy.

~

"I'd give the waterfall slide a 10 out of 10 intensity. One of the most intriguing rides of the resort." Edd reports to Ell, who was busy taking down the notes.

"Hmm, alright. I'd give it a 10 as well."

"What are the rides that we haven't ridden, yet?"

"That T-Rex slide and the one with Nessie."

"Okay, everyone has been talking about this 'Nessie', WHO. IS. NESSIE?!" Edd questions his sister.

"Wow, you didn't know? Like—The Loch Ness monster?"

"Ohhh! I know that! I just didn't know it had a name, like...wow!"

Ell nods slowly, eyeing her twin weirdly.

"Ooookay...so where do we go first?" Ell asks.

"Let's definitely go to Nessie first!"

"Okay, if you say so." The girl shrugs, leading her brother in front of the humungous pool of Nessie blow-up boats. "This is kind of like bumper cars, but on water and we're using Nessies as the cars," Ell explains.

"Cool! The slides seem high up as well! Let's go get the blow-up boats then we'll slide down! First one to lose their balance is declared loser!" Edd announces, to which his sister agreed.

"No hard feelings, okay?"

"No hard feelings!"

~

"It's okay, Matt! It's just a 5 feet dive!" You reassure the ginger-haired boy who had been trembling at the edge of the tough but smooth diving board.

"I...I d-don't know a-about this!" He stammers, trying not to look down at the water beneath him.

You pat his shoulder gently.

"Okay, I'll go first and then you'll see that it's not so bad, okay?" You say, getting ready at the age of the board.

You make a quick 360 spin and salute at Matt playfully before dropping down and making splashing down in the water. You make your way up to the surface and do a thumbs up at Matt.

"You can do it!" You cheer him on.

...After 6 minutes of trying to convince him, he finally makes the dive, going in feet first.

His weight splashes all around the surrounding water, he meets you at the surface. "See? It wasn't so bad!" You grin at the male.
"Y-yeah, I guess it wasn't..." Matt takes in deep inhales and exhales.

"Who's my brave soldier?" You ask playfully, to which Matt responded with an annoyed grumble, "I'm not a dog! Butsinceyouaskedreallynicely,thatbravesoldierisme." He says the last part speedily.

"This might be the billionth time I called you cute, but, you're so cute."

~

The campfire warmed all of you up like perfectly toasted marshmallows.
All of you were still in bathing suits, so the campfire was all the more comforting to the December wind.

"The marshmallows are really good." Tord munches on the perfectly roasted s'mores.

"True that," Matt agrees in delight.

"Guys, what time is it?" You ask, having 5 sticks of s'mores on your hands.

"11:31!" Edd answers.

"Ugh!! 29 minutes!" Ell groans impatiently.

"Is Tom still knocked out in the river?" You say.

"Oh yeah! I left him there by accident!" Tord chuckles but you knew that his intentions were far from a mere 'accident'.

"Seriously, Tord? Ugh, fine! I'll go get him!" You stand up from your chair and went directly to Tom's most favored attraction in the entire resort.

You jump right in the river, walking slowly to where he could have headed.
Finally, in the middle of the river, you found a snoozing Tom, peacefully laying down on one of the donut-themed floaties.

You laugh softly, "Tom! Tom, wake up! You're gonna miss New Years!" You say, pushing the floaty with the snoozing Tom straight back to the very beginning.
Once you had arrived, you tried to wake him up again.

"Tom!! Come on! We're gonna miss New Years!" You softly slap him on the face to which he finally woke up.

"You do not know how freezing it is without the warm bonfire! Come on~!!!" You start whining for him to wake up.

But suddenly, moist hands grabbed the side of your cheek, pulling you into a soft kiss with the previously sleeping male.

"I'm awake, I'm awake. Okay?" Tom says in delight after he pulls away from the sudden action. "Speaking of bonfires, you're right. It is freezing cold out here. I'll get going now."

Tom gets up from his floaty and makes his way to the campfire you guys had set up, leaving you red-faced and making you feel like you were slowly turning into an oven.

You slowly make your way back to the site you guys had prepared, which was basically the terrace of your hut, and went directly in to dry yourself off.
You went into your room and was met with Matt also drying off.

"Did you had your last moments in the kid's pool while I woke up sleeping beauty?" You chuckle. Matt responds with a small smile, looking at himself in the mirror.

"I just wonder if all the things I did were enough to satisfy me. Maybe we'll never have a chance like this ever again...I don't even remember the last time I had this fun with my family..." Matt says, rubbing the towel along the back of his neck.

"Yeah, I know how that feels. Being a rich kid feels like nothing if I don't get to spend time with my actual parents." You reply, "I'm so grateful I have them as my family and not ending up being raised like a spoiled brat." You make yourself comfortable on your bed.

Matt runs his hands through his wet hair then proceeded to give you a bright grin.
"I'm a master tickler."

"W-wait, what does that have to do w-with anything?!" You reply a bit surprised by his sudden tone.
Matt tackles you, causing you to fall directly unto your bed comforter with Matt attacking all your weak spots.

Screams and laughter filled the room, "MATT! You're getting your wetness a-all over my—my bed! St-stop!" You pleaded as Matt showed no mercy for you.
You grabbed the nearest pillow and attacked him with it but that didn't slow him down.

You try to pry him off of you by kicking around as if that'll do anything, but Matt maybe younger, he was a lot taller than you.
And that was his top advantage against you.

This whole ordeal lasted about 7 minutes, with you finally being able to breathe again. You were drained of energy and was a bit irritated by Matt's sudden action that led to your suffering.

You would have complained to him and told him off if it weren't for the fact that you noticed how close your face are to each other.
His indigo eyes stared deeply into your (E/C) orbs that somehow made your heart feel all jumpy.

Too close too close too close

He

Is

Too

Close.

The room that was once filled with high pitched screams and yelps was now dead silent.

You could just feel his warm breath hitting your soft cheeks.
If he hadn't acted so innocent with the playful banter he pulled on you, you would have started to focus on how the way he's looking at you right now made you feel weak.

Suddenly, the younger one started to lean in and you feared for the worse—

A harsh pinch on your cheek was suddenly present to which you loudly yelped.

"Ha! All of this is payback for forcing me to go to that scary diving area!" He laughs.

"Come on! I wanted to help you with your fears! You said it was fun, right?" You asked.

"It was but it doesn't change the fact that I WAS FORCED."

"10 MINUTES!" You hear Ell's loud voice from outside the window.

"Okay, save this for 2019. I wanna see the fireworks!" You finally push him off of you and grabbed the nearest towel then ran off outside.

"Finally! Took you long enough!" Tord immediately notices your presence as you sit on your chair and dried yourself with the towel. "Yeah, sorry. A certain someone was butt-hurt and they decided to force it unto me." You say, grabbing your s'mores that you had left.

"Wow, these are still good." You chow down on the remaining roasted marshmallows on your sticks.

"2019 is finally coming! Time to binge read all the Spice mangas all over again from the beginning!" The Norwegian boy excitingly says, having another marshmallow.

"Is that like...a yearly thing?" You ask.

"Yes! The spice mangas volume 1 to 11 are the greatest to exist. Volume 12 is coming January! Those books never disappoint me! Can you believe?!"

You laugh at the ecstatic boy, finding amusement in his child-like enthusiasm for 2018 to finally pass by.
"Hard to believe that a year full of ups and downs would be gone in just a few minutes." You say.

"Haha...yeah." Tord chuckles then become silent, staring at the crackling fire that seemed to reflect in his eyes.

"(Y/N)...I'll miss you." The latter then decides to speak once again.

"What do you mean...?" You asked, but unfortunately, you know full well what he meant deep down.

"After we finish a year of college, it doesn't matter if Tom and I graduate, it just means that you'll end up leaving us again. I can't focus on where I am right now if I know what will happen in the future...it's all so....scary..."Tord confesses as he takes another s'more into his mouth. "In a matter of years, you'll just be considered an 'old friend' now. But I don't want you to be an 'old friend' in my 'college days' and...when we get our own jobs and stuff, I just want to you to be a 'friend'. No new or old."

You almost felt the melancholy in his voice, how much he really means every word he's saying.

And...in all honesty, you really can't say or add anything else to his confession.

But, without thinking, you plant a comforting kiss on his head for reassurance, "But I'm here right now, isn't that what matters? Let's all spend the times we're living in right now. Change is scary. We'll all go through that in our lives. But...that's life. At the end of the day, our whole crew is here together in one piece and having fun. The future can wait." You give him a cheerful smile, to which Tord returns.

"You're right."

"Hey, Ell, what time is—"

"5 MINUTES UNTIL 12 AM!" She practically yells in your face.

"Oookay~" You slowly back away with your chair. "I'll go get my phone, I wanna get a perfect view of the fireworks." You excused yourself out of the group, going into your room once again.

You grab your phone from the bedside table but a certain picture fell once you had picked it up. Curious, you bend down and pick up the picture.
It seemed to be a polaroid of some sort.

Oh, wait...

It's the picture the crew sent you when you moved. How did it get there?
...You probably misplaced it.

You come outside once again.

"Hey, Edd." You greet the brunette who was warming himself near the fire.

"Oh! Hi, (Y/N)! You need anything?" He asks you.

"No, no. I just found something." You say, taking out the polaroid with the note sticking at the back of the picture.

Edd stares at the photo with wide eyes. His eyes scanned the picture then proceeded to read aloud the note that he wrote.

"H-Hi, (Y/N). It's only been a day since you left but we already miss you. We hope you feel the same and that you'll come visit us. It's...It's me, Edd writing this and that Ell says hello. Tom and Tord went back to fighting. They were blaming each other because you left. Me and Ell thought it was pretty funny. M-momm—uh..."

Edd seemed uncomfortable for a bit but cleared his throat and continued, "...says that she's baking cookies. We promise we will give you some if you come back. We will wait now until you come back. Haha...oh that—those were some...good memories." Edd nervously laughs, a tint of red staining his cheeks.

"...Embarrassing ones too." He adds.

You laugh at his adorableness and you were about to show it to everyone else but Ell suddenly did a countdown.

"NEW YEARS IS IN 10!"

You suddenly feel a hand on your own,

"9!"

You take a look and you see Tom, smiling calmly as possible.

"8!"

You smile at him and whispered, "Fully awake?"

"7!"

He gives you a nod and whispered back, "Had some smirnoff so I'll be awake all night."

"6!"

On your other hand was now Edd, looking as excited as ever.

"5!!"

You anticipate the sound of fireworks.

"4!"

Matt comes out of the hut in a nick of time, carrying the handheld fireworks.

"3!"

You held both Tom and Edd's hand tightly as Ell says the final numbers.

"2!"

Everything is now in slow-motion.

"1!"

As if it was a near-death experience, all the things you've done in 2018 quickly flashes in your mind before hearing—

"HAPPY NEW YEAR, EVERYBODY!" Ell screams at the top of her lungs, jumping up and down like a child excited for Christmas.

Fireworks blasted in the distance, your neighbors began cheering and yelling, greeting everyone a happy new year as 2018 is now in the rearview mirror with everyone happily welcoming 2019.

Ell takes a seat with Tom, leaving you and the other three boys to start yelling and greeting like there wasn't a tomorrow to greet.

Tord helps Matt light up the sticks, making smoke and fireworks fill your peripheral vision, "Give me one! I want one!" You say as Tord gives you one of the sticks, it sparkling with a bright glow as if you were holding fireworks on a stick.

You, of course, take out your phone and start videoing all of what was happening, the bonfire, the sky, the noise pollution, the smoke, the sparks, everything.
It was a cheerful new year.
A great way to start 2019.

"...HERE'S TO NEVER GROWING UP!" Tord takes out what seemed to be a gun of some sort, but instead of it being filled with bullets, it was filled with confetti, lots of it, it went all over the place but the boy was sure to not put anything on the bonfire.

The people around him cheered and clapped louder as if agreeing with his statement.

Matt was the one that kept on yelling, which he was doing a great job at and kept on picking the confetti that Tord's gun had and threw them around.
He really is still a child at heart.

Edd looked at the sky with bright amazement. He'd seen fireworks billions of times in his life already, but whenever it's in person, he just can't help but gaze such admiration. It feels as if the whole world was just blocked out by his amazement.

Nothing could top this perfect moment.
But...

"I'm up with the sunshine~"

His ears felt like they were pulled back to reality, hearing that soft tune.

"Th-that song—" Edd turns around to look at his sister in full shock.

I lace up my high-tops
Slam dunk, ready or not
Yeah, show me what you got

I'm under the spotlight
I dare you, come on and follow
You dance to your own beat,
I'll sing the melody

Edd puts a hand over his mouth, his eyes starting to look like the ocean,
Ell smiles at her brother, knowing how much this song had meant to him growing up,

When you say, "Yeah," I say "No."
When you say, "Stop," All I wanna do is go, go, go...

You and the other two stopped once you had noticed the cute gift that Ell was presenting.

You, the other half of me
The half I'll never be
The half that drives me crazy

You, the better half of me
The half I'll always need

You give Edd a side hug as a sign of comfort but he took it as a full-on embrace, shoving his face into your shoulders as he sobbed.

We

Both

Know,

"We're better in stereo."

You pull away from the crying boy,
And with tears blurring her vision, Ell stood up and ran into his brother's arms.

This is it.

Nothing will ever top this moment.

With the feeling of melancholy present and nothing else to give, Edd hugs her tightly, muttering the words,

"I love you."

As the last of the fireworks blasted into the air.