.° ☀️₊˚ෆ ❝ LIGHTNING IN A BOTTLE ❞
๋࣭ ⭑𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙩𝙚𝙧 ₊˚﹟📷' 𝘴𝘪𝘹 ˚‧｡⋆🫧⋆｡‧˚
⊹ ࣪ ˖  𝙧𝙤𝙥𝙚 𝘰𝘯 𝙖 𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘦  ‧₊˚ 🌻⋅♡𓂃 ࣪ ִֶָ☾.

ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ MADDIE LET OUT A RELAXING breath as she laid on the dock, her hands under her head as a sort of pillow as she soaked up the sun. She had finally changed out of her dress and into a pair of light-wash cutoffs and a white tank top, but she still wore her high tops.

She had said it many times before, she loved summer. And it was true, she loved everything about summer. The sun, the warmth, the fact that she could spend hours swimming. It was the best of the four seasons, at least that's what she would say.

She could hear the sound of the Feder's video game from the house and even Curly's messed up bark, but she didn't pay too much attention to it as she took a breath. The breeze was a nice contrast to the heat that beat down on her from the sun and she welcomed it, shifting a little on the dock. Then she heard footsteps, but she didn't move or even open her eyes until a shadow was cast over her.

"Yes?" She questioned, not bothering to open her eyes.

"My dad is kinda making everyone go for a walk, wanna come?" Josh asked, looking down at the girl.

"Okay." She hummed as she sat up, extending her hand out to him and he pulled her up. "I'm gonna go get my camera." She ran towards the house, through the door, up the stairs, then back outside. Once she caught up with Josh they followed after the others who had trekked into the woods, it was easy to catch up to them, but the two teenagers stayed a few feet from the group.

"So, Hollywood jr., how you like roughin' it?" She asked, a teasing smirk as she looked around at the trees then over at him.

"I'm pretty sure this isn't roughing it." He told her. "But it's not bad so far."

"Really?" She raised an eyebrow. "All you've done is watch your brothers play their video game. Which is obnoxiously loud and gory."

"Okay, you got me there." He nodded. "Why don't you show me how I should be spending my time?" He raised an eyebrow as if to challenge her.

"Okay." She smirked. "But you asked for it." His smile faltered a little as she walked away from him and he watched her, swallowing the lump in his throat. He watched as she stopped, her camera aimed at a squirrel as it shoved acorns into its cheeks and a smile pulled at his lips again. When she got a picture she was proud of she looked over her shoulder at him with a smile. "You comin'?"

"Yeah." He nodded, then he caught up to her. "So, where do we start?"

"Can you climb?"

"Yes?" He answered, a little scared of what she was about to make him do.

"Great." She grinned. "Race you to the top." She hoisted herself up into a tree, using a low branch to pull herself up, but she was careful with her camera.

"So, this is happening." He mumbled, following her up the tree. Maddie got close to the top, but she knew better than to go any higher since the branches were thinner and less likely to hold. A few seconds later, Josh was next to her. "What now?"

"Look at that view." She told him, grabbing his chin and turning his face to the horizon where the sky met the water, then she let her hand fall from his face. "Breathtaking, isn't it?"

"Yeah." He agreed, then he let his eyes slip back to her and he smiled. She wore a soft smile, her eyes were a bright green and filled with joy, her golden locks flowed with the breeze.

She was utterly breathtaking.

"Hey, look, they found a rope on a tree."

"Rope on a tree?"

"Oh, my God." She huffed. "You have so much to learn, grasshopper." She patted his chest before she started climbing down and the boy gulped.

"Now, I'm scared." He mumbled before he followed her down the tree, then over to where they last saw the others. Eric was on one of the bigger rocks, the end of the rope in his hands.

"Where'd you two disappear to?" Marcus asked when Maddie came to a stop next to him.

"Up a tree." She shrugged. "What are you guys doing? I mean, other than trying to get Eric killed."

"The class is in session!" The big man on the rock said as she ran. "Who wants to see a double flip?" He asked, then he pushed off the rock and swung out over the water, only he didn't let go even as everyone shouted for him to drop. Then he swung back towards them.

"And this is where it ends." Maddie mumbled, then she winced as he collided with a tree and rolled down the hill. "Man, you did it wrong." The girl mumbled.

"That was awesome!" Keithie cheered.

"Okay, kids, take notes. We'll call it: what not to do with a rope on a tree."

"Oh, God." Eric pushed himself up and screamed, making everyone panic. "Oh, God. My leg snapped. Oh, my God, the bone's sticking out! I need help! It's a stick!" Eric laughed as he stood up. "I got ya!" he sang, then he did a little dance as the others laughed, Maddie rolled her eyes, but she couldn't hold back her laugh. It was a good prank.

"Daddy, that bird is hurt!" Becky cried out pointing at a bird that was trying to fly but just couldn't leave the ground.

"Oh, my God." Lenny mumbled. "I'll go get a shoe box." Lenny ran off and Maddie made her way over to Becky, who was close to tears.

"Hey, kiddo." She smiled. "I'm Maddie, what's your name?" She asked, trying to get the girl's attention off of the bird.

"Becky."

"Well, Becky, why don't me and you take a walk? We'll come back once your dad has that shoe box, okay?"

"Okay." She nodded and Maddie stood up, holding her hand out and the girl took it before they walked up the path, Josh following close behind them. "Is that your camera?" The little girl asked.

"Yeah." The blonde nodded. "Wanna see some of my pictures?"

"Can I?" She asked, her eyes hopeful and Maddie nodded, stopping only to squat down to the girl's level. She took the strap out from around her neck then went to the gallery and handed it to the girl.

"Click this button to change pictures." She pointed at the back arrow and the girl nodded, smiling at the picture of the squirrel Maddie had taken not even ten minutes before. Then the girl hit the back button and it flipped to a picture of the quarry, and when she hit it again it changed to a picture of Nathan.

"Who's he?" Becky asked, turning the camera a little and Josh leaned forward to get a look.

"That's Nathan." She smiled. "You'll get to meet him later at dinner."

"Is he your boyfriend?" Becky asked and the boy that stood with them merely waited for the answer.

"No." She shook her head. "He's been my best friend for as long as I can remember. He's like my brother. I mean, I love him but like you love Josh, or Greg and Keithie."

"Oh." The kid nodded. "So you think he's annoying, too?"

"Hey." Josh mumbled slightly offended,

"He definitely annoys me."