Elissa & Caleb

Elissa's sat on the couch in her parent's living room, her knees bouncing as she studied the map on the coffee table in front of her. She'd been up early, too excited to sleep, and had woken Caleb up, too. Much to his annoyance. She had everything she needed packed and ready to go last night and she was eager to get on the road now. Caleb, on the other hand, had finished packing this morning and stood at the window now, sipping coffee as he kept an eye out for Cara and Norris to arrive. The RV sat in the driveway. It was huge, casting a monstrous shadow across their front garden in the morning sun. They'd forked out a little extra for a really luxurious one so that they'd be comfortable during the whole trip. They'd figured it would mean they could spend less money on hotel rooms unless they really felt like staying somewhere else and neither were too worried about having to live in such close proximity with the other three. They spend nearly all of their time together as it is and hadn't quite managed to kill each other. Yet, anyway.

"What's taking so long?" Elissa moaned, standing up from her seat. She crossed to the window and leaned against Caleb who pushed her off and continued sipping his coffee with seemingly never ending patience. Elissa sighed in exasperation and returned to her cases to check for the fourth time that she hadn't forgotten anything.

"You've got everything packed. Cut it out," Caleb told her as he glanced over his shoulder, running a hand over his messy hair and Elissa stuck her tongue out at him, childishly. "I've got to make sure! I'm a girl, what if I forgot to pack something vital. Like tampons," she teased because she knew it would creep him out and he cringed and looked away like she'd expected him to.

"Ew. Okay, fine, whatever," he muttered, finishing his coffee and heading into the kitchen to wash the mug. And escape her, no doubt. Elissa chuckled to herself, zipping up her case for (hopefully) the final time as a wave of nausea washed over her. She jumped up, her hand flying to her mouth before she raced to the bathroom. She barely made it in time before the little she'd managed to eat for breakfast, resurfaced. She groaned in displeasure and pressed her forehead against the cool tiles on the walls for a second or two before standing and flushing the toilet.

"Elissa? Are you ok?" Caleb's concerned voice called through the door and she cleared her throat before answering. "I'm fine! Just over excited, probably," she called back, looking at her reflection in the mirror. Her mouth was pressed together in a grim line, her eyebrows creased in worry. This hadn't been the first time she'd been sick this week but she tried to push it out of her mind. She wasn't sick. She couldn't be. Not now that the trip was finally here. She washed her hands and brushed her teeth again, making sure to use plenty of mouthwash, before heading back out of the bathroom. She felt a little better now that her stomach was empty and forced a smile on her face as Caleb studied her.

"I'm fine," she insisted again and he opened his mouth to object just as the doorbell rang. "That's them! Let's go," she encouraged, hurrying around him to get the door.

A lone duffle bag tumbled down the stairs and came to rest in a pile of bags, a few suitcases and supplies. Norris Wilde was all packed, and he followed his luggage down the stairs with a wide grin, excited as ever to head over to Cara's, and then to Elissa's together. He had been waiting all year for this trip, through the fall and winter and through an agonizingly long spring just to get the hell out of Florida for a while. It was more than just a vacation for the curly-haired young man, it was a chance to do something for the first and possibly the last time, to have fun with his friends and leave his worries at home for the time being. This was how he wanted to be remembered, fun and healthy, ready for anything that the wide open road could throw at him. All he had to do now was leave the house.

"Mom!" he called out, voice echoing through the house as he sauntered down the hallway. "Mom! I'm ready to go!" He looked around for her, popping his head into the kitchen and finding nothing but a bagel, which he picked up, before making his way out the back door. There, in the garden, sat his mother. Her dark hair had fallen over her face, but she looked up to meet his eyes and he saw a wrinkle of worry between her brows. He knew what she was thinking, and hell, he was thinking it too. He should be at the hospital, going to doctors appointments, actually dealing, but he'd already made up his mind. Regardless, he smiled at her. "Hey, are you gonna say goodbye to me?" he grinned.

The woman got up from her place on the patio chair and came over to hug him, and Norris wrapped his arms around her warmly. "Do you have your medication?" she asked, and Norris thought it was the hundredth time within the last day. It was just a small pill, something for his strange and unpredictable seizures, but he didn't exactly relish taking it. Sighing, he nodded, "yeah, I have it. Don't worry."

The two said their goodbye's and see-you-later's and Norris promised that he would call. After packing his things into the car, he was on his way to Cara's, half of his bagel already gone. The blonde girl didn't live far from him, a ten minute walk at best, but Norris still managed to speed his way there, his excitement having gotten the better of him as he peeled into her driveway and honked the horn. He saw her pop her head out of the door and then come out with her arms full of bags just seconds later. Norris, being the nice guy that he was, got out to help her with her things as Cara dashed into the house to get the rest and presumably say goodbye to her mom.

"Why do you need so much stuff?" he asked, laughing as backed out of her driveway.

Cara smiled back at Norris and replied with a shrug of her thin shoulders, hands moving to scoop her hair up into a ponytail. "I'm a girl. I have more necessities," she chuckled and rolled the window all the way down with a press of her finger. It was a warm day, humid but sunny and not a cloud in the sky; perfect.

Several minutes and the other half of a bagel later, the pair arrived at Elissa and Caleb's and Cara dashed out of the car before it was even parked. The small blonde knocked on the door with a noticeable glee, like a kid in a candy store because she was sure that she had seen Caleb through the window on her way up. As usual, her stomach was full of butterflies and her head was full of longing just to kiss him hello. One secret wasn't about to ruin a whole trip, though, and Cara did the best she could to push it from her mind and look normal as the door finally opened and she was greeted with the sight of Elissa.

"Hey!" she smiled, reaching out to her hug her friend. Norris appeared behind her, having had to park the car before he could come up. "Are you ready?"

Laughing, Norris leaned over and wrapped his arm around Elissa, giving her a quick kiss. "Jeez," he sighed, looking at the pile of bags by the door, "what is it with girls packing the whole house?" It was a joke, but the dark-haired young man looked to Caleb for some sort of agreement.

Elissa

"Hey!" Elissa greeted her friends as she opened the door and laughed as Cara pulled her in for a hug as soon as she could. She hugged her back tightly before releasing her so that she could embrace Norris, too. "So ready. I can't believe we can finally leave! It feels like we've been waiting for this forever," she sighed as she took a step back to give him some room. She'd be content once they were on the road and she could relax and enjoy herself. She felt too antsy right now. She didn't want to give any sign that she was unwell because then the questions would start and she'd have to finally stop ignoring the frightening indications that this wasn't just a bug. It was probably selfish of her to avoid going to the doctor before the trip but she was desperately clinging to the last hope that there was nothing wrong. If her suspicions were correct, her life would be changed forever and she wasn't ready for that. After all, it wouldn't just be her life that got turned upside down. Especially if the dates she was trying to ignore, matched up.

Norris provided a good distraction and she rolled her eyes at his comment. "Yeah, yeah. We wont use half of it and we'll regret it when there's no space to bring extra things home. I know, I know," she teased, bumping her hip against his before she started pulling her cases forward and out of the door. "You guys will regret it when you've got to wash your clothes instead of just putting on fresh ones," she warned over her shoulder as she headed towards the RV. "And none of this 'You're the woman, you do the washing,' rubbish. I'm on vacation."

Once she'd reached the RV, Elissa stopped and headed back to the house for her smaller bag with all of her essentials in it; books, her iPod, her phone, some snacks, her purse and some beauty necessities. She checked through it one more time to make sure she had everything before smiling and turning back to the others. She and Caleb had said goodbye to their parents that morning before they both left for work and now all that was left to do was lock up before they left.

Caleb

Caleb hadn't been convinced when his sister had assured him she was fine. He hoped there was nothing seriously wrong and that it had just been the excitement that had upset her stomach. Even so, her cheeks were flushed and he didn't miss the traces of concern in her eyes as she hurried past him to get the front door. He sighed, unsure whether he should push the subject or not. He just hoped she wouldn't be ill on the road. Elissa was a complete moan when she wasn't well and he knew she'd drive him crazy.

Cara's was the first voice he heard when the door opened and he grinned when he saw her, beautiful as ever with the sunlight making her blonde hair shine. He wanted nothing more than to step forward and kiss her but he resisted. The last thing they needed was a huge argument with Elissa about what was really going on between them, right before they left. It wasn't worth ruining the trip. Or at least, that was what he told himself.

"Morning," he replied as Cara stepped further into the house and pulled her into a hug while Elissa and Norris were distracted with one another. "I missed you," he whispered in her ear before letting go and taking a step back. He did miss her when she wasn't around, as stupid as that might sound considering they'd been friends for so long before things developed, romantically. Things were just so much more different with Cara than they'd ever been with previous girlfriends. He knew that she didn't just like him for the way he looked or how many friends he had. She was honest with him and it was a refreshing change. Plus, the sneaking around did make things a little more exciting, despite how much he wanted to come out with their relationship.

Caleb laughed at Norris' comment and looked pointedly at Elissa. "See? It's not just me that thinks you're ridiculous." He turned back to his best friend and squeezed his shoulder as he passed him to get his case. "Good luck putting up with her over the next few weeks. She's not easy to live with," he warned him and laughed at the objecting 'Hey!' that came from the garden as Elissa pulled out her bags. He lifted his own case and walked out the front door, shutting and locking it behind him once everyone was outside.

"Anyone want to drive first or should I?" he asked, opening up the doors so that they could start moving their bags inside. It was a really beautiful day; the cool breeze lessening the heat from the sun to the point where it was just comfortable. Even so, they had the AC on in the RV so that it would be nice and cool once they got going. There was a master bedroom with a double bed, another, smaller room with a single bed and the couch that folded out into a second double bed. The kitchen had a fully functional oven, microwave, toaster and kettle and the fridge was stacked full with an assortment of snacks and drinks. The bathroom had a large shower and an equally large mirror that Caleb imagined the girls would fight the guys for, every morning. There was a music system that played throughout the entirety of the vehicle and plenty of plenty of couches to lounge about on. There was even a couple of t.vs if they did get bored. The thing was pretty huge and Caleb was glad they'd decided to spend that little bit extra. He'd be happy enough to stay in it the whole trip, if they needed to.

It was true what Elissa said, they had been waiting quite a long time for this trip. Cara still remembered planning it with the other three in their group the summer before, talking about saving money from their odd jobs; babysitting, yard work, and of course, graduation money. Cara had gotten some from her mom, and a lot from her dad in an attempt to make up for his absence. The blonde girl supposed that it did, just a little, because now she could afford to stay somewhere nice when a break from the RV was needed, and of course, there were souvenirs to get, plus food and helping with gas. Cara really was looking forward to everything, even if the weight of her lie was still making her a bit nervous. Surely the close confines of their trip would bring everyone closer together.

As Elissa and Norris distracted themselves with one another, Cara returned Caleb's hug. He was warm and the way he held her always made her feel so safe. "I missed you too," she whispered back, giving his shoulder a soft kiss before pulling away. "Don't expect me to do your laundry on the road," she teased, bringing back the friendly air between them with a small grin. "You two really should pack better." She and Elissa were going to have clean clothes for pretty much the whole trip, and Cara suspected that Caleb and Norris would run out a quarter of the way through. It was funny to see the differences between the boys and the girls.

While Caleb and Elissa took their things out to the RV, Cara and Norris went back to his car to get their things. Norris made a big show of lifting her luggage, acting as if it was the heaviest thing he had ever carried. She helped too, of course, managing to hold three bags in one hand and lock the trunk to Norris's car on the way back to where the behemoth-like RV was parked. It didn't take long to get everything loaded, thankfully, as the RV was more than spacious. "This is where my grad money went," Cara chuckled, looking around the kitchen and stocking the cabinets with a few snacks she had brought.

"I'll sit up there with you if you're driving," Cara offered lightly to Caleb, reaching into her back pocket for a map. She had purchased it the night before at a convenience store when she had gotten some food for the road, thinking it would come in handy. She moved around a lot, and knew at least some of the places that they would be driving through.

Norris raised an eyebrow at his two friends, thinking they had become a little more close recently. He wasn't going to say anything, mostly because he had been spending more time with Elissa since they got together, so maybe it was only natural that Caleb and Cara gravitate toward one another. "Tell me when you're tired of it," he said to Caleb, "I'll take over." Caleb taking the first driving shift would give Norris some time with Elissa anyway.

"You feeling okay?" Norris asked Elissa, unpacking the rest of the snacks that Cara had brought. She looked a little pale, and he hoped that she wasn't getting sick just when all of the fun was about to begin. It was a little ironic to Norris that he was questioning Elissa's health when his was clearly failing. He had already hidden away his medication, disguised as an anti-histamine in case anyone found it. He had a little bit of a headache, but that was nothing new to him these days. He would rather focus on Elissa while he was able and had the time.

Caleb

"It'll be so worth it," Caleb assured Cara as he shut the door behind them and moved towards the front so they could get going. He was a little nervous about driving such a large vehicle but they'd all had a few lessons in it to get used to it. Hopefully there wouldn't be any problems. He started the RV up and smiled when Cara offered to keep him company. He had been hoping she might and at least driving would keep his mind of wanting to take her hand or kiss her. It was going to be difficult to keep his distance from her when they would be living in such close proximity for the next few weeks. It was going to be even more difficult to keep their relationship hidden. Caleb just wanted to come out with it now but he also didn't want to upset Elissa before they'd even left. It was frustrating.

"Thanks, Norris," he called when his friend offered to take over after a while. He didn't really mind driving. It could be pretty soothing and with Cara sitting beside him, he was sure he wouldn't get too bored. He pulled out of the driveway and onto the street, glancing over at her with a grin.

"Thanks for sitting with me," he murmured, running a hand through his already messy hair. "So, tell me. What are you looking forward to most?" he asked curiously, settling back in his seat. "Other than getting to see me shirtless all the time, of course," he teased in a low voice so that the others wouldn't hear.

Elissa

Elissa moved to help Norris put away the rest of the food and when that was done, she turned her attention to the sound system. Flicking through her iPod, she chose a playlist and hit play. The music began to sound throughout the RV but it was low enough to avoid disrupting conversation - which was unfortunate considering Norris was asking her about her health.

"Of course. I'm fine," Elissa smiled at him but in truth she was still feeling a little queasy."Why?" Nerves stabbed at her but she took a breath to calm herself. He couldn't possibly suspect what she did. He didn't even know she'd been unwell this morning. Elissa kept her hands from moving to her stomach by taking one of his and leading him over to one of the couches to sit with her. She hadn't expected for things to escalate between the two of them the way they did. Or how suddenly they did. She hadn't felt like she was rushing into the relationship, of course, they just kind of fell into it. It was a natural progression and already she was head over heels for him. A strange thing considering she had known him for so long before.

"What about you? Are you alright?" she asked, narrowing her eyes in playful suspicion, mostly to take the attention of off her. She sat down and stretched her legs out in front of her. It was hot and she was looking forward to having a swim at some point.

The last few hours had flown by much the scenery whipping past the large windows of the RV. It was easy for Cara to lose track of the time when her mind was being occupied by good music, and even better conversation. It had been quite some time since Cara had gotten to spend time alone with Caleb, and the hours that they had spent together up front while he drove only served to remind her of how much she loved him, and how happy she was to be with him. There were several moments between singing and talking where things had fallen silent between them, and Cara debated on letting Elissa and Norris in on the secret; how bad could it be when they worked so well together?

Ultimately, the blond girl decided against it and pushed her lies to the back of her mind. Her gaze returned to the windows as she watched the trees fly by, now cast in a warm, pinkish glow as the sun was beginning to set. It was hard to believe that their first day on the road would already be coming to a close, but Cara was looking forward to having time with her friends.

She sat up from her reclined position in the plush, leather passenger seat and made more noise than necessary as she fought to right the map in her hands. "We should probably find somewhere to stop for the night," she suggested to Caleb and leaned over with the map. "We're right about here," pointing to a stretch of road with her blue-painted fingernail, she tapped the paper in order to make it more clear. "Everyone's probably hungry too."

Norris wasn't exactly the type who liked to be stuck inside for an extended period of time, and inside extended to RV's as well. Even though he'd had a break from being cooped up while it was his turn to drive, rolling down the windows and slipping on a pair of sunglasses only did so much for him. He was dying to get out into the fresh air and stretch his legs in a new place and possibly find something to do for the night in order to celebrate the beginning of their trip. He hoped that Elissa would be up for it too, because she could usually convince Cara to play along and three against one would mean Caleb would have to come on whatever adventure had been concocted.

"Are we stopping?" Norris asked from the cozy couch in the modest living room. He had his arm around Elissa, but he leaned away from her in order to see Cara and Caleb in the front. "It's so boring back here. I vote we stop, get some food and do something away from this RV for a while." He really didn't care what that something was as long as they got out and had some fun as a group. To him, the RV was just a house with wheels and it wouldn't be his entertainment for the summer. Besides, with this possibly being his last summer, Norris was on a mission to do every fun thing he possibly could.

Turning back to Elissa, he flashed his girlfriend a smile. "What do you say? Bowling? The beach? Maybe a fire?" Generic as they were, it was pretty romantic and as a side mission to having the best last summer ever, Norris also needed Elissa to know how much she meant to him when he took his inevitable turn for the worse.

Caleb

Caleb yawned, rubbing the back of his neck with one hand as he drove the RV at a steady pace. It had been an uneventful first day, but he had expected as much. Although they would be making plenty of stops during their trip along the coast, there would be a lot of driving involved to get them from place to place. It was still plenty bright outside but dusk was drawing in and when Cara suggested that they stop for the night, he nodded his agreement. He glanced down briefly at the area of map she was tapping and then returned his gaze to the road.

"Good idea. I'm starving. There's a town up ahead so we can stop there." It would be a relief to get out and stretch their legs and it would be nice to do something other than driving for a little while. He didn't mind it, really, but it grew a little boring. Having Cara beside him definitely made the time go faster. He wanted to reach out and touch her leg or brush her hair back off her shoulder but he kept his hands on the wheel and focused on the road, instead. Maybe once everyone was gone to bed, they'd have some time to themselves. He couldn't spend the whole trip keeping his distance. He wanted to kiss her and run his fingers through her soft hair and press his nose against the part of her neck that always smelled sweet.

The areas on the sides of the road began to grow more built up and busy and it didn't take them long to reach an area for Caleb to park the RV for a little while. There was a couple of restaurants around them so they wouldn't be stuck for finding somewhere to eat. There was food in the RV anyway and if they needed to, they could cook something instead.

Elissa

"Hey! What do you mean, 'It's so boring back here'?" Elissa demanded, mock irritation lacing her tone. She gave Norris a playful shove and crossed her arms over her chest. "I'm sorry that I'm not entertaining enough for you, Norris. Jeez," she rolled her eyes and then smiled at him so he would know she was just playing. She kissed his cheek and stood up once Caleb had pulled over. Stretching her arms over her head, she grinned as Norris came up with a few ideas about what they should do, now.

"Ooh, I like the sound of going to the beach," she agreed, turning her attention to Caleb and Cara. "What do you guys think? A nice walk along the beach and maybe a fire afterwards?" It would be nice to have a stroll along the waters edge as the sun went down. She couldn't help but want to do a bunch of sweet, coupley things with Norris but she had to remember that there was more than just the two of them on the trip. She didn't want Cara to be stuck with her brother for too long. She knew first hand how annoying he could be.

"Let's get something to eat, though. I'm starving." She turned back to Norris and offered him her hands so that she could pull him to his feet. She was excited to finally be doing something now that the first day of driving was over. She wanted the first night of their trip to be memorable and even though they were probably all exhausted, she didn't want to give in and go to bed too early.

As the road became less barren and the trees began to space out, Norris turned his attention toward the town outside of the window as his friends chatted about what they wanted to do that night. While they were still in Florida for the time being, this town was still a new place—unexplored and full of possibility—Norris wanted to get everything he could out of this trip and if night one meant milling about a town that looked similar to the one he came from, he would make the most of it. At the very least, he was with his friends, and Caleb, Cara and Elissa never failed to turn even the most boring of places into an infinite source of entertainment.

When he was shoved by Elissa, Norris couldn't help but laugh. “You know what I meant,” he grinned back at her, giving her leg a nudge with his foot. He knew that she wasn't mad at him, and as a couple, he could count on one hand the number of fights they had ever been in. Elissa was easy to get along with, pretty much the ideal girl for him.

Cara weighed the options of the night, and decided that the beach sounded like the best bet. She was sure that Elissa and Norris would sneak off somewhere, which left her with some alone to share with Caleb. Hiding their relationship wasn't going to be easy when they were in such close proximity of Elissa and Norris, but the blonde girl would take what she could get. Besides, a walk along the beach with the accompaniment of the stars sounded perfectly romantic. “Beach sounds perfect,” she agreed with an excited smile as she finished folding the map. She tossed the paper back into the front seat and grabbed her bag from the counter in the small kitchen. “What are you guys hungry for?”

Turning to Caleb, she gave him a playful nudge. “Let me guess; a burger, right?”

Norris accepted Elissa's hands and got up from the couch. It was probably a little too fast for him, because the head rush that came with standing almost caused him to sit right back down. He had already taken his pills for the day, but the dizziness was just something that happened from time to time, there was no helping it. He did his best to ignore it, and not draw attention to the fact that something was wrong. He didn't want to slow his friends down just because he was feeling a little disconnected from the world around him, and he told himself that this would pass by the time they decided on something to eat.

“You know Caleb,” he joked, managing a smile as he draped his arm over Elissa's shoulders, “he'll eat anything.” After giving his girlfriend's head a kiss, Norris headed for the door, ready to start walking and get some food.

Caleb

"Beach it is!" Elissa decided, though he had yet to give his opinion. Not that he didn't want to go to the beach, of course. It would be nice to do something typically 'vacation' so they could really feel like their trip was beginning. Plus, even though he wasn't normally a gooey type of guy, it would be pretty romantic to watch the sun go down with Cara. She seemed to bring that side out in him, more and more. He didn't doubt for a second that Elissa and Norris would try to loose them for a little while so they could be a couple. Luckily, it worked out in his favor, this time.

"What's wrong with a good burger?" Caleb grinned when Cara guessed what he wanted to eat. She knew him too well but he didn't mind. In fact, he was enjoying the closeness and the way they were gradually learning so many new things about one another. He had often grown quickly tired of previous girlfriends but it wasn't like that with Cara. She was different and real and a lot of fun. It was a good thing, too, considering they were going to be spending so much time together. He hoped that there would be no arguments on the trip and that they'd all get along well because he really didn't want to have to cut anything short. These were the four people he was closest too and he wanted to have a kick ass summer with them.

Elissa

"I second a burger," Elissa nodded eagerly, her stomach rumbling in anticipation. She hadn't eaten anything since she'd been sick that morning and now she was starving. The sooner they ate, the better. "With cheese and mayonnaise and a little bit of ketchup. You know what would be good on it too? Butterscotch sauce. Mmm, just drizzled all over the meat." The thought was making her practically salivate and she wanted nothing more in that moment than to have exactly that. "Oh God, that's what I want."

"Butterscotch sauce on a burger?!" Caleb demanded, looking at her like she'd gone a little crazy. Maybe she had. She'd never had such a strong desire for such an odd mix of food before. Shrugging her shoulders, she smiled nervously. "What? It's not that weird," she insisted, though perhaps it was. She was beginning to think that maybe her suspicions were ringing true and that this was the first of her cravings. "It's pretty gross," Caleb argued as they began to make their way out of the R.V. Maybe he wouldn't eat anything, after all.

"Well, whatever. I'm going to try it and if it's amazing, you'll thank me for thinking it up." All she could think about now was sinking her teeth into a juicy burger and tasting the combined flavor of meat, cheese and sweet butterscotch. Mmm. Okay, this was definitely not normal. Elissa skipped up to Cara and linked her arm with hers. "Sorry you were stuck with my brother all day. I promise I won't leave you on your own with him too often," she smiled sweetly. She was glad that her best friend and her brother seemed to get on well enough, though. It meant she could feel a little less guilty about spending time alone with Norris.

It was a secret, much like their relationship, that Cara was a fan of Caleb's predictability. In the past, she had dated many fickle guys who said they knew what they wanted one minute, but moved onto someone better in the very same breath. That was part of the reason that she had been single for so long, going nearly a year without a date just after sophomore year had concluded. Before she had become interested in Caleb, the young blonde had honestly thought that she wouldn't date again until after college. While that may have been a lofty goal, Cara could say that she was happy about the way things had worked out because now she had stability—something she had always craved. Caleb was perfect for her.

“Nothing's wrong with a good burger,” she grinned, “you're just you.” It was a good thing that Norris was so occupied with Elissa, because if anyone were to point out the subtle, or rather, not so subtle, flirting between her and Caleb, it was Norris. Thankfully, Elissa offered a distraction for all of them, and Cara couldn't help but raise her eyebrows in surprise as her best friend mentioned the disgusting combination of meat and butterscotch. The other girl was practically mad for it, which was odd.

What wasn't odd, however, was linking arms with the other girl as the two of them exited the RV. They were incredibly close with one another, more like sisters than anything, and Cara didn't object to the closeness. “You're a little gross for that,” she laughed, bumping Elissa's hip teasingly with her own. Her laughter trailed off, though, and Cara found herself shaking her head. There was a fine line between pretending to tolerate Caleb as friends while Elissa and Norris sucked face, and actually letting on that she liked spending time with him. Elissa didn't need to know what was going on between herself and Caleb; not yet.

“We're friends,” she nodded, glancing casually over her shoulder in order to be sure the boys were following along. “Besides, you and Norris should have your alone time.”

There was something about Elissa's need for a burger topped with dessert that made Norris a little bit uneasy. The type of request was out of the ordinary for her, and while she was plenty weird with her own quirks, he couldn't help but think something was up. Vaguely, he recalled a piece of information that he gathered from every teen show and romantic comedy he had ever seen—girls ate weird shit when they were pregnant. The thought alone was enough to terrify him, not only because they were so young, but because the curly-haired young man was unsure of how much longer he would actually be around. Inwardly, he was staving off another panic attack, trying not to think about it. He bargained with himself, thinking that if she mentioned it again, he would ask her about it. Hopefully, this was just a fluke.

Piling out of the RV, Norris fell into step beside Caleb. As nice as it was to have all of this uninterrupted time with Elissa, he still wanted to hang out with his best friend. “If we stay along the coast, we could probably do some fishing this week,” he offered with a friendly grin, “we could get rid of the girls for the day, just hang out.” Norris assumed they would go shopping, or paint each others nails—do whatever it was girls did. “That way you don't have to be stuck with Cara all the time.”