Everytime I Look for You the Sun Goes Down

The air was just as frigid as it was when Callie had left America for Holland. There was still snow on the ground just as it was when she had left. It looked as if she'd never left. She liked it that way.

“Excited to see your friends again, dear?” Her mother asked, looking over her shoulder while in the passenger seat of the family's car.

She nodded slightly and looked back out the window, seeing the houses quickly pass by as they made their way from the airport to their home. She hadn't heard from any of her friends from back home since the day she landed. Not that she really had time to speak to any of them while abroad, but some sign of life from the group would not have been objected to.

The car ride seemed longer than it actually was. She felt reluctant to reunite with her companions, mainly because she was afraid. This always happened after any time away from her friends. Especially time in which there was no communication. For all she knew, they could all hate each other now and she would have to choose between them. They could have all died. They could have realized none of them liked her at all, and kicked her to the curb amidst her absence.

To say this girl was a little bit insecure would be an understatement.

The car came to a halt as they pulled into their driveway. Callie shook her head quickly to dismiss the thoughts she had. She silently helped her parents remove their suitcases from the trunk and bring them into their home.

Callie ran up the staircase and threw her suitcase on her bed, ignoring her body's need for sleep. She immediately popped open the luggage case and began returning her clothes to their rightful places in her closet and dresser. She needed to distract herself, and this was the only way she could do so at the moment.

“Honey,” her mother said, standing in the doorway, “you don't have to unpack now. Go see your friends. They're probably dying to see you.” She smiled. But when Callie ignored her suggestion and continued to unpack, she walked to her bed and closed the suitcase.

“Mom, what are you doing? Just let me unpack.” She tried to push passed her mother to reopen her suitcase and continue to unpack her belongings. She didn't have much luck in doing so, however.

“Calista Felicity Livingston.” Her mother now had a stern look on her face and her tone was serious. And her full name was used. This was serious. She stopped struggling and looked at her mother. “Thank you. I can see something is wrong, hun. I've seen it since we were out with Gran and Pops. I don't know what it is, specifically, but I see it. I don't want you to mope around here; go visit your friends.” She lightly brushed her cheek and then exited the room.

Callie had no idea her underlying disposition was that obvious. She thought she'd played it off well. Looks like her perception of her own deception was off by a long shot.

She sighed and looked at her suitcase. Her mother wouldn't let her stay, she knew that for a fact. If she wasn't down the stairs in five minutes, her mother would either come back up to her room and force her out of the house. Or she'd call over her friends to attack her. That wouldn't go over well since they were home two days early.

She ran her hands through her blond hair and ran to her closet. She quickly changed her shoes and walked down the stairs. “I'll be back later.” She said as she passed her through the living room and to the front door of their home. Her mother smiled and her father simply nodded, allowing her to leave.

She approached her best friend's home, knowing the rest of her friends would be there as well. She hugged her coat to her body to fight the cold air as she stepped up to the porch. She quietly knocked on the door. She stuffed her hands in her pockets and swung back and forth, waiting for a response.

The door opened, revealing Alex's mother, with an overjoyed look on her face. “Oh, darling! Hello! I thought you weren't getting in until Thursday!” She exclaimed as she embraced her in a tight hug.

“Yeah, we came home early. Storms were only getting worse out there, so we had to get out or not at all.” She laughed a little as they both released each other from their grasp. “So, um...”

“Oh! He's downstairs with the rest of the pack of hooligans you people call friends. They'll be so excited to see you.” She moved out of the way and went to the kitchen, allowing Callie to walk to the door of the basement.

She stood there for a few moments, fiddling with her coat so she looked like she was actually doing something instead of stalling. She took a deep breath and raised her hand to the door and knocked on the wood.

“Come innnnnn!” A a poorly high-pitched girly voice yelled then followed by laughter. Jack was odd.

She grasped the door handle and slowly turned it. She gently poked her head through the door and put a smile on her face. “Hello?” She smiled more when she saw all of their heads whip around and share the same smile.

She ran down the stairs and was immediately attacked by Jack who was jumping up and down, screaming words no one understood. Mostly jibberish.

Once he let her go, Kara ran up to her but was gently shoved away. “No! My best friend!” Alex yelled and wrapped his arms around her. “You're early! You're early! You're early!!!!” He tightened his grip around her and buried his face into the crook of her neck. “I missed you.” He whispered.

“I missed you too.” She tightened her grip around his waist as well. The two stood there for a time that seemed endless. Not a strung out, painful endless time, but a comfortable time.

“Okay, we have so much to tell her. Alex, let go.” Kara said and pried the two apart and sat her on the couch in the basement.

Nothing had changed. Her friends were the same friends she knew. They were exactly the same. Everything was back to normal. Back to the way it was supposed to be. Alex was acting like how he was before. Like her best friend. She knew all of this would blow over. Everything was the way it should be.

For now.