Happily Never After

"If I could, I'd never leave the beach." Sam says to the ocean.

We're sitting in the sand, on the beach, "drying off" as I suggested, though we all know it's only to prolong our time here. Nobody had any particular objections. Mitch looks at his watch finally and sighs.

"It's getting late though, we need to get home and help set up. Come on, kiddos," he stands and starts packing the boards and stuff into the truck. Sam and Carter stand and brush the sand off themselves, heading to the truck as well. Ethan just sighs quietly.

"I love it here. It's almost another world, it has it's own rhythm." I say softly.

"Like the world's heartbeat." Ethan muses aloud.

I look at him. "Yeah, exactly like that. Like we're at the world's heart."

He smiles to himself and stands, offering me a hand up. I take it and we climb into the truck with the others.

~♥~

Back at the house, I am immediately ambushed by Sam's mom. She drags me down the hall to the bathroom, sticks a dress in my hands and shuts the door behind me with a "don't take too long, honey" before I can even say 'hi'. That woman works fast. Crazy fast.

I sigh and shimmy out of my now sort-of-dry-and-sticking-to-me swimsuit submissively. I don't have much against dresses except I'm not used to wearing them. Plus, my best friends are two guys...I'm not exactly the most lady-like girl there is.

Pulling on the dress, I study myself in the mirror for a moment. It almost doesn't look like me. A knock sounds on the door and I open it warily. Sam's mom smiles at me, pleased with the dress's fit. Then she holds up a makeup bag and has me sit on the counter next to the bathroom sink while she works on my face.

"There, you look gorgeous. All done." She smiles at me, happy with her work. "Go on, take a look, see how I did. I'm going to go make sure the boys are ready."

With that, I'm left with my own reflection that looks like some enchanting creature that I'm still convinced is not me. After a few moments, Ethan appears in the mirror behind me, holding a pair of wedge sandals.

"I come with a message," he tells me, his face looking a little too serious, he holds up the shoes, "Sam's mom said to humor her...or else." He shrugs, "I don't know, it sounds like you're safer just wearing the shoes and living to tell the tale." He grins at me in the mirror.

I turn to face him and quietly take the shoes from his hand, staring at them in my own hand as if they could bite me.

"You look pretty." He offers quietly, raising an eyebrow in question to my unusual silence.

"I've known you for two days." I say, not sure where the words came from, but letting them out all the same.

"Three, actually." He corrects, sitting cross-legged on the floor and looking up at me, waiting to see what this has to do with anything.

"Why does it feel like you've been around for longer than? Each day always feels like a week should have passed." I sit down next to him, the shoes in my lap.

"I know. It seems weird that it's only been a few days. What ever happened to 'time flies when you're having fun'?" We're both quiet for a minute. "Those go on your feet, by the way, if you were wondering." I give him a confused look and he gestures to the shoes on my lap.

All of a sudden I feel like laughing. So I do. At nothing in particular. And Ethan joins in.

Carter comes to the door, not seeming to find it odd that we're sitting on the bathroom floor laughing. "What's so funny?"

I look up at him, feeling drunk with laughter, "Shoes go on feet. Who ever heard of that?" I giggle, even though that wasn't why I was laughing, but Carter smiles.

I put the shoes on and come out to Sam's room where I do a 360 turn for the boys to show them the full effect of my outfit. They smile and compliment me and a smile pastes itself to my face. And it feels like it plans to be there for a while.

~♥~

The night goes well, a good turn out, and we all hang out together until a slow song comes on and Carter is dared to go ask his crush to dance. Ethan goes to the bathroom and Sam looks at me and holds out a hand. I laugh and take it and we go join all the couples. Sam over-exaggerates everything, dipping and twirling me out and then pulling me back to him to rock back and forth at a tempo not even close to that of the song. He makes jokes and speaks with a crazy accent, mocking those from old romance movies, and I don't stop laughing during the entire song. Afterwards, we return to our corner.

The next song, Sam is dared to ask his crush to dance and Carter goes out for another dance. This time, Ethan looks at me for a brief moment, seeming to contemplate something. He sighs and stands, holding a hand out to me.

"Come on, then, let's go." He tells me.

I give him a perplexed look, but take his hand and allow him to lead me out. Only, instead of going to the designated dance floor, we end up on the outside patio, where it isn't overflowing with people and we can sort of hear the music still. He pulls me closer to him, and my hands go around his neck, on autopilot. I seem to have lost control of my own arms. That's reassuring. Not.

I must be frowning at the thought of not having control over my arms because Ethan smiles at me. "What? You didn't think I'd let you just sit around watching everyone else dance when you're so dressed up."

"Everyone's dressed up." I point out quietly, still processing his words.

His response is too quiet for me to hear, though it almost sounds like he said 'but everyone else doesn't look as beautiful' but I decide my ears are playing tricks on me. I yawn and he laughs, bringing me slightly closer so i can lay my head on his shoulder as we sway back and forth slowly.

Then I become aware of a few differences from when Sam was dancing with me: Ethan is keeping us perfectly in time with the song, and the rhythm feels like a joined heartbeat between us, and he smells so good...

I close my eyes and breathe in his scent, not knowing when I'll be this close to him again, wishing I could stay in this moment for a little while longer.

~♥~

As the night gets late, the party comes to an end. By end I mean I fall asleep on Carter's shoulder in the living room. There are less people around when I fall asleep, but still some. I can hear the boys talking softly but am too sleepy to make out what they're saying. Until, of course, I hear my name mentioned.

"Lizzy asleep?" Sam chuckles quietly and brushes some hair away from my face so he can check.

"Yeah." Carter's answer is soft. There's a silence and then he picks me up, standing. "I'll put her into bed."

Sam comes closer and says goodnight to me quietly, kissing my head in a brotherly fashion. As, I can only assume, we walk past him, Ethan reaches up and brushes my arm, saying goodnight.

Carter puts me in the teepee bed, pulling off my shoes and covering me up with blankets. My hair is pulled back from my face, a whispered goodnight reaches my ears, and then I'm alone.

~♥~

A few days later I'm sitting in Sam's kitchen, tossing hot sauce and ketchup packets, from the pizza his brothers ordered, at Sam's back while he watches Youtube videos. And by sitting in his kitchen I obviously mean sitting on the counter like a normal person. He laughs at something and I get up to retrieve the packets to start throwing them at him again.

"What do they feel like?" I wonder aloud, interrupting a CollegeHumor Batman skit.

Sam makes a grab for a packet by his foot and turns to me. "Want to find out?" He laughs.

"NO." I retreat quickly to my spot on the counter, snatching the packet back from him. Setting them down next to me, I squish a single packet around in my hand. "It feels like it ought to feel like little jelly-filled projectiles." I muse.

He turns back to his laptop, not saying anything for a moment. "I guess it does, sorta."

The door opens and closes and someone calls out a greeting. Sam slaps his screen shut, tucks his laptop under his arm and motions to me to follow him. I grab the packets and we sneak out of the kitchen, hiding behind the couch in the living room. Mitch appears in the hallway, calling out to see if anyone else is home. We wait until his back is to the couch then start pelting him with ketchup and hot sauce packets.

In the end, he chases us into Sam's room, laughing as we yelp and hurry to shut the door behind us real fast.

"It sucks that Carter and Ethan were busy today." I say as I lay on his bed.

"Yeah, well, Ethan has to unpack. Unless you want him to live out of boxes for the rest of his life." Sam climbs onto the bed next to me.

"It wouldn't be the rest of his life...just until he goes to college, and then he doesn't have to pack for college!"

"He said he'd hang out with us next Saturday. Now, we get to watch saturday cartoons by ourselves. So, what cartoon first?"

"Do you even have to ask?"

"Tom and Jerry?"

"And then Adventure Time."

Sam laughs, "gotta love Adventure Time."

"And Tom and Jerry." I add.

"I thought that was obvious."

It's quiet for a while, except for the cartoon sounds. "Is it crazy?" I ask suddenly, sitting up.

"I can't read your mind, Lizzy. Is what crazy?"

"Nevermind." I feel silly for bringing it up, even though I technically didn't bring anything up.

Sam props himself up on his elbow, facing me more straight on. "Is it about Ethan? You like him?" He guesses.

I shrug and look down, silently saying yes to both.

He looks at me for a moment, then lays back down before speaking again. "He's a nice guy."

"That's not an answer."

He looks at me and laughs briefly, "as long as he treats you nice and isn't a jerk, go for it." I smile and wait for a Sam-esque add-on to that statement. He grins at me, "I mean, yolo right?"

"I was waiting for that," I laugh. "But seriously, don't ever say 'yolo' again. Never."

"Yolo, yolo, yolo, yolo..." He sings like the nutcase he is.

I pull a packet out of my pocket and slap it at him (we're to close to throw it effectively), "nut."

He grins widely, "love you, too, sis." I can't help smiling. "Now come down here and watch some cartoons with me." He offers his arm as a pillow and I lay back down.

~♥~

"Why...is there a ketchup packet...in your book?" Ethan mutters, holding the packet up as evidence as we sit in LA/SS.

"In case I get hungry, and in case it's a bad book, I don't think I'd be allowed to bring in an actual tomato." I hiss back, snatching it and my book back from him, glancing at Mackey to make sure we are safe to be talking. "I was reading it at Sam's house and I didn't have a book mark." I tell him after a moment, placing the packet neatly back in my book and carefully shutting the cover, sticking it in the desk gently. Yes, it actually occurred to me that the packet might explode, thanks for the concern.

Ethan frowns, not sure whether to be amused or concerned for my sanity. "And so...naturally, you grabbed a ketchup packet...? What ever happened to tissues or scraps of paper?" He musses my hair affectionately, laughing silently.

"I prefer to be original, thank you very much." I reply, facing forward again.

He grins and faces forward as well, "Whatever you say, sunshine."

I smile and mutter to him, "That's what I like to hear, storm clouds."

After class we fall into step on our way to French. Ethan smiles at a thought before turning to me, "So what crazy adventure have you, Carter, and Sam got planned for tonight?"

I laugh, "We're not always as crazy as the first week of school...sometimes, but not usually. And besides, you're part of the group now, you can help plan crazy adventures."

He looks pleased, "Really?"

"Oh yeah," I nod with a mocked serious look on my face, "Planning is not just up to the veterans of the group."

He gives me a look, "You know what I meant, piggy."

I smile, "Of course you're part of the group. We wouldn't have taken you in just to kick you out after the first week."

And of course, because timing always works like that, Brittany chooses this moment to join us, walking next to Ethan.

"Hey, Ethan." She smiles, tossing her hair over her shoulder.

He nods in acknowledgement, "Brittany."

"So," She sighs, bumping his shoulder with hers a little too friendly. "I'm having a party this weekend, totally non-exclusive so I was hoping you'd come."

He raises his eyebrows, "Non-exclusive party, huh? So I can bring Liz, Sam, and Carter?"

I stare at the ground like I've found a new purpose in life studying scuff marks.

Brittany doesn't answer right away so I assume she's making a face. "Well, you see..." you can hear the hamster in her head running on its wheel trying to come up with a good excuse to not let me come, "while it's non-exclusive, there are supposed to be the same number of girls and guys. A themed party! And we have enough girls, but we need more guys...So you can bring Carter and Sam."

It's almost the worst excuse she's ever come up with. But now she has to theme her party to fit her excuse. By now we arrive at French class where Madame Pensalton is waiting to start the lesson. I automatically go to the table Ethan and I usually sit at but Brittany grabs Ethan's arm and starts pulling him with her.

"Come sit with me so I can give you the info on the party!" She says with a smile even though it obviously isn't an option to do otherwise.

So Ethan follows, throwing me an apologetic look. Once he's seated besides the queen bee he turns, mouths 'sorry' to me, but then turns around and doesn't look back for the rest of the period.

After French, when I wait for him so we can go to lunch, the same situation plays itself out. Brittany comes out, her arm hooked around his, pulling him with her group of friends.

"Come on, let's get lunch. There's still more to plan." She insists when he looks at me, urging him forward.

"Actually I'm supposed to eat with Liz." He answers, still looking back at me.

She sighs and pouts. "What, your little girlfriend can't manage one lunch without you?"

He looks back, "We're not dating."

She frowns as if she doesn't understand, even though I know she does, "So what's the problem then?" Though, again, it isn't a question so much as her telling him there isn't a reason for him to go against her. So he goes with her and her friends.

At lunch, Carter frowns when he sees I'm alone. "What happened to Ethan?"

Sam grins, trying to make me smile, "Did he make you mad or something?" He teases.

I shake my head, "Brittany's gotten to him." I gesture to her table on the other side of the cafeteria where, sure enough, he sits at her left hand.

Sam's smile fades a bit, but his voice is still light, "Hey, he's a strong one, I'm sure he'll survive."

Carter nods, "Don't worry about it, Lizzy, he's not Jonah. It's not gonna end the same way."

I sigh and play with my food. "Ok." But I don't eat more than a bite or two throughout lunch.

~♥~

Wednesday morning, I wake up early. And by early I mean 7:30. So...a normal time because while I see the benefits of being up before 10, I'm not masochistic enough to wake up any earlier on purpose on a day off.

I run downstairs to get a glass of water and a banana before I get ready. As I enter the kitchen, the front door opens and Carter comes in, calling hello to me quietly.

"Morning, Lizaroo, you almost ready?" He pulls out a chair and sits down at the table.

I nod, gulping down my water. "Can you make me coffee while I go change?" Knowing he will, I run back upstairs without waiting for his answer.

Once I'm dressed I head back down to the kitchen where Sam has joined Carter. Taking the coffee cup from Carter, "Where's Ethan?"

Sam shrugs, "I texted him but he's not answering."

"Oh." I sigh, shaking my head like it will shake away the little disappointed feeling in the pit of my stomach. "Well, what do you guys want to do?"

"Why don't we just go watch a movie?" Carter offers, looking at Sam.

"Yeah, sure, why not? We haven't gone out in a while." Sam agrees, swing his arm over my shoulder. "We can even go go-karting."

I grin, "Sounds perfect."

~♥~

After we finish the movie and go-karting we hang out at the mall having lunch. Well, Sam and Carter are eating lunch, I'm working on a small thing of fries because I'm not hungry and gluten-free food is annoying to find somedays. Also really annoying when people think I want gf food because of the fad. No, thank you, if it didn't make me feel so sick every time I ate it I would pig out on gluten. But anyways, we're eating lunch.

"Cute girl?" I tease Sam when he picks up his phone to check a message.

"I wish. It's Ethan, he says he accidentally overslept and he's sorry."

"Oh. Ok." I intently go back to my fries. "Do you know if he's still coming to meet us?"

Sam is quiet for a minute as he inquires this to Ethan. "Noooope. It's just us today."

Before I can say anything Carter adds in, "We're sleeping at Liz's house tonight, right?"

I nod, "Yeah, and my parents are gone so we're making our own dinner."

Sam grins, "TACOS!"

Carter smiles, "I guess dinner has been decided. Do we need to pick anything up at the store?"

"Just yogurt and cheese." I tell them.

"Cool, let's do that and then go home."

~♥~

Once we're all in pjs we start on dinner, blasting music and dancing while we cook. Outside it begins to thunder and in that moment everything is good and well. I have my two best friends, my favourite weather, my favourite food is being made, good music, and silly, unjudged dancing. And I'm happy.

We settle ourselves in my room, watching Friends episodes on a laptop, lying under piles of blankets and pillows. I get up to put away my plate, completely empty of the 2 tacos I inhaled. Upon returning to my room I hold up the bag of marshmallows and box of animal crackers I brought with. Carter and Sam welcome me back to my spot between them, taking the sweet offerings and opening them. And the night is good.

~♥~

The next morning when I wake up I'm in a good mood, sure that I was overreacting about Brittany's sudden interest in Ethan and his sudden absences. And everything seems ok again. In home room, Ethan sits next to me like always and asks us how our Wednesday had been. He sits with us at lunch and everything seems normal, like Brittany was only something I dreamed up.

"What's your favourite colour?" Ethan asks me as we walk into the dungeon - aka French class.

"Su-" I start but am promptly cut off by another girl.

"Ethan! Come here." Brittany's friend calls from their table.

Ethan glances at me questioningly and I nod because far be it for me to deprive a boy from being popular just because I have feelings. So he goes over to them where they put him in a chair next to Brittany's usual one (she hasn't arrived yet) and start chatting animatedly.

I sigh and go to my corner seat. "It's sunshine yellow." I say to myself.

Madame Pensalton stands and takes attendance, "Où est Brittany?"

"I am here, Madame!" Brittany strides into class holding a slip of paper daintily in her hand which she hands to Madame Pensalton. "I was at the office."

"Bien. Et où est Freddie?" Madame inquires of the rest of us.

On cue, Freddie hurries in, holding a similar slip of paper. "Je suis désolé, Madame." He sees me by myself and comes to sit with me. "Where's your twin?"

I gesture to Brittany's table with my chin and go back to doodling on my folder.

"Ah. I'm sorry." He sits back in his seat.

"Yeah, me too."

After class, Freddie and I walk out together, discussing our hatred of verbs, Ethan comes to catch up with us. "Hey, Freddie."

Freddie nods, "Hey." Then turns back to me, "So I'll meet you after school in the library, then?"

"Yeah, bring your retched verbs, you can help me."

He laughs, "I was under the impression you were helping me!"

I smile, "We'll figure it out."

He smiles back, "Ok, I'll see you later." And leaves.

I head back to my locker to put away my folders and things, but I shut it before I can pull out my lunch money.

"Aren't you eating?" Ethan frowns at me.

I shake my head, "I don't feel like eating today."

"You should eat though."

I don't answer, just start walking to the cafeteria. He follows and sits with us today. He, Carter, and Sam eat and talk but I sit and stay quiet until I feel an emotion in the pit of my stomach that I recognize, knowing I can't keep a straight face anymore. So I get up and calmly and quickly leave to go outside where it's raining. I make my way to the P.E. area, walking to the other side of the fields. There, alone in the rain, I sit.

After a while, I head to the nurses office where I ask to be sent home sick, my sniffles, dripping wet hair, and shivering form helping my case. The nurse takes pity on me and calls my mom to come get me. She comes and drives me home, sending me upstairs to take a warm shower and get changed while she makes me soup. I come down, toweling my hair.

"Thanks for coming to get me." I tell her quietly as I sit down.

"Well, I know you're not sick, although you're going to be after sitting around in the rain. You having a rough day, honey?" She asks sympathetically, setting my soup in front of me and beginning to braid my hair.

"Yeah, kind of. I'm sorry. I just needed to leave." I stare at my soup, feeling bad for making her come get me.

"It's ok, everyone needs a break every once in a while. Just don't make a habit of it." She secures the braids and pats my head comfortingly. "I assume we'll be seeing Carter and Sam after school ends?"

"Maybe. I kind of ran out on them." I sigh and eat my soup.

She kisses my head, "After you finish that go get some rest, I need to run some errands."

"Thank you."

She smiles, "You're welcome, honey."

~♥~

Later, as my mom predicted, Sam comes over. He makes hot chocolate and comes up to see me. "Hey."

"Hey." I answer quietly, staring at my covers.

He sits on my bed. "Did you eat anything today?"

I nod, "Mom made me soup, I ate that."

"Good. Here, drink this," handing me a cup of hot chocolate, "I'm gonna go make us grilled cheese."

"Ok." I obligingly drink his amazing hot cocoa then pad downstairs to sit in the kitchen and watch him make my favourite sandwich.

Once it's down, he sets one down for me and another for himself. "Eat it."

So I do. And he's satisfied.

Carter comes over shortly after, telling me he had told Freddie I went home early. He looks to Sam, "Did she eat?"

Sam nods.

I sigh, "I'm fine, Carter."

He raises an eyebrow. "Really? Cuz it's Jonah all over again." He pauses, then clarifies, "Ethan isn't Jonah, but you're freaking out like it's happening all over again."

I frown, "I'm not freaking out. I just didn't eat enough this morning and I was feeling sick."

"So why didn't you just eat at lunch?" Carter pushes.

"I'm fine!" I insist, getting up. "Skipping one meal doesn't mean it's Jonah again." I head back to my room.

Sam comes in and sits on my bed. "Ethan told us Brittany invited us to the party."

I shoot him a look telling him I'm not in the mood.

He goes on, "Do you have a disease I can catch from you?"

"Why?"

"So I can stay home." He cracks the tiniest of smiles at me.

My mood softens up. "What are you gonna do?"

"I don't know. Why don't we build a tent in my backyard?" He offers. I smile in response. "It's a plan then." He pauses thoughtfully, "Carter's just worried about you."

"I know, but it's just one day. One day doesn't mean I'm back in that hole again."

"He just doesn't want to see you go back. And he feels guilty."

"Why?"

"Eve is going to the party." Eve is Carter's crush.

"He feels guilty because he wants to go." I realize. "He can go, I wouldn't make him stay home."

"It would hurt your feelings though."

"Maybe. But then I would feel bad for making him stay."

"You would feel very bad." Sam echoes.

I look at him. "Tell him to go. We'll camp in your backyard. Camping is a lot more fun than partying."

He nods, "Agreed. Shall we make s'mores?"

I grin, "Do you even have to ask?"

Carter pads into the room from, I now realize, where he had been standing just outside the doorway to make sure I wasn't mad at him. "You'll be ok?" He asks me, frowning a bit.

I nod and sigh, "I'll get over it. And I'll have s'mores. You go and have fun. Dance the night away darling!" I smile.

He hugs me, "Just keep eating."

"I'll try. Sam will keep me filled with good food."

Sam salutes me, "Yes ma'am."

~♥~