Two years ago, the perfect storm hit the coast of California. The tremors and aftershocks from the earthquake were felt as far north as Vancouver, Canada, and as far south as Phoenix, Arizona. The actual center trigger point was a few miles off into the Pacific Ocean, but the small town of Jayton was close enough that those in and around town could have sworn that the wrath of God Almighty himself was being poured down onto their hidden paradise between the chaos of Los Angeles and the crazy of San Francisco.

Of course, the town’s problems started long before Mother Nature decided to get involved. For decades Jayton had been the best-kept secret on the coast for a summer getaway, families making their annual pilgrimages to beach houses and timeshares or bringing home with them in a trailer or RV. The town, the drive-in, the beach – every inch of the town lived and died with the tourism and the seasonal residence. Unfortunately, the town had been doing a lot more dying that living in the last ten years. Family vacations just didn’t mean what they used to mean to Americans, more content to stay home and play video games or to have parents ship their kids to a camp and enjoy some peace. Driving across the country and staying together just didn’t make sense anymore.

That was part of what made the last generation of Jayton’s summer youth special. Though they didn’t know it at the time, they were a living and breathing defiance of popular culture, a throwback to a heyday of Americana that existed more in period movies and paperback novels than any real place in the world. They couldn’t have realized it at the time, those summers they spent under the hot summer sun and the cool California nights were shaping them to be Jayton’s last hope.

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The steering column of the worn and tired pickup truck groaned slightly as it turned while climbing up the hill that led from the coastal waters of the Pacific Ocean up to the proper, official town of Jayton, California. As a nondescript country song played in the background for a pair of ears that were doing anything but listening to the music, Cameron Ellis leaned back slightly in his seat and shot a glance out from the open driver’s window to the same eyesore that had been plaguing him for two years now.

The Jayton Jaybird Drive-in Theatre was once the cultural and activity center of the area. The movies were never quite up to date with what was showing at the nearest mall and cineplex just over an hour away, but there was an undeniable charm and nostalgia to the place. It just felt right, from the traditional drive-up speakers extended on poles from the ground to the concession stand that guaranteed to have almost as much real food as grease depending on what you ordered. The place personified the man that had been running it for ages. Harlan Ellis didn’t look like much upon first glance. Only standing at about 5’9”, the man was rarely seen in anything other than a dingy pair of brown work pants and a plain white t-shirt, more often known for a cigar hanging from his mouth than anything else. A veteran of the Korean War, Harlan was known by one and all as a man that spoke the truth and his mind with no hesitation and captivated the kids by instilling a strange mix of adoration and fear. To most, he was simply down as “Drive-in Ells.”

To Cameron, he was Uncle Harlan. A great uncle, really, but families like that didn’t tend to draw that fine of a line. The man was the reason that Cameron had ever had a dollar to his name, really, paying a very young Cameron fair – at least what would have been fair in the 1950s – wages for doing any job around the place that a young boy could do. Cameron had a sort of grudging loyalty to the man. There was never a tender moment or anything to really endear Harlan to his nephew, but the boy came to appreciate the grizzled man’s undying dedication to his work. The old man was a wire frame, but he could work circles around the most athletic men in California.

When Harlan died of a heart attack a few years ago, the community rallied together to preserve the theatre. Money was raised and work shifts were pledged, everyone wanting to keep the status quo. Of course, those behind the scenes and anyone that bothered to open their eyes knew that tourism was way, way down. Still, the makeshift crew running things seemed to be running fine until the storm.

Cameron took the long curve that swung the road around the drive-in theatre giving any passing driver a good long look at the screen. The screen now was only half standing. The frame had been badly damages and partially collapsed by the earthquake, the heavy winds and rain from the storm ripping what was left of the screen with a hole large enough for a grown man to slide through easily. The area where dozens of cars normally parked was now something of a debris area. The concession stand was literally packed full of junk, all the windows boarded up and everything that had once lain around the area now thrown inside along with two years of trash, dust, and filth. What had once been the pride of Jayton was now its shame.

As the only carrier of the Ellis name still living in Jayton, Cameron was one of the rare “young” locals at twenty-two years. Everyone knew everyone. There were no strangers in a place like this. Even those that had only come in the summers before were generally known, at least the main families and the kids that had grown up part of year there.

“Either you’ve gone off the deep end or you’re planning to hole up like some one-man army out there,” the woman behind the counter commented over two rows of shelves to reach the Cameron, who had already loaded her checkout lane with two carts full of groceries and supplies. “I guess you finally got that old house where it won’t fall and kill you in your sleep?” She asked politely.

“If it does, you won’t have to worry about me holding up your grocery lines anymore, Kelly,” he fired back over a stack of packaged hamburger buns. It was a well-known fact that Cameron had spent just about every penny in his savings account on fixing up the old rickety beach house that had belonged to his great uncle, working on it for the entirely of the last eighteen months. It had been a boarding house before Harlan had bought the place and had almost as many rooms as the tiny Jayton Coastal Inn across the street from the grocery store.

“Still doesn’t explain all the food. Don’t think that I’m not going to pay attention just because you think you’ve got a pretty smile,” the woman teased from behind the counter as Cameron finally plunked down the last of the supplies. “I’d ask if you were having a party, but that would involve having friends, which would involve actually leaving this Godforsaken town every once in a while – which you don’t!”

“Don’t count me out yet,” he said, flashy that “pretty” smile she’d referenced before. “You never know when someone just might decide to drop by,” he finished, shelling out cash and taking a few trips to load everything into the back of the red and white truck that had seen better days.

Those words were too true. After Cameron had called in a favor and had someone halfway decent with a computer track down the addresses and contact information for names that had been buried in the back of his mind for years now, Cameron had started writing letters, letters to all the people he’d promised to keep in touch with but never did years ago. The letters told the story, sparing as many of the details as possible, and gave them the address to the old house that most of them had only seen during a late-night attempt to harass Drive-In Ellis or stir up some trouble. Now, if things went the way Cameron had been planning, it would be a short-term home for all of them. He’d heard from some of them and received no word from others.

The letters had gone to people he hadn’t seen in years. He didn’t know what to expect from anyone, least of all the one named Cameron Ellis.

The rocky gravel path that led around behind the two-story house crunched slowly as the tires of the truck rolled to a slow stop near the back door. A cool morning breeze blew in from the Pacific Ocean assaulted the house with a saltwater wind that eroded paint jobs and took chrome to rusting so fast it would bring a car enthusiast to tears. Cameron didn’t have much to worry about with the truck. It was a hand-me-down vehicle that had made the same drive into town and back so many times the boy was fairly sure it didn’t even need a driver anymore to find its way.

The back of the house was complete with a screen-in concrete porch where “Drive-in” Ellis usually allowed his laundry to dry in the sun and natural air. Now the porch area was littered with cans of paint, brushes, lumber and tools. As the door to the truck jammed shut, a new figure made its presence known on the porch. Slowly, a sleeping Labrador rose its head and inspected the return of its master with an approving lick of its lips and lazy posture.

“Morning there, Kate,” Cameron said as he grabbed a bag of the groceries and dug inside, ripping open a butcher paper sack and pulled out a small piece of slice turkey. The short-haired down with a coat of smooth brown sniffed carefully before happily taking the snack out of Cameron’s hand and leaning into a scratch behind the ears before laying back down on the tattered blanket she so often called a bed.

Kicking open the door that led into the house proper, Cameron was greeting with the familiar groans and complaints of the floor beneath him. The house was very old and no amount of maintenance and additions would be able to remove the character of the building several times older than his own life. The porch door opened into the kitchen, a hardwood floor area with a small island in the middle surrounded by counters with a double sink, stove-top oven and refrigerator. Next to the refrigerator was a door that led into a small walk-in pantry that, without the groceries waiting in the back of the truck, was painfully empty and damning evidence of a bare bachelor’s existence.

Beyond the kitchen was an open area that also carried the same hardwood floor leading to the front door of the house. The area was probably supposed to have a large dining table, but it was instead bare and empty for now. To the floor upon entering was an archway that led into a carpeted den/living room with two unmatching couches and an old recliner facing a central fireplace. If there was a television, it wasn’t anywhere to be seen.

Off to the right from the front door was a wide staircase with a single turn leading up to rooms on each side, surprisingly each with beds and dressers – relics from the days when the place was a boarding house. Some had a single queen, others two twins, and yet others bunk beds. A door that led beneath the stairwell spoke of an unseen basement and a bathroom door filled the space between the staircase and the start of the kitchen.

Heading out back behind the house again, Cameron cracked open a case of bottle waters and unscrewed the lid to a bottle, staring out at the expansive ocean that seemed smaller and smaller every day.

California. Brooke imagined so many times in her head what it would be like to come back to the Golden State, but never did she believe she actually would. And here she was in Southern California, the noise of taxis, gate-change announcements, and airport paging all around her as she stood outside, waiting for her ride.

In the front pocket of her suitcase was Cameron's letter, the same one that he had sent to a few other of their summer friends from years ago. It had hurt when she first received it, feeling that it was so impersonal with the same thing written on every one, including hers. There was no question from him how she was even doing! But after Brooke's initial anger wore off, she knew better than to be so selfish. There were bigger things to be upset over than her heart that had been broken years ago. And Cameron Ellis had much more on his own slate than to worry about an old summer crush. Especially after the death of his uncle, the added responsibilities in Jayton to follow, and now the storm. No, this wasn't about her.

Fidgeting with the strap of her purse, Brooke was already dressed appropriately for the California sun, wearing a pair of jeans shorts and a white t-shirt, her golden blonde hair braided and hung over one shoulder. Car by car, she watched pass her...waiting.

Gabe had called her shortly after getting Cameron's letter, asking her rhetorically when she was flying down. Of course, she hadn't officially made up her mind until a few days later when her dad bought the ticket for her. Apparently everyone thought they knew Brooke better than she knew herself.

So, here she was, waiting for her Gabe to meet her and pick her up in his rental. Surprisingly, he had been the one person that she had kept in contact the most over the years. Which might be strange to anyone, considering she never really could stand the guy when they were younger. While charming, yes, she didn't fall the fool so easily as the other girls in Jayton did. Was she completely immune to those charms? No, no one was. But he'd been a good friend for her, even at a distance, during her parent's divorce, and financial struggles. All of which, had been the reason why her and her family had stopped coming to Jayton in the first place.

"If I would have walked to Jayton, I could have been there already." Brooke sent Gabe the text with a smirk, giving him a hard time for being only a few minutes late. It had just felt like longer since her plane landed early from Alabama.

"Did I ever mention that I hate airports?" Sasha mumbled under her breath to no one.
Travelling was a lost passion, even with all of the pains that had been installed over the last few years while they upped security. The smell of airports was all the same, with the mixed fumes of fast food places and what seemed to be a mandatory Cinnabon. Even the female voice over the intercom calling different names that hadn't checked in with their flight, the frazzled parents with multiple children in tow, and just the general chaotic mess of the place was enough to brighten that spark of hope.

The California sunshine was bright and blinding, and not to mention hot, as she stepped through the wooshing sliding doors and onto the waiting area. Taxis and hotel buses lined the parking area, and her ears were filled with honking and the rumbling sounds of jets overhead. The strong fumes of cars exuding carbon monoxide overrode the food smells of inside the airport and she was back in that time and place where her brothers and her were packed in the car with their mom, driving cross country to the very city she was headed for now. Jayton. A sigh formed in her chest and she blew it out before walking up to the nearest cab.

The drive held her attention for the better part of the short trip, being the distraction to keep her mind calm and cool. It wasn't until familiar buildings started slowly easing her into Jayton, and the sight of the beach did Sasha's heart felt like it sputtered in her chest. Memories played out in her mind as she saw phantom families splashing in the water, shrieking and running around on the sand, teenagers hanging out in front of the shops. Another sigh was building with the slight sadness of those long lost days when the old drive in came into view. The sight of it was enough to plaster her against the window. Cameron had mentioned the storm, his uncle and all of the bad that had happened to Jayton in the last year but it wasn't until that moment did Sasha feel the full weight of what the town, and Cameron, must have gone through over the last year.
"Too late to turn back now...," she whispered to herself. The decision to respond to the letter and spend the summer here had been a last minute, impulse decision after she had received the internship rejection letter. The memory of it caused a bitter taste in the back of her throat, like the taste of pennies. So no one knew she was coming, and the girl was slightly regretting not having called anyone. Thoughts of if anyone else would be making a surprise showing crossed her mind briefly before a familiar shape came into view. It was worn down, and just on this side of ratty but despite the desperately needed paint job and work that needed to go into it Sasha was unable to feel that spark of hope turn to a flame. Maybe, just maybe, something good could come out of this.

Screaming. Lots, and lots of screaming.

It quickly became obvious to the young father that his son absolutely despised plane rides. But there wasn't a whole lot he could do to soothe the kid when the flight across country lasted somewhere between six and eight hours, depending on the jet stream, he could never tell. Besides, however long it lasted, it felt double when all he could do the entire flight was walk up and down the isles, trying to rock and shush Ben to sleep; all the while avoiding the nasty looks his fellow passengers shooting his way. Not to mention the flight attendant decided to tell him about twenty times that it must have been the cabin pressure that was hurting the boys ears and causing him to cry like that. All Spence could do was nod, clearly exhausted and not in the mood for any kind of lecture. The cabin pressure was hurting Ben's ears? Yeah, well Ben's screaming was hurting his ears. It was a lose lose situation as far as anyone on the plane was concerned. Only about a half hour before the plane had landed in Seattle did the boy finally settle down and stop screaming as he'd finally cried himself to sleep. ...Finally. When the plane did land however, Spencer didn't bother moving right away, he sat in his seat with Ben slumped against his chest snoring as he waited until every last passenger was off the plane first. Then, and only then did he get up and take his things down from the over head compartment with a breath of relief. Only, that was the easy part of the trip so far. A day or two drive down to Jayton was still ahead of them, and even then the hardest part still awaited him at Cameron's uncle's old beach house.

A hour or so later they arrived at his mother and father's s house where the father son duo would spend the night and refresh before begining the second half of their journey. Bright and early he would borrow his dad's jeep in order to make the drive to Jayton. So when five am rolled around, Spencer showered to wake himself up, packed up the car, buckled a still out cold Benjamin into his car seat and hit the road. His fingers clenched and unclenched the steering wheel. He didn't even bother turning on the radio as his icy blue eyes flicked from the GPS to the road every so often. He hadn't told anyone he was coming. Was he suppose to? It wasn't like he had their numbers anymore, and it wasn't like it mattered now either. What would he say anyway? Hey guys remember me? I'm on my way back to Jayton. Oh and by the way, I'm bringing my kid along? He was in now way ashamed of his son, not at all. He just wasn't sure how they'd handle it, or how they'd react. And that fear of the unknown scared him. He hadn't seen these friends in years now, what if they've changed, he'd definitely changed. It was all so overwhelming to think about. Especially since he'd be seeing ...her. The girl he'd secretly had feelings for all those summers. The girl he'd forgotten about when he met Juliet. And now, now in a few hours he'd be seeing not just her, but everyone. Cameron. Gabe. Savannah. Jamie. Brooke. Allie. Sasha. Everyone that brought back memories of his past, memories he'd almost thought he'd forgotten. ...Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all. Maybe it was exactly what he needed...


Just then he heard a yawn and movement from the back seat. Once glance in his review mirror revealed an awakening two and half year old. Just as much of a terror as Spence had once been. Glancing smoothly over his shoulder, he gave his son a smile. "Hey sleepyhead." He murmured, and Ben simply rubbed his eyes as he looked around and attempted to get his bearings and figure out where he was. "Dada" - "Yeah kiddo?" - "Home?" The little boy inquired blinking around. Spencer paused a second, considering the question. It used to be. He thought, before shaking his head. "Nope, we're on vacation pal. We're gonna go see some of daddy's old friends, alright? You hungry?" He asked, glancing in the mirror again. Ben, satisfied at the moment, yawned and shook his head content with what seemed like watching the road and listening to the sounds of the jeep. California.... A whole lot different than Pennsylvania.


One night spent at a hotel, and another day of driving still to go.


Ben dozed off once or twice more along the ride the next morning. There were a few more stops for potty breaks, and lunch, but despite the all the pit stops, they made good time. Ben seemed to have gotten all his fussing out on the plane two days before and was practically a little angle the past twelve hours. Car rides had always soothed the kid. Spencer easily remember the days when at three in the morning he'd have to wake up and just drive him around for an hour or two before he'd go back to sleep. An hour or so in the car and Ben would be out like a light. Not long later, the wheels of the jeep took the long curve that opened up onto the pacific ocean, and the small town of Jayton. Or...what was left of it. His eyes did all they could to take in the sight. His mind kept comparing it to old memories, but the storm that hit left not much of a comparison. It almost looked like a lonely old ghost town.

"Boom!" Ben exclaimed as they drove past 'Drive in Ell's' place and Spencer couldn't deny it. The storm had done major damage, and he couldn't help but feel the pang of guilt in the pit of his stomach. But...he was here now, right? That meant something, didn't it? Him, Cameron, and whoever else had decided to show up. There was still a chance to bring life back into their old home. There had to be.

The letter had arrived for Allie on a Tuesday. She’d checked the mail as she was leaving for class, but the sight of the return address, the logo in the corner, caused her to pause. Should she open it? Not open it? She ran her finger lightly over the typed address on the front of the envelope. Alice Mackenzie, 101 3851 S Taft Hill Rd, Apt 4, Fort Collins, CO 80526. Typed. Impersonal. She leaned against the wall, taking deep breaths as she stared down at the envelope, a jaunty red URGENT stamped by some uncaring hand prior to its mailing. Urgent. Impersonal.

The letter Allie had received was different from the ones the others received, but if she had received one, she would have responded. As it was, however, staring down at this particular letter, Allie felt her throat close up. She turned around and climbed the stairs back to her apartment. Class today? No. She couldn’t. That letter, the red stamped URGENT, had deflated her. She hadn’t even opened the envelope… she couldn’t.

Once back in her apartment, she had stared at the envelope… so similar… almost identical… She had been optimistic then when she’d broken the seal and released the paper the first time she received an envelope like this… and immediately, her world crashed down around herself. Now, another letter. Another envelope. Another red stamp – URGENT. Typed name… identical.

She paced the apartment for a few hours, the unopened envelope sitting innocently on the dining room table, glaring at her, the garish red letters burned into her retinas. Finally, she moved to the phone. “Cam?” she greeted when he first answered, trying to keep the shake from her voice. “I’m coming out… Is that okay? I… I need some sun. There aren’t any beaches in Colorado… and my tan… yeah…” She thought she did a good job of concealing her fright… her uncertainty…

After making her intentions known, she packed quickly, tossing things into her suitcase with little regard. Her apartment was a mess – dishes in the sink, half finished crossword puzzles scattered over the dining room table, a few empty bottles of various types of alcohol. She didn’t want to take the time to clean… the letter was deafening to her. She couldn’t open it…

One could argue that Allie was running away, retreating back into the past, to a place where everything had always been different. Maybe she was. Maybe it was just another example of her running away from responsibility… from reality. Still, as she left her apartment in a hurry, for some reason, she grabbed the envelope. Maybe she’d have the nerve to open it there… maybe.

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The drive to Jayton took nearly 24 hours. Allie had driven as far as she could the first night, not stopping until the car had caught the rumble bumps at the side of the road a few times. Trucker’s friends. She’d heard that somewhere. The sound was designed to wake you up if you fall asleep and your car starts drifting off road. In her mind, she couldn’t help but wonder what about if you didn’t drift? What if you just fell asleep and kept on going straight? She slept in the car that night, sleeping only a few hours before hitting the road again.

When she pulled into Jayton, she drove slowly past the drive in. “Good Christ,” she muttered to herself, uttering a phrase that had been one of her mother’s favorites.

As soon as she saw Cameron, however, the grief over the drive in, the fear of the unopened envelope, the exhaustion of the past few days faded. She’d sat with him that night, lacking the courage to tell him about the envelope… knowing he’d want her to open it. She couldn’t yet. Not yet. Not after last time she’d opened an envelope just like it… They discussed Uncle Ellis. They discussed the drive in. They reminisced about the past… When Cameron outlined her plan to him, she got excited, insisting on helping him…

Deep down, her eagerness to assist most likely had selfish grounds. She was terrified to be alone right now, afraid of where her mind would take her. She’d helped him write the letters (because he couldn’t possibly do them right!), she’d helped him send them out (because if he addressed them, they’d end up somewhere completely wrong. He would probably send Gabe’s letter to Savannah’s address, Brooke’s letter to Spencer’s address), she’d helped him fix up the house (everyone knew men couldn’t paint! He was dripping all over the floor!!).

Loneliness is a funny thing, really. One can feel extremely lonely and not realize it until they’re around others. Being around her cousin Cameron, easily her best friend in the world, only solidified to her how empty she’d been feeling recently.

She looked out the window, watching him pull up in that old truck of his, thinking these very thoughts. Allie puttered around, making all of the beds with fresh linen that she’d recently bought from a very expensive trip to Bed, Bath and Beyond a couple hours away. Fresh sheets, new comforters and pillows… She couldn’t believe that he was going to have the guests… their friends sleep in beds with linens older than they were! “Boys!” she muttered to herself. “Without us, they’d get nothing done, and definitely not get anything done right!” She was nervous about everyone coming... They hadn't exactly liked her when they were younger... She was like Cam's annoying little sister, forcing herself along. She knew that some of them had resented her, perhaps even disliked her. She'd heard whispers about how she tried too hard... How she laughed too loud sometimes, how she never really fit in with them... how it was unfortunate that she had the home life she had, but they didn't understand why that meant they had to be nice to her... But they always were... to her face anyway. Kids can be mean... Teens can be downright vicious... But, for the most part, they hadn't been too nasty to her face... but she could hear the whispers... she could see it in their eyes... and it only made her want to try harder to be one of them... to fit in... to be liked.

Finishing the final bed, she looked out the window again, staring out across the ocean. When she was a kid, she’d stared out over that ocean. It seemed infinite then… like life could seem infinite to a child with wide expectations. Now… now she knew that on the other side of that ocean, the water met land. There was an end to it… It was not infinite… and neither was life.

Taking another drink from the bottle of water, Cameron walked down the path leading down to the beach. The Ellis house was up on a bit of a rise with a sloping path that led down the grainy sands of the wide beach. The beach wasn’t the one that most of the tourists and the summer vacationers visited, but it was arguably the better of the two. A small broken gathering of stones made for a fire pit that appeared long forgotten by the world. After a good walk down the beach one would run into a rocky outcrop that rose above the waterfront, ending with a bluff that overlooked the ocean. It was the best view Cameron had ever seen and he apparently wasn’t alone. A house had been built twenty years ago, a single-family home off the beaten path that had never been moved into. The house had been abandoned since the day that it was finished thanks to financial problems.

Cameron Ellis had always had plans for that house – half-brained plans cooked up in the middle of the night usually about the same time that other kids made vows to buy a bar or start a band. He’d shared those ideas and even made some promises. Not that any of that mattered now.

Finishing off the bottle of water, Ellis crushed the plastic and tossed it into the back of the truck before grabbing another load of groceries and beginning to carry them into the house. This time, the Labrador Kate arose from her sleeping blanket and decided to follow Cameron into the house in the hopes that more of the same delicious treat would find its way out of the bag and into her mouth.

“It’s amazing how these things just magic unload and get themselves put up in the kitchen, isn’t it?” He called with a loud voice dripping with sarcasm as he sat down another load on the counter. Allie had planted herself in Jayton and the house over her cousin’s protest as soon as the word of his half-cooked plan slipped through in a conversation that had otherwise been about Allie chiding him from not finding a girlfriend. Kate was a poor substitute for the real thing, she’d said.

“Funny how I got the idea in my head that you coming down to ‘help’ would mean something other than a pain in my ass and a dent in my wallet,” he fired to the house again, knowing that some sort of answer would be waiting within the walls from a firebrand of a girl that remained the closest family he really had. His parents were good and decent people, but they’d long since left Jayton when an offer had come from a manufacturing company in Arizona that could support them. As much as they, in spirit, admired Cameron’s unflinching loyalty to their past, they simply couldn’t oblige to help other than worry about their boy.

Hell, everyone worried about him. Including Allie, he knew on some sick and twisted level.

”So when is shecoming?” The dark-haired girl had asked over another impromptu meal of the (lack of) food Cameron had stocked in the house.

“Yeah, right,” Cam responded.

“You know that you’re an idiot, right? Everyone else knows exactly why you’re doing this.” Whatever else she’d muttered, Cameron didn’t let himself hear it.

Grabbing a few boxes of cereal, Cameron slid into the open door of the pantry and stepped inside.

Allie stood at the top of the stairs, listening to Cameron bitch and moan sarcastically. She smirked to herself as she sat on the top step, waiting… listening. When he commented on her putting a dent in his wallet, she frowned and raised an eyebrow. She was putting a dent in his wallet? Hadn’t she just been the one to spend damn near an entire day at Bed Bath and Beyond buying bedding and rugs for the bathrooms, shower curtains, pillows? Hadn’t all of that come out of her own pocket? She was half tempted to go slap the bundle of cash she had left on the counter in front of him just to get him to stop whining. She had about five grand left… With a grin, she imagined his face if she were to do so… but the smile faded as she realized that after the initial shock comes the questions… and she did not want to be questioned. She didn’t like to lie and usually was able to skirt the truth easily, but with Cam….

She did not want to go there.

Instead, she remained sitting on the top step, listening to him. She had to give him a little bit of credit… he hadn’t seen what she had been doing. He hadn’t seen the new bedding. Hell, he might not even notice. With a heavy sigh, Allie slowly stood, taking the time to stretch, hearing her spine crackle. God that felt good. Slowly sauntering down the stairs, she turned into the kitchen and leaned against the doorway, watching Cameron.

Looking down at Kate, she grinned to herself. “Aw, Kate… Poor Cameron… He can’t unload the truck and put away the groceries by himself.” She shook her head, flicking her eyes up to study Cameron’s reaction. “And he says he doesn’t need a girlfriend…” She clucked her tongue against the roof of her mouth and shook her head with mock sadness. “Well, I suppose he knows everything. He is a man, after all.”

She moved over to help Cameron put the remaining groceries away. Picking up a jar of peanut butter, she raised her eyebrow and slowly unscrewed the lid. Fetching a spoon, she leaned against the counter and dug out a spoonful. “Eyuch!” She made a face. “Creamy? Really? Didn’t I teach you any better? Crunchy peanut butter is way better.” She shrugged and took another spoonful. “What are you going to do? Feed them all peanut butter and jelly sandwiches while they’re here? Ramen noodles? Bachelor food?” She snorted and screwed the lid back on the peanut butter, the spoon hanging from her mouth. “Ah don thuppoth you picked up any amburger at you weren plannin to add to a elper…” She mumbled around the spoon as she put the peanut butter into the pantry. Depositing the spoon in the sink on her way past, she grabbed an armful of canned vegetables, wrinkling her nose, and carried them off to the pantry. “What if she’s married,” she called out. “What if she’s bringing her husband? What if she’s got kids and she’s bringing them? Can you handle it, Cam? Can you handle seeing her and knowing that you messed up?”

She wasn’t trying to be vicious… She wasn’t even trying to be moderately mean. She was trying to be a realist – to get him to think about what he might not have been considering. “People change, Cameron…” She would know, wouldn’t she?

She picked up a carton of eggs and some cheese and made her way to the refrigerator… but something happened. Allie stumbled. It was nothing really. All of us get our feet caught underneath us sometimes when we’re walking. Allie had even seen horses do it before. It was normal… it was natural… it was nothing to worry about… but still, Allie stopped moving, looking down at her feet, the carton of eggs and packages of cheese clenched tightly to her chest, her face suddenly ghostly white. Normal, Allie…. It’s normal… You’re just clumsy… As she tried to rationalize the stupid little stumble to herself, she moved forward with exaggerated care, opening the refrigerator and stowing away the food. Keep talking, Allie, she thought to herself. It’s no big deal…

She cleared her throat and turned to grab some more things that belonged in the fridge. “I mean… Maybe you should just let her go?”

Sasha paid the taxi driver, but got her own bags from the trunk. It wasn't that she didn't mind being helped but having things to hold helped keep her head cool, and right now she needed all the confidence that she could muster. As the sound of the taxi driving away faded Sasha began looking around for any signs of life coming from the old house. The front door seemed too formal, and some how waiting around didn't seem right after all of the promises to stay in touch went unfulfilled through the years.

Hoisting the bags higher on her shoulder Sasha moved around the side of the house. A beat-up old truck came into view along with a screened in porch. She couldn’t help dropping her bags and slidding behind the wheel. Closing her eyes and letting the heat of the seat sink into her bare legs she breathed in the subtle smell of gasoline, the steering wheel warm beneath her hands. Being in the truck-or maybe it was the California sun-some how silenced all of that sensible logic her dad had always favored and tried to instill in all of his children. Sasha was the most reluctant,

The distant sound of crashing waves pulled her back into reality. Licking her suddenly dry lips Sasha hopped out of the truck and grabbed a bottle of water from a case in the bed.
“Hopefully Cam doesn’t mind.” Taking a sip she headed down the path that led to the beach.
It was hot, but didn’t have the humidity that North Carolina did. The salty smell in the air was enough to wash the rest of her tension away, and Sasha dropped to the ground to lay in the sand; it was almost burning her skin but she didn’t move. The feel of it was luxurious, mixed with the sound of the waves and seagulls. This was the one moment she would allow herself to feel the way she hadn’t since her last summer Jayton. Who knows how this reunion would go, and if she would get another compltely care-free moment?

After lounging in the sun for a while, drawing in the sand her skin began to grow too hot, the sun too bright. The walk back to the house was short and Sasha wasn't sure she was ready to head in just yet. Running from responsibility wasn't normally one of Sasha's habits, but when it came to emotional stuff, well, that was a bit tricky.
Instead of going to the house Sasha walked back the way she came when the taxi dropped her off. There had been a grocery mart on the way into town and it would be good to stretch her legs from the flight. It was about a miles walk but it felt like a blink of an eye. She finished off the bottle of water and stuffed it in her back pocket-littering was bad for the environment. It was a good thing she had swallowed the rest of the water because when she saw Savannah coming out of the store Sasha would have choked.
"You know, you could've called, or written, or...," Sasha shrugged as she approached Savannah, "sent smoke signals or something." She couldn't help but to smile at the sight of her old friend.

"--Wait, wait, stop- I don't understand your mumbo jumbo, James, can you just tell me if I can sue them or not?" Gabe hissed into his phone, his one carry-on bag hanging from his shoulder. Behind him, a very angry flight clerk stared into his back. There was a long, drawn-out sigh on the other line.

"No, these things happen, and there is no hundred percent guarantee your luggage will come in time. They'll send it to your visiting residence if you leave them an address," James Lennards tried his absolute best to talk Gabe out of a heated situation, but this entire thing was running his patience as well.

"Are they gonna check inside them while they have it?" Gabe lifted his shoulder, and stole one brief glance behind him as if his question might perk up curious ears.

"Probably not, but you never know- Listen, I have a case I have to work on, can you just handle your shit without calling me at every problem you get?"

"If they go inside by bags, can I sue them then?" Gabe squeezed in another question without regards of Jamie's words.

"Are you serious?"

"Are you serious?"

"Alright, don't be a deuchebag, I gotta go," Jamie, surprisingly responded to Gabe's mocking in an orderly fashion.

Gabe burst into laughter, glanced at the angry flight clerk, then proceeded to let Jamie off the hook. Well, this is gonna be tedious what with all of his belongings delayed back in Detroit, Gabe was stuck with just two pairs of outfits for however long the luggage flight will take. There was a misunderstanding, the woman had told him, his bag space was replaced with someone else's. When you think about it, the person who'se bags came to Cali while they went somewhere else was probably far more stressful. No sense to simmer over it. Finally, with a defeated ego, Gabe saunters away from the flight clerk to head outside. He'd left the address to Cam's uncle's house, since he was informed that's where he would be staying. A house he once pranked on back in his early teenage years. He couldn't wait to see the inside of it, since it had been a childhood mystery.

After spending perhaps an hour battling with the airline, Gabe strides outside to be greeted by immense sunlight that rarely shows itself in his home city. However, the bright sun is quickly forgotten when the man glances into his phone to find texts and missed calls from Brooke. The next half hour would go by in a flash, a trendy charger would be his most obvious choice in renting, and once he had all of his paperwork finished and a few strings pulled because of the lack of one year for the proper age to rent, Gabe was on his way, and soon pulling up to the waiting Brooke.

"Walking would have probably been a better choice," Gabe called out to her after he rolled down the window, his grin, as it always has been, eternal.

So there she was, standing on dry dirt, the wind blowing through her hair and it could have been a very sexy moment but she was holding a bag of muffins and well, last time she check, muffins weren't that sexy. She was almost positive she looked like a complete full with a such a blank expression on her face. She was in mid though, reminicing on her past here in Jayton and questioning herself on why she never came back. Why she never kept in touch. She was beginning to feel even more guilty, and as her thoughts shifted back to her delicious muffins, she could only pray they would help her drop a bit of guilt off her shoulders. Gluttony, pure gluttony. But she didn't care, she didn't bother watching her figure since she never seemed to gain much weight no matter how much she ate. Not bothering to open her car door just yet, she pulled of the clip from around the plastic and began to slowly unwind the bag of muffins.

"Ah you've never looked so-" she began to speak to herself, until her thought and eyes shifted to the blonde haired girl walking towards her.

"You know, you could've called, or written, or...," Sasha shrugged as she approached Savannah, "sent smoke signals or something." She couldn't help but to smile at the sight of her old friend.

Savannah hesitated for a moment to speak, her eyes narrowing as she began to piece each trait of this girl together. The hair, the eyes, the way she walked and her voice. It seemed nothing had even changed but she had to say, she was still as stunning as she always had been.

"S-Sash?" she said, holding her hand to her forehead as if to block the sun from her view, "My, my, my it is you!" she exclaimed, almost forgetting she had a bag of lonely muffins in her hand, as she wrapped her arms quickly around her.

She stood there for a moment, sharing a hug with her and then eventually pulled away as she looked at her in her eyes. Sasha and Savannah had shared a few moments in their past, where Sasha was really the only one she could open up to. She trusted her with anything, and never held her feelings back. Sure they would have a few petty fights, but it was nothing they couldn't over looks.

"Yeah, well I can say the same for you! No call either, or a damn smoke signal!" she replied, her lungs filled with cheerful laughter.

She was happy, more happy than she thought she would be. She came to Jayton nervous and scared that the friends she once knew had up and changed, but Sasha proved her wrong.

"When did you get here? Did you go up to the house yet?" she asked as she walked back towards her car and opened the driver door, as well as unlocking all the other doors, "Get in, you can ride with me up there."

As she mounted herself in the car, she waited for Sasha to get in, and once she did, she turned on the ignition and began to reverse the vehicle. The sound of gravel and rocks rattled under her tires, turning the car to head towards their next destination. Her hands gripped the steering wheel as she occasionally looked over to Sasha as they drove up a short path that would lead to the house.

"A lot has changed over the past couple of years. Pretty sad what happened, you know. I mean, this was the one place where- hey.. wait a second.." she said as she slowed her car down to view the car the was just ahead of her. The car had made a slight turn and she was almost certain she recognized that face.

"Hey I think its Spencer." she said lowly to Sasha as she followed behind the car, and coincidentally (or not), it was headed just where she was headed.

Once they neared closer to the house, she placed her hand on her car horn and honked it twice.

Brooke hadn't even noticed Gabe pulling up to the curb next to her at the airport until she heard his familiar voice call out to her. "At least I get to ride in style." She teased about the rental car and grabbed her bag and rolled it around to the back of his car. Instead of putting her bag in the trunk, she set hers in the backseat incase she needed anything from it during the drive.

After slipping into the passenger seat, Brooke immediately leaned over and hugged her large handsome friend, greeting him with a kiss on his cheek. "Holy shit, do you ever stop growing?" She laughed, leaning back again to get a good look at him. He was built like a freaking football player, and Brooke felt so small in comparison. Shaking her head with a wide smile, she strapped the seatbelt over her chest and leaned back when she was ready for him to head over to Jayton.

She assumed Gabe remembered how to get there, so she didn't give directions. Even if they may as well have been going to a completely new town, because everything looked different on the drive. Maybe a few of the major landmarks were the same, but that was about it. Road construction, new businesses...Brooke supposed that should have been expected. While her blue eyes were glued outside to the sunny, but smoggy southern California, Brooke tried her best to catch up with him along the way. "How've you been? Working like a machine, still?" She asked curiously, knowing that he'd been working a hell of a lot more than he usually did since his grandpa had passed.

As they got closer to Jayton, Brooke changed her mind about giving directions. Her nerves were getting the best of her, and she couldn't seem to sit still as she fumbled with her fingers nervously in her lap. "Take this exit, it's more scenic and takes you along the coast." She pointed, remembering her parent's always driving that way when she was younger. They enjoyed it at the time, but Brooke always hated the longer drive, especially since she'd always been so excited to arrive Jayton to be reunited with her summer friends. But now...she needed more time. To prepare herself. "I probably should have written and told him I was coming, huh? Or called. I should have called, right? God, I should have called!" Brooke's nerves were hard to deny as she rambled and doubted just what the hell she was doing here. Of course she was here like everyone else. For Jayton; to repair what was left of their youth and catch up with old friends. But Cameron Ellis was another mission that Brooke just couldn't figure out how to handle just yet. "You'll drive me back to the airport if it's too weird, right?" She knew she was getting ahead of herself, but the recognition of that blue Pacific Ocean was enough to bring her high school summer memories rushing back to her.

But as they slowly approached Jayton, Brooke's memories looked nothing like what she saw in front of her. Their arrival into Jayton was like driving into a completely different world. A very bad, destroyed world. The blonde couldn't even find a word to express the emotion running through her as they passed whatever the storm had left Jayton, California. It seemed to be the only city for miles that had probably been hit the worst, and didn't have the same support from the state that other cities did. It was as if the storm had just hit yesterday. Without the right words, Brooke's mouth just hung open a little, unable to tear her eyes away. She still made Gabe drive slowly, and she finally turned her head to look over at him to catch his own reaction. "I think Cam under-exaggerated in his letter when he said that he needed a littlehelp."

That's what he liked to hear. With a man like Gabe, to get to his good side, just whip compliments at him at every chance you get. Although the two haven't actually seen each other in a long while, the hug wasn't awkward, nor was it quick in case the other minded it. Though her comment was a sure hint of their absences. What was he already six feet tall when he was fourteen? Now halfway to seven feet, the man's height was built to that of a pro basketball player, but his built would most likely be more affective in American football. "Or is it you that's getting shorter?" He teased, pulling the car out of park and easing it into the rushing cars and taxi's leaving the airport.

Gabe could remember the initial road to get to Jayton because by the last few summers there, he had gotten his license and usually was the one that offered to drive up there. But it was time for catching up, and apparently, Brooke thought the same. "Pretty much, what about you? How're you doing?" He glanced at her briefly, before gluing his gaze onto the road in front of him. Gabe didn't want to talk about the Parker Co., nor about the fact that he was taking a big risk in coming to Jayton.

The scenic exit that Gabe was instructed to take was enough for him to decide that it was the right choice. Eventually, the air in the car switched into something of the sort chaotic, with Brooke suddenly unsure of their arrival. "What are you talking about? I didn't call either," he shrugged, only to be pelted by a desperate question. "Of course, any sort of awkwardness, or you feel uncomfortable, just tell me, we'll arrange everything," he glanced at her briefly, reading over to pat her, as gently as the big ape could, shoulder. "Alright?" Brooke needed to calm the fuck down, she was making him nervous.

It was chaotic. The moment they could see the damage, Gabe slowed down, to observe all that was left of Jayton. "That's some kind of messed up..."

Spencer let his head hit back against the head rest for a moment as he took a prolonged stop at the next stop sign. He glanced back to check on his son who was currently content with eating teddy bear shaped graham crackers out of a small plastic zip-lock baggy. He couldn't help but smile at the young kid who looked just like him but with his mother's hazel eyes instead of his blue ones. It was still weird, to have someone look just like a little you. A little person. And Ben was definitely his own little person, with a unique personality to match. "Almost there, kiddo." He announced as he finally stepped on the gas and eased through the stop sign. While this declaration made his son happy, it almost made Spencer's heart beat that much faster as the nerves bubbled up in his stomach as he clenched the steering wheel a tad tighter. He took a deep breath, and cracked the window of the jeep to get some fresh air. Some fresh, Jayton air. Another inhale, and he wasn't sure if it made him feel better about being there, or guilty that'd left, but either way, he was nearing his destination with no intention of stopping. He would have to face his friends sooner or later, right?

As he took a turn and passed the driveway to the old convenient store, another glance in the rear view mirror revealed that there was another car behind him. A car without a Jayton license plate. The nerves he had just calmed sparked up again as he did a double take and thought he recognized the faces. Had they seen or recognized him yet? With this came the realization that this was all really happening, this wasn't some dream or some mystery letter hadn't been sent to his house. His old friends were right behind him, and the others were either on their way or already there. Despite the butterflies, Spencer couldn't help but smile. He couldn't quite see the faces behind him, but honestly, who else would be here, heading down the same road?

They were nearing the house, and Spencer pulled in to the sandy drive way of Cameron's uncle's beach house. He sat there for a moment and ran his hand through his hair. "We there?" He heard his son ask, but he was caught in his thoughts. The sudden sound of a car horn brought him back to reality as he glanced over his shoulder. "Yeah Ben, we're there." He flashed a quick smile and tried to totally compose himself before unbuckling his seat belt. He made a deal with himself, he wouldn't look over to see who had pulled up in the car behind him until he had Ben up and out of his car seat. The young boy had quickly become some kind of security blanket, as long as he held his son in his arms, everything would be okay. So as he pulled the keys from the ignition and pushed open the drivers side door, he quickly diverted his eyes to the back seat and unbuckled his son who was still munching on a graham cracker yet smiling his toothy smile. "Swim." He exclaimed, and Spencer chuckled. "Later." - "Promise?" The boy asked with a slight childish lisp. "Promise." He confirmed, hoisting the boy on up on his hip, slinging a duffel over his other shoulder. With his security blanket, firmly in his grasp, Spencer shut the door to his father's jeep and turned to look at the people who had been behind him and were probably getting out of their car by now as well.

He instantly recognized the faces as Sasha and Savannah, and with a deep breath he began the stride towards them, crossing the short distance in just a few short seconds, though it felt much longer than that. Only when he was in close proximity did Spencer finally speak, an almost shy smile crossing the once class clown's lips. "Hey." He greeted, bringing the hand that wasn't holding Ben, up behind his head to mess with the hair at the nape of his neck. A nervous gesture, though there was a sort of adrenaline rush racing through his veins keeping the smile on his face.

Not being ready to go into a full detail of why exactly she hadn’t followed her own advice, Sasha just shrugged and laughed, hopping into the car. “I’ve been here for a little while, had a taxi bring me from the airport, and no, I didn’t go into the house,” she laughed again at all of her friend’s questions.

The drive was pretty short back to the road that led up to the house, but the sight was still sore for the eyes. “Yeah...did you-”
At the sound of another friend’s name Sasha straightened in her seat that she hadn’t even noticed she had been slumping in. Slumping? Hm. Weird. “Spencer?” Her memories of him had faded over the years, but a flutter of excitement passed through her stomach like a shitload of butterflies. If you ever needed a laugh, or tension lightened by a comedic relief, he was your guy. A smirk came with the memory and she shook her head, knowing that if Spencer were here things would be interesting.
“I wonder who all will bother to show up. I didn’t really RSVP or anything?” Sasha undid her seatbelt and slid out of the passenger side. The heat on her legs was instantaneous and she bounced on her toes like a runner warming up before a race.

Spencer seemed to be preoccupied by something in the backseat of his jeep, and Sasha watched in quizzically. When he pulled out a toddler in his arms Sasha’s eyes widened as she gave Savannah a questioning look.
“Uh, hey Spencer,” she tried her best to ignore the little boy that was snuggled against her friend and give him an easy smile. Jabbing a thumb in the direction of the back of the house, “My bags are back there. There’s a back entrance from the porch.” Without waiting for a response Sasha started walking towards where she had dropped her bags next to the truck.

A kid, seriously? Wow. That was not something this girl was expecting. This was class clown Spencer! The guy who you thought would be a terminal bachelor, for Christ’s Sake, and he shows up here with a kid?! Sasha let out a heavy sigh and just shook her head again. Sure, it had been a while since she had seen, hell even just talked to, any of them and people change, grow up. Why isn’t it perfectly plausible for Spencer to have a kid, and who says it’s even his kid anyway? There was no reason to jump to conclusions.

It had been like this for days now. Sure there had been the act of getting together and catching up on all the details that had been missing to bridge the gap since the last time Allie and Cameron has seen each other, but even that was never as simple as it seemed with their family. Cam never talked to his parents after they saw fit to abandon Jayton and his dreams. Allie’s parents were behind bars. For the cousins, family was never a subject they saw fit to discuss. No, they were much happier taking shots at each other.

“Well thanks,” Cameron fired back at his cousin with sarcasm that dripped from his lips. He didn’t bother making eye contact – they only would have stared back at each other refusing to blink until one of them managed to frustrate the other into screaming. “That’s exactly what I needed right now, so thank you…” His voice trailed off in a mumble that seemed laced with a handful of expletives as he dodged in and out of the pantry with another load of food.

“You know,” he said, arising from the darkness with a full head of steam. It was frustrating to argue with Allie because, as much as he would never admit it aloud, Cameron Ellis knew that his younger cousin was measurably and undeniable smarter than he was, “has it ever occurred to you that, for just once in your life, maybe you could…”

Whatever sting was about to strike from the boy’s mouth was immediately blunted by the sound of voices coming from around the front of the house. Per usual, Cameron didn’t bother with anything other than to open the windows and allow the ocean breeze to sweep through the house in the summers. That and the fact that he’d almost electrocuted himself the last time he tried to get the ancient air conditioning system in the house to work properly.

“You and me?” He threatened, holding out a hoagie roll in his hand as if it were some sort of menacing or threatening weapon. “We’ll finish this later.” Despite his attempt to be serious, it was suddenly clear that a new light was burning in Cameron’s eyes, something that had been sorely missing in the days that Allie had spent with him up to this point. Almost bounding over the kitchen counter and across the expansive hardwood area that would lead to the front door of house, the boy seemed to be acting like an excited teenager as he slid and grabbed the handle.

He took a moment to compose himself, closing darting eyes and pressing one deep breath through his lungs before fingers slowly turned the handle of the door, the aging knob creaking loudly before the door finally gave way to the outside world.

“It’s about time you slackers showed up,” Cameron spoke with a wide smirk that he couldn’t contain.

Brooke hadn't meant the outburst, or the sudden sense of panic, but gosh, she couldn't help it! They were in freaking Jayton now, there was no turning back. But that didn't make her nerves calm down any. While Gabe's pat on her shoulder may have tried to keep her calm, it was far from comforting, though she knew he meant the best. He hadn't called either, which at least made her feel as if she wasn't alone in that boat. So, it seemed both of their arrivals would be a surprise, though some may have just assumed or expected one or the other to come. "Alright?" She heard Gabe say, looking back at her with his brow slightly raised. He needed her to calm down, she knew. There was no sense in getting him all riled up too, so she slowly nodded and took a deep breath. "Alright," she said finally and managed to give him a smile, rolling her eyes at herself a little.

Brooke hadn't recognized the address on Cameron's letters, but as they followed the directions, without even seeing it, they knew they were headed toward Drive-In Ellis' old beach house. She spent a little bit of time there when she was younger, mostly because Brooke always felt that Harlan loved the kids, even if he was so hard on them. Like the time he'd caught her sneaking around the drive-in with Cameron, and Allie after business hours, and made them come to the house the next day to clean up, or do repair work. He always meant the best, but Brooke usually only came by this house when she was in trouble, or to use the beach area there that none of the other tourists knew about or could access.

As they approached the house, Brooke's nerves were back again, but at least this time she didn't verbally freak out on Gabe again. Instead, she just swallowed hard, her chest feeling so tight that she had to really focus just to keep breathing steadily. "Well, I guess we're here." She said finally, looking out the window to look back at Harlan's old house, which now, she assumed, belonged to Cam. It was much more beautiful than she remembered, and her lips curled into the faintest smiles before she was opening the door and stepping outside. The sun was much brighter once she was outside in it, but the air had been much cooler than when they were at the airport, mostly due to the ocean only steps away.

After pulling her heavy suitcase from Gabe's backseat, it was then that the blonde looked over to see that there were other cars parked along the side of the house with theirs. Of course, she wouldn't recognize them, but it was a relief to see that they weren't the first, or only ones there.

"Hey, where's your bag?" Brooke asked finally, for once not selfishly thinking about herself as she noticed he only had his one, small bag. Had he only planned to stay or day or two? He hadn't told her that on the phone, and he could probably see the worry back in her eyes again.

In record time, the charger pulled up to the Drive-in Ellis building, parking on the street as to not flood the driveway with cars. There were people already there, most of them Gabe had yet to recognize for it's been years since he last seen the gang. Cam, he recognized immediately, watching him emerge from the house like the king of the castle. Gabe was excited, needless to say, and an amused smirk curled his lips when he spotted Spencer with a toddler in his arms. He could see two other girls but since they had their backs to him and Brooke, he didn't want to jump to conclusions.

He may have an extremely great memory of names but faces and the change a person goes through, it doesn't immediately jump out familiar faces. He knew, though, every single person in detail from that summer so long ago. The second generation was a lovely sight, and that was the kid in Spencer's arms. He'd be the next trouble-maker coming to Jayton every summer. This was surreal, and a refreshing break from the hardship of his everyday work, however luxurious it was.

"Hey, where's your bag?"

Gabe glanced towards Brooke, and then at the small bag hanging off his shoulder. "Mix-up at the airport, I'll get them tomorrow probably," he shrugs, closing the driver's door. Before he made his way towards their childhood prank house, he jutted his chin towards Brooke's suitcase, "Need some help?" If she were to accept or not, he'd make his way towards the group outside.

"So the gang finally reunites!" Gabe called out to the four, his long strides bringing him to stand next to them in no time.

Spencer wasn't exactly sure how his friends would react, but it was far to late to turn back now. Even if he could still leave, he knew now, after seeing just two of the whole group of friends, that he didn't want to. His want, no, his need to stay would become even clearer to the nervous parent when he heard Cameron's voice call out to them from the porch. But before that occurred, he was facing Sasha and Savannah. Just a glance showed how much they had changed, and yet how much they had also stayed the same. Definitely more grown up then he remembered, but by the playful shove to his chest, it was the same old Savannah. His stomach feeling significantly better, Spence gave an easy smile, more comfortable than the first. He was busy contemplating the idea of a one armed hug, but it didn't seem to do their friendship justice. A one armed hug, wasn't a real Spencer hug. He only gave out the real deal. Besides, he was more than sure they'd all catch up inside.

Currently though, his son had stolen the stage of Savannah's attentions, while Sasha had gone to grab her bags, the other female was occupied with bonding with the two and a half year old. Spencer gave a short smile, his blue eyes flicking from his son's face back to Savannah as they interacted. Shy at first, Ben would surely adapt to the new people, get comfortable and become quite a little terror. But hell, at least he was a cute little terror, right?

"That was nice of you to share, pal." He complimented the toddler who still clung to his side. "Can you say, Hi Savannah?" He prompted. There was a moment of thought, and mental debate. The gears clearing turning in little Benjamin's head. "I, vannah." He about said, before smushing his face into Spencer shoulder and smiling shyly as he partially hid. "Now tell her your name." Another pause, shorter this time as the little boy grew a bit more confident. He definitely knew the answer to this one. "Ben." He announced proudly, eyes lighting up when Spencer grinned at him. "Good job." Spence's grin transitioned into a half smile as he looked back to Savannah.

"We been to hell and back, and all I get is a 'hey'?" - "Didn't think you would come.. I'm glad you showed-"

"Me too." He responded quietly, though the look on his face showed true to his words. He definitely was glad he had decided to come. In fact, now that he was here, he wasn't sure he wanted to go back home. The thought of leaving his friends again seemed impossible.

"Don't worry. I'll catch up on hugs inside. I think everyone deserves more than just one arm." He explained before Cameron chimed in, jokingly calling them slackers. He turned to follow Savannah's lead as she walked to the porch, Ben on one his and duffel bag on the other shoulder.

"Hey Cam." Spencer smiled, and the next thing he heard was another oh-so-familiar voice. Gabe. The smiles just kept coming as more people arrived. Hell, if he didn't know better, this had the potential to be their best summer together yet.

A brandished roll, a threat to continue the argument later. Allie bit back the retort that was burning in her throat. Will we, Cam? Will we finish this later, or is it just one more example of you walking away? Oh, she wanted to say it… She wanted to say it rather badly, actually, but the light in his eyes had changed… Excitement at the sound of the voices. Happiness. As bitchy as Allie could be, even she couldn’t stand to ruin that happiness. So, she let him go without uttering the question that she was certain would send him over the edge. She wasn’t wanting a fight… despite how she was acting.

She and Cam had always had an interesting sort of relationship. For as often as they were at each other’s throats, they really did have a very strong bond. It was something Allie desperately needed right now, and perhaps the intensity of her snarkiness was a direct psychological shield against the reality of her situation. She’d come here to get away from reality – to give her the strength to face it when she was ready. In the meantime, she was almost trying too hard to spark those quarrels… because those were normal… those were right. Those were how it always used to be… and those had been good times.

“Don’t worry!” she called sarcastically to Cameron’s retreating figure. “I’ve got this,” she gestured to the groceries remaining on the counter even though he was long gone. She sighed and looked down at the dog, who was torn between taking an interest in her owner’s sudden departure from the room and hope of receiving more goodies from the amazing bags of food. “What am I doing here?” she asked quietly, chewing on her lip as she reached out to scratch Kate behind the ears.

She stood for a moment, still, barely breathing, listening to the greetings taking place outside. Eavesdropping, just as she’d been doing the day she’d overheard a couple of the girls talk about her. She’d never figured out who had been having the conversation… she never really wanted to know. She just wanted to try harder to fit in… because, well… face it. Summers in Jayton were all she had.

She remembered going home when the summers were over… her mother, sitting on the old threadbare brown couch, dotted with cigarette burns. ‘Have a good time with your Richy-Bitch friends, Alice?’ And Allie would tell her all about the summer, everything they had done, the adventures they’d been on, exaggerating things a bit so that her mother could know that she was accepted there… truly accepted. Her mother hated the fact that Allie had developed a taste for the sun and the lifestyle out in Jayton. ’You’re not like ‘em out there, Alice. You’re not one of them. You never will be. You can pretend until you’re blue in the face, Sugar, but fact is… you’re hamburger… they’re steak. Ain’t no matter how you dress it up, hamburger will always be hamburger…’

Allie quickly put the rest of the groceries away, as quietly as possible so she could hear what was being said outside. Once finished, she stowed the bags away in the pantry and crept to a window to look out. Gabe, Brooke, Sasha, Savannah, Spencer… and a little person. Allie couldn’t help but smile a little as she looked at the child in Spencer’s arms. “At least I’m not the only one,” she whispered to herself.

She should go out there. Greet them… But then words floated in through the window. ’So the gang finally reunites!’… She stood for a moment, looking at the group out there. Yes… they had always been the gang… She’d always just been the tag-along. What was she doing here?

’You’re not like ‘em out there, Alice. You’re not one of them. You never will be.’

She backed away from the window uncertainly. Shy? Had Allie gotten shy in the years apart? Shy was never in her vocabulary back then… She was determined to make herself fit in back then… now that she was older, with life experience under her belt, she felt the truth of her mother’s words as painful as a slap to the face.

’You never will be.’

How many of them had kept in contact with her over the years? How many of them had tried to call or write? Nobody but Cam… The gang was outside… They all belonged here…

She moved quickly up the stairs to her room, fishing out a bottle of cherry vodka from a drawer next to the bed. Stepping to the window, she looked down at the group clustered outside.

’You never will be.’

Shaking her head slightly, she took a hefty swig, grimacing as it went down. “No,” she muttered, taking another quick swig. “I do belong here… I may not have been one of them, but I was part of those summers…” Another swallow. “We all belong here…” Moving to place the bottle back in the drawer, she looked down at the unopened envelope she’d stored there. Another gulp before she screwed the cap back on. “One… last… summer…”

Taking a deep breath, she moved out of the room and down the stairs, fortified by the alcohol. Before opening the front door, she reached into her pocket and fished out some gum in an attempt to hide the scent of the vodka – typical of an alcoholic to believe that others can’t smell past the strong mint. Opening the door, she slid out onto the porch. Taking a deep breath, she squashed her inner insecurities and plastered a smile to her face. “God, you guys got old!”

Sara gripped the steering wheel as her entire body began to tense up. Her teeth clenched together, her shoulders hunched, and she held her breath as she took the familiar exit ramp of the highway. Ten minutes. Ten minutes until she faced what she had regarded with both dread and excitement from the day she got her letter. Even now she still didn't know if she really wanted to go through with it, if she really wanted to see their faces after so long.

Six years. Six years was a lot of time for change, especially during adolescence. For all she knew, the people waiting for her could be complete strangers. She knew she would be. Life had eradicated every bit of childhood familiarity from her, so who was there to say life hadn't done the same for them?

No, not yet; she couldn't face them yet. It was getting late in the afternoon, but a quick detour wouldn't take to long. Sara watched as the road narrowed, and as she eased her way into town, the effects of the recent disaster began to make itself noticed. Roof shingles were missing, structures were cracked, awnings over the store fronts were torn and left flapping in the wind. Worser yet were the boarded-up windows and neglected landscaping, the remains of what a tough economy had destroyed.

Sara's face was blank, but her eyes glistened with the tears held behind them. How could her childhood paradise, the place her dreams were born and wishes granted, crumble like this? Jayton, California wasn't ever supposed to face its end, especially like this, but Life was cruel and had her own plans.

Sara drove her navy pick-up truck down a side road. The trip had been an emotional nightmare. Through the entire two-day trip, memories had plagued her. Memories of the long road trips to Jayton and the experiences she had there. Worst of all was the memory of the last road trip she and her father had taken. It was a simple celebration of her 16th birthday, a drive down the west coast to Disneyland. With her new driver's license, Sara and her father would switch out at each rest stop as they made their way south, stopping at any point of interest in the week-long trip to their ultimate destination. That trip had been the last father-daughter moment she had with him, and as happy as it was, it had been transformed into a festering wound in her heart.

There was one last place to check. As the road opened up into a dusty parking lot, the flood finally broke. Tears of sorrow, anger, and all other emotions that had been held back for the entire trip rushed forth. It took a full 5 minutes before Sara was able to compose herself. Emotional outburst were rare, and this one had caught her by surprise. Taking a deep breath, she lifted head to gaze at the sight that had tipped her over the edge.

Her home in Jayton, the little RV park down by the beach, was in ruins. Shrubbery was torn up, the landscape was a mess, and the roof of the office looked like it had caved in part way. Water lines were ripped from the ground. Sara turned away as more emotion threatened to break free. With a sigh, she turned the truck around and followed the directions she had printed out to her final destination.

Sara's heart fluttered as she drove down the gravel road. She didn't have to do this. There was still time to turn back, find a hotel, and start the drive back home in the morning. But she knew in her heart that she would never forgive herself if she didn't let herself see what was waiting for her. Her stomach flipped as she came over the last hill and the old beach house came into view.

Brooke only nodded her head when Gabe explained to her that the airline had lost his luggage. That sucked. But men were always better about working around things like that, even when it came to their clothes being delayed. Women, not so much. "Ouch, bummer. Well, I'm sure they'll figure it out." She assured him and dragged her bag along with her up to the house, shaking her head to stubbornly refuse his offer to carry her bag. "I got it, thanks." She smiled, and as they approached the front door, she could hear the voices talking excitedly from around to the corner, coming from the back of the house. Gabe lead the way over there, and she looked up just in time to see other people crowding the door, which hung open. Brooke didn't even need to see their faces yet to know who was here. The recognition in hearing their voices felt a little too much like déjà vu, and she was immediately brought back to all of her blasts from the past.

Freaking Sasha Abrams was here. Brooke remembered like it was yesterday that her family actually started coming to Jayton the same summer as Sasha's. And just solely because of the fact that they were both blonde, many people got their names mixed up, and even asked if they were sisters. It took the whole summer for their friends and locals to finally get their faces and names right, and the next summer they returned there were no more mix-ups. Sasha still had that pretty blonde hair of hers, and Brooke smiled a little, almost blushing as Gabe called out to them and announced their arrival. So much for just...sneaking her way in.

Brooke blue eyes found Savannah next, adorable as ever. Out of anyone there in Jayton, Brooke always felt her personality was most similar to Savannah's. She was always upbeat and positive, didn't take much of anything so seriously, and she was so easygoing about everything. She'd do anything, so long as it meant her friends were happy and everyone was having a good time. Of course, much has changed over the past few years, and Brooke's own positive and upbeat energy had quickly vanished. Life got in the way and forced her to grow up fast. There was no time to be carefree and spontaneous, when life had thrown her many curveballs that were far too serious to ignore.

"Who's the--" Brooke started to speak, but quickly stopped when she realized she was talking outloud. As she stepped behind Sasha, she let go of her suitcase at her side and looked over at the young boy clinging to no one other than Spencer. Spencer...gosh, she couldn't remember his last name. But it was Spencer, all right. For a moment, she almost thought this was one of his jokes, or pranks, bringing a kid with him. It certainly wouldn't be the first time he went to extremes to pull a joke on everyone. But no, the way the young boy held on to him, and that look in his eyes...it was definitely his child.

"Wow, now I feel old." It was easy to feel old when one of them had a freaking kid. Brooke laughed, playing off of Allie's comment. Just looking back at the girl, blood to Cameron, made her chest feel tight. Allie looked the most beautiful that Brooke had ever seen her; enough to make any woman jealous. And Cameron...well, Brooke's eyes tried to avoid looking at the door for as long as she could before she finally turned.

"Hey, Cam." She nodded, and now that she'd seen him, she couldn't look away. Much to her liking, he still had that cute baby face to him, but his eyes looked more mature. There was something different in them that she hadn't seen before, but she supposed they all had that look now. While they all may have changed over the years, being back in Jayton...she could see now it would be all too easy to fall back into old habits.

"Sorry we didn't call, my ticket was just bo--" She started, then laughed and kneeled to the ground as the dog came running outside to inspect the new group of visitors. She didn't know this dog, but she welcomed the distraction, knowing the dog wouldn't complain for long so long as she scratched behind her ears.

Long before the movie that told the story of Jayton and the drive-in threatre turned into a disaster flick, these had been the characters of that film. Each of them had played a role in a movie that played over and over again every summer. Sure, they changed a little every summer – they each got a little older, their mistakes got a little more dangerous and their connections a little more…fiery. Lots of things changed in their lives every year, but there was something constant and unchanging about those summers, something that provided a rock in all their lives. If anyone doubted how much it meant to each of them, they fact that they were all back now stood as a testament to those warm California nights.

As Savannah wrapped arms around his midsection, Cam’s smirk grew. He honestly wasn’t sure what to expect from any of them. Allie was one thing – for better or for worse, he and the firebranded young woman were stuck together because of the blood running through their veins. The rest of them? The ones that – for the most part – Cameron hadn’t spoken to in years for some of them? The young man was shocked enough that any of them had made the trip, but this kind of a welcome was something even more than he dreamed.

The summers weren’t just his, he realized.

“Damn good to see you,” he spoke in almost a whisper against her head for a moment before pulling back, releasing Savannah after one more tight squeeze.

The personal words from each person coming up to the house was sure to come eventually, but the nervous shakes of the old friends all suddenly reunited at the same time was enough to cause Cam’s hear to race on its own without having time to think about how terrified he was of seeing Brooke again. Her simple two word greeting, however, was far from the emotional and physical outburst he’d expected from the young woman.

“Okay,” Cam spoke, turning to the rest of the group, “I don’t even want to talk about anything you saw on the way here. The rest of this day is for dropping your stuff, grabbing a drink, lighting a fire by the beach, and everyone telling stories about how much you all missed me,” he fired out.

“If Allie pulled her head out for a couple of minutes, there’s a chance that there might even be a place for us to sleep tonight.” Cameron knew that his cousin had been preoccupied with how the group was going to respond to her being around – even if the girl had done everything in her power to hide the truth deep beneath the shades and layers of complexity. After all, she would have never been part of the group if Cameron hadn’t drug her along or been forced to deal with her tagging along with an invitation. As much as she’d done everything possible to annoy Cam, he’d been the first to blindly defend her, then and now.

“Okay, get your asses in here since I can actually let you guys in the front door rather than breaking in through a window for once.”