They arrived at the house after a short drive. It sat in the the middle of a small suburb three rows of houses away from the centre of shops, it was more of a small town than a gated community.
The house itself was two stories and relatively large, made mostly from wood it gave off the , American rustic dream look. All the houses did. Inside straight away was the living room, with a large table at the back and a door next to it that led to the kitchen. The stairs sat next to the open living room, leading up to a small balcony that was lined with doors to all the bedrooms and one bathroom, seemingly small but rooms are wide and the ceilings are high.
"Ah thank god"
Carmilla clawed her way out the car, dragging along discarded wrappers and empty bottles with her.
" Clean air, space!"
She stretched her limbs and felt the afternoon sun soak her face and bleed through her clothes. 'though it may be as hot as it was in the car, at least it wasn't stuffy' she thought as she gazed to the back of the houses where the thick forest surrounded them. Entrapped them. A soft wind blew through the tops trees and Carmilla could feel the breeze cool her sweating back. Birds sat on the roofs, chirping, and the sweet smell of fresh cut grass filled her nostrils. Summer had hit the small paradise, and didn't seem to be leaving anytime soon.
"A little help Mill would be nice"
The day dreamer opened her eyes, and the euphoria once felt had been shattered; replaced by the irritant voice of her older brother. Closing one eye to block out the more harsher rays Carmilla was able to notice what he was badgering her about.
He stood at the boot of the car, in one hand he held a bulging suitcase and the other he used to point at rest of the luggage, a blatant expression stapled to his face. Milly pulled a face that fully expressed her lack of enthusiasm for the task at hand.
"Get Louisa to help she's taller and stronger"
She stated noticing her older sister still sitting in the car, whereas their parents had already fled to greet old friends that shared the little summer community.
"She's still asleep" he said.
Carmilla rolled her eyes and gave an exasperated sigh, knowing perfectly well if it was her asleep no on would have a second thought about waking her up.
The girls eyes shifted to behind her older brother.
"Well ask the guy who's running towards you to help, he seems eager"
He looked confused for a second, before turning around and noticing the young man of similar height and stature jogging towards him with a smile on his face
" Sam!" Exclaimed Adam as he pulled the man into a male friendly hug.
"Hey man" said Sam "how have you been" they then gave each other the short 'long time no see' pleasantries before Sam finally noticed the predicament. offering help-which Adam gratefully accepted-he did a quick jog backwards saying he was going to get his other friend Justin, to help as well. As he went Carmilla returned to basking in the slow cooling heat of the late afternoon, until Adam piped up again!
"You know you could wake up your sister, that would mean you at least contributed to something".
Taking a deep breath and holding for dramatic teen pause, she shouted the words;
"LOUISA WAKE UP, LOUISA!, LOUIE!"; hearing a grunt and shifting from the car she smiled, knowing her work was done, all while not moving from the comfortable stretching position she still held . 'Ahh the little wins' she thought .
"I told you not to call me Louie" the oldest sibling said groggily as she slowly hauled herself out the car
"You know how much I hate it",
The youngest gave a short harrumph and extended a closed mouthed grin, knowing perfectly that she hated it and that it was the only reason she'd woken up in the first place. Hate really can move mountains. Or a least pissed off 22 year olds.
"MINE"
A voice that sounded almost like a growl caught all the siblings attention, Milly turned to see a young man staring straight past her with an intense gaze that made the hair on back of her neck rise. It wasn't a nice gaze and it stared point blank at Louisa. She turned to see her sister staring straight back at him, looking like she'd just had the air pushed out her lungs, her cheeks flushed a faint rosey red. Adam looked at the man and seemed tensed Carmilla noticed, as if he was ready for a fight. But when She whipped her head back toward the man, the boy Sam had a hand on his shoulder and suddenly he no longer looked possessed anymore, he seemed calm and... Not half bad looking, she noted. His gaze was softened to what Milly could only assume as adoration upon her sister, it seemed like a very private and awkward situation to be stuck in the the middle of , like three of them were.
The man broke the tension first by softly stating;
"hi"
clearly Aimed at no one but Louisa, but Adam took this as a chance to resume action in the real world.
"Hi" he repeated to the young man
"You Justin. Sams mate?"
Both Sam and Justin now turned their full attention to Adam, they seemed shocked and uncomfortable at first, then a light bulb went off in Sams head.
"Ohhhh mate as in friends"
he half-heartedly laughed while patting Justin on the shoulder. Who hadn't actually been verified as Justin yet. He laughed as well. The young man introduced himself and he was in fact Justin; with the awkward moment seemingly forgotten about, Adam grabbed a large bag of luggage and invited everyone to do the same. Sam followed by grabbing a similar heavy to looking bag, while Milly favoured a medium sized one, dragging it across the lawn she noticed Louise reach for a smallish bag containing Milly's precious items ( but not too precious, as they were only staying for a summer). Just as her hands were about to clasp the handle, Justin snatched it from her. Louise looked up to lock eyes with him, he smiled at her.
"I...I can take that"
she said meekly at him. he who was already carrying a third large bag as well as the one he's just taken from her. He smiled softly saying to her,
"A girl so beautiful should know that she doesn't have to do such needless things when there's always someone willing to do them for her".
Louisa smiled as well as blushed, then together they carried on walking.
Walking straight past her younger sister, to the door.
Carmilla. Who was still battling with the overly packed medium sized bag and had only half way made it across the lawn. Couldn't help thinking that as a female of the 21st century, her sister could of put up a bit more of an argument against him before she smiled and blushed and let him carry her pitiful excuse of luggage.
After a significant amount of time she finally won the battle of the front garden and made it inside;
Now for the war of climbing the stairs. Two minutes later she breached the summit sweaty and gasping for air. While standing at the top of the stairs catching her breath she notice something, or rather two something's, leaning against Louisa's bedroom door at the end of the hall facing each other.
Justin stood there, whispering to her as he twiddled her hair in his large hand. To Carmilla this definitely didn't seem as your average 'we just met today and I think your really attractive' whispering. This was intense focused 'nothing else in the world matters but you' moment.
The pissed off and confused younger sister took this moment to drop the bag off her shoulder, letting it slide and hit the floor with a slam, Both parties stop to stare at her, Louisa goes a real shade of red this time.
Looking down to avoid eye contact, knowing full well that as a British citizen she should be ashamed, but Justin... Justin keeps staring an icy stare, showing Carmilla how pissed he is that she interrupted.
Milly keeps on staring as she grabs the handle to the bag and loudly drags it across the floor to her room which luckily is on the opposite end of the hall. Across from the bathroom.
Miming a face of disgust to herself once in the room and unzips her bag to begin to unpack. Family's staying in the houses must provide everything apart from furniture and electric appliances, so as Carmilla was taking the towels to the bathroom she saw that loving whispers had quickly escalated to kissing which was also escalating at a decent speed to something else!. This time she coughed loudly and let them see her mortified face.
Once again Louisa was embarrassed and Justin was pissed off. Milly broke the tension by talking.
"Where are Adam and Sam" she asked,
Louisa seemed like she was trying to say something but Justin interrupted
"I think they said they were going to get groceries",
just as he finished his sentence a door opened downstairs and laughter could be heard,
"Sounds like they're back" She said using the excuse to jog downstairs and escape.
Downstairs Adam and Sam stand in the kitchen talking to one another briefly pausing for laughs as they start to put the shopping away. Milly decides to help so she can move on from the situation upstairs.
At the same time their parents enter the house with the neighbouring couple Mr and Mrs Johnson, upon seeing the two siblings they precede to greet them; admiring Adams Ascension to manhood and Carmilla increase in height and hair length; but all talking stops when Louisa descends the stairs hand in hand with Justin.
"Ah I see your eldest daughter has already met our son Justin" said Mrs Johnson cheerily clapping her hands together and shattering the silence that had taken the room by hold.
Carmilla stifled a laugh
"Justin Johnson" she snickered, Adam nudged her trying to hide his own grin as Justin glared at the two;
"People call him JJ" said Sam with a chuckle. At this Milly breaks and let's a piece of laughter loudly slip out, the three of them stood in the middle of the kitchen began to quietly snicker and look down.
"Mom, Dad, this is Louisa she's my-"
Justin was cut off by a loud abrupt cough from the Smiths father. He gave Justin a hard knowing look, Justin's eyes were quickly brought to the youngest and then to Louisa herself who looked as lost as her sister was. Justin continued to gaze quizzically at Louisa and then their father, before it seemed he reached an epiphany, blurting out quickly "Louisa is agreeing to date me"
Silence once again held the room captive.
"Agreed to date you, that's rather fast?"
Carmilla questioned snapping everyone's attention away from the couple on the stairs.
"Well Carmilla dear nothings too fast when it's true love and I for one believe this is true love, why you could even say that these two are soulmates"
replied Mrs Johnson who now had everyone in the room chuckling, Milly forced a confused laugh making eye contact with her sister to make sure she wasn't the only one left out, luckily she also seemed just a bewildered.
Suddenly the kitchen door was flown open and a youngish mother with glossy long black hair carrying two cling filmed plates stood there,
"Anyone home!" Yelled Mrs Opal,
"Ah kitty come in" said the Smiths mother pushing past Milly, Sam and Adam to greet the woman with a hug which she gladly accepted, but quickly ended it when she noticed the small blonde girl being squished by the ever increasing population of the kitchen.
"Milly! Come here" she said warmly and enveloped her in hug;
"Hey Miss O"
"Milly please call me kitty how many times do I have to say it"
"Only at the beginning or every summer" she answered back,
"Ah yes speaking of which my daughter is in our house and wants you to come over as soon as possible".
Carmilla grinned relived to escape the packed kitchen but also to go see her close friend Summer. politely excusing her self as she made her way out the kitchens back door, Miss opal gave her the final words of
"There's cold drink in the fridge and Summer's making more sandwiches"
This gave Milly the strength she needed to run down the hot suburban street towards her friends home.