~Sabrina~

Puck rolled down the window again, letting the hot air back into the car.

"Puck!" I yelled, throwing my hands up in exasperation. "I don't know if you know this, but the air conditioner doesn't work if you just keep opening the windows."

"Saaabriiinaaa," The boy groaned. "You haven't seen me in six months, maybe try and be a little nicer."

I wanted to remind him that he hadn't texted, called, or FaceTimed me in six months, but I knew that the cramped car, with everyone in it, wasn't the place to bring it up.

"Besides, I like the hot air!" Puck crossed his arms, before a look of panic crossed his face and he put his hands back on the wheel.

"Me too!" Daphne grinned, holding out her hand to fist bump Puck.

I cringed as he leaned into the backseat to complete the fist bump. We'd be lucky if we arrived in Florida with all of our bones intact.

"Could any of you try to be a bit quieter? I'm trying to sleep." Pinnochio snarled, as he uncomfortably sat in the very back, where we had all banished him to after he wouldn't stop complaining during hour two of the car ride.

It had been seven hours since then, and we still had five to go. Sixteen hours in the car with this family was not as easy as I'd hoped it would be. The only person who hadn't gotten on my nerves yet was Red, who was peacefully playing a game on her phone. I smiled at her, and she smiled back.

"California girls, we're unforgettable!" Puck screamed although I think he was trying to sing. "Daisy Dukes, bikinis on topppp!"

"Puck! I am this close to strangling you." I held up two fingers and pinched them together.

"But, I think you said, if I drove all the way here, you would let me pick the music." He laughed.

"I'm seriously regretting that decision right now!" I snapped.

"California girls, we're undeniable! Fine, fresh, fierce! We got it on top!" Puck continued, while Daphne joined in, using her water bottle as her microphone.

I slammed my fist on the radio's power button. "Those aren't even the right words!" I screamed.

"Hey, I liked that song." The boy said, pretending to pout.

"I don't care," I mumbled, putting on my new sunglasses.

It was the end of May and we had all gotten out of school the week before. Puck and I had just finished our sophomore year, while Daphne, Red, and Pinnochio had wrapped up sixth grade. I had driven down from New York City, with my sister, where we lived with our parents and Basil, the day before. Back in March, William Charming had gotten a phone call from his landlord down in Florida, who owned the plot of land that his beach-house was on. I guess people were interested in buying the land, and he needed the money. Charming had been told that since he hadn't been to the house in over ten years, not like he could have before the barrier was broken, but the landlord didn't know that. And even now that he was free, the man loved Ferryport Landing and the authority he had there, so he didn't leave often. The men had worked out a deal that if someone stayed in the house for a two-week period and took care of it, Charming could keep it. But of course, Charming, who couldn't take responsibility for anything, decided to pay someone to live in it for him.

So, instead of partying and having the best summer of my life with my NYC friends, I was on the way to Prince Charming, William, Mayor of Ferryport Landing, a man of many names, not limited to some highly offensive ones I'd heard my sweet grandmother call him in the past's beach house, about to waste the first week of my summer. When the whole idea was brought to our attention, a couple of months ago, for some unknown reason, Granny trusted Puck and me to stay at the house for a week. This was until the fairy pulled a certain prank that landed Pinocchio in the hospital, with a broken leg. So, we still had to go, but now we were being accompanied by Red, Pinocchio, and Daphne. Not that I minded. Being alone with Puck for a week didn't sound like my dream vacation.

Before I went back to New York City, Puck and I's relationship had always been on-and-off. But, at the end of seventh grade, soon after the war ended, when Daphne and I decided to move back to NYC with our parents, the boy and I had called it quits. I only saw him on holidays and when we visited in the summer. It was hard. I loved him. Boys at school were never the same as Puck. But every time I saw him, it felt like I never left. Maybe it was by chance, maybe it was by destiny, but we always ended up back together, I liked to think it was destiny, but it could have just been hormones and memories. Daphne and Red had always been very invested in the relationship and had been begging us to date for years now. But I didn't want to date a boy I only saw three times a year, and who acted like I didn't exist for the rest of the time. Dating him was just another way for him to break my heart. Before I moved Puck had dated a girl named Mollie. The entire time they dated, I think Puck talked to me twice. And he lived in the same house as me. Mollie wouldn't let him talk to me. She hated me. I guess the tension between me and Puck made her feel threatened. And I didn't blame her. Anytime I touched Puck, there was a sort of electrical current that pulsed through my veins, which had never happened with another boy. Puck was different from any other boy.

And by different, I meant that he didn't understand that rolling the windows down defeated the purpose of air conditioning, Daphne, who was switching between snoring and singing along to the music with Puck, Red, who was thankfully being quiet, and Pinocchio, who was complaining about phantom pains in his leg, as a result of Puck's prank.

"It hurts! Oh! How it hurts!" He moaned. "I can still feel the ax coming down on my poor leg."

"I could turn you into a pile of splinters, you wouldn't feel anything." Puck suggested.

I tried not to laugh as Pinnochio's face went white.

"I am fine, thank you very much." He smoothed out his hair, trying to ignore Puck's death threats.

The two boys of the family had always had a strained relationship, and the sixteen-hour car ride wasn't helping.

"Puck! You have to be nice to him. He gets scared easily." Daphne told Puck, as she reached back and patted the boy's leg.

Pinocchio pulled away as if someone had poured boiling water on him.

"I do not get scared easily, Daphne." The boy crossed his arms and gave her a dirty look.

I could already tell that the next few weeks were going to be absolute hell.

"Even Red would admit you do, and she's the nicest person I've ever met. Except when she tried to kill all of us. Red, do you remember that?" Daphne asked.

I smacked her arm, she had no filter.

"I don't think so…" Red nervously laughed.

"So, how many bedrooms does this house have?" Red asked me. "I can't share with Daphne, she keeps me up with her snoring."

"Hey!" Daphne cried.

"I think it has... hang on, let me find the website." I yawned, she had woken me up from a nap I had been dying to take.

I pulled up the address on my phone. Three bedrooms and one bathroom. I showed Red the phone, and Daphne looked over her shoulder to see the screen.

"If Red's not sharing with me," Daphne said, giving the girl a dirty look. "I wanna share with Sabrina!"

"Just like old times!" I grimaced, knowing my sister's snoring would keep me from getting any sleep for the next week.

"Sabrina, can I have my own?" Red asked, sweetly.

I nodded, hoping she might let me sneak in, so I could get away from my sister's noisy sleep habits.

Puck looked back at Pinocchio and grinned.

"Guess that leaves me with you, buddy!" He said.

"I refuse," Pinnochio said flatly.

"The couch looks comfortable…" I suggested, trying not to laugh at the tension the car had suddenly filled with.

"Puck can take the couch. It's where a delinquent like him belongs." Pinocchio snorted.

"I'll have all of you know that my criminal record has been clean for almost three months!" The fairy exclaimed.

"Nice!" Daphne congratulated him, slapping him on the back.

Pinocchio was looking more and more terrified by the second.

"Criminal record?" The boy looked at me. "You expect me to share a room with a felon?"

"I prefer 'king of dirty no-goods, drop-outs, and deadbeats, but felon can work too." Puck said.

"I cannot do this!" Pinocchio cried. "I won't be alive in a week! This lifetime wasn't enough!"

"Don't worry!" Puck comforted him, leaning back in his seat, but keeping his eyes on the road. "I'm not gonna kill you. I'll keep it to just beating you up for now."

Pinnochio immediately looked down at his phone screen, with terror in his eyes. I punched Puck lightly.

"Stop, Puck, you're scaring him," I whispered.

I knew Puck would never purposefully hurt him, but Pinnochio didn't know that.

"For the last time! I'm not scared of this… hooligan, who doesn't know how to apply deodorant!" He cried from the backseat.

"At least I hit puberty before I turned twelve!" Puck shot back. "Let's see that leg hair."

"You're humiliating me!" Pinnochio screamed.

Daphne burst into laughter, followed by Puck and I, and out of the corner of my eye, I even saw Red, the peace-maker, start to giggle. Soon, the car was filled with obnoxious laughter, except for Pinnochio, who was fuming in his seat.

After the noise had died down, I smiled to myself. This family was wild, annoying, and hard to handle. But every time I saw them, I always ended up having fun.

As soon as we arrived, I stepped out of the car and was met with a warm breeze. The bright sun was gone, and I stared up at the moon, which was almost full. I walked towards the steps, which seemed sturdy enough. I felt a sneeze creeping up my throat the second I entered the house, as I breathed in the mildewy air. Daphne flipped on the light switch, causing the fan to start, which blanketed the room with yet-another cloud of dust. Puck, Pinocchio, and Red were still outside grabbing suitcases. I figured I needed to grab mine and stepped back onto the porch. I took a deep breath and focused on the air. It smelled like salt-water and flowers, which were lining the driveway, surrounded by the well-kept lawn.

At least one thing's taken care of around here.

I started walking down the dark driveway when I bumped into someone.

"Watch it, stink-brain." Puck grumbled.

"What's your issue?" I asked, wondering why he was suddenly mad.

"Nothing, sorry, I'm just tired." He muttered.

I ignored his half-assed apology and pushed past him to get to the car.

"I already got it, Brina." The boy held up my duffel bag and continued to walk inside, before I could thank him.

"Sabrina!" Red yelled, pulling me out of my thoughts. "This bag is too heavy, I need help!"

But before I could answer, Pinnochio did.

"Uh, I can get it for you." He took the bag out of Red's hands.

In the lights of the passing cars, I could see Red blushing.

Oh my lord.

I made a mental note to ask her about it later.

After unpacking the car, the five of us stood in the living room, unsure of where to start cleaning. The couches and chairs had years worth of dust on them, the windows were so clouded, you could barely see the beach that sat behind them, the floor was covered in inches of sand and the kitchen had so many dishes sitting on the counter, that we could give every homeless person in New York City two plates, and would still have hours of putting away to do.

Daphne loudly sighed, causing all of us to look at her.

"Granny said to save this for emergencies, but this seems close enough." She rolled her eyes.

She produced a long wand out of her suitcase, and mumbled a few words under her breath, and wildly waved it around the room. Five seconds later, everything was spotless.

"Daphne, you said the old lady gave you that?" Puck asked.

She nodded.

"I'm gonna have to ask for one myself!" He exclaimed. "Imagine never having to clean your room again."

"You don't clean that pig-sty anyways." Pinnochio scoffed.

"Sabrina would know." Daphne elbowed Red, who giggled.

I looked at the ground as I felt everyone's eyes turn to me, to confirm whether Puck cleaned his room or not. Daphne and Red had walked in on me and Puck kissing on his bed, the summer before, and hadn't dropped the topic since. But then again, I was grateful it had been them, and not my dad, who still had a bit of concern regarding Puck and I's relationship.

After we watched James and the Giant Peach, which was one of the only movies we could find in the huge cabinet filled with nothing, everyone trooped off to their bedrooms to get ready for bed. Everyone but me and Puck. I was sitting on the couch when he sat next to me.

"Hey, Brina." The boy whispered.

"Hi, Puck," I answered.

"I missed you a lot." He told me.

"I missed you, too," I said, scooting closer to him.

"On the car ride up here, I was thinking we could, uh, maybe go get dinner one night. Just, uh, the two of us." He mumbled.

Before I could answer, I heard a gasp come from the top of the stairs, I looked up and saw Daphne and Red, perched on the landing.

"Well, I guess we should probably go to bed, then." I shrugged, hoping to annoy the two girls.

"Yeah, probably." Puck fake-yawned.

I smiled to myself as I headed up the stairs. Maybe this next week wouldn't be so bad...