finally back after a longgggg break. lol sorry i became so overwhelmed with school and sports, ya girl is a national competitor now! i was rereading all of my story to my friend (hi if ur reading this lol) and i started to write again. enjoy!
Chapter 25
The group left the plane, thanking the pilot as they deboarded. Thankfully, their suitcases had already been taken out by the ground control, which made the process 30 times easier. The humid Miami sun cast down upon them, and Cammie was already wishing she had chosen to wear a hat. The airport was small, and not filled with as many people thankfully. There's only so many things a person can take at a time, and a humid, crammed environment is not one of them. As they walked, Macey filled everyone in on her plans for their first day. Thankfully, it was a two week long vacation that Blackthorne offered.
"Alright guys, we're going to go grab our rental car right now, and then assuming everyone is hungry, we'll head to a food shop and then to our new home!" Macey exclaimed, as she read from a small list on her phone. Everyone nodded along, chatting excitedly to themselves as they made their way to the rental booths.
Macey had managed to snag two different cars, so that the eight would have more flexibility in going to explore places. In true beach fashion, Macey had bought a cherry red Jeep Wrangler, complete with the roof off and removable doors. The second car was a convertible Ford Mustang, outfitted in a white paint with its roof retracted. Zach looked at Macey, rolling his eyes.
"Really Mace? My hair is going to get all messed up now," he said, groaning. Bex let out a giggle, immediately trying to hide it. Zach gave her the stink eye. "I think you should be worried as well Rebecca, that mane is about to become extremely tangled," Zach said smugly, and just barely managed to dodge the hand that Bex swung up at him.
"I thought I told all of you guys to not call me Rebecca. Do we not remember that whole conversation? I believe it was after you failed to find us, remember?" Bex said, slowly smoothing her hair back into a ponytail. Zach just scoffed, and turned around pretending to ignore her.
"Gallagher girl, can you believe the hate your friends have for me?" he asked, looking down at Cammie.
"Yeah. I felt that way about you originally," Cammie said, patting his cheek and laughing at his betrayed expression. "See you guys in the car!" she exclaimed, and ran towards the red jeep. Zach stayed frozen in his spot, and then ran right after her.
The other six just laughed as they watched the two sprint, and decided who was going to drive each car to the house. Zach and Preston were going to be driving each car, with everyone else split between the two. Macey sent Cammie the directions, and the house was just over an hour away. Situated right on the beach, it seemed to be in the perfect location. There was a local pier filled with different boutiques and some amusement park rides, and surf shops littered the surrounding areas. Everyone jumped into the cars, and agreed to meet at the grocery store next to the house for a quick pick up of snacks, and would then head back home to set up everything before exploring the rest of the day.
"Everyone buckled up?" Zach asked, and when everyone nodded he began to back out and headed onto the streets. Cammie grabbed her hat and sunglasses out of her bag, putting them on and then grabbing her camera once done. Using his free hand, he grabbed Cammie's from where it was resting on the center console and entwined it with his. She let out a faint smile, and handed her camera to Bex to take a picture of them sitting. Bex then motioned for Cammie to take one of her and Grant together.
"Alright, give me a big ole smile GrantyBoy!" Cammie said, giggling as she took some pictures. In the first one, Grant was very unimpressed with the nickname. In the second, he was looking at Bex and smiling. And in the last one she took, Bex and Grant were both smiling at the camera. "Aww, so cute you guys!" Cammie squealed, and set the camera down between her legs. The rest of the drive passed fairly quickly, with everyone pointing out the various landmarks they recognized. The ocean finally came into view, allowing for everyone's gasps. While Maine was an ocean side state, nothing compares to how truly sunny and alluring the ocean in Miami was. Zach pulled into a parking spot at the grocery store, waiting for Preston to snag the spot next to him.
Once everyone was parked, they made their way into the store. Macey made sure to grab some cosmetics and hygiene products, while everyone else got enough food to feed an army. But of course, the four Blackthorne Boys were an army. As everyone checked out, they made their ways back to the cars, where similar positions were resumed for the ten minute drive back to the house. As Zach pulled into the driveway, the first thing Cammie saw was the wide, open windows that encompassed the entire house. It was a craftsman style build, with a wraparound porch and a quaint little sitting area next to the door. The walls were painted a dove gray, and everything was either accented in red or a beautiful teal color.
Zach clicked open the garage door, showcasing a two car garage with plenty of shelving storage, and surfboards held up by hooks on the roof of the garage. By some miracle, there just happened to be eight wrapped up in their protective casings. The girls grabbed some of the many food items, and walked thought the garage door into the house. They were greeted by even more windows, which flooded natural light into the house. It was an open floor plan, the garage door leading into the foyer area. From there, if they turned to the left the spacious living room was waiting, outfitted with a massive U-couch and throw pillows. There was a game cupboard, a massive flat screen TV, and plenty of blankets littered around the space.
Straight in front of them, the space stretched out into a open dining area, with a table large enough for ten to sit comfortably. Both the kitchen and the dining room were in the same space, which had vaulted ceilings to increase the open feeling.
The kitchen itself was a masterpiece, with enough counter-space to perform many recipes. Cam and the others immediately began walking towards the kitchen, marveling at all of the technologies the place offered. The kitchen and dining room had the sliding back door that led to their own private stretch of beach, and through the screen they were able to see a couple deck chairs and clothing racks to hang towels and various clothing items. As the girls put away their new food and cooking supplies, the guys brought in all of the suitcases and began to help put away the kitchen supplies.
Within five minutes, that task was finished. Cammie quickly motioned for the girls to grab their suitcases, which they did so quietly while the guys talked animatedly. She then signed, "Go upstairs as fast as you can so that we can pick rooms". Understanding clicked in the girls' minds, and in an amazing feat of synchronicity, they made a mad dash for the stairs, located at the end of the hallway just past the bathroom. The guys realized too late what was going on, and hadn't brought in their own suitcases from the cars.
The girls sprinted upstairs, and headed for the first doors they saw. The stairs opened up into a loft like area, which held another TV, couch, and game table. Past that was a hallway, which had four doors down it. The master bedroom, which they would save for Headmistress Morgan, was downstairs by the main bathroom. Cammie and Macey aimed for the farthest door on the left, and recognizing what they did, Bex and Liz changed their trajectory to the first door on the left hand side. Macey and Cammie were greeted with an open, neat room. There were two beds on opposites sides of the room, a dresser drawer between each. The window was matched with a white curtain, and light was coming in to illuminate the bright Florida sunshine. The floor was a hardwood, with soft rugs by the beds. Another door led to a jack and jill bathroom, which they shared with Liz and Bex. As Cammie and Macey were investigating where to put their suitcases, they could heard a massive sound come from up the steps, accompanied by a bunch of yelling.
"I think the boys noticed that we got to the rooms first," Macey said, covering her mouth so she didn't laugh to loudly.
"I think you'd be right Mace," Cammie said, also struggling not to laugh. "Let's unpack really quick so that we can figure out what we want to do next."
"Sounds like a plan!" she said, and began to unzip her suitcase. They split the chest of drawers between them, Cammie taking the bottom two and Macey taking the top two. Macey finished first, and began to organize the bathroom to accommodate all four girls' showering and beauty products. As she finished unpacking, Cammie took her tote bag out from her suitcase, and filled it with her camera, a spare hat, sunscreen, and a towel. She also added in her wallet and a comms unit, just in case. Taking her camera, she snapped a picture of the view from their window, and slightly opened it to allow for some fresh salty air.
"Mace, I'm heading down to wait in the living room for everyone!" Cammie shouted, and walked down the stairs to sit on their new couch. She first opened the curtains, letting in the bright sunshine. The curtains, it turned out, were hiding a beautiful bay window, complete with cushions and seat compartments. Cammie opened one, and was surprised to find rows and rows of double parked book. The owners of the house seemed to have quite a good taste in books. She placed the cushion down, and sat on the window seat. Greeted with a stunning view of the ocean, the water sparkled and glimmered in the sun. She leaned back, absorbing the sunshine. Blackthorne's cold hallways and freezing wood floors were nothing compared to this. Slowly, everyone managed to come down stairs.
"Alright, are we going to the beach first? Or do you want to walk along the boardwalk Mace?" Cammie asked, fiddling with her necklace.
"I think if we go to the shops first, we won't be as tired after," Macey said, grabbing a list out of her bag. "I have everyone's stuff that we need to buy, and a couple more things that we'll need later on. If we get those items now, we won't have to worry about it after when we're soaked," she said. Cammie nodded, and stood up.
"I guess we're going to be quite busy for the next hour then!" she said, and started to walk towards the garage. "Let's pack some chairs and extra towels in the trunks," she said. Everyone nodded, and headed towards the garage. Zach and Preston loaded in four chairs, and Bex grabbed a couple of towels from a closet in the garage. Once everything was loaded in, they headed to their initial cars and backed out. The Jeep followed the Mustang, as Macey seemed to be the only one who knew where the shops were.
About ten minutes later, Zach pulled into a parking space outside the entrance to the boardwalk and pier.
"Alright Mace, where are we off too?" Cammie asked, grabbing Zach's hand and pulling him next to her.
"Let's go to some swim shops first, it's highly likely that we'll have both clothes and bikinis there to get," she said, and led the way into the first store.
"Hi guys! Welcome in, let me know if you need any help finding some suits or clothes!" the worker said. "My name is Elena, and I'll be at the front if you need me."
Everyone smiled at her, and then divided into different sections of the store. Cammie walked towards the massive wall of swimsuits, looking through the many colors and designs. Zach was standing next to her, also looking over the wall.
"I think you should get this one Cam, it's a nice color," he said, motioning to a glittery purple one. Cammie had her thinking face on. She slightly turned her head. "Come on Cam, you know I have an amazing sense of style," Zach smirked.
"So amazing that you still wear Spiderman underwear?" Cammie said, turning to look at him. Zach stood straight up, a tinge of pink across his cheeks.
"Who told you that?" he asked, sharply turning towards her. She just let out a giggle. "Cameron, I'm being serious, who said that?" he asked, leaning down to her level.
"You really should be more careful with who you let pack for you," Cammie laughed.
"You went through my suitcase?" Zach whisper-yelled. Cammie just rolled her eyes.
"No, you forgot to pack a bunch of sweatshirts and I had to put them in there for you," she said, running her hand down his arm. "Don't worry, I won't tell anyone," she said, reaching up to kiss his cheek. "Your Tom Holland undies are safe with me," she smiled. He finally relaxed his shoulders.
"Pinky promise? I will be ruined if they find out," Zach said a smile seeping into his voice. He held up his pinky. Cammie smiled and shook it, then reached for the purple suit. She also grabbed three more, a hot pink one, another that was patterned with hibiscus flowers, and a third that had a teal color with starfish. Adding them to her wrist by the hangar, she started walking to the clothing section, with Zach stringing along with her.
"Shouldn't you pick up some clothes and stuff too?" Cammie asked as she felt the fabric of different sundresses. A yellow one stood out, patterned with swirls of color.
"I already have some. Are you absolutely positive I need more?" he asked, as he grabbed her potential purchases to hold. "It's not like there isn't a washing machine at the house," he added.
"You're not wrong, but it's going to suck having to wash stuff every single day. And we never know, we might end up needing more clothes for future mission trips and other outings," Cammie said as she added some cut off shorts and two crochet tops to Zach's arm. "Solomon always likes to be out of the ordinary, and it's always better to be prepared for anything," she mentioned.
"Okay true, I guess I can find something else," Zach frowned, and grabbed two pairs of swim trunks along with three shirts and two pairs of shorts. "But I already have a bunch of things in my suitcase so I'm only going to get this much," he said. Cammie nodded, and gave him another sundress to hold.
"I'm going to go over to Macey, Liz, and Bex and look at the jewelry, okay? Come find me when you're done," Cammie said, and gave him a kiss on the cheek. She left to walk towards the front of the store, and started examining the gold necklaces she saw. Macey handed her a ring, and two anklets.
"These will match so well with some of your outfits," Macey said, and held up a new silver necklace for herself. "Do we like this guys?" she asked. It was a smaller chain link necklace, and from it hung a pendant of the moon.
"It definitely fits you Mace, I think you should get it," Bex said, and turned to look at her own jewelry ideas. Liz had already selected a pair of earrings that had little suns, and was looking at chunkier rings to wear. Cammie got away with her ring, anklets, and a few necklaces. In five minutes, all of the guys had wandered over to stand with their girlfriends in the jewelry section.
"Are you guys ready to go? My arm feels like it's about to fall off," Grant complained, trying to hurry them up. Even Jonas looked ready to drop, and he rarely complained.
"Yeah, we can go ahead and check out now," Macey said. "It's on Solomon!" she exclaimed, holding up the previous card they had used in the cabin. As the group walked up to the front, Zach hung back for a second, searching the necklace racks for a certain kind of chain. Cammie had already taken all of their things up to the front, and was checking everything out. As things were being loaded into bags, all you could hear was the excited chattering of what was happening next. They were planning on leaving nearly everything in the trunk, and heading straight for the beach.
There was still about three hours until sunset, and from there they would make their way to the pier which housed the Ferris wheel and other rides. The group exited the store, and headed towards the cars. Once they finished loading their massive purchase into the trunks of the two cars, everyone was dying to go to the ocean. Cammie, Bex, and Grant were all buckled up, when they realized Zach wasn't in the car yet. Cammie looked up, only to see him walking towards them. She watched as he swung himself into the car.
"Must you do that? I feel like you're going to break something," Cammie said, grabbing his hand as he shifted into drive. Zach just smirked.
"It's all part of the bad boy swagger I have, Cam," he said, looking over his shoulder to change lanes. Grant snorted from the back.
"For sure dude, you were so swag when the last time you did that, you whacked your head on the bar," he said, covering his mouth to stop from laughing so hard.
"You did what!" Cammie exclaimed, a shock of laughter coming to her. Zach's face was flushing red, and he yanked his hand out of hers.
"I did no such thing Grant, you must stop spreading rumors," Zach said, trying to play it off.
"No, you definitely did. I'm 95% sure that either Jonas or Preston has it on video," Grant laughed, and that made Cammie laugh even harder.
"Granty, PLEASE remind me to ask which one of them has it, I think that video would make my whole year," she said, giggling hard.
"Grant, don't you dare tell her, we've been best friends for years," Zach pleaded, making eye contact with Grant in the rear view mirror.
"Yeah, but Camster over here is like my sister, and siblings share almost everything," Grant said, weighing his options.
"Please Grant, I'm begging you," Cammie said, clasping her hands together and shaking them. "I'll do anything!"
"Oh wow! Would you look at that! We're here!" Zach said, hurriedly shifting the car into park and jumping out. He ran to the trunk, and got out four towels and some sunscreen.
"Wait up Zach, I want to walk out there with you," Cammie said, trying to speed-unbuckle her seat belt. Zach just ignored her, tossing Grant the keys to make sure the car stayed locked. "Grant, do you think he's mad or just being annoying because I want that video?" she asked, as she walked around to get her tote bag from the backseat.
"Definitely annoyed Camster, he likes to been seen as perfect and he can't do that if there's a video of him whacking his head on a Jeep bar," Grant said, chuckling to himself. Cammie nodded, agreeing. She started walking towards Zach, who had laid the towels over a large spot on the beach. Nearly no one was out, and it was perfect conditions. Zach had already laid down on one of the towels, his back up towards the sun. She laid her stuff down on the towel next to his, and settled down as well.
"Zach," she said, trying to get his attention. It worked the opposite way, with him turning around so he no longer faced her. "Zach, are you mad?" she asked. He remained silent. "Fine, I guess I'll just ask another guy if I'm in trouble. Let me just get into my swimsuit," Cammie said, looking over at him as she took off her shirt and shorts. That sentence caused him to turn his head and look at her, where he came face to face with the his favorite red bikini. He almost looked as if he wanted to say something, but stopped himself and then turned around. Cammie smiled to herself. "Okay, I'm off. Have fun lying down," she said, giving his back a light pat. She started walking down to the shoreline, smelling the salt on the air. A slight movement in her peripheral vision told her that someone, most likely Zach, had gotten up. Cammie paid him no mind, and continued walking down to meet the water.
Suddenly, out of nowhere she felt sun-baked arms grab her shoulders, spinning her around. The smell of cologne hit her, feeling like home.
"Don't do it Cam," he said, looking into her eyes. "I'm sorry for ignoring you, Grant just doesn't know what he's talking about sometimes," Zach said, brushing a stray piece of hair out of her face. "Please forgive me?" he asked. Cammie took a breath in.
"I mean, I suppose I can see past it, but no promises on whether or not I watch the video if it exists," she said, reaching up to kiss him. He eagerly bent down, hands going from her shoulders to her waist.
"I didn't want anyone giving you advice while you look like this," he mumbled into the kiss. "You look to good for the person to think straight." Her heart fluttered.
"You have such a way with words," she giggled, twisting her fingers into his hair. He kissed her for a full minute, when out of nowhere he grabbed her and slung Cammie over his shoulder. "Zach, what are you doing?" she asked nervously, grabbing onto his torso to keep from falling.
"We're going to go for a swim, Gallagher Girl," Zach said, starting his walk to the ocean.
"Oh no we aren't," Cammie said, trying to get out of his grip. What really sucks was that he knew every single trick to try and get out of the handhold. "Zach, please, don't dunk me in the water, I'm your girlfriend, and good boyfriends don't do that," she pleaded, meanwhile he was already ankle deep in the water.
"Cam, it isn't even that cold, and I'm a GREAT boyfriend, not a good one. So of course this is going to happen," he laughed. He shifted his hands, ready to dismount her into the water, but instead bringing her down to fall in, he settled her around his waist, her legs crossing against his back. "See Gallagher Girl, I'm not mean. You aren't in the water yet," he said running his hands down her back.
"True, but I don't know if I believe that you'll keep me like this," she said, wrapping her arms tighter around his neck.
"Cam, I would never do something bad like that. But now that you mention, hold on tight and hold your breath," he said, and went into a running dive with Cammie still attached.
"ZA- Zach NO put me DOWN! PLEASE!" Cammie yelled, but it was too late. Zach dove into the wave, his arms around Cammie's waist to keep her close to him. The water wasn't nearly as cold as what she had previously experienced, but it was still a bit of a shock. She tried to push away from Zach under water, but he held on tight and resurfaced with her.
"Doesn't that feel so refreshing Cam?" he asked, wiping the hair coating her face away. She just glared at him.
"What do you think, Zachary," she stated jumping out of his arms and back into the water. "I'm feeling quite peachy actually," she added, wringing out her hair. "Absolutely over the top right now," she said, with another glare in his direction.
"Aw, I'm glad you feel that way Ca-" Zach said, failing to finish his sentence due to Cammie tackling him down into the water. "Cam, that was SO not fair, I at least held on to you!" Zach sputtered, scrubbing water out of his eyes.
"Oh. Oops," Cammie said, struggling to not laugh. "Sorry?" she said as she fixed her hair. Zach just looked at her.
"If you were sorry, you wouldn't have done it," he said, turning around and crossing his arms.
"Aw, poor baby is sad because I did what he did?" Cammie said standing closer to him. In retaliation, Zach turned even more away from her. "Come here Zachy, I wanna see your pretty face," she said, knowing that if the flattery didn't work, nothing would.
"You think I'm pretty?" he asked messing with his hair. Still turned around of course.
"Yes, I do. Now look at me," Cammie said, and what do you know, he turned around. If there was one thing she could count on to make Zach stop ignoring her, it was to play onto his cocky and arrogant side.
"I think you're pretty too Gallagher Girl," he said, giving her a kiss. She smiled.
For the next few hours, the group dove in and out of the waves, switching between drying off in the heat and then immediately jumping back in to the ocean. As the sun started to set on the horizon, they began to pack their things to leave, and headed in the directions of the cars. The plans were to load everything into the car, and then drive the five minutes to the pier in order to ride the Ferris wheel. Everyone got in, sun soaked and exhausted. Once parked, sweatshirts were put on as a slight breeze drifted across the lot.
The pier itself was stunning, a construction of dark wood and steel. The Ferris wheel was at the end of the pier, in between was a mass of lights, noise, and people. The line wasn't too long, as it seemed like two people were in line at the time. Walking towards the entry to the pier, the group paid upfront for their tickets to the wheel. It was a beautiful sunset that night, with red and gold glimmering on the sea. The clouds had turned pink by the time they all reached the Ferris wheel.
"Okay guys, two to a car, make sure not to rock it, no hands, feet, or other limbs outside of the vehicle, and have a fun time," the teenage ride operator said, ushering them through the line and onto the moving carts. Each little cart had a small umbrella top, and were shaped in a circle. Everyone positioned themselves to be with their girlfriend or boyfriend, causing some jostling to happen as they moved around. Zach and Cammie were the first two on a car, with Bex and Grant following quickly, while Macy, Preston, Liz, and Jonas brought up the rear.
"After you Cam," Zach said, holding out his hand for her to grab as she walked into the small seat. She grabbed his hand, smiling as he lifted her up and through the cart's gate. He followed after, securely shutting the door. They got comfortable, the cart moving up towards the peak of the wheel, Zach sat next to Cammie, draping his arm around her shoulders and pulling her close.
"You cold?" he asked, rubbing her shoulder with his thumb. She shook her head no, just moving in closer to him. As the cart crested the top of the wheel, Cammie grabbed her camera from her pocket, and pointed for Zach to smile against the sunset. After she took his picture, she turned it so that the lens was facing her. Zach realized his cue, and went back to her. He took her picture, and then took one of the both of them against the brilliant blue of the ocean.
Zach brushed her hair behind her ear, letting his fingers trail along her cheek.
"Are you having fun so far," he asked, twirling her hair in his fingers.
"Yeah, it's been such a fun trip the day we've been here," she replied, leaning her head towards him. "I can't wait for the following weeks," she said, turning her head to look out over the pier. The cart had nearly made its way back down to the start, signaling for them to ready their exit.
"Have a great day guys," the worker said, hurrying them off the wheel in order to close. Zach and Cammie headed off, turning to the side in order to check for the other group members leaving the wheel. At this point, both the sun and the sea air had gotten to Cammie, and she rested her head on Zach's bicep.
"Are we heading home after this?" she asked, covering a yawn. Zach nodded.
"Just waiting on everyone else, and then we're going to get in the cars and head home. Can you stay awake for 10 more minutes? I'll be able to carry you in if you sleep in the car," he said, grabbing the keys from his pocket. Cammie nodded, entwining her arm and hand with his.
The rest of the crew disembarked from the wheel, each looking as tired as Cammie felt. Once everyone was gathered, a unanimous decision was made to head directly home. They piled into the cars, and took off towards the rental house. A short ride later, Zach opened the garage and got out, unlocking the door to the house. Both Bex and Grant exited the car, shutting the garage after they saw that Preston's car had made it in. Zach walked over, opening Cammie's door.
"Come on Cam, let's go to sleep," Zach said, unbuckling her seat belt. Cammie barely moved, somehow able to fall asleep within the short time it took to get home. She slightly woke up, allowing her to get out of the car without falling. They walked into the house together, locking the garage door behind them. Everyone had just piled onto the couch, too tired to climb up the stairs. Blankets were quickly distributed, and the massive couch proved to be extremely useful and comfortable. Zach grabbed two pillows for the two of them, and set them against one of the couch ends. Thankfully, everyone had thought to completely change out of their swimsuits, and were in comfortable sweatshirts and sweatpants or sweat shorts.
"Okay, let's lie down here," he said quietly, leading Cammie to the inside part of the couch. She plopped down, snuggling into the cushion next to her. Zach took off her shoes, taking his off right after. He grabbed a blanket, laying it over both himself and Cammie as he got comfortable. Wrapping his arms around her, he buried his face into the crook of her neck.
"Goodnight Gallagher Girl," he whispered, pressing a small kiss to her shoulder. She slightly moved, relaxing into him. And within no less than thirty-two seconds, everyone was passed out on the couches.