CHAPTER 59: Buy a castle in England

I smoothen down the tie and brush away the imaginary dust off his blazer. Smiling widely and proudly at him, I turn him towards the mirror and loop my arm through his.

"You look great."

"Thanks. The day is finally here, isn't it?" Jason mumbles and rolls his eyes as he plays around with the tassel on his cap.

"Nervous?"

"No. Why should I be? I just have to give an easy-peasy speech as valedictorian in front of thousands of people."

"Jason."

"Fine." He sighs and sinks into his bed. "Just wishing dad was here. After that letter, I just wish he was physically present here."

I blow out a breath and sit next to him, patting his arm. "He is always going to be there. He promised. Come on, get up, lazy ass." I say while pulling his massive body up and shaking my head at his groans.

"Can I skip?"

"No. Shut your mouth now. And clean your room, please." I mutter while giving him a dirty look for the mess that is sprawled across his floor.

"You're one to talk. Have you seen yours?"

"Meh."

"Seriously, give me a break, woman. I'm packing, for god's sake."

I halt in my steps and see the half-packed trolley bag lying near his door.

He's leaving.

Jason leaves tonight for Washington and as much as I've been ignoring this moment for a few weeks, I cannot deny the pit feeling that is currently within me. Knowing I only have today with him makes me want to throw away his bags and tell him to stay here until it's my time to leave for college but we both know I cannot do that. I cannot stop him from following his path, as dad wanted him to.

"Summer, please. Save this for later, please. I don't want to ruin my shirt with your tears."

"Asshole. Let's go now." I say and chuckle, pulling him out of the room. "Aaron, Draven, hurry the fuck up!"

"You could have at least given me time to groom my hair," Aaron mutters whilst coming out of the bathroom and glaring at us.

"Dude, it's my day. Not yours."

"So?"

"Whatever, idiots. Can we hurry up now? Draven! It is not your goddamn wedding!" I shout as I grab the keys from the wicker bowl on the counter and toss them to Jason.

"You're not coming with us?"

"I actually-

"Of course the Jones family ought to be shouting early morning." I turn at Caleb's voice as he shakes his head and enters the house.

"Right. Your boyfriend. How romantic." Jason says dryly and I swat his arm as Caleb places a kiss on my forehead.

"Y'all ready?" Caleb questions, staring at all of us and quirks his lip up probably in realization that Draven is missing.

"Draven! Hurry-

"Stop hollering. I'm here. Let's roll."

Dressed in a simple dress shirt and some pants, Draven plucks his phone out of the charger pin and gets out the door without even batting an eyelash at us.

"What's with him early morning?"

"Whatever it is every damn day."

I get the house keys and usher everyone out as I lock the door. Caleb and I walk towards his shitty Ford – Maddie sure was right by the way – and my brothers get into theirs.

It's time we each got our car. Besides, where else is all that money gonna go, right?

Kidding, I'm actually not that much of a spender.

"Stop looking at my car like that or I'll kick you out," Caleb mutters as we both get in and he starts driving. I chuckle as I put my seatbelt on.

"It is a piece of shit, Caleb. You of all people should know that. Thought you were a big fan of cars?"

"Well, I am. But, sue me for wanting to be independent. I don't want any of my father's hot-shot cars lest he starts taunting me again for using his luxuries but not giving him the required respect." He says and blows out a breath through his mouth frustratingly. "Don't worry. I'm saving up for another one."

"Oh, yeah?"

"Yeah." He says and winks at me, making my insides flutter at his sight. Dressed in a blue dress shirt and beige pants, he looks absolutely ravishing-

Uh oh.

I desperately need to go to church.

In a few minutes, we all meet up and advance towards the main school hall where the ceremony would commence. I give Jason a quick hug before he has to go and sit with the rest of the graduating students.

"Kill it."

"Thanks, sis."

As he walks away, the rest of us meet up with Maddie and the other boys. Velvety blue chairs are arranged horizontally all across the hall and a few black chairs for the faculty members and the Principal as well, on the stage. Soon enough, my ears buzz with drones of conversations of loud families and their irritating kids. We sit a few seats behind Jason and his group, so I would have a clear view of him. Even from afar, I cannot miss his teeth sinking into his lower lip with worry along with his twiddling thumbs.

What does he even have to worry about? He just got to know of the mammoth fortune he's inherited, he's graduating and that too as a valedictorian. I have doubts concerning whether or not I'll even graduate, bearing in mind my rock-bottom grades. It will be practically known as a miracle if I even manage to get an A in even one of my classes. My grades, I'm sure, will be questionable to many people.

Why? Why would Summer Jones get such low grades despite her smart brothers?

Oh, you wanna know why?

Let's see. Firstly, my father passed away and triggered the downfall of my education, leaving me in a house with three brothers that I never even had a decent ten-minute conversation with for years. On top of that, when I finally had some sort of balance and normalcy in my life, my mendacious mother decided to amble in with her avaricious mind.

Pre-eminent answer, no?

A nudge on my elbow breaks the chain of thoughts my mind is harboring after seeing the entire graduating-high-school scene. My eyes meet Caleb's interrogative gaze and I look away, waving at the stage in front of me.

"I'm just taking in everything."

"Liar. You're doing that thing where your eyebrows are drawn together in worry."

"I am not worrying."

"You are."

"What do I have to worry about?"

"You tell me."

I sigh and close my eyes, leaning my head on the back of the velvety chair. "Will I ever graduate?"

"Of course, you will. What makes you think otherwise?"

I chuckle dryly and shake my head. "Hello, have you seen my grades? I will be glad if the teachers even allow me to sit for an exam."

"Don't overthink this, come on. In one year, you will be there on that stage, graduating with the rest of us."

"But-

"What you two love birds talking about, huh?" Maddie interrupts me and leans in from my side, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively.

"Ugh. Shut up, Mads. Serious business here."

"She thinks she won't graduate because of her grades."

"What are you talking about, girl?" She asks incredulously, scrunching her nose adorably. Her face suddenly morphs into realization and she stares at me with a smirk on her face. "Oh, I know what this is about."

"What?"

"You just got a hell lot of money and you think not studying and graduating will be absolutely okay, but let me tell you, Summer Bella Jones, you will-

"Calm the hell down, woman. You're creating a scene!" I cut off Maddie by placing a hand on her extra-loud mouth.

"This has nothing to do with the money. I-

"Are you guys talking about Summer's newly inherited cash mountain?" Blake pipes in, poking his head above Caleb's shoulder.

"Okay, people have got to stop interrupting me."

"Oh, yeah. You didn't tell us what you are going to do with that money." Noel asks, grinning behind Maddie.

"I, myself, have no idea on what to do with it."

"Buy a castle in England," Shawn suggests, making me slap my forehead a little too loudly, which attracts a few weird stares from people around.

"What will I do with a damn castle? That too in England."

"Enjoy it like a queen?"

"Shut up, Shawn. How is it reasonable that four people live in a huge castle?" Blake asks him, slapping him upside the head.

"So she can invite us!"

"And then what? We stare at each other's faces?" I ask as I notice the Principal taking his seat on the stage, meaning the ceremony would begin in a few minutes.

"No, we-

"Shawn. No more suggestions." Maddie deadpans and signals zipping her mouth with her fingers.

"Buy a mansion then?" Noel says.

"No," Maddie replies.

"You're not her secretary. Shush."

"Don't shush me!"

"Okay, how about buying a celebrity? You know, people can-

"Shut up, Shawn!" We all shout in unison, effectively managing to shut him up and make him sink into his seat in embarrassment.

"You can get a big house. A really big one. With a swimming pool bigger than Mandy's." Blake says, moving his hands around as if designing the house himself.

"Who is Mandy?"

"She's-

"Not the point, Summer," Maddie says and looks at Blake pointedly. "You can also get a huge garden."

"Oh, yes. And then, an empty grassy area to play soccer." Noel chimes.

"Great! And you can keep like fifteen rooms for all of us, you know? I call dibs on the biggest one." Maddie says and claps twice.

"No, I need the biggest one," Aaron says.

"Why do you get the biggest one?"

"I'll have guests over as well, you know."

"Ew."

"Actually, Summer and Caleb should have the biggest one," Shawn says and pats my head lovingly. I slap his hand away, shaking my head at Caleb and mentally begging him to stop the debate on a house that is probably never going to exist. He nods reassuringly at me and I blow out a breath, thankful that he will stop all the yammering around me.

"Out of curiosity, Summer and I would get the same room?"

I whip my head at him, noticing the small smirk adorning his pink lips.

"Absolutely. You can do all kinds of things-

"She is my sister, Blake, for god's sake! Ew."

"Shut the fuck up, Shawn. And you all as well." I shout and massage my temples slowly. "Enough about the money. I swear to god if I hear one more person talking about the damn money...then...then...none of you will get anything from it."

They all frown and quickly settle back into their seats posthaste.

"Smartass," Caleb whispers since everybody went into silence as the ceremony began.

"You shush."

"Don't shush me."

"Or what?"

"Or I'll make sure we land in the same room in your future mansion." His whisper sends shivers down my arms and I gulp, turning away from him and tucking a strand of hair behind my ears.

"You're cute when you blush."

"Don't call me cute."

"Can't change the truth, blondie."

Dear God, what are these intensifying feelings?

***

I push the button and switch through channels while playing with the string from my worn-out blanket. I groan and switch the TV off, kicking off my blanket and walking towards the kitchen. Jason's graduation went on amazingly and afterwards, he wanted to spend some time with his closest friends by going out for lunch. I have no idea where Aaron and Draven are, but since the past half an hour, the anxiety of Jason leaving has been creeping up on me.

It will be weird not having the eldest brother to boss us around, even if we never ever listened to him, which resulted in pretty big fights by the way. But the thought of being away from him for only a year somehow eases the longing. After we all graduate, we'll also be leaving for college – maybe and hopefully the same one as Jason's.

Besides, I'm sure it won't be that bad. I have these two idiots, Maddie, the boys and Caleb as well.

Caleb.

I take a slice of bread and begin buttering it, slowly starting to immerse myself into Caleb's thoughts. Again. I've been more than double happy ever since he asked me to be his girlfriend weeks ago. He and I have gone on dates, spent time with each other, fought – obviously – but most importantly, we've come to know how true his words were.

We certainly do need each other.

Because of all this, I'm beginning to like him more – if that even is possible. I find myself missing him and smiling at the thought of him in the most random moments. I would be doing anything but that fraction of a second where his name pops up in my mind, I will get lost in the memories of the times we've spent together. And the question emerges again.

What are these intensifying feelings?

Maddie seems to think it's something to do with lo...

No.

It's too soon to be saying that word or even thinking about it.

"Hey, Summer. Man, these guys sure do know how to party." I turn around at Jason's voice as I see him getting in the house and throwing his car keys in the wicker bowl next to me. I smile, trying my best to erase the recent thoughts of Caleb I've been fostering.

"Did you have fun?" I ask and walk back to the couch, biting into my bread.

"Of course. I'm going to miss them all."

"Well, you still have one thing to get back to."

"Packing." Jason groans and dramatically bangs his head on the counter.

"Ding ding. Winner. Go pack, lazy ass."

So, after like a few hours, Jason finally finished packing and we had some of the guys from the soccer team over to say goodbye. I'm currently loading and off-loading the one trolley bag belonging to Jason, so as to get away from the entire goodbye scene going on upstairs. I guess this is my way of pretending so I don't have to say goodbye to him.

Which I don't want to either.

I huff, shoving the trolley bag in and shutting the door in anger, and walk towards the passenger seat. Everyone, including Caleb and Maddie as well, is up there, hugging and saying goodbye to Jason. Pathetic little me is sitting here, alone in the car, letting her anger out on the car seat by picking the leather on it.

In a few minutes, I see everyone getting down the stairs. As the rest say their goodbye's, Draven, Jason and Aaron walk towards the car. Jason gets in the driver's seat and we all sit in awkward silence as he starts driving. I can feel the burning stares from all three of them but I ignore them and start focusing on the incoming runway lights shining against the dark Californian sky. From a distance, I see various airplanes taking off and landing. LAX buzzes with different sounds and voice intercoms as we reach the parking lot.

We soon get out of the car with Jason following closely behind, dragging his trolley bag across the asphalt. We make our way through the check-in gate and finally, inside the airport.

"You won't even talk to me?"

I come to a halt and look at him. I walk towards him and embrace him tightly, the fear of this moment fully catching up to me. In a few minutes, he will be going towards the waiting room and then boarding the plane, taking him miles from us.

"I'm not leaving you forever," Jason mutters into my head and strokes it lightly.

"You still are leaving."

"You'll see me soon enough."

"After a damn year."

"Hey." He says and breaks the hug, ruffling my hair as he holds me at arm's length. "I know you're worried about what will happen if I'm not there. Trust me, you'll do fine with everything including your studies and-

"No! Aaron will keep bothering me and you won't be there to stop him."

Jason chuckles and pulls me to his chest, pointing at Aaron. "Don't disturb her, okay?"

"She bothers me more!"

"Oh goodness. You're making me rethink my decision to go right now. Draven, a little help here?"

"On it, bro," Draven says and nods his head. He pulls me away from Jason and places his hands on both mine and Aaron's shoulders.

"These kids are my responsibilities."

Well, you know what will happen now.

After a few minutes of quarreling like 5-year-old kids, we all get a grip on ourselves since people around us are starting to look like they are about to report us to some officers. We hug Jason and finally wave at him as he takes little steps away from us.

"Bye. Call us when you reach."

"Take care."

"Don't forget to give me details on Washington chicks, bro!"

Jason gives Aaron a hard look and Aaron cringes awkwardly. "I love you. Safe journey."

Jason smiles until he turns his back and begins to walk away. We see him proceed towards another security gate and then towards a desk where he shows his passport and ticket. And then, he disappears.

He is off, probably on the inception of the journey that will define who he is in life. He is going to begin walking on his path and making his dreams come true, just like dad encouraged him to.

And maybe, one day, mine will come true too.