Nathan

❶❷

"Ha, trust me, it's not her that I'm worried about, it's him."
- Eli

The next day, it was finally time for our annual Hamptons trip. I was particularly anxious for Roman to arrive, because Eli decided that he would see me off. As I've stated before, things between them are a bit hectic, and I hate being in the center of it all.

"Bro, I don't think you need to worry about Peri out there, I'll watch over her for you." Nathan told Eli, bumping his fist to his to signify his promise. My brother then turned to me to view my face, it being flat and without emotion. "She's my sister after all."

"Oh ... my night in shining armor..." I sarcastically trailed, letting Nathan know that I was still upset with him. I made my self explicitly clear last night when I told him not to speak to me, a request that includes never speaking of me.

"Ha, trust me, it's not her that I'm worried about," Eli started, just as a shiny black car pulled up. I instantly knew who it was, and I honestly couldn't wait for him to show up. "it's him."

Roman opened the door and hopped out of the car, before going to his trunk to remove his suitcase from it. Eli watched him the entire time, and I knew that he was feeling a bit more uncertain about this trip now that it was finally here.

"Roman! It's about time that you joined us!" My mother spoke, shooing my father off to open the trunk door. Speaking of which, Nathan and I do not have the same father, his died right in front of the both of us. When he did, my dad decided to step in, which ultimately led to him and my mother getting back together.

"I know, my mom held me up back at our house, something about not forgetting to bring sunscreen." Roman informed, handing his bag over to my father, who was already holding his hands out to receive it.

That reminded me of Farrah yesterday, and how adamant she was on me bringing my own.

Things went silent as the car got packed, so he finally decided to walk over to the three of us. Nathan sensed the tension, so he just greeted Roman and walked back over to our parents. Eli on the other hand stood his ground, holding onto me securely.

"Eli, I didn't know you were joining us ..." Roman joked, looking over to me for effect. I stifled a laugh, while the boy tried to figure out what to say in response.

"I'm not, I just thought I'd see Peri off, you know, before she goes away with you." Eli spoke.

"I wouldn't really call it going away with me, more so family, since that's what the two of us are," Roman told, before grabbing onto me and pulling me away from Eli. He placed his arm across my shoulder and continued his statement. "family."

"I'll hold you to that." Eli smiled, giving me a firm kiss on my cheek. I'm guessing that this was his way of telling me goodbye, because he also started to walk away in the direction of his car. I gave him one final glance before turning to Roman.

He held a confused look, and he maintained that until we made eye contact. "Wonder what he meant by that..." Roman muttered, and I decided to not reply because I knew exactly what Eli meant. I was just hoping that I myself could hold him to that as well.

X

After arriving in the Hamptons, the six of us unloaded the car and began walking towards our hotel. I say six because Penelope had came at the last moment, which I knew excited Nathan the most. Speaking of Penelope, she had been getting on Roman's nerves the entire car ride.

"Ro, do you think that the hotel will have a swimming pool?" She asked, referring to him by the nickname she had gave him without his consent.

"Of course it has a swimming pool," He answered, "its a fucking hotel." but the last part, he only said to me, which caused me to bury my face in his arm with laughter. I was dying the entire ride because he finally got to get a taste of what I deal with every other day.

"Ro? That's cute, Peri, what's your nickname for Roman?" My mother asked, looking at me from the side. I felt put on the spot, because I don't have one for him, I've never felt the need to shorten his name.

"It better be friend, or boy." My dad told, causing Nathan to laugh, because he's heard the many things that I've called Roman. But none of them, where what he had mentioned.

"Try Dad–" Nathan tried, but I hit him in the chest. Only because I never called Roman that a day in my life. "Oh no wait, that was your nickname for me, right?" The boy looked at me confused, because he didn't understand what was going on.

But it was only Nathan being a fucking dick, so I didn't even elaborate. I didn't reply since that's all that he wanted, attention. "Anyway, what's the rooming situation." Penelope asked, becoming bored with the conversation.

"Well, I think that Nathan and Penelope to a room, Peri and I to one, and then your father and Roman to one–"

"HOLD UP," I spoke, cutting my mother off. "Why are you splitting Roman and I up, but keeping Nathan and Penelope together?"

"They're together." My father told, not being aware of the insanely sexist action that was taking place here.

"Which is even more reason for them to not share a room." I denied, with squinted eyes.

"Fine, you know what, final ruling, Nathan and Roman in one room, Penelope and Peri to the other." My mom finalized with her arms up. Nathan and I sighed in unison, because this arrangement isn't what either of us wanted. I would much rather sleep with my mom, and I know that he would rather sleep with his girlfriend.

Literally.

Roman tried to cover up his snicker, but failed to when I turned to him. "I'm sorry, this is just too good."

X

"Listen, I know that you don't like me, Peri, but for the next four nights, try to act civil." Penelope instructed while I unpacked my luggage. Things were already going South with this arrangement, and I knew that by the end of the trip, I would be bald.

Either from pulling my hair out in frustration, or from Penelope cutting it all off in my sleep. I mean, Heather is a piece of work, but she is something else. Which got me thinking, thinking about the kind of energy an overdue introduction between the two would generate.

"Not like you? Oh no, Penelope, I have nothing against you."

Aside from the fact that you have something that I want.

"It's not like you're Heather, because then there would be a problem." I finished, hoping that my acting skills were good enough to convince her. The thing about Penelope is that she lives to make my life a living hell. Heather on the other hand doesn't, but she doesn't need to know that.

"....Heather? Who is that?" She questioned, turning around with an intrigued face.

"Oh nobody, just the meanest girl in my History class, I mean, she even creeps me out."

There was a slight delay in speech from her, and I could tell that she was having a mental battle with herself in her head. She was trying to decide if someone meaner than her actually existed. "I'm sure she's not that bad, hello, have you met me?"

"Unfortunately, yeah I have, and you're nobody compared to her. I'm sure she could run circles around you in that department. Matter of fact, I think she's staying in the Hamptons as well, maybe I'll introduce you two." I formulate, knowing that she would be open to it.

"That sounds .... great."

X