Glow Sticks

Chapter 1.

“Amelia!” Max’s voice cuts through the quiet two bedroom apartment he shares with his sister. “Amy, you ready yet?” He yells again after a few moments with no answer. Walking to her room he gives a few more seconds before starting to hammer on her bedroom door. “Ameeelia, you need to get ready!” Just as his words leave his mouth the front door opens revealing a frowning Amelia. “Gee, Bro. Do you want to wake up the whole building?” “Oh.” Max responds with a sheepish look on his face as he drops his hand that still hovers over the rough oak texture of her bedroom door. “What you got there?” He asks nodding in the direction of the brown paper bag she has tugged under her arm. “Just my breakfast.” She shrugs as she turns around to the kitchen. Moving swiftly from behind her, Max grabs the bag from her hold. “Thanks, you shouldn’t have.” Max says as he peels open the bag. “I know that’s why I didn’t.” She states, trying to grab the bag back from her brother’s reach, which isn’t that affective when he is almost a foot taller than her and holding the bag up over his head. “Come on, that’s mine.” Amelia moans as she tries pulling her brother’s arm down. “I walked all the way down to the bakery myself.” “Oh, what a big accomplishment that is.” Max pulls a plate from the cupboard, still holding the bag securely in his other hand. “A total of two flights of stairs and one hundred meters down the street, wow.” Max shakes his head at his sister as he internally rolls his eyes. “Hey, I deserve a medal! It is only 6 o’clock in the morning, if you don’t mind and it is four flights of stairs and two hundred meters in total, okay?” Amelia defends herself with a pout. “If you aren’t giving it back, at least share.” She grumbles turning away from her brother still pouting with her arms crossed over her chest. “Here.” Max says rolling his eyes taking a savoury scone from the bag and holding it out to her. “Eat up, we need to leave.” He says giving her a half smile. To say he felt bad would be a lie. He loves teasing his sister. “Can’t I just give you this delicious mouth-watering scone, and you pretend to forget me here?” Amelia tries to bribe her brother holding the scone out to him. “Please?” She begs with a hopeful look in her eyes. “You know you have to go. It is our father after all.” Max sighs, knowing just how much Amelia would rather eat a prickly pear with thorns and all. She has been avoiding all contact since he announced his newly found love of his life (or dare he say year). “Come on we will have fun and Lilly will be there too.” He tries convincing her. “I’m not winning am I?” She sighs with sadness transparent in her voice. “We don’t even know this new bride to be.” “I know, Lia, but see it as vacation or just sometime with great friends.” Max tries again using her pet name as leverage. “I’m even paying for everything.” He adds in a whisper when it seems that he isn’t convincing her at all. A small smile starts to form around Amelia’s lips as an idea forms in her head as she looks at her brother and his pleading eyes. “Okay, fine, but I want ice cream every day.” She holds out her hand to shake on the deal. “Deal.” Max says with a smirk shaking his sister’s hand. “Go get your stuff, we’re running late.” Gathering their plates Max turn towards the kitchen just as Amelia’s voice stops him in his tracks. “So, are you happy Lilly is coming?” Amelia looks down at her nails while she asks her brother the question, pretending not to be interested. “Why would I be, she’s your friend.” Max replies pretending to be bored as he continues on his way. “Men.” She huffs as she stands from her seat to go fetch her bag. The last thing she wants is for Max to get suspicious and figure out her plan to get him and Lilly finally together. “By the way we are picking up Nate.” Max shouts over his shoulder as he dumps rinses the plates and puts them on the drying rack. He waited to tell Amelia this information as long as he could since he knows she ignores Nate since the last time they all went out. “What?!” Amelia shouts running towards her brother. “Why?” “Because.” Max shrugs as he passes her at the kitchen door. “I’ll meet you at the car.” Max is one of the two directors of a well-known logistics company in the city. He does all the business meetings and deals with all the companies they have contracts with and his partner handles all the tech stuff like software programing and networking. Amelia is four years younger than Max. Amelia suspected Max had a crush on Lilly, her best friend since the day they started nursing school and moved away from their hometown, five years ago. Now they are both done with their associate degree in nursing and still Max didn’t make a move. Amelia secretly hoped that with their father’s wedding coming up and Lilly joining them on the trip that he will finally reveal his feelings to her, but now he just had to go and even out their numbers with this mysterious friend that all of a sudden needed a ride to the same place they are going to. Sometimes she wishes she can just smack some sense into her brother. Now all her plans of playing cupid were hanging in the balance. It’s not like she can fake a headache or nausea around dinner time once in a while now that Max decided to bring Nathaniel freaking Welsh. By the time they pulled up to Lilly’s apartment building, she was already outside bouncing on the balls of her feet. “I’m so excited!” She screeches tripling on one spot like a little girl on her birthday. Her red curly hair bouncing like springs with every move she makes. Her emerald green eyes shines brightly like they usually do, but today they have just that little bit more sparkle. Lilly has a very happy and positive personality. She is always busy and overly excited about everything. If you need a cheerleader, Lilly is the perfect person for the job. She loves working with children and fits in perfectly at the children’s hospital with her small frame and childlike features. From her round shaped face to her button nose, she reminds Amelia of a ragdoll, but don’t ever think you can play with her. You will lose, badly. “I am too.” Amelia says with a huge smile as her friend throws her bag in the back of the Jeep. “You are?” Max says sceptically as he lifts an eyebrow at his sister. She looked far from excited when they left their apartment. “Yeah, I get ice cream every day, so why won’t I be?” She asks her brother as if it is the most obvious thing in the world, before opening the passenger side door. “Lilly, you can get in the front.” She says opening the back door with and quickly slipping into the backseat. “Ahh, so much comfier.” She sighs as she stretches out on the back seat, leaving no space for arguing. Max chuckles as he watches his sister in the rear view mirror, wordlessly thanking her for the chance to have Lilly next to him, but he doubts she would want to sit in the back when he picks up his best friend. “Amy, I thought we agreed that you will leave your weirdness at home.” Lilly says in a serious tone as she slides the seatbelt over her shoulder and clipping it into place. “I tried too, but it decided to sneak into my luggage just as we left the house.” Amelia pouts as she looks at her friend lazily causing Lilly to laugh and shake her head at her friend. “So Max, where do we pick up the hitch hiker?” Amelia questions as she sighs in displeasure, sitting back up to fasten her own seatbelt. “He is not a hitch hiker.” Max groans at his sisters words and Lilly stops laughing immediately. “That sounds so ominous.” Lilly shivers as she glances over to her best friend. “Like, we are heading to our own demise or something.” “Or something.” Max pipes in under his breath as he pulls away into traffic. Amelia sighs before taking her phone out of her white shorts pocket and focusing on it. Her medium length black hair is up in a messy bun away from her heart shaped face. Her lightly tinted sunglasses hide her dark blue eyes as it sits on her slightly pointy nose. Her full rose pink lips pouts as she concentrates on the game she started to play on her phone, leaving Max and Lilly to carry a conversation of their own. The conversation between Max and Lilly lived a short life as Max slowly brought the Jeep to a stop in front of a suburban home on the outskirts of the city. Amelia is oblivious to what is happening around her as she struggled forming a word with the letters the word game she is playing gave her. Her lip was caught between her teeth as she gnawed on it in concentration. Almost biting her lip, she jerks up the moment Max press on the Jeeps hooter. “Glow sticks!” She yells in surprise as she looks at her brother in dismay. “Ha ha ha ha!” Max laughs loudly at his sister choice of words. “Glow sticks…. Ha ha ha ha!” He continues hitting the steering wheel of the Jeep. Amelia pokes her tongue out at him, before turning her gaze at the man walking towards the Jeep. His slender, tall frame saunters lazily towards them as he runs his right hand through his ash blond hair. His dark sunglasses hide his eyes which are locked onto the tips of his converse. His left hand holds onto the strap of his back pack slung carelessly over his left shoulder. As he comes closer, Amelia’s eyes darts to her brother hoping the man with the straight nose and chiselled jaw did not see her looking at him. “Max I thought you loved me?” She whispers to her brother as she leans in between the two seats. “I’m buying you ice cream every day, remember.” Max says chuckling as Amelia falls back on her seat with a groan. “No fair, that was to go to this stupid wedding.” Amelia argued folding her arms over her chest while shooting a disgruntled look in Nate’s direction. “How is one ice cream a day supposed to get me through this?” “Okay, fine. I’ll buy you two.” Max agrees as he rolls his eyes at his sister. “You look ecstatic.” Nate comments as he passes Amelia to throw his bag in the back like the others. Nate makes his way to the opposite side of the Jeep, fist bumping Max before climbing onto the back seat. This trip officially just got Amelia’s stamp of ‘the worst trip ever’ and it did not even start yet. “Hi, Nate!” Lilly says just as excited as before. “How have you been?” She asks politely, giving him a friendly smile. “Good thanks and you Lils?” He asks returning her politeness. “I’m great thanks, really excited for this road trip though.” She says turning back in her seat as Max starts to drive off. “Really, I can’t tell it’s not like you are bursting from the seams like Amelia over her.” Nate continues sarcastically as Amelia glares daggers at her brother’s best friend. Why did Max have to ask Nate to come? He should have known it will be awkward. Nate and Max are business partners. Nate runs the tech side of their business, graduated with top honours in computer science and technology with a master’s degree in programming. You will not say it by the looks of him, but his brain is that of a nerd. “It’s just so hard to contain my excitement with you here, Nate. You really make my want to jump from joy.” Amelia deadpans adding softly: “Off the nearest cliff.” It was never like this, they were friends, until Nate ruined it that is. “I can always reduce that ice cream again.” Max reprimands Amelia with a sigh, hoping that this trip will not drive him into insanity. Nate was the only person besides his sister he truly trusted, a true friend. They met when Max needed a roommate when he started college, sharing the flat that he and Amelia now shares. Starting and working hard together on their business made their friendship set in stone. “I figured Amelia would want her ice cream soon, so I booked our first lodge at the next town over.” Max informs while giving his sister a teasing smile. “I reckoned that we can spend a few hours at each lodge and explore the towns since we only have to be at the wedding in ten days.” Nate and Lilly agrees in unison, while Amelia sticks her tongue out to her brother. There is no use denying it when it is the truth, she does want her ice cream as soon as possible. Max starts to drive off while Lilly sets up the navigator on Max’s phone after he hands it to her. Amelia returns her attention to the game on her phone, deciding to avoid Nate as long as possible. Not that it is easy with the man sitting right next to her. Time and again she catches her eyes drawn to him as her head stays bent over her phone. Nate nestled himself into the corner of the seat, his body half way turned, one leg bend and perched on top of the seat. It looks like he might be asleep, but underneath his sunglasses his eyes are wide open and looking directly at Amelia. Her bottom lip is sucked in between her teeth again as she concentrates on her phone. He can see her bright blue eyes looking at him from the side of her sunglasses. Her natural rosy cheeks gave her a look of youth and innocence. She reminded him of a modern day snow white, skin as pure as snow, raven black hair and crystal clear blue eyes. Amelia surely was the fairest of them all in Nates opinion, she has been since the day they met. Amelia’s mind wonders too much away from the game on her phone, frustrated she closes the application. Sighing loudly as she flicks her phone to the side, accidentally hitting Nate on his Knee. Her face turns instantly towards Nate as a shocked expression dawns on her face as she watch her phone bounce of his knee before tumbling down under the seat. She didn’t mean for her phone to hit him at all. Nate lowers his leg and they both bend down to find her phone. Their hands touch as they both grab hold of the phone. Amelia immediately sits back up, hitting Nate squarely on the jaw with her head. Nate backs up rubbing his jaw as he groans in pain, while she winces in pain as she rubs her head. “Thanks.” Amelia mumbles, as Nate hands her the phone. “Yeah, thanks.” He points at his jaw now turning red. Amelia gasps, her jaw almost hitting the floor. “It was an accident.” “More like violent tendencies.” He grumbles under his breath as he turns his head away from her, but his mind did not seem to get the memo as his thoughts constantly returns to her. “Whatever, Nathaniel.” She snarls, her eyes linger on Nate’s profile a little longer as her mind drifts to a time where they were friends. She missed the times she spent with him and her brother. They had great times since the day she moved in with Max and he always found a way to make her smile and laugh. He never ignored her like Max’s friends from home. She still remembers the exact shade of his hazel green eyes and his laugh that is deep and loud. She had to admit that she had a crush on Nate at the beginning of their friendship, but she soon realised that he saw her only as a friend and then when she finally felt like she could move on, he went and kiss her. Not knowing how to react to it she started to avoid him. Amelia tears her eyes away from Nate, willing herself to forget. “Are we there yet?” She asks her brother when they pass the five miles to town mark, the time passed quickly as she revelled in the past. Since she is the younger sibling annoying Max was always fun. “No.” Max grumbled when Amelia interrupts his and Lilly’s conversation. Not that it was very important or personal, but he liked talking to Lilly and gave her all of his attention when they did get the chance to converse. He seriously needs to tell her how he feels before this wedding is over. After almost an entire life time of knowing Lilly and a five year long crush this needs to go somewhere and fast or he might just go nuts. “Lilly?” Amelia asks a few minutes later. “Are we there yet?” She asks when Lilly turns in her seat to look at her. “Hold on a sec.” Lilly says with a smile, catching on to Amelia’s intent. They use to do this a lot in the past. “Nate?” She says innocently. “Yeah.” He says inattentively, turning his gaze towards her. “Are we there yet?” Lilly asks with a wide grin and a sparkle in her eyes. Nate frowns at first not sure why she would ask him, he is not the one driving and he was definitely not paying attention to anything happening outside the jeep. His eyes turn to Amelia’s mischievous ones for a second and then he remembers and a smile makes its way to his lips as well. This reminded him of the times they use to take spontaneous road trips as he decides to play along. “Let me ask Max. Hey, Max?” He turns to Max with his finger pointed up as he motions for Lilly to give him just one second. Max just grumbles in answer, knowing what will follow in just a few seconds. “Are we there yet?” Amelia, Lilly and Nate yells in unison, just as the first houses of the town appears in the distance and just like that the tension in the Jeep almost completely evaporates. Amelia smirks at Nate and in that moment she decides that she will no longer avoid him. She missed him too much as a friend and she just has to trust that Nate had a good reason for doing what he did. Besides it is not like he likes her back and she did decide to move on after all.