Realistic or Modern you havent met me |private| i am the only son

[mxydxy.]

RIPLEY ADAMS
CHAPTER ONE:
HELLO, FRIEND.​

We’d been planning our getaway for weeks now, requested the two weeks off from our jobs months in advance, got the cash together and all, spent days packing our bags to ensure we forgot nothing. Everything was planned perfectly. Christmas would be perfect this year.

It was finally the day to depart, and I think I could speak on all’s behalf to say: everyone was excited. We were traveling in pairs. Myself and Lindsay, Carl and Mel, and apparently a couple others I’d never met before. Friends of Mel; so trustworthy enough, I suppose. Lindsay and I rode the bus the final ways there, as her car ‘wouldn’t be able to make the trip’, she said. Which I don’t mind. I mean, she dAmn near has 250,000 miles on it.

neither here nor there.

We finally arrived. The Appalachian trail. Rented a whole cabin and everything. I looked at Lindsay with a warm smile, as she did the same, before we looked back on the beauty: mountains, evergreens and winter-wonderful bare trees, high-rising smoke from chimneys as far as the eye could see, and…

“No service!!” Lindsay croaked in dismay.

I laughed. “So you didn’t read the memo I sent to everyone before booking this place.”

She gave me a grizzly look. “I didn’t even bother to bring my phone. Just some batteries and…” I pulled out a camera. Just a simple Canon. Not professional by any means. I shook it a couple times to notion to it. She shook her head, eyes glued to a - now - useless device. My guess was she was still attempting to get service somehow.

the bus stopped. I watched a couple other people stand and get off before proceeding to do the same. I grabbed my two bags from overhead, holding one in either hand, waiting for Lindsay to do the same before we both stepped off. I looked behind the bus to look at a car that’d been following the bus for awhile. Faces looked familiar enough…

 

[fallenmars]

Eden wasn't too fond of road trips - wasn't fond of the people, at the very least. The car ride was absolutely unbearable for her - she hadn't known any of the people she was riding with aside from Mel and that alone was enough to spark an unnatural amount of discomfort in her chest. She spent the majority of the time with her headphones in, gaze intently focused on the book in her lap, occasionally responding to conversation, but more often than not she was pretending to listen to music to avoid conversation. She had to consistently remind herself that she wasn't doing it for her, that she was doing it for Mel because she "hadn't had anyone else to ask and she had already reserved a cabin and she needed *this* many people to be there if she would be able to keep it reserved for everyone-" and Eden just didn't have the heart to tell her no.

Being forced into a trip with people she didn't know was not how she had planned on spending her Christmas.

If it wasn't obvious enough, Eden, in her entirety, was not an outgoing person. She was quiet, reserved, someone who adored her personal space. Mel knew this and had dragged her along anyway because she "needed her best friend there and the party wouldn't be the same without her" and various other lines Eden had willingly chose to ignore.

That being said, she was more than relieved when the car pulled to its final stop behind the bus. She quickly shouldered her bag, tucked the book she had tried to read on the way up here under her shoulder, and nearly bolted out of the car before the other two even had a chance to glance her way. Once outside, she drew a long, much needed deep breath, expelling at least some of the tightness in her chest with the action before she cast a glance around. The tree looming overhead provided a familiar sense of comfort. Before she had moved away, she had spent a large portion of her childhood living in the Smoky Mountains so the snow crunching under her feet and the mountains looming in the distance didn't do much to impress her.

She would admit, however, that no matter how many times she visited the trail it would always be a beautiful sight.

As she waited for Mel and Carl to exit the car, she took a few paces back and turned her gaze to the bus stop itself, searching for somewhat familiar faces. She wasn't the sociable type so of course she was waiting for Mel to step out before she approached anyone, regardless of the fact she had met the two familiar figures at the stop before. Their interaction had only been in passing but she recognized them enough. She shivered as she looked on, turning her gaze to the valley below. Despite the thick, woolen coat pulled around her shoulders, the cool winter air stung her cheeks and sent chills down her spine. She really was just ready to get indoors. It was growing late and the last thing she wanted to do was get caught in another burst of snow.

 

[mxydxy.]

He recognized Mel instantly, a warm smile pulling at the curtains of his lips. He walked towards the car, setting his bags down before our stretching his branch-worth of arms. “Come here, lover!” He said. She wasn’t his lover by any means, it was just how he always greeted the girl. They had been friends for about half his life now—twelve years.

“oh hush!” The girl smiled like the sun and outstretched her wings for him as they hugged tightly for few moments before pulling back. She looked at him warmly a little longer before shaking her head and waving her hands. “Sorry, sorry.” She turned and took a step to Eden, a hand gracing her shoulder. “This is Miss Eden.” She looked to the girl then back to Ripley, hand extended. “And you remember Mister Ripley.”. The male smiled at the girl, extending a hand to shake hers.

Carl chimed up. “They’re by no means ‘together’.”

Ripley shook his head. “‘Course not. More of a sister to me. Better family than my actual family, you know what I mean?” He half-joked.

another car pulled in, following by another guest. They walked over to us, introducing themself as “Oscar”.

“Well, come, come!” Mel said cheerily, “Cabin… six” she said, looking at a paper followed by a map. He picked up his bags, following the group.

 

[fallenmars]

Eden’s lips quirked at the interaction between them, biting back the urge to laugh. She felt comfortable enough around them but that didn’t stop her from bringing her hand up to touch the crystal hanging from her neck. The obsidian was cold and stung her skin upon contact but she didn’t mind it in the slightest. It’s smoothed surface calmed her racing heartbeat and the tension in her shoulders unwound the tiniest bit. Although social interaction wasn’t much her thing, she felt much better among the small crowd with the early gift sitting comfortably against her chest.

Maybe Christmas with these strangers wouldn’t be as bad as she thought it to be.

Eden lifted her gaze from the stone when she heard the mention of her name. Realizing she was being introduced to the man she had seen many times before, she offered a meek smile and took his hand.

“It’s nice to properly meet you, Ripley. I’ve heard a lot about you.” She cocked her head in Mel’s direction, implying where she had heard of him, and pulled her hand back, her smile turning into a grin when Mel shot her a ‘look’.

She knew what he meant when he mentioned seeing her as a sister. Mel seemed to have that affect on everyone she came across. Eden herself had been ‘adopted’ not long after meeting her and with Mel doting on her all the time, it was almost impossible to not treat her like she was family.

Acknowledging Oscar with a small smile, Eden adjusted the straps on her backpack and promptly started for the cabin, staying a few paces behind the others.

 

[mxydxy.]

They walked for what seemed like forever. Really, probably only a mile or two. Finally, they saw their cabin: cabin 6. It was pretty sizable. The male looked to Mel, inquiring about bedrooms. “There’s four. There’s a few ‘uneven’ rooms, like, ones with two beds or ones with three or just one…. So I figured we could play a game…” She paused, awkwardly mid-sentence, a little mischievous smirk crawling across her face. “…to figure out who gets what room.”



He didn’t like that smirk. “Meelll…” he cawed. “Just what sort of ‘game’ did you have in mind?”



She laughed whole-heartedly, guiding the group up the entrance steps and front porch before inserting a key into the lock of the frame. “Oh, come now. It’s just a drinking game to get everyone in the spirits. Y’know, get to know… mm… maybe a little more than we wanted to know about each other.”



“And hopefully forget about it in the morning?” He asked, puppy-dog face emerging from its den.



“Hopefully. Just for your sake.” She said with a light-hearted laugh.



They got up onto the porch and Mel pulled out a small envelope. “I only have two keys,” she added, pulling out a shiny silver one and inserting it into the lock. “So we’ll have to figure out who gets a key and whatnot every day we’re here, unfortunately.” She finished. She turned the knob on the front door, pushing the wooden piece open and stepping inside as they all followed behind her.



Ripley shivered as they entered. “Jeez. It feels colder in here than it does outside!” He remarked, eyes wandering around. The foyer and the living room were one, so finding a couch and places to put his bags was easy. He walked to one of said couches and dropped his bags behind it so they were still out the way. He raised his voice to call out to Mel. “So, when does the drinking start?”



“Alcoholism is a real disease.” Said Oscar, half-jokingly.



“Well—no—but—“ he stopped. “It IS a disease, but I meant so we can start the game.”



Mel smiled, “Let’s let everyone get inside, put down their things…” she looked around for the thermostat, turning it on, and walking past Ripley to get to the electric fireplace. She frowned. “I was hoping it’d be a /real/ fire, y’know?” The male nodded. She fumbled about with it before asking someone to help. Ripley went over to her, fumbling about just as she did.



“Might be broken,” he said. “Because there’s only so many buttons we can press…”



Mel sighed. “I guess we’ll just have to wait for the heat to kick on…”. She stood up and found her way to her own bags, pulling out a bottle or two of liquor.



“Or we can get drunk quick and not realize how cold it is” she stated, shaking the bottles a bit.