Arrival

The long-awaited day had finally arrived, and the excitement was palpable as the group gathered their bags and loaded into the van. Jake, always dependable, was behind the wheel, with Lily sitting beside him. His van, trusty and spacious, was perfect for them.

"Ready for an adventure?" Jake asked with a grin, turning to the others as he started the engine.

"You bet!" Noah replied from the back, his enthusiasm infectious as the rest of the group nodded eagerly.

Behind Jake and Lily sat Chloe, Natalie, and Ethan, while Noah and Ava took the rear seats. The drive to the mountains was about five hours, but it flew by in a haze of music, stories, and laughter. They took turns sharing old memories, teasing each other, and playing travel games to pass the time.

"Are we there yet?" Ethan asked for what felt like the hundredth time, leaning forward dramatically to peer out of the window.

Jake chuckled, shaking his head. "Almost, man. Just be patient."

Finally, they reached their destination. The van came to a smooth stop, and one by one, they climbed out, stretching their stiff limbs and taking in the crisp mountain air. The villa stood tall in front of the—old, a bit eerie, but undeniably charming in a rustic way.

Noah looked around, a broad grin spreading across his face. "We made it!"

Lily stretched, raising her arms high above her head. "Who knew sitting for five hours could be this tiring?"

Jake gave her a mock glare. "You're tired? I drove the whole way!"

Ethan let out a low whistle as he stared at the villa. "Man, this place looks ancient."

Ava hugged herself, shivering slightly. "It's giving me spooky vibes. Not what I expected."

Lily smirked. "Scared already?"

Ava shook her head quickly, though her eyes betrayed a little nervousness. "No way. Just...surprised, that's all."

Noah clapped his hands. "Alright, people! Let's go inside and check this place out!"

The inside of the villa was as old as it looked from the outside, with creaky floors and a slightly musty scent lingering in the air. But it was clean—surprisingly so. The furniture had a vintage feel, like something out of an old movie, and the decor was simple, yet oddly comforting in its rustic charm.

"This place is shabby," Natalie muttered, wrinkling her nose.

Chloe, on the other hand, was already smiling excitedly. "It's perfect! Imagine all the adventures we're going to have here."

Natalie glanced at her with a slow nod. "Yeah...I guess."

Jake yawned loudly. "Alright, I'm calling it. I'm off to bed."

"Not so fast," Lily interjected, stopping him mid-step. "We need to figure out the sleeping arrangements first. There are four rooms in the villa."

She paused before continuing, "Me and Jake will take this room. Chloe and Natalie, you guys can share the next one."

Lily then looked at Ava, Noah, and Ethan. "That leaves you three to figure it out."

Noah glanced at Ava, who avoided his eyes for a moment, then looked back at Lily. "Ava and I can stay together if she's cool with it."

Lily smirked. "Well, Ava, what do you say?"

Ava blushed but gave a shy smile. "Yeah, I'm okay with that."

Noah, looking pleased, grinned back at her. "Great."

"And I guess that leaves Ethan with the last room," Lily said with a teasing smile.

Ethan groaned dramatically. "What? I'm alone? I should've invited Max!"

Chloe shrugged. "Yeah, you should have. It would've been fun with him around."

Ethan explained, "I did, but he's in the UK visiting his grandparents."

"Ahh, makes sense," Chloe replied thoughtfully.

Jake stretched and yawned again. "Alright, can I go to sleep now?"

"Not yet!" Lily said, grabbing his arm. "We need to eat first."

Jake smiled, defeated. "Okay, okay. Let's eat."

They all gathered in the kitchen, working together to throw together a quick meal.

After dinner, they finally made their way to their rooms. In Ava and Noah's room, an awkward silence filled the space as they unpacked their bags. Ava nervously fidgeted with her clothes, unsure of what to say.

Noah finally broke the silence. "You can take the bed. I'll crash on the couch."

Ava looked at him, shaking her head. "No, no. We can share. It's fine."

Noah raised an eyebrow. "You sure?"

Ava smiled, her cheeks slightly pink. "Yeah, I'm sure."

Noah smiled back, a little shy himself. "Alright, if you say so."

*****

Hehehe... well, well... I'm sure you're wondering how this night is going to go, aren't you?

But who am I?

Don't worry. I'm just a friendly watcher, silently keeping track of things. I don't interfere... I just comment, laugh, and wait for the inevitable.

If this was a romance novel... things might take a very different turn... Hehe...Hehehe... but it's not, is it?

Anyway... let's move on... Hehehe...

*****

As the night set in, the villa fell into a peaceful quiet. The forest outside hummed with the soft sounds of nature, and the group, exhausted from the day's journey, settled in for their first night in the mountains.

In their room, Jake and Lily snuggled up, the weariness of the day catching up to them. "Today was fun," Lily mumbled sleepily.

"Yeah, it was," Jake agreed, already half-asleep. "Tomorrow's gonna be even better."

Next door, Chloe and Natalie were still chatting excitedly about the adventures ahead.

"This place is amazing!" Chloe whispered, her eyes twinkling even in the dim light.

"Totally," Natalie replied. "This trip's going to be epic."

In his room, Ethan lay staring at the ceiling, feeling a mixture of excitement and loneliness. "I hope something unexpected happens," he mused quietly to himself.

Meanwhile, in Ava and Noah's room, a comfortable silence fell between them as they lay side by side on the bed. Ava glanced at Noah, who was looking up at the ceiling with a faint smile on his face.

"This trip is going to be unforgettable," Ava thought to herself, a mix of excitement and nervousness settling in her chest.

Tomorrow was going to be the start of something... something they couldn't have anticipated.

Who would anticipate their doom?