If you are meant to last

As Nick and Elizabeth were telling how they had suddenly gotten engaged, Sophia interrupted their story as she asked with confusion, "Huh, but I though you guys said you were only going for a midweek? How did it turn into a seven week trip?" Elizabeth clarified, "Well, the initial plan was to go only for a midweek. It was our first trip away and we were quite nervous about it all. So, we didn't want to go away for too long, because we were afraid that it would get awkward, that we would run out of things to do or talk about, that we would get into fights and would be stuck in a room together, that we would break up or that we would be moving too fast if we went on a long trip and whatnot. The list of con's were endless. But a few days before the trip, while we were sitting in the backyard on our swing sofa after dinner, we got to talking about how it was going to be our senior year after the summer and how we would be going off to uni after that.

When we talked about where we wanted to go, we found out that we both wanted to become a bit more independent and move out after high school and we both plan to go to the affiliated university of Mountforth High. So, that caused the subject of moving in together to come up, but it was brushed away quite quickly and we moved on to other subjects. After that we didn't really talk about it again. That was until we were on the plane. Somehow the subject came up again and we became more convinced that we wanted to move in together after we graduate, but not before we were sure that we were ready for a step like that. This being the only long vacation we have till we graduate, we decided to take our chance now. We had everything booked and ready, but during our first night there we decided to cancel our return ticket and extend our trip to last till the final week of summer. As a trial period to see whether we could move in together after senior year. If we were meant to last, it wouldn't matter that we went on this trip so early on and if we weren't meant to last, it was better to find out now than after wasting another year and after moving in together."

Everyone was looking at the two of them with aw and shock for having gone on such a long trip as their very first trip alone and for being seemingly so calm under their sudden change of plans. Every part of their story was shocking, from having gotten engaged to even discussing moving in together. Especially when they were the least likely to take those steps so soon, considering where they had started a few months ago. Everyone had been thinking this way, except Jason. Even Jenny had been pulled into the emotions of the room, despite having moved in with Jason almost right from the beginning of their relationship. "Why are you looking like it is so strange or unbelievable?" Jason asked as he turned to Jenny. "We have been living together when we were together for less than a month. I don't get what the big deal is. Like Elizabeth said, if you are meant to last, it shouldn't matter when in the relationship you move in with each other. Sure I didn't think that they would be the next to start living, but who knows. The remaining couples have a year to beat them to it." Jason said with a chuckling smile. Harry, Julia, Sophia and George laughed a bit awkwardly at this remark, both couples for very different reasons, when Jenny shifted their attention as she answered Jason's question.

"Hmm yeah..I know... but in our case we moved in with your parents and not by ourselves. We have Garry and the others around us AND we had separate bedrooms in the beginning. We just recently moved into one room. So, I guess that is why it didn't really feel like moving in. Plus, I may have gotten used to it all now, but it was a lot to process back then. It was a huge step for me and for us!" Everyone chuckled as they watched the back and forth between the two of them, when Jenny turned the focus back to Nick and Elizabeth. "I guess it is just everything added up. The long trip, the getting engaged and the moving in put together in one story that got me shocked. Despite the moving in not taking place right now, but after graduation." Harry and Julia nodded in agreement, as they didn't nearly felt ready to move in together, despite being together for a longer period of time than Nick and Elizabeth. "But enough about that for now, because we still haven't heard about how the trip was and the actual proposal!"

Elizabeth and Nick exchanged glances and chuckled, before Nick started talking again. "Well the trip was a disaster actually. We wanted to practice that whole 'living together' feel, so we decided to cook our own meals and go grocery shopping as well as washing our own clothes, because we don't plan on having any staff when we move out. At least not during our student days. But trouble started from the very beginning.