iCave

for _beyondheroism

Merry Christmas! 3

When Spencer had loudly exclaimed that we were cutting the last few days of school before Christmas vacation and were rushing off to a desolate place outside Seattle to enjoy multiple days of winter fun in Socko's camper, needless to say, we were all pretty excited. Carly, because she looked forward to getting a break from school and to enjoy that she was camping without having to find roots and berries (I was pretty happy about that, too), and Sam, because she could enjoy all of the Shay family's free food and stuff while on the road, and me? Well, getting a few days from my mother was always a welcome motivation to leave.

Still, it made me nervous. Spending multiple days under the guidance of Spencer and his dubiously friendly buddy, Socko? It wasn't exactly the best supervision in the world. Yes, I trusted Spencer with my life (at least when not in immediate danger), but I hadn't a clue what Socko was actually like, and I was very aware of what Socko's definition of cool was. But I went along with it. I was going with my two best friends. How could I say no?

I should have probably learned from my mother, because it took about five hours of convincing before she finally let me go. I did a little dance of happiness, alone in my room as I packed, knowing I could finally watch the nature channel unsupervised. Socko said he had a television in the RV afterall. I think Carly, Sam, and I all practically floated down the elevator with our bags, perfectly pleased to be getting away from it all. I had more bags than both women, however. My mother had packed two extra bags of just-in-cases. I think I had enough anti-tick spray to last a lifetime, and I was certain I would be throwing it away at the first truck stop.

When we reached the parking lot, we stared in awe. Not good awe either.

When Socko had said camper and RV, we had expected a much nicer vehicle. But, then again, it was Socko we were talking about, who was currently at the steering wheel of a rickety truck, dragging an off-white, ugly trailer behind it. Three heads (including mine) whipped to Spencer, who made a face of innocence and awkwardness.

"Wh-what? It's... nice."

Spencer was met with grumbles and mumbles.

"Aw, c'mon, guys! Would you rather be at school?"

I was about to say yes and go back inside when Sam grabbed both Carly and my arm and dragged us into the camper, making it fairly obvious that we would be going, whether we wanted to or not.

The inside wasn't much better. I clutched my backpack close to me, hoping that the technology of my laptop would seep into my veins and make me happier. Because the televisions had dials on them. DIALS. And the lights were flickering, and... oh, God... there was one or two bugs on the wall already! I looked at Carly, who appeared equally horrified as I was, then to Sam, who took a bite of a meatstick, looking rather calm.

"This is disgusting," I stated.

Sam shrugged. "Feels like home."

Spencer and Socko poked their heads in the door.

"Well, whatcha think?" Socko asked, looking very proud.

I didn't have the heart to say anything.

"Coolio. Where's my room?" Sam stated.

"Ohh..." Socko looked over his small, square-shaped glasses. "There's three of you?"

We all exchanged looks then. "Um, yeah." I said. "What gave you the idea there was less?"

"Oh, well, Spence said Carly and her friends could come."

"That would be more than two."

Socko gazed off into nowhere for a minute. "Oh..." He shook his head. "Nevermind. You guys'll sleep right through there." He pointed to a small, slide-out door.

I made a face. "Wait, I have to share with the girls? Why can't I share with you and Spencer?"

Socko's eyebrows raised. "You just can't."

"...Oookay..."

We dragged our bags into our room, staring at the king size bed like we were looking at a hotel bed. What exactly had gone on there, we would never know. All we knew was that we were in for a long journey away from the Bushwell Apartments. And Socko and Spencer were manning the truck. Socko - who didn't think friends was plural, and Spencer – who couldn't keep a goldfish alive for more than a week.

I was definitely starting to think I made a mistake.

"Wow, this bed looks like my mom's," Sam said, crawling up the stained, ugly, floral comforter and making herself comfortable in the middle of the bed. "So who gets the floor?"

Carly and I looked at the sliver of floor between the bed and the door.

"There is no floor," I said flatly.

"Eh, you're skinny," Sam said, waving her hand in the air to show her apathy.

I glared at her. "I am not sleeping on this nasty floor." Though I technically wasn't sure about the bed either. Still, I sat on the edge to Sam's right, and Carly sat on Sam's left.

The camper lurched forward with a shuddering jolt, and we were off.

"So," Carly sighed. "What do we do until we get there?"

"I don't know. Want to try the television?"

"Sure."

I walked over to the TV, shoved violently in the corner, with bent antenna covered in foil, and turned the dial. The television screen fizzled for a moment before one of the antenna burst into flames. I wailed, grabbing a moldy pillow to put out the fire, then quickly shut the TV off. I looked at the two girls in the room, who were sitting wide-eyed on the bed, and smiled halfway.

"Um... I didn't really feel like watching TV anyway."

Carly shook her head.

"We could have roasted weenies on that," Sam suggested, trying to be optimistic.

It was going to be a long ride.

...

"Hey guys! Guys!"

I groaned, opening my eyes halfway, only to realize I had fallen asleep, and I currently had a blonde drooling on my shoulder. Carly had snuggled up to Sam, snoozing delicately – because Carly did everything with grace, and Sam, as stated before was currently drooling on my shirt, snoring loudly with a long, lanky arm draped over my stomach.

Spencer was in the doorway, looking a little disheveled, but otherwise ecstatic, and the bottoms of his jeans were wet.

"We're here!" he said, grinning. "And there's a lake!"

Carly stirred, blinking sleep out of her eyes. "What are we going to do on a lake in the middle of winter?"

"Come on! It's awesome!"

Sam opened her eyes, looked up at me, and then promptly pushed me off the bed, allowing me to slam my head against the rinky-dink nightstand and yelp, gripping my throbbing skull.

"Ow! What?!"

"Sorry. Immediate reaction when I see you." She shrugged, kicking her feet of the bed and stepping over me without issue.

Carly examined the lump on my head, came to the conclusion that I didn't have a concussion, and followed Sam out with a sympathetic look thrown in my direction. I was the last one out of the camper.

Well, the woods were at least beautiful. Socko was sitting on a rock, attempting to get a fire started, and the sun had set, leaving the falling late-autumn leaves and pine trees in a deep amber glow. The lake sparkled underneath the light of the glowing orange orb in the sky, and it left me feeling a bit high, especially with all the clean air. Seattle had never produced such a thing.

"How long did you guys drive?" Carly asked, a little surprised at how fast the time had flew.

"Oh, Socko has a rule that if we go anywhere by car or truck, we don't stop until we get there."

I gave Spencer a look. "What if you're going across country and one of you has to... you know--"

"Whiz," Sam finished.

"Oh, I have some old styrofoam cups and--"

"Don't wanna know," we all answered simultaneously. Spencer shrugged.

"So! How about some..." He stressed some as if he was waiting for a drumroll before whipping out some fishing rods, "FISHING!"

We all grinned. Things were starting to look up.

"Now everyone do a good job," Socko yelled from the firepit. "You're catching your dinner."

Well, it turns out that most of us really sucked at fishing. Spencer caught two small fish after his experience of pillow fishing, and Sam had caught one regular size fish, much to her hungry chagrin, and Carly had fished out the old cliched boot. I hadn't caught a thing.

"I hate fishing," I stated plainly, dropping my rod to the ground as my stomach growled and churned.

Sam was currently poking a stick through her fish, getting it ready to cook. "Fishing hates you too. Oh, and me. I hate you."

I sneered at her then looked to Carly for help. "What do we eat?"

Carly frowned. "I don't know. Want to dig around in the camper?"

We took a look at the ugly old thing, shuddered, and decided we'd rather go hungry than eat anything Socko had stored – especially anything in styrofoam cups.

"Sam, do you have any snacks?" Carly asked.

Sam laughed. "Do I have any snacks? Really, Carls?" A pause. "Of course I do. It's pretty much all I brought." She held her fish over the fire and gestured with her head to the camper. "Have at some, Carls. But don't touch my fatcakes. Those are for momma."

Carly's and my dinner consisted of gummy bunnies and beef jerky that night. Which was actually kind of cool considering my mom would have had a conniption. Socko's messy hair was pulled back away from his face as he munched on his own fish. When he had caught it, I hadn't a clue. I was just starting to think Socko had magical powers or something, and I was wishing that he had used said powers to get Carly and me a fish too.

Sam ate hers in its entirety – bones and all, and was lying halfway on a log by the fire pit, patting her stomach happily. I could see the envy in Carly's eyes as she munched on a gummy bunny. Carly wasn't very well adapted to having candy for dinner. Pie for breakfast, yes. Candy for dinner, not so much. Sam grinned at Carly.

"So Carls, whatcha want to do before bed?"

She raised an eyebrow. "What do you have in mind?"

"Ohhh, I don't know. When are you going to sleep, Freddork?"

Terror struck me. "I... don't know. Why?"

Sam and Carly looked particularly mischievous.

"Nooo reason," they chimed, drawling into giggles.

I was very uncomfortable.

Nonetheless, we retired for the evening, though the three of us weren't as tired as we were bored. We played cards for a bit, then watched a movie on my laptop, but all together, weren't much more entertained. Besides, my laptop was quickly dying, and I was afraid to plug it into the outlet that had set the television on fire earlier. So we all kicked back on the bed for a good old-fashioned chat.

Midnight came and went, and we were left lying there, staring blankly at the ceiling, me in the middle of the bed, feeling a little cool with two girls lying next to me, waiting for sleep that wasn't coming.

"Well, this kind of sucks," Sam said.

"Yeah, it does. You shouldn't have dragged us into this stupid camper."

"Please don't fight guys," Carly said slowly, her voice laced with tiredness. "There's not enough room in here for you guys to fight."

There was a long moment of silence before Sam sat up suddenly, her eyes bright with an idea that could only be malicious.

"...What is it?" Carly asked, mimicking her friend and sitting up as well.

I figured since they were, I might as well.

"I have an idea. What do you say we get out of here?"

"Out of here? How? And go where?"

"I bed there's a town nearby. We can go bowling or out to eat or something! And all we have to do is unlatch the truck, drive it there and get it back before Spencer and Socko wake up."

"Yeah? And who's gonna drive?"

"Well, you have your permit, don't you?"

I paled. "Whoa, whoa... you're not suggesting... no! No, I will not."

"Oh, come on, Fredward! Don't be such a buzzkill!"

"I have my permit, Sam. I have to have an adult in the car with me when-"

"BLAH BLAH BLAAAAAAAH." She nearly spat on me. "Fredhead, seriously."

I squirmed. Bowling did sound more fun than what we were doing. "Uhhh... what do you think, Carly?" I whirled on her so fast she nearly fell backwards.

"Well..." she floundered, her lips twisting in confusion. "Um..."

Doing bad things was not something Carly was good at, but Sam was goading her on. "Come on, Carly. Think bowling, think pizza."

She perked at the sound of pizza.

"Well... only if Freddie is comfortable-"

"Awesome! Come on, Fredward. Help me unlatch the trailer. Carly, get the keys. We're going into town."

"Wait, Sam! I didn't say I was comfortable-"

"Well, Carly and I could just wait till you fell asleep and paint your nails and stuff and take pictures for iCarly."

A pause. "Let's go," I said. It was better than the alternative at least.

Well, at the time.