Olivia stared straight ahead as the chaos swirled around her. Lemonade Mouth had been on a very long tour around the United States and she was very glad that it was coming to an end soon.
"It's not working!" Stella shouted for what seemed like the hundredth time.
"You seriously can't be a divaring about this!" here Olivia smiled a little; Wen loved to make up words. Divaring was his new favourite, usually in the face of Stella trying to be a hardcore rockstar and ruining his songs. "It's a good song!"
"Oh please! My little brothers could come up with better lyrics."
"Enough!" someone shouted and Olivia was astonished to find that it was her. "Guys, we're supposed to be friends. Look, it's been a horribly long tour but that's no excuse to fall out like this. Stel, you're my best friend and I love you but please, for the love of god, you gotta stop insisting on stuff like that. Wen, yeah, she was being a diva but you gotta compromise sometimes. You both have to cool off. Mo, fight count?"
"Forty seven since the tour started."
"Are you serious? That's like three a day. Come on guys, keep it under control." Charlie put in from the couch.
"We need some down time. Thankfully next week we get a vacation. We can go home and chill. But until then, please, let's just get through this week." Grudgingly they agreed. "Great. Now, who wants takeout?" general agreement was for Chinese so Olivia left the room to order it.
"Hey Mo, what was the fight count when it concerns Olivia?" Charlie asked.
"Seventeen. But she's right it is getting out of hand."
"I'll make you a deal Wen. Ask her out and I'll stop fighting you about her. 'kay?" Stella said.
Wen was about to answer when Olivia returned. She collapsed onto the sofa beside Charlie and put her head on his shoulder. Wen turned away and wandered over to the minibar to get a drink. He tossed one to Stella.
"Glad to see you two made up. So guys, what you got planned for the vacation?"
"Nothing really."
"Just chilling."
"Thought as much. But I had this idea that we should go camping or something. I'm totally tapped out song writing wise and I think we should get back to roots to come up with some more. What do you guys think?"
"That's a great idea. Campfire song writing. Sounds fun." Stella said enthusiastically.
They had decided, although none could remember how they got there, to start camping the first weekend they were back. They stocked up the tents and met up at Wen's house. There was a handy wood behind the house where he used to go camping as a kid.
Wen and Olivia turned out to be the only ones who actually knew how to put up a tent. The others sat back and watched as they raced to get the tents up before the other did. Wen may have won but Olivia's were neater.
Protesting that they got the tents up so the others had to build the fire and sort out dinner the remaining four band members were sent off to find firewood. Olivia went over to the boys tents to neaten them up.
"Hey, what are you doing?"
"Strong wind and they'll fall down on you." She chuckled. Wen crouched down to help her. Their hands brushed over the tent peg. Their eyes met and Olivia smiled shyly. Wen's eyes wandered to her lips.
Scott stumbled into the clearing walking backwards brandishing a stick, armfuls of sticks in the other. Charlie followed also brandishing a stick as the two duelled with them. Olivia cleared her throat and stood up, and wandered over to her bag.
The duellers stopped and faced Wen's glare.
"Really, guys, great timing." He said sarcastically.
"Sorry, man, didn't know."
Wen just gave him his best 'you're an idiot' look.
While the others tried to get the fire going Wen sat beside Olivia to watch.
"What are you thinking about?" he asked.
"Tent arrangements. Three tents, six people."
"Well they're big enough for two in each. Oh you're thinking sleeping arrangements. Boys in one girls in the other?"
"Three girls three boys. Doesn't work."
"Boy girl in each?"
"And you'd be opening the door to world war three."
"It wouldn't be that bad."
"I suppose, if we didn't put you and Stella in a tent together. Would she kill Charlie if we put them together?"
"No way. She's got a crush on him, she wouldn't kill him."
"She's crushing on him? I'm her best friend how did I not know that?"
"Please, everyone tells me everything."
"That's true I guess. So presuming Mo and Scott will share and Charlie and Stella, that leaves…"
"Us in the third one." They shared a look. Wen looked away and grinned.
Nearby the other band members exchanged excited raised eyebrow grins. They, of course, had been eavesdropping.
Perhaps they wouldn't even need their plan.