Emma was trying to get a good night sleep in the Woodchuck cabin, but Tiffany kept spelling words, Zuri kept going to the bathroom after that awful food she ate, and Lou was doing the woodchuck sign over and over again in her sleep. Emma stood up from her bed in annoyance and picked a flashlight up to light up the dark. She also couldn't sleep because she has been worrying too much about her friendship with Xander.
Or well, lack of friendship. Xander and Emma have been fighting lately because of some things Hazel made him hear her say about the camp. But she didn't mean to say it. Hazel just gave her a paper to read and Emma didn't know she was recording her only to show it to Xander that same day.
Emma kicked a rock in anger at the thoughts of what Hazel did, and walked into the woods to get some privacy. She sat down on a big boulder that was there and lied down on it. She looked at the full moon and smiled slightly, getting homesick. She missed her parents, and Jessie. Heck she even missed Luke and Bertram!
Before she knew it, she was falling asleep on the huge boulder, think about anything but the fact that she might even get sick in the morning.
Emma woke up by the bright light of the sun and gasped once she noticed where she was, and just how sore her back felt. She stood up quickly only to fall back down to the boulder, lightheaded. Emma groaned and stood up.
"I can't believe I fell asleep on a rock." She muttered to herself as she walked towards the camp. Once she got there, she noticed everyone eating at the mess hall. They didn't seem to care she wasn't there at all, and that hurt her. She wasn't hungry at the moment, in fact she felt like she might need some cold water and sleep to help her, so she went towards the canoe area.
She lied down inside one and didn't notice the rope dethatching itself from the wooden frame so she wouldn't go floating away. It happened once, but Emma wasn't feeling too well to even check or care. She fell asleep instantly and didn't notice her canoe floating away.
The next time she opened her eyes it was night. She stood up from the canoe floor and noticed her arms and right side of her body were wet. She felt her head about to explode and her heart beating rapidly as she stood up.
"Help! Someone help me!" she yelled once she noticed her friends walking in the distance, but they didn't seem to listen.
So she did the only thing that came to mind, she dived into the ice cold water and swam as fast as she could with a cramped leg, a squishy stomach, a head hurting, and dizziness. By the time she got to the board, her legs were shaking dangerously. This was probably the worst day she's ever had to deal with in her life.
She noticed the campers were already sleeping and her friends and siblings were sneaking around. She just had no idea why. As she walked, gasping for air, she heard their conversation.
"When was the last time you saw her?" Ravi asked the rest.
"She was in the Woodchuck cabin with us last night, since then, we haven't seen her." Lou replied.
"I can't believe she's disappeared." Zuri cried.
"Me either." Tiffany replied.
"But we haven't tried hard enough. What if something happened to her. I couldn't live with the feeling of guilt if she didn't come back. Knowing that the last words I said to her were 'I hope you're happy with what you've accomplished. I never want to see you again.' What if she left because I said I never wanted to see her again? She's fragile, I can't even imagine what's happened to her as of right now." This voice and words made Emma's heart flutter. It was Xander.
Even though she was angry at him and even more now, after how he said she was fragile, she couldn't stop her heart from fluttering at the sound of his voice. Soothing and calming. Emma knew she probably looked dead right now. Pale as paper, and lips and cheeks purple with cold. Her hair wet against her shoulders, and her short shorts and tank top hugging her body with soaking wet, and cold water. She knew she was shaking right now, and the fact that she dared to wear flip flops to go out into the cold night did not help.
Emma approached the group from behind. She let out a squeak, attempting to speak, earning their attention, but black and white dots covered her vision and she succumbed to darkness. Landing with a loud thump to the ground after hearing Xander yell out her name and jump forward in an attempt to catch her.
This was the third time Emma woke up, and this time it was due to a crying Zuri and a sobbing Lou. She noticed Xander pacing around the room before finally deciding to get out and get some fresh air, without knowing Emma had woken up.
The first one to notice was Tiffany, she yelled out for the other girls to come over to Emma's bed and all decided to hug her.
"I'll have you know, that I feel a bit nauseous. Can I have water please." She croaked, earning another sob from Tiffany and Zuri. Lou hugged Emma again and ran out of the room to get a glass of water.
"Are you doing okay?" Zuri asked her. Emma nodded in reply, not wanting to speak because her throat burned with thirst.
"What happened to you?" she asked right when Lou barged in with a glass of cold water. She helped Emma drink it slowly, until the glass was finally done. Emma looked at Zuri and began. She told them how she went to sleep outside and why. How she felt awful the next morning and decided it would be okay to sleep in a canoe, and how the canoe was actually sinking down the lake. How she swam through the cold water even though she still felt awful, until the part where she fainted.
After a few minutes, the girls finally decided to leave Emma alone and Ravi had run in with Jorge.
She told them the story as well and waved goodbye once they left. She sighed and pulled the covers higher once she felt the cold wind drive goose bumps up her arms. Lou came in again with Aspirin and another glass of water, which Emma took gratefully before patting down for her to sit.
"Where's Xander?" Emma asked lightly.
"He was called to do something for the Grizzly's cabin, but don't feel bad because he stayed here all night long. Taking care of you, you know. He didn't even blink an eye and just stood there looking at you to see any sorts of reaction. He still likes you Emma. He was worried sick All day yesterday. At the mess hall he wouldn't stop asking where you were, but we all thought you went for a walk in the woods or something." She said. Emma laughed at the last bit and hugged her friend goodbye when she had to leave for some game the Woodchuck cabin was in charge of.
Emma took her covers off half an hour later. She went into the cabin bathroom and showered with hot water. She shampooed her hair and rinsed it out. Once she was done she brushed her teeth and dried her hair. Almost like nothing happened to her.
She put on her undergarments and some comfortable shorts and tank top before feeling dizzy once again. She braided her hair and walked out of the steaming bathroom. She didn't notice a lean and muscular figure walking the way towards her cabin, who noticed her falling to her knees and hands besides her bed.
"Emma what did you do?" he asked her, carrying her bridal style up to her wooden bed.
"I took a shower." She replied in a breathless tone.
"You couldn't leave the bed being that sick Emma. You don't think about anyone around you do you?!" He asked yelling.
"What do you mean by that Xander? For all I know, I'm the one fainting and getting sick, what does anybody else have to with it?" Emma yelled back.
"Well, the fact that we would be bawling for you has to do with it! Ugh, I can't believe you're being so selfish!" He said.
"You know what? If you really cared enough about me, which I doubt you still care after that huge misunderstanding, you wouldn't have me yelling at the top of my lungs. Or even worrying about something so stupid like showering. I didn't crawl to a whole to die Xander, I just took a shower!" Emma yelled. She couldn't believe Xander was being such a hypocrite. He's talking about selfishness when he didn't even care enough to hear what she had to say. Telling her she hurt him, when in reality he was hurting her.
"So what, Emma? I can't believe you right now! You'd rather be sick and dead, than be in this cabin. You know what? I don't even care anymore, why did I come here in the first place? Maybe I was expecting something different from you Emma." He said and turned to walk out the opened door.
"No, you know what! I'm sick and tired of these fights out of nothing, can you for once stop yelling at me. I think I'm starting to hate you Xander, I really do!" Emma yelled as she closed the door of the cabin, and pushed him against it.
"You're tired! You're the one fighting me all the time, and can't help think that's all you do Emma. You can go back to all those guys you had in your fancy penthouse. I don't care anymore. In fact, I'll even help you pack right now Emma!" Xander pushed himself away from the door, and went to Emma's suit cases. He angrily shoved some of her clothes in it, underwear included, but he didn't seem to care about it.
Emma screamed and pushed him away, while getting things out from her bag and putting them back. She turned around with her eyes glazing over with tears of pure anger, but she wasn't going to show him she was as fragile as he thought she was.
Emma yelled and tackled him to the floor before letting him stand up and punching his chest with as much force as she could muster.
"I loathe you Xander! I hate every part of you. To think you were finally going to be the perfect guy for me only to be degraded by what you think of me!" but she wasn't done.
Xander flicked his sight to her lips and licked his own in one quick motion, before she noticed. Emma punched him again. This time, hard.
"You think I'm with many guys. A rich little Barbie that's fragile and doesn't know how to defend herself. Guess what Xander? I can defend myself." She punched him again.
"And I hate you. Do you hear me? I. hate. You. Xander." She spat out, pushing him to the door with her strength and hate for him.
Xander felt his heart beating at the close proximity and his breath uneven.
"You. You what?" Xander asked lightly.
"I hate y-" Emma held her breath as she felt Xander's lips against hers. Before Xander could count to two Emma had pulled herself away from the kiss.
"What did you just do Xander?! Did you hear w-" Emma was yet again cut off by Xander kissing her roughly. She pulled away again with a dazed stare and slapped her palm across his face.
"Xander I said-" he kissed her again. This time it was longer and softer, but she still pulled away.
"You what?" Xander asked again.
"I-" he kissed her again. He started out slow before turning it into a passionate kiss. Xander had one hand around her waist and another at the side of her neck, whilst Emma pulled him closer as she caressed the crest of his neck and his soft brown hair. Xander crouched down a bit, still locking lips with Emma and lifted her up. She wrapped her legs around his waist as he walked them to her bed. She felt the mattress at her back and sighed into the kiss.
Both needing oxygen, they parted for only a mere second before Xander kissed her again. He found himself on top of her and they were enjoying every touch they felt. Xander brushed Emma's thighs and heard a moan come out of her. Emma felt Xander flick his tongue out and licking her bottom lip. She quickly granted his tongue entrance and moaned at the feel of it. She's never been like this with a guy before, and even though it scared her she didn't seem to care through the tangled, touching, and hot mess they were.
After a few minutes of doing this, they parted.
"You what?" he smirked again.
"I love you." She whispered before pulling him back down and planting a soft but PG kiss.
"Finally. I know I've been bad to you Emma, I was just angry at you for saying those things about my home." He said.
Emma pushed him away and scoffed.
"You still think I did that? Hazel did it. She made me read a note and she was recording it all, so you would think I said it. Do you believe her more than me?" she asked.
"Well, she had proof." He shrugged. Emma glared at him and threw the door open.
"You say that right after we do that. You still believe her and not me. Get out." She pointed out the door.
"No, wait Emma. I do. I do believe you. I just think that having actual proof would be nice." He said.
"Do you want proof? I'll give you a statement which is better. Why would Hazel even be able to record me from up close when she told you she was walking by and hid behind the bush about ten feet away. That's impossible. If she were there, I wouldn't be heard. And another thing, why would I be talking alone without muttering or whispering, and who has been trying to get you away from me all summer long?" Emma stated before closing the door. Xander's foot stopped the door and smiled at her.
"I actually thought of that three days ago, I just needed clarification about it, and here. You. Are." He whispered as he closed the space and kissed her lightly.
"And Emma?" he said.
"Hm?" she glared at him.
"I love you too." Her glare softened as they kissed once again.