I decided to upload the second chapter today as well because I had it ready.
Please review and tell me what I can do better! ^.^
"Thank God we're here," groaned Ben as he opened the car door. He stepped out and stretched his arms.
"I'm hungry!" announced Megan. Her brown hair was messed up from taking a nap with her head mushed into one of Driane's pillows.
"You're always hungry, Megan," said Mikayla as she rolled her eyes. "Is Driane still asleep?"
"Yeah," Blake said, looking down at Driane who was sleeping while leaning on his shoulder. He couldn't believe that he was actually in a situation like this. Wasn't this kind of scene only in those dramas and soap operas that Mikayla liked to watch?
"Well when she wakes up, join us at the camp site, okay? Ben and I will get the tents and stuff ready. Come on Ben!" squealed Mikayla, hanging on to his arm.
Ben sent Blake a helpless look through the window before he was dragged away by Mikayla.
Blake chuckled silently and wondered why Mikayla loved Ben so much even when Ben rejected her so many times and never returned her affections.
Then he glanced down at Driane and figured that he wasn't any different.
He remembered when he first met her.
It had been a cold winter day about a year ago. Ben was begging him to come to a Starbucks so he wouldn't have to be alone with Mikayla.
"Just reject her," Blake said, wanting to get back to his essay on engineering.
"I did! But she won't go away!" wailed Ben.
Blake rolled his eyes and opened up one of his many textbooks.
"I heard she's bringing over her dorm mates. Who knows? They might be really pretty," Ben had persuaded. "I know you like pretty girls."
"Who doesn't like pretty girls?" replied Blake but decided to go anyway. He liked pretty girls.
When the two boys arrived, Ben made sure to put Blake in the seat next to Mikayla, while he took the seat opposite from her.
Blake looked at Mikayla closely. Her hair was a golden brown color and it was obvious that she took well care of it. She was pretty enough except for the fact that her eyelashes were almost glued together with large clumps of mascara. Her fashion sense matched the latest styles perfectly.
"I'm so glad you came, Ben!" squealed Mikayla, her lips parting to reveal two rows of perfect, shining white teeth. "Is this your friend?"
"Yeah, this is Blake Nyth. He's my housemate," said Ben awkwardly.
Blake could almost feel the scan of Mikayla's blue eyes, sizing him up. "Nice to meet you, Mikayla."
Mikayla observed him for a moment longer before blinding him with another one of her smiles. "Great meeting you! This is my friend and housemate, Megan Heffernan."
Blake looked over at Megan. Although she was slightly overweight, she had the cuteness of a little puppy with her curly brown hair and large brown eyes.
But there weren't any pretty girls.
He didn't like being shallow, but the girl that he wanted had to have both looks and good personality. Since looks was easier to find, he looked for looks first and then personality.
"Okayy I have to go now," Blake said, getting out of his seat.
Just then the door opened, bringing in a cold wind. "Sorry I'm late!"
Blake turned around to see the most beautiful girl he had ever seen in his entire life.
Her long glossy raven hair was curved to the shape of her face and a red woolen cap was on her head. She was wearing tight black leggings and wore a long woolen sweater the color of her cap. Her sharp pointed face was tinged with pink from the cold and her dark navy blue eyes sparkled.
"Sorry I'm late," she repeated in a breathless voice. "I slipped on the way here and accidentally knocked over an old man. I helped him get home."
"Hey Driane!" greeted Mikayla and gestured for her to join them. Driane limped over and sat down with a sigh of relief.
"Are you hurt badly?" asked Megan as she nibbled experimentally on a cookie Mikayla had bought.
Driane shook her head and then glanced over at Ben and Blake. "You must be Ben. I heard so much about you from Mikayla. My name is Driane Byrne." She held out her hand.
Ben quickly grabbed it. "Nice to meet you, Driane. How old are you? Do you live with Mikayla? What school do you go to?"
Blake felt annoyed. What was Ben doing? Driane was his.
Smiling as he remembered the old times, Blake didn't notice that Driane was stirring until a sleepy voice called out his name.
Startled, he looked at Driane and met her blue eyes. "You awake?"
"Mhmm. I'm cold," she murmured.
Seizing this chance, Blake wrapped his arms around her and put his chin on top of her head. He felt Driane stiffen.
"Blake…?"
It's now or never. Be a man, Blake he thought. "Driane, I have to tell you something."
"Um… yeah?" answered Driane in a puzzled voice.
"I like you."
Blake held in his breath, wondering what Driane would say. He knew that she felt something towards him. He had seen her looking at him when she thought he couldn't see her. Besides, a person couldn't act the way Driane did around him unless they felt attracted towards that person, right?
Blake's heartbeat grew faster as Driane didn't reply. Was he being rejected? He couldn't bear that thought. Not only would it be humiliating, it would shatter his heart into a million pieces.
"Dri-"
Blake was cut off as Driane wrapped her arms around him as well and pushed her head into his chest.
"I like you too, Blake," she said, her voice muffled by his shirt.
Blake blinked, stunned. Although he had kind of expected this, he was still surprised. "Really?"
Driane nodded, refusing to emerge from his shirt. Blake was confused for a moment but then laughed as he realized that Driane was embarrassed from confessing. She was so cute and innocent.
"It's not funny," said a muffled Driane, as she hugged him harder.
Blake gently pried her arms from him and cupped her face into his hands. "Thank you," he murmured and gave her a quick kiss.
Her eyes widened and she hid behind her hands. Blake laughed again. "Come on let's go, the others are probably waiting for us."
-Blake and Driane forever together—skip time skip skip—line—skip—skip
Ben was leading the way up the slope of Hare Hill. "God, it's freezing up here. Anyone would think it was the mountains."
"Well the Hare Hills are one of the highest hills around. You know the governor said it was like our own mini mountain range," said Megan, looking at the trees around her.
"I bet our lovebirds are warm though," said Mikayla with a smirk, jealously etched across her face.
For once, Blake wasn't affected by Mikayla's taunts. He was holding hands with Driane and they were walking very close to each other. He thought he could never be happier.
His friends hadn't been very surprised when Blake announced that they were dating. It had been obvious to everyone that the two would end up together.
Blake noticed that she was shivering so he took off his jacket and offered it to her.
Driane quickly shook her head. "What about you?" she asked, her eyes wide.
Blake smiled. "I'm fine. And even if I wasn't, I would have made you take my jacket anyway. I won't let you freeze." He slipped the jacket on to her and Driane smiled gratefully.
Mikayla noticed this and envy sparkled in her eyes. "Ben! I'm cold!"
Ben glanced over at her. "You were complaining a few minutes ago that you felt you were melting."
"Yeah well now I'm cold," retorted Mikayla. Her eyes were round and hopeful.
"Put on your jacket then," said Ben with a shrug and continued on up the hike trail.
Mikayla stamped her foot with frustration. She shoved past Driane, shooting her a murderous look as she went by, and went after Ben.
Blake wanted to pull Mikayla's hair out when Driane's gasp interrupted him.
"Wow! Look at the lake!"
The five friends turned around and looked down the path that they had come from. The large Sanctuary Lake glittered in the sunlight.
"It's beautiful," breathed Driane.
Blake leaned down and whispered, "You're more beautiful."
Driane turned pink and Blake could see that she was forcing herself not to smile. "Stop it, Blake."
"Hey look what I found!" Ben yelled with excitement.
Everyone turned around but they couldn't see Ben anywhere.
"Ben? Where are you?" shrieked Mikayla.
"Over here in the woods," called Ben.
Blake could see a faint outline of Ben waving his arms in the woods.
Mikayla and Megan ran over to Ben but Driane hesitated.
"I thought we weren't allowed to go off the trail," she said softly.
Blake grinned. "You're too cautious, Driane. Live with some excitement." He grabbed her hand and went into the woods.
Ben led the group deeper and deeper into the woods, getting farther away from the trail. Blake wasn't too worried about finding the way back. How hard could it be?
Finally, Ben stopped in front of a pool with a small cliff that fed water into it. Despite the fact that trees and rock was surrounding it, the pool shimmered and had a silver glow.
"Wow," said Megan, her eyes wide. "Can we drink from it?"
"Yeah, I think so," replied Ben. "I think this is Crystal Pool."
"Cool! Isn't there a myth about this place?" asked Megan.
Ben nodded. "Yeah. They say that after you drink from it once, you can never find it again."
Blake laughed. "Nice myth. I thought drinking it would turn you into something else or something."
Driane blinked. "Is it sanitary?"
"Oh please, Driane, you're so annoying sometimes," said Mikayla as she rolled her eyes. "Of course it is, silly. Or else half the town would be dead from poison."
She knelt down and drank some water. "Wow it's really cold."
Ben and Megan joined her. "It actually tastes good too!" sputtered Megan.
"Come on, Driane," said Blake gently. He got on his knees too, and drank the water.
It was icy cold and tasted very sweet. Blake couldn't believe that this was water. He gulped down some more, quenching his thirst from the long hike. Next to him, Driane drank from her hands, her eyes widening with each swallow.
Finally the five friends stopped drinking, and lay on the stone by the pool.
"That was amazing," said Mikayla, licking her lips.
Ben nodded and said, "I've never tasted anything like this."
Blake was about to agree when suddenly he felt an invisible fist punch his gut and let out a groan.
Next to him, Driane cried out as well. All around him, his friends let out wails of pain.
He felt as if his arms and legs were being torn apart and as if his blood was boiling inside of him.
"What's going on?" cried out Megan as she clutched her head.
Driane seemed to be in the most pain. She let out bloodcurdling screams nonstop, her fingers digging into her hair.
She finally collapsed on her back, her eyes staring up into the sky.
"Driane! No!" screamed Blake. He crawled over to her, ignoring the feeling of his bones being crushed. Just as he reached her, his vision turned black, and he fell into darkness.
Scary Crystal Pool. Owo
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