Thanks for all your kind reviews, so here's the next chapter.
Chapter 2:
Stella woke up around five, the sun wasn't up yet. She tried waking up Lindsay so she can go watch the sunrise with her. Stella decides to go by herself, but when she got out of the tent she saw Don and Adam sitting at the table. They both looked half asleep. She smiles and sits next to them, making them both jump.
"Hey boys, you're both up early."
"Couldn't sleep, because of Mac."
"Oh, what did he do?"
"You mean what didn't he do…" Adam yawned.
"He was crying, squirming, pretty much just being annoying."
"Maybe he's just upset Don, probably dreaming about Peyton."
"I guess, but he should get over that woman, she was psycho."
"I know Don, I hated her more than you though. She always had an attitude towards me."
"And I feel bad about that," Don comforted.
"Yeah, so did I Stella," Adam interrupted.
"Thanks you guys, good to feel loved."
"No problem," both guys said.
"Hey guys, I was going to watch the sunrise… you want to come?"
"Sure," they smile, and they all walk to the lake not that far and sat down a few feet from the water.
They sat quietly for a few minutes and then the sun rose from behind the mountains.
"Wow, I've never seen anything so beautiful before," Stella stated surprised.
"I have," Adam said and the two look at him.
"What is that supposed to mean?" Don asked.
"Never mind I said anything," he blushes.
"Well this was fun, can we go back now?" Don grunted.
"I want to stay here for a little longer."
"Yeah Don, we can go back later… unless you want to leave," Adam smirks.
"Actually I think I'll stay," he grinned to Adam.
They sit there a little longer, until Stella got a text message.
It was Lindsay, Hey Stell, where are you and the two dorks?
Stella didn't know that she would have a signal.
Down by the lake watching the sunrise… it's so beautiful, we're coming back.
The two guys look at her.
"We can go now if you'd like Don, Linds is freaking out of where we're at."
Don nods, and they all get up. Stella was way ahead of them.
"Smooth Adam, I have… your not going to get Stella this way."
"Don't be so sure about that Don."
Don smiles and rushes up to Stella.
"So Stell, what else are we going to do today?"
"I don't know about you, but I'll probably spend most my day with Lindsay."
"Well if you do maybe I can join you."
"Sure Don, it's always nice having you around."
"Thanks," he looks back at Adam and gave him a thumb's up.
Adam shook his head and they shortly make it back to their campsite. Lindsay was sitting with Danny on the log. Mac was alone sitting at the table.
"About time you guys got back, we were worried," Lindsay said rushing up and giving Stella a hug.
"I was fine, Don and Adam we're keeping me company."
"Oh your future boyfriends?" Lindsay smiled.
"Ha ha very funny Linds. So what are we going to do today?"
"I don't know anything is fine by me."
"I guess, we'll just sit here and chat."
Lindsay thought it was a good idea. They sit down on the log as Danny got up to go chat with the other guys.
"So you like your little journey with Stella?"
"It was all right actually."
"Yeah right Adam, it was horrible… you were there."
Danny started to laugh, "So, you guys had no luck huh?"
"Laugh all you want Messer the time will come."
"Okay Don, but I still think that Mac will be the one scoring with her this week."
"Stop messing around Danny I'm better for her," Adam said and Don laughed.
"I can't take you seriously, by the end of the day she'll be in my arms."
"Is that a bet?"
"As a matter of fact it is… how much should we bet Danny?"
"Don't bring me into this, why can't you just let her decide alone?"
"Because I don't want her to end up with Mac," Adam and Don admitted.
"Oh, so you do think Mac might have a chance?"
"No!" they shouted.
"Fine, fine, but she's your guy's friends, and betting to be with her is horrible."
"Yeah you're right Messer."
Danny smiles and left to go hang with the girls.
"So, we aren't going to bet?" Adam asked.
"Yeah, I guess not… it's like Danny to ruin all our fun."
They both grunt and sit down with Mac.
"Hey buddy, why are you so weird?"
Mac shrugs, "Just thinking."
"Mac, it isn't right for a man of your status to be thinking on a vacation."
"This ain't no vacation," he moans.
"Come on boss, you need to just relax, stop thinking so hard."
"Plus why isn't it a vacation?"
"Because Stella and Lindsay tagging along is ruining my whole plan of male bonding time. The whole reason for me to stop thinking so much."
"Sorry about that Mac," Don frowned. "You need to relax, why don't you go swimming in the lake? It's fish free."
"Maybe you'll meet some woman to make you happy," Adam joked.
"The only woman to make me happy was Claire and then Peyton."
"That Peyton was horrible, and the way she treated Stella."
"I loved her."
"Yeah right, you probably just felt sorry for her," Don argued.
"Don, shut up. It's already bad enough that she dumped me, okay?"
"Fine, we'll just leave you alone to think some more," the guys grunted and went over to everyone else.
"Hey guys, everyone should just stay away from Mac a while."
"Why?" the girls asked.
"He needs some time to chill out."
Stella frowns and stands up.
"I should go chat with him a little."
"Bad idea," Adam and Don stated.
"Come on, he just needs his best friend to talk to."
"Fine, but we'll go hiking and leave you two alone," Danny suggested.
"Good idea Danny, I need some male bonding time," Lindsay smiled.
Adam and Don didn't like this idea, but Stella told them to go enjoy themselves. After a few minutes they all left leaving Stella and Mac alone.
She goes over and sits next to him.
"Hey Stell," Mac sighs.
"Is everything all right Mac? You look upset."
He looks up at her, "And you're concerned?"
"Of course I am Mac, whenever you're all quiet it scares me sometimes."
"Oh well, I'm just thinking about a lot of things."
"Well care to enlighten me?"
"No, it's mainly about Peyton, and not being able to spend a week just us guys."
"Come on Mac, you guys broke up five months ago. I know it's hard but you need to move on sometime."
"I care not to I moved on from Claire, because you wanted me to start dating people."
"I only wanted to see you happy."
"Well you got your wish I've never been so happy since Claire until me and Peyton became a couple."
Stella sigh, she hated that Peyton woman so much.
"And I also told you that you shouldn't live life in a hole Mac. I did that after Frankie, and it was just killing me."
"Sorry about that, but I'm not like you okay Stella?"
"Fine Mac, and if you don't want to talk I don't care, just don't expect me to join the hole with you."
"Damn you Stella," he jumped off the table and went into his tent.
Stella frowned, and moments later the guys and Lindsay came back.
"How'd the talk go?" Don asked.
"Fuck him, if he thinks he can be in a hole his whole life, then I don't want to be a part of it."
"Oh well, I'm sorry Stella, truly I am, but he'll be back to normal before this trip is over."
"Yeah right Don, but thanks for trying to cheer me up."
"Anything for friends."
That made Stella smile, "Thanks Don," she hugged him.
Adam frowned, "I'm here for you too Stell."
"We all are, don't you worry."
"Hey guys, do you mind if I'm alone for a while?"
"Sure Stella," Lindsay told her with a slight smile.
She nods and goes into the Mac free tent.
"I hope she'll be okay," Don frowned.
"Yeah so do I, wanting our own selfish desires and she's upset."
"You two should feel bad then," Danny told them.
"Don't worry I do."
"I still think it's weird…"
"What's that Linds?" the guys asked.
"You guys would actually be seeing who Stella deserves more, than just asking her if she ever wanted to be more than friend then any of you guys. And now Mac and Stella are both upset at each other."
"That's silly Lindsay, that doesn't mean anything."
"Yeah Adam's actually right about something."
"I keep on forgetting that you guys aren't females."
"Yeah thanks Linds," Danny smiled and they all started laughing.
Then they remain silent for a while, and then Stella comes out of the tent.
"I'm going for a little walk, anyone want to join?" she asks looking more at Don.
"Um… we're actually all right," they exclaimed.
"Well I don't want to walk all alone," she frowns.
Don gets up from the table.
"I'll keep you company Stella."
"Thanks Don, well we'll see everyone later."
They all say good bye and Don and Stella start walking.
"So, where are we going Stella?"
"I don't know just wanted to go to the bathroom first."
"Oh, well you don't know where it is, so I'll show you."
They walk for a few minutes and make it to the bathroom.
"I'll be right here waiting, okay Stella?"
She nods and heads in the bathroom. She takes about five minutes, and comes back out.
"Okay, I'm ready to go for a walk."
"All right," Don smiles.
They walk for quite a while and stop when Stella almost tripped. Don grabbed hold of her arm.
"You going to be all right Stella?"
"Yeah, I'll be okay," she says looking down.
He latched her arm onto his and they continue walking.
"Stell, I'm really sorry about the whole Mac thing."
"Can we not talk about Mac? I kind of wanted to get away from him for a while."
"Oh, so that was the point of this walk?"
She nods.
"So why didn't you want Lindsay to come?"
"I didn't want to spend forever having some girl talk, that would be pretty pointless. And I can talk to you about things that I can't with her."
"What kind of things?" Don asked.
"Um… just forget I said anything, we should start heading back to camp, it's almost noon."
"All right, but whenever you want to talk I'm here for you."
"I know you are," Stella smiles, and they remain quiet until the make it back to their site.