Chapter 6
A/N
The first trip! Very exciting. I hope it all goes well, don't you? Reviews are always welcome, I like to know what you guys are thinking about the story!
Stephanie owns Twilight and I own wishful thinking, but none of the other recognizable things referenced in this story.
Despite both being taller than me, the boys have insisted that I sit up front with Edward. Which, though slightly unreasonable, does make sense. He's my flatmate and they've only just met him. Alice is forced to sit in the middle, which is obvious because she's the epitome of tiny. Our packs and gear are happily crammed into the back of Edward's hatchback and we're on the highway heading out of town. My, what I have deemed as perfect, playlist is playing and everyone is singing along. It's mostly classics, songs everyone knows the words to whether they want to or not. Everyone's thrilled to be out camping, and I can't help but glance at Edward every few minutes. He looks so relaxed with one hand on the wheel, and the other resting on the window. I can tell this sort of adventure is his element. Meanwhile, I'm completely new to it. Well not entirely, I hike a lot at home with my family, but I've only truly been camping a handful of times. I'm just following everyone's lead on this trip, and I get the feeling it might be that way for most of my time here.
Three hours later, we turn into our campground, which is right on the lake. It's absolutely gorgeous. "We have officially arrived!" Edward declares as he throws the car in park with a flourish. We pile out of the car and take in the surroundings, before setting up camp. A half hour later the tents have been pitched, and we're all awkwardly holding our sleeping bags wondering about sleeping arrangements. We ended up buying two of the smaller tents because it was the better deal. And we may have been able to squeeze four people into a three-person tent, but there was no way five was going to work. Ultimately, much like the car arrangement, Jacob, Alice, and Jasper ended up in a tent together, while Edward and I were in the other. The thought made my girly parts tingle, alone at night in the cold snuggled up to the bronze haired beauty.
By the time we've settled our campsite it's already getting to be five, so we decide to take a stroll along the lake's edge. As much as I want to spend the entire trip with Edward, I'm still confused about everything that happened yesterday. I'm also looking forward to spending time with the rest of the crew, and I want Edward to get to know them, because I predict they'll be around the flat a lot this semester. And despite his ever changing mood, I want Edward to be a part of that.
As we head towards the water, I run to catch up with Jake. I hadn't spent much time with him one on one (at least while I was sober), and he seems like such an easy going guy. I want to get to know him better, deciding that now seems as good as ever. The other three fell into easy conversation behind us.
"So how's the flat? Are the roommates still good?"
"Yeah, all boys so it's messy, but they're fun people. They're always down to drink, which is cool now, but I'm worried about school starting. Might be a bit stressful then."
"I feel ya. I love my flat, and I can tell we'll have a lot of good times together, but I'm also worried about the energy level once school starts."
We fall into discussion about his flatmates. I avoid talking about mine too much, as Edward is no more then ten feet behind us, and I feel a bit weird talking about our home when he can hear everything I'm saying. Jake picks up on that, quickly turning our conversation to our schools in the States. We talk about the ever hip Pacific Northwest as he tells me stories of the incredibly granola kids that go to his university, Whitman. We laugh over the crazy things we've witnessed PNW people do; I am full of stories about the interesting kids at Seattle U. It's easy to talk to Jake, seamlessly slipping from topic to topic, eventually turning to our mutual love of Harry Potter.
During my attempt to push him into the water, after he told me that he doesn't think Harry should have ended up with Ginny, I noticed that Edward is walking on his own, looking a little more solemn than he had earlier. He's eying me and Jake warily. Alice and Jasper are far behind by this point, seemingly in their own little world. I slow down allowing Edward to catch up.
"You lost Alice and Jasper!" I call out when he's close enough.
"They were so on the same wavelength that I was starting to feel like a third wheel. So I sped up a bit, giving them some space."
"That's fair. What were you pondering? You looked so stony faced."
"Just going over a conversation I had with a friend last night… It was some serious shit; I don't really want to get into it. Did you two know each other before the trip?" Edward asks abruptly.
"Nope, met in the Auckland airport! Most of our group didn't know each other at all before this trip." Jacob says.
"Well you guys became fast… friends." Edward says with a slightly sulky look.
Jake and I look at each other, confused by the direction of this conversation, before I respond, "Yeah, it's been nice to be able to get to know people quickly here. I think study abroad does that."
"Yeah, definitely." Jake agrees.
A weird lull falls over us and I decide we should turn around. We run into Alice and Jasper, who fall mysteriously quite when we get close. The weirdness has dissipated by the time we get back to the campsite, and we decide it's time for dinner. Jake offers to help me make instant noodles for everyone while Alice opens one of the bottles of wine she snuck into her pack. Soon we're all munching on mediocre at best camping food. While I am fully aware that this is no gourmet dish, eating a hot meal while camping makes me feel like royalty.
We decide to play cards for a while, gin rummy, and I break out my Whittakers. The chocolate is honestly life changing, and I can't help the less than appropriate moan that escapes my mouth as I take the first bite.
"Jeez Bella, you'd think that chocolate is better than sex with the noises your making!" Alice exclaims.
Jasper starts choking on his sip of wine, as Jake and Edward's jaws go slack jaw. I'm a bit buzzed by this point, as Alice pulled a second bottle of wine out a few minutes ago, so instead of being embarrassed I simply respond, "That's because it is!"
"Fuck Bells, then someone wasn't doing it right," Jake declares. The new personal side of the conversation kicks my embarrassment into gear. Especially because it's true. The only boy I'd ever had sex with was my ex-boyfriend Riley. While he was a great friend, the reason we broke up was because there was no spark in anything physical we did. The few times we had sex I felt nothing, and I never orgasmed. We decided then that we were better as friends. Since then, I had been left to my own devices as far as my pleasure goes.
Edward looks a little pissed at Jake's interjection, and I'm starting to wonder what his deal is with him. I make a vow to get him on his own, and find out what's going on. Luckily Jasper brings the topic back to the chocolate by asking to try mine. Soon the everyone is agreeing that Whittakers is in fact better than sex. "I told you it was good!" Edward says smugly.
After a couple more rounds of cards, we decide its dark enough for star gazing. We lie on the pebbly beach, silent as we stare up at the stars. The dark night sky here is the most incredible thing I've ever seen. The night is overflowing with celestial bodies. The milky way can be clearly seen, bright planets dot across the darkness, and if you focus you can even see a few nebulas. I don't know how long we lie there, but only when the cold starts to set into our bones do we decided to get ready for bed.
I brush my teeth and change into PJs in the bathroom before crawling into our tent. Edward is already cosily tucked into his sleeping bag, reading with his head lamp on. I quietly climb into my sleeping bag, then turn to Edward, "Hey, I just want to say thanks again for driving us. I really appreciate it." It's quite for a moment, and I think back to his earlier solemnity and reactions to Jake, "And I'm sorry you got stuck with us this weekend." I mumble staring up at the ceiling of the tent.
"Why would you say that?"
"You just seemed a little closed off earlier, and I get the feeling you don't particularly like Jake."
"Bella, it's not you or your friends. I quite like them, it's been fun to be here. I'm just a bit distracted right now. I, uh… I broke up with my girlfriend last night."
"Oh. I'm so sorry I didn't realize."
"Don't be sorry. I'm not upset or sad or anything. I'm happy to be away from the uni this weekend. My thoughts have just been a bit preoccupied."
"I totally get that. Look if you want to go home earlier than Sunday or something, just let me know."
He turns to face me, "Bella, really. I'm happy to be here. I like spending time with you. And your friends."
My cheeks warm slightly, and I smile gently, "If you say so."
It's quite a few more moments. "Hey Edward… do you want to sleep on the beach under the stars? They're too incredible not to fall asleep under."
He looks at me quizzically, and seems to be internally deliberating before asking, "Jake won't mind?" Unsurprisingly, Edward has baffled me again. "I don't know why he would," I respond giving him a strange look. "Okay," he says quietly.
We clamber out of the tent with our pillows and sleeping bags, and tip toe towards the lake. Our sleeping bags are close together, but Edward has placed with a very distinct space between the two. I find that this intentional gap makes me more dejected than it should. But I respect the space, he just broke up with his girlfriend after all. I let the sound of the water relax me, and just before I'm completely out, I whisper, "Goodnight Edward."
His quiet "Goodnight Bella," is the last thing I hear before sleep overtakes me.
We head out early the next day, eager to get on the trail to Mount Cook. Edward and I had woken up before the others, thanks to the morning birds flocking around us. We took advantage of our early start, making us all breakfast so we could hit the road by eight. An hour later, we pull up to the Mt. Cook/Aoraki Visitor Center. We've decided to check in and see if Mueller Hut happens to have five open spaces. Luck is in our favour, as a party that had booked the hut cancelled an hour before our arrival. We drive on to the trail head, where we get out to repack our bags to include only the essentials. Everything else gets left in the car to reduce weight on our backs.
New Zealand's Department of Conservation has a series of backcountry huts, which allow backpackers to drop in for the night as they explore the nation's wilderness. Some are free, most are cheap, and the popular ones (like Mueller) are expensive. We've coughed up $36 each for a night here. But from the pictures we've seen, and the excitement in Edward's eyes when I told him about the possibility of Mueller, it will be worth it.
Once we're ready to go, we swing on our packs and set out. Alice leads with Jake not far behind, Jasper is in front of me and Edward brings up the rear. We hike in companionable silence, adjusting to the trail and our packs. After a bit, Jake starts throwing out random questions which keep us entertained.
"If you could be any bird, what would you be?"
"If you had to choose one Harry Potter book to live through, which would you choose?"
"Would you rather be a furless possum or a blind kiwi bird?"
We laugh and share our answers, finding that time passes fairly quickly. At two hours, we reach the top of our steep ascent, greeted by a breath-taking view of Hooker Valley. I'm no longer giggling at the name, I'm awestruck. We bask in the incredible beauty with a snack and water break. There's idle chit chat, but mostly we just take in our surroundings. If you've ever felt insignificant, it's nothing compared to the moment you're surrounded by looming mountains in the middle of nowhere. When we're finally able to shake off our awed stupor, we hike on, anxious to see our home for the night.
An hour into the second leg of the journey, Jake's incessant questions are no longer fun, and he seems to pick up on the vibe from our terse responses to his never ending stream. Silence has over taken us, and I spend the last hour of our trek focusing on my breathing and surroundings. Hiking up a mountain with a massive pack on my back, taking in some of the most beautiful sights I've ever seen, has made me happier than anything else in a long time. Every little thing I've done in this country has come with a dose of adventure, and that's made me feel alive. My brain seems to have needed a reminder that I am young, and have so much I to do in my life, to placate the anxiety that was ever present until a week ago. This is being busy in the best possible way.
Just as I'm having my outdoor adventure epiphany, Mueller Hut comes into view. And it does not disappoint. The bright red cabin contrasts brilliantly with dark icy mountains behind. It leans out over a small ledge, providing sweeping views of the valley from its deck. "Wow," I whisper under my breath, this will be the most idyllic place I've ever spent the night.
A/N
Do you think Bella is being a bit clueless about Edward? Well as said by Jane Austen "We are all fools in love." Not that Bella is in love with Edward. Yet. Hold tight.
Also, in case you didn't already guess, I studied abroad in New Zealand last year. The story is not based off of real experiences. But many of the places they'll go are places I've been. I'm thinking I'll upload pictures of everywhere they go to my profile, some I've taken or some from the DOC website. So check over there if you really want to get into it, and feel like you're hiking along with the team.
I want to take a moment to put a disclaimer, as anyone who has hiked and backpacked around NZ will know, there are a lot of safety concerns around these adventures. We always had to let our program advisor know when and where we were going on weekends away, as well as when we were expecting to be back. A lot of tracks have safety information, especially those in places that can see extreme weather (like Mount Cook). Additionally, there are a lot of personal safety issues, such as constantly applying sunscreen and having an adequate amount of water for the hike. For the sake of flow of the story I'm not going to go into all of that on every trip, only where it comes up. So just assume that the crew is always trekking with the utmost of care.