~

"Smooth move, Dave." Kristy said as she put her bag in the bottom of one of the canoes.

Juliet stood still on the dock, "Are you sure it's gone?"

He nodded, "Unless you're going to free dive twenty feet and get it, it's history."

"Let's get out of here, the campsite is on the other side of the lake and we're ahead of schedule," Scott loaded the rest of their gear in to the canoes while Juliet protested about the missing tent.

"Jules!" Kristy shouted at her. Everyone else was already in the canoes. "We can't get the tent back so just get in the canoe so we can leave. If the four of us have to share a tent then that's what we'll do." Juliet blinked a couple times before getting in to the canoe quietly.

*

"I can't believe this," Juliet muttered under her breath as she stirred a pot of spaghetti. Kristy and David were setting up the remaining tent a few yards away. "I'm not sleeping on the end," she cried over her shoulder. "I'm officially calling a middle spot."
"Me too," Kristy said. "You and Scott can sleep on the ends." David nodded his head.

"I have to sleep beside David!" Juliet wrinkled her nose. "Peter and Sophie won't like this."

Kristy rolled her eyes at David, "It was an accident and there's nothing we can do about it. The strap of Dave's pack was loose to begin with. Once we explain it to them they'll understand."

"We still have four nights," Juliet said. "And you and Scott well, you're whatever you are. You guys shouldn't get to sleep in the same tent."

Kristy snapped at her, "Jesus it's not like we planned on this happening. You wouldn't have any problem with this if Auggie was in our group."

Scott had gotten back from collecting firewood, he dropped the pile of wood with a thud. "Jules Kristy and I are going to do anything wrong so just drop it."

Juliet went on pouting while she cooked, but at least she had shut up. The others continued to set things up and eventually they ate a quiet dinner.

*

Scott and Kristy were sitting on a rock at the water washing the dishes from dinner. "So much for not getting in trouble," Scott said as he rinsed off a plate.

"We'll deal with it when we get home. Peter and Sophie will understand," she replied for what felt like the tenth time that day. "If they trust us enough to put us in the same group then they should know that we're not going to take advantage of the situation."

Scott shrugged his shoulders, "I guess."

"Why are you so cranky today?"

"Maybe because I'll be sleeping right next to you tonight and I can't even enjoy it because Juliet and David will be around," Scott smirked at her.

Kristy splashed him lightly, "Don't remind me."

*

It had taken forever to get ready for bed because they only had the one tent to change in. Juliet was being really difficult about the sleeping arrangements. It had been a long day and everyone's patience was growing thin. David was on the end, then
Juliet, then Kristy and Scott was beside her. "Juliet can you move over?" Kristy asked. "Dave doesn't bite."

"Not unless you like that sort of thing," he laughed at his own joke. Juliet flashed her light in his face. "Hey knock it off."

Kristy sighed, "Would you two grow up?"

Scott sat up on his sleeping bag, "Seriously Jules slide over. We barely have room to breathe here."

"You two don't need room!" Juliet shrieked. "You'll practically be on top of each other anyway."

"Jules," Scott warned her.

"I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that." Kristy said. "Maybe Juliet and Scott should switch places."

Juliet whined, "But I don't want to sleep on the end!"
"I think maybe that will work better," Scott agreed.

Juliet made a noise of protest. Kristy nudged her, "Move your ass before I do it for you. We just want to go to sleep and we can't do it as long as you're bitching and moaning."

Scott and Juliet shuffled around with their sleeping bags until they were settled again. Finally they were able to go to sleep.

*

Wednesday they left the canoes at a ranger's station around noon and from there they had to hike the rest of the way back to Horizon. Juliet had finally decided she'd risk sleeping beside David instead of being on the end. It had been much easier to settle in that evening.

Kristy was asleep but she was holding Scott's hand in a death grip. That's what had woken him up. "Kris?" he whispered.

She flinched and opened her eyes. "What?" she asked sleepily.

Scott replied, "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, go back to sleep." She squeezed his hand, gently this time.

Scott second-guessed her like he always did when he was worried, "Are you sure?"

"Go to sleep," she told him as she moved closer to him and closed her eyes.

*

Kristy and Scott walked down the path through the forest side by side. Juliet and David were ahead of them. "So what were you dreaming about last night?"

"When?" she asked absentmindedly.

"Before I woke you up last night, when you were crushing my hand."

She shrugged her shoulders, "I guess I was just making sure you didn't leave me in the middle of the woods. There were lots of things going bump in the night."

"Yea except us," Scott muttered.

"Let's talk about something besides that please. God knows we're going to talk it to death when we get home and Sophie and
Peter find out about the tent." Kristy said as she and Scott continued walking through the woods Thursday afternoon. "I'm bored."

"Okay let's see. What to talk about?" He stepped around a fallen tree and paused as he exaggerated to think. "I had an idea about the summer."

"What about the summer?"

"I think we should go on a road trip. I have to break in the Jeep."

Kristy furrowed her brow, "Us on a road trip? Where will we go?"

"Wherever we want!" he replied excitedly. "Think about it Kris. We'll be out of Horizon. Isn't driving around with me and staying in hotels a hell of a lot more fun than whatever our parent's have planned for us?" She laughed at him, it was obvious that he wanted to do it. But he hadn't put that much thought in to it. "What's the matter? Don't you want to go?"

"Maybe."

Scott frowned, "This isn't going the way that I expected it too."

"I would love to go with you. But have you thought about all the things that could go wrong?" She paused, "What if my parents won't let me? We both know that they won't want me to go. How are we going to pay for it? What if we get lost? Or if we get in a fight?"

"Okay so maybe we should just talk about this some other time," Scott said sounding disappointed.