When the girls got up the next morning, they were both still freezing cold and neither had slept very well. Luckily, when they clamored out of the tent, Trent and Jesse were already awake, and had boiled some water over the fire for hot chocolate.

"Good thinking boys. Was it old man winter that woke you both up so early?"

"Its amazing how hard it is to sleep when your entire body becomes one giant ice cube," Trent replied coldly.

"Yeah." Jesse was still wrapped in a blanket, leaning over the fire.

"Well, tonight you guys should cram in the tent with us- we could use the extra body heat," Jane decided, eyeing Jesse suspiciously.

"Yeah," Daria wasn't fighting this one. "Even though we were in the tent, it was still like trying to sleep in an ice cave."

Trent caught Jesse staring back at his sister. "That's cool with me," he pointed to them, "as long as you two sleep on opposite sides of the tent.

"Whatever, bro," Jane smiled back at him. He knew she was plotting but he wasn't sure what he could do about it. He watched her give Daria a wink, and shrugged it off figuring it was some inside joke he was on the outside of.

Jesse carefully took the hot water off the grill and poured some into everyone's mugs. He waited until they were all seated around the fire to ask his question. "So, what are we doing today?"

Everyone instinctively looked at Jane.

"What? I was just the one that got us out here."

"Exactly," Daria said as the all stared at Jane accusingly.

"Well. . . we could try hiking. It would at least get us moving- and that would get us warm, right?"

"Yeah," Daria agreed, trying to look on the bright side- not a usual thing for her to do, but she was willing to go to desperate measures to fight off the cold seeping in through her jacket. "And it looks like its getting warmer. We'll be fine in a couple of hours."

*******************************************

After a very nutritious breakfast of hot chocolate, crackers, and more hot dogs, the gang was about ready to take off into the great unknown.

"Wait, I need my sketchbook," Jane yelled as she ran back to the tent. When she got back, Jesse was recalling his previous hiking experience.

"Oh. Right, I remember that trail. It's really long." He looked forlorn. "Like, really long."

"Then do you know of any other trails, Jesse? Shorter trails?" Daria asked, as one might ask a six-year-old who had just spilled their ice cream on the sidewalk.

"Hmm," he had to think about it for a minute or two. . . "Oh! Yeah. There's one right over there," he said, pointing to a place opposite from where their tent was in the clearing, where the bushes looked a little thinner. "It goes around the lake." He thought for a moment. "It's not too long. It only took us a couple of hours last time."

"Right then. Let's go, campers!" Jane said, marching through the bushes, eager to get moving.

Daria trudged after her, disappointed she had forgotten her jeans. The bushes and plants were covered in thorns and she could feel the inevitability of her legs being covered in scratches, some of which would probably draw blood. Trent and Jesse lagged behind, still groggy from waking up so early.

"Jane, just out of curiosity, what exactly inspired this venture into the great outdoors?"

"Just seemed like the right thing to do. Like insulting Upchuck, or mocking the fashion club. It's just something one must do."

"Yes, but at least those activities are enjoyable. And don't cause any blood loss." Daria paused to glance at her legs, well marked with scratches by now, and at least one of them bleeding.

"Huh?" Jane turned around to look at Daria. She couldn't help from laughing. Her leg was bleeding, and she had little leaves and other chunks of foliage stuck to her skirt and jacket add to it a couple of twig sticking out of her hair. And she'd only been hiking for what- ten minutes?

"It's not funny, Jane."

She tried to stop laughing. "I know it's not. I guess it's just that your non-descript clothing doesn't even bode well with members of nature. Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine."

"Yes. Very woodsy. Rugged. Marty Stouffer would be proud."

"You really did spend your entire childhood watching bad TV, huh?"

"Pretty much."

"Before you ask. . . No; I will not be setting any traps to sedate animals so you can hide in the shrubs and sketch them 'in their natural state' when the come out of their comatose."

"C'mon, Daria. Where's your sense of sportsmanship?" Jane grinned at her wilderness-challenged friend.

By now the boys had finally caught up.

"Why'd we stop?"

"We didn't," Jane said, starting forward again- afraid if they stopped the boys for too long they would fall asleep in a comfy bush beside the trail.

They trekked steadily along for another half an hour before coming upon a huge rock overlooking the lake. Jane stopped, and looked excitedly at the group before plopping herself down on the edge of the rock with her sketchpad. Jesse sat down next to her, watching her begin to draw. Trent and Daria just stood, unsure how to proceed. Without turning around, Jane answered their question.

"You two go on ahead, we'll catch up."

"Hey Jesse, why don't you come with us?"

"Aw, man, why? My feet hurt."

Jane turned on Trent. "Let him stay." She glared. "You can't keep us from being alone together forever." Her face changed into a grin. "Plus, who will protect me from the bears and other woodland creatures? Take a hike, Trent."

Trent sighed in frustration and turned towards Daria. "You up for it?"

"Uh, sure, I guess." She began to blush. "It's better than watching Jane draw- that's what I do for the other ninety percent of my life."

"And who could resist *your* company, Trent?" Jane said, obviously still slightly peeved at him for being so protective.

He frowned at Jane, still miffed about things in general and took off down the trail. Daria looked at Jane crossly and folded her arms, then walked after Trent. She knew Jane was just being 'Jane,' but it bothered her that she would blatantly hurt her brother's feelings. It was one thing to do it to Quinn, she obviously didn't have any feelings to hurt. But Trent didn't deserve it. He had to be having a hard time of it. She knew he was living his dream and all, but somewhere in there it had to be depressing to know that at the same time he looked (and acted) just like a slacker townie. Daria sighed. At least she was sure now that her feelings for Trent weren't just skin deep.

There was just something about him that she found intriguing. Trent had more courage than she would ever have, more drive, more. . . of a purpose. He knew what he wanted to do in life, and even if it was just a pipe dream, he kept at it because he wanted it that much. Daria had never wanted anything that much in her whole life. And perhaps he was a slacker to some extent, but he had morals. Trent was a good person. He watched out for Jane, and was probably there for her more than the rest of her family- even when she did insult him. Her big brother had faith in her and her dreams, too, and it showed. Daria supposed there was some part of her that wished that she had at least one connection like that with someone in her family. Someone to be there for her, unconditionally.