He called a cab to take them away from the suburban neighborhood… to take them away from the little room. She felt tingling in her hands and feet. This was finally an adventure for her.

"So… Where are we going?" She chuckled as the trees began to surround the narrowing road. He ignored her question and started digging into his bag. It was strange. Unlike their first car ride together, this silence felt peaceful. Sierra couldn't stop thinking about him. What was he thinking? What's his intention? Where is he taking me? When she caught herself thinking about him… nothing else mattered.

As the dirt road led them into a heavily wooded area, she peaked out the car window. It all seemed kinda familiar. Cabins and tents were placed in spacious rows and several faces surrounded a metal-rimmed fire that glowed in the pale dusk air. The camp was quaint and little, but it was enough to conjure up old feelings. After spending all this time trying to get away, she thought the last thing Cody would want is to be back at a campground.

She followed him to a cabin on the far end of the campgrounds. The cabin was dollish with its knotted pine walls and matching floors. The furniture was musty and simple. The space had a living area with an icebox and thin wooden doors that led into the other rooms. It was not much, but it was perfect for her escape.

After setting down his bags and helping her onto the couch he calmly sighed, "Sorry it's kinda boring. I figured it was better than staying back at the house."

She looked down, "It's not boring if you're here." Cody felt young. He knew why they left the house to begin with. But he knows he doesn't have the maturity to really understand what she was thinking about all this. He wasn't the most skilled person when it comes to understanding girls his age. The only girl he really felt like he understood, Sierra, was someone he's had to rediscover as he becomes a common witness to the emotional strain her offline life has on her.

"Where do we go now?"

She looked up at him curiously, "We… could go outside and light a fire." She knew he was stalling. He wanted so badly to talk to her about what is happening but he doesn't want to pressure her into it. She felt almost annoyed by this blatant hesitance. As he left the cabin to set up the fire, she looked into her bag carefully. She had a natural urge to take care of Cody; a feeling that never changed throughout her time spent with him. She left the cabin and sat next to him in the grass by the breathy fire. After draping a blanket around her, he started to shift uneasily.

He chuckled nervously, "I'm realizing now that I probably should've packed an EpiPen. I didn't really consider sitting outsi-" He paused as she started to laugh. She revealed the medicine she packed with her. He was taken back a bit but joined her in the grass. He looked at her as the dim light of the fire shined on her face. He knew that, despite his promise, there was no way to start over with her. Everything that's happened. Everything that's about to happen. It will always stem back to the show. Everything that happened on the plane has helped him grow. But it's everything that he needs to do now to help her in return.

She looked back at him and pouted, "I know you only brought me out here so we could talk about my parents."

He blanked, "That's... not true. I won't make you talk about it if you don't want to. I think you'll feel better if you do." Cody knew he was unintentionally prying. How could he not? The girl he only knew for so long as his fan. The girl that made him realize that people are more dimensional then he perceived them to be. He remembered his interactions with Gwen, and how little he actually knew about her. How badly he thought he loved her and how objectifying his intentions were. He felt like this was a chance to see Sierra. To see her from a different perspective. To see anyone from a new perspective.

"I- I want to talk about it."

She felt her heart pounding as she stared into the warm embers of the fire. It was something she never found herself saying out loud. It was something she never found herself thinking about. She felt anchored as the pressure settled in. She almost missed being on the plane. She didn't have to think of anything she didn't want to when she was able to indulge in her own escape.

Her eyes fluttered as she exhaled unsteadily, "It wasn't anything warranted he just disappeared one day. I went like… 8 years without seeing or hearing from them." From the day he sat in her quiet bedroom back home, he knew how difficult this all was to her. As she paused, he thought about what he'd remember from that visit.

"Your father and sister?"

"My sisters," She corrected but paled at the thought of her story, "It broke my mom so much. She'd watch Chris so often so she didn't have to think about it anymore."

"So- your dad just showed up again?"

"Maybe a year ago. My mom was so excited to see her long lost kids again- she was blinded. But… I just feel so hesitant about all of it." It took no time for the timeline to add up in Cody's head. He thought about his own life a year ago. It was a year ago that he'd wind up on TV… It'd be a year ago that he'd wind up being her object of affection. Her object of escapism. He thought about all her moments with him and everything she said and did. She became so invested in the lives of these low-profile celebrity teens so she didn't have to become invested in her past problems as they floated back to the surface. All this knowledge weighed down his head. He snapped back as he noticed her tearing up.

He joined her under the blanket and wiped her eyes, "It's okay to feel hesitant about it. You've just been hiding from it for so long." It's been pretty apparent to her how distant she made herself from reality. She always had something. Her mother and all the TV appearances they could find of Chris. The show she fell in love with and the blogs she spent hours on. The admiration and bad crush she developed on Cody. For the first time in a decade, her escapism was a part of her reality. She relied on his friendship to uplift her more than anything. It was him that helped her feel free. Free from the problems she'd set aside and free from the unhealthy habit of escapism. He sighed in relief as she grabbed him and buried her head in his shoulder. His eyes widened at her remarks.

"I'm sorry I ever hurt you…"

"No- don't apologize." He helped her up and led her back inside before putting out the fire. As he left to attend to the fire, Sierra went into the bedroom to change. The boxy room had the same knotted-wood paneling and single bed next to a fold out table with an old TV set on top. All these new places she's been have been so simple and small. It was enough to leave her to dwell in her own feelings and emotions. Her emotions regarding him. She laid on the bed and stared at the thin door. Her feelings towards him were numb. Just the memory of telling him her story felt distant and fake. She wondered about his perception of her and if it had changed. She couldn't understand what her emotions were at the time, only that they were strong and collapsing.

The door creaked open as he stepped into the room, "Were you wanting to head to bed right now?" She looked at her phone to check the time as midnight was slowly approaching. Sleep or the thought of the time hadn't crossed her mind. She looked at him and looked down as she realized the single bedroom only had the one bed.

"Where were you planning on sleeping?"

"The couch." Her mind felt drained. After the whole day. After laying in the grass with him. After discovering the sad truth of her false paradise. After being swept away and laying in the glow of the fire. After sharing her biggest insecurity with someone she'd never thought she would become a part of. The idea of being alone in this unfamiliar room terrified her.

"Just... stay in here." He blanked at the statement. While the two of them had spent lots of time together in that little corner room of the house, he never fathomed spending the night with her. Her mannerisms said it all to him; she felt alone and emotional. As much as he felt like she was suffering, he knew it was for the best as this was only the beginning for her to fall back into a reality. A reality she left behind all those years ago. He lit a candle and joined her on the bed.

"It's okay to be upset about it."

She lifted her head up, "I'm not sad I don't really know how to feel." The dam in her mind holding back everything just wasn't going to last forever. As Cody was the person she trusted most with her feelings, she had the urge to keep him close to her. He strangely felt similar as he watched the girl spill her feelings and insecurities to him. It made him feel mature… something that he felt insecure about. He knew that while she needed him now more than ever, he needed her just as badly.

The candle flickered softly as the pair laid together in the modest cabin. What was meant to become a simple night away… would lead to a moment would be burned in their minds forever. All of their emotions, insecurities, and unknown feelings became too difficult for one of them to bear alone. The interconnectedness of their genuine emotions would become an oasis. The candle flickered softly as the base of their love would unite, like a dream that would've played out in her long-lost fantasies.

The early sun rose as Cody finally accepted the sleepless night. He looked over at her as she peacefully slept before going into the other room. Several thoughts cycled through his mind as he collapsed onto the sofa. He thought about the younger, naive and inexperienced version of himself that existed months before. That existed the very day before. He thought about what that version of himself would be saying to him now. He thought about Sierra and what could possibly be going through her head right now. The thought of her made him feel gross. He felt impulsive and inconsiderate. It was clear that both of them were weak and tired. But he had an obligation to help her. All he did was give her another reason to fall back into escapism one last time. He looked up and the slanted ceiling for a moment before burying his face in his hands.

"I'm only making it worse."