We Meet Again

Ch. 11


Ding Dong

Hastily brushing her hair, Lil ran to answer the door, and smiled upon seeing Shenzi and Chuckie outside, hand-in-hand. "Hey guys," She greeted them, "Come on in. Mom has news, and she wanted to wait until you came to tell it."

They gathered in the living room, where Betty was waiting for them. "Well, I'm glad you two aren't butting heads anymore, because I have exciting news!"

"What is it?" Chuckie asked her.

"We're goin' camping for the weekend! And you little lovebirds are invited! Lil insisted."

"Camping?" Chuckie raised his eyebrows in surprise.

"That sounds fun," Shenzi smiled, "I'm in."

"Me too," Chuckie nodded.


When Friday came and after school was over with, Shenzi prepared herself for the camping trip with Chuckie, Chaz, the DeVilles minus Howard, and apparently Tommy. Howard had to help their grandparents, so he couldn't come. Frankie wasn't into camping, so she decided to stay with their parents. Plus she wasn't invited, and respected that fact.

Shenzi changed into black cargo shorts, a black and white "Black Is My Happy Colour" cropped t-shirt, a pink and black flannel, which was tied in the front, black Doc Martens work boots, black spike ball earrings, and a pink extension. She then tied her hair in two low ponytails. She dumped her school supplies out of her backpack and replaced them with her sleeping bag, pajamas, socks, small snacks, and her pillow. "You all packed up?" Felicia asked her.

"Yep," She nodded, hoisting her backpack on her shoulders, "I'll ask Betty or Chaz to call you when we arrive, if there's reception where we stay at."

"Alright," Felicia nodded as Shenzi headed for the front door to wait on the porch. Her mother followed her out, and decided to wait with her. "But you be careful, okay? Your father, sister and I don't want another... well, you know."

"I will," Shenzi assured her, "I don't want another one either, but Chuckie and I made up a few nights ago, so there won't be any fight-induced trauma again."

"Well regardless, just be careful."

"I will."

After another minute, Betty came driving up with Chaz in the passenger seat, and Tommy, Chuckie, and the twins in the back seats. "Okay Shen, you have fun with your friends. And Chuckie," She giggled.

Shenzi rolled her eyes while smiling, as an embarrassed blush grew on her cheeks. "I will, Mom." She walked to the car and sat between Chuckie and Phil, with Tommy at Chuckie's left, and Lil at Phil's right.

"You ready to camp it up, Shen?" Chuckie asked her.

"Yep," She nodded. She had to admit, Chuckie looked pretty darn cute in his purple plaid button-up t-shirt, light denim shorts, grey crew socks, and short brown boots.

Phil was in green shorts, a light blue t-shirt, olive green sneakers, a dark-ish pink baseball cap, and had a blue hoodie tied around his waist. Tommy was wearing a white t-shirt, a red plaid button-up shirt with all the buttons undone, denim shorts, grey socks, and black Vans. Lil was in a black tank top, a white, red, and blue plaid flannel shirt tied in the front, dark denim embroidered shorts, classic Converse low-tops, and a red extension.

"I'm so excited!" Phil exclaimed, "I've always wanted to go camping!"

"Me too," Tommy agreed.

"Well, I'm really glad you guys are friends again," Lil smiled at Shenzi and Chuckie.

"Thanks, " Shenzi smiled back, "I am too. I don't know what I would do without my best friend." She hugged Chuckie from the side, who hugged her back.

"Yeah! Sheckie's back together!" Phil cheered.

"Yeah!" Lil cheered with him.

"Okay guys," Tommy chimed in upon noticing that the two friends looked a bit embarrassed. "Give them a little space."

"Alright," Lil shrugged, before she looked to her right at the window.

"Have you ever gone camping before, Shenzi?" Tommy asked her.

"Nah," She shrugged, "At least I don't think so. If I have, I can't remember it."

"Ah," Tommy nodded, "Well my grandpa has talked about taking me and my friends camping when we were babies. Or in Chuck's case, babies and a toddler. He was potty-trained at the time, but it was before we went to Paris."

"Oh, that's interesting," Shenzi nodded.

After a while, they arrived at the campsite. "Here we are, pups! Pile out!" The kids plus Betty and Chaz filed out of the car, the kids having their backpacks handy, while Betty went to grab the gear from the trunk. "For the whole weekend, we're going to live how our ancestors lived, before they had houses, electricity, and outhouses."

"Before we do, can you or Chaz call my family, to tell them we arrived?" Shenzi requested.

"I will." Betty whipped out her phone and dialed the Tuck residence after the emo girl provided the number. "After this, we'll live like our ancestors," She told the kids, before Felicia answered. "Hey, Felish! Yeah, we're here. Don't worry, Chazzy and I will take good care of your daughter. Okay, bye." She then hung up. "Okay, now we're living the old life! Let's get to that campsite!" The campsite was merely a clearing surrounded by trees and a calm river. "Well, here we are! Let's set up."

Phil was in charge of learning knots, Tommy was getting firewood, and Chuckie and the girls were setting up the tents. Originally, the arrangement was going to be: Tommy, Chuckie, and Phil in one tent, Shenzi and Lil in one, and Betty and Chaz in another. But they all predicted that Shenzi would sleep with Chuckie, so they decided to mix it up as they went. "Hey Chuck, how's the tent going?" Shenzi asked her best friend after walking up to him.

"It's... going," Chuckie replied, "But don't worry." He playfully bent one of the rods. "I know what I'm doing." He flinched and Shenzi ducked for cover when the rod suddenly went flying.

"I'm not sure I like that," Shenzi playfully teased him with a giggle while straightening up.

"Very funny," He smirked.

"Here, I'll help you."


After a while, all the tents were up and ready for when bedtime came around, which was very soon. Shenzi was clumsily hit in the forehead with a rod, but otherwise, no one was injured. Even though she insisted that it was fine, Chuckie kissed the red spot on her forehead. Phil, Betty, and Chaz were trying not to smile at them, while Lil looked like her face was going to split in half from her wide grin. Tommy didn't see them, however.

"Okay you lovebirds, come join us for s'mores," Betty called out to the two friends when Chuckie was checking Shenzi's forehead for a bruise. They saw that a few logs were arranged around the reasonably-sized campfire, where Tommy, the adults, and the twins were roasting s'mores on sticks. Sitting next to each other, they sat on one of the logs with Tommy. The kids were startled when Chaz burned his s'more from holding it to the fire too close. When he ate it anyway, Shenzi grimaced at the crunching noises. After they were done, they decided to "hit the hay" for the night, as Betty put it. Shenzi and Lil weren't fond of the idea of not being able to brush their teeth, but didn't say anything about it, knowing that it was only for a weekend anyway.

As everyone predicted, Shenzi made a beeline for Chuckie's tent, and Tommy granted her access to the middle spot. After she set her sleeping bag in the spot, she went back outside.

In the other tent, she and Lil changed into their pajamas, one on one instead of at the same time, before Phil could set up his sleeping bag. He, Tommy, and Chuckie planned on sleeping in their day clothes. Lil's had a BFFs milk and cookies theme, with long light brown pants, a pink tank top, and lilac socks. Shenzi had a black dolman knit pajama top, which was tied at the left side because of its long length, hot pink Cupcakes Are Evil themed boxer shorts, and black knee-high socks with pink bows. Her earrings were replaced with black barbells. She pulled the bands out of her hair, and stashed them in her backpack.

"Nah, we're just about to hit the hay," They heard Betty tell someone on her phone. Shenzi assumed it was either one of her parents, or her sister, "Shenzi is still fine, Tucky." She was right. "I think Frankie would like this, but Chuckie kissed her today." Shenzi's eyes widened. "No, no! It's not what you're thinkin'! Get those thoughts out of your head, preacher." Shenzi knew right then and there that Betty was talking to her dad. "It was just on her forehead; She hit it with a rod while assembling one of the tents. Yeah, she's okay. Might be a little sore in the morning, possibly black and blue, but no biggie. Alright, g'night." She then hung up, and turned to the emo girl. "Your folks say hi, and for you to be careful."

"Thanks," She smiled back, before re-entering the tent. "I'm back, boys."

"Nice PJs," Tommy smirked at her boxer shorts.

"Thanks," She giggled.

"Evil cupcakes?"

"Yeah."

"Okay, kids! Time for bed!" Betty announced, "G'night!"

"Well, we may as well get our snooze on," Shenzi pulled her glasses out from under her long bangs, "Chuckie, can you put these over there with yours?"

"Sure," Chuckie took off his own glasses, took hers, and set them together to his left where he couldn't break them.

"Thanks, Chuck. G'night, guys." Shenzi yawned and rubbed her eyes, letting her long bangs fall to blend in with the rest of her hair.

Chuckie saw this, and his curiosity won him over. "Y'know Shen, I've never seen both of your eyes before. At least, not recently," He remarked, as she opened her right eye. She looked cute like that, to him.

"You haven't?" Shenzi timidly covered her left eye with one hand.

"Can I, um... y-you don't have to if you're..."

"You promise not to make fun of me?"

"I promise. Cross my heart."

"A-alright." She unveiled what she was hiding, and Chuckie tried to hide his surprise at what he saw. There was nothing with it; But while her right eye, which he always saw, was green, the other was blue! He had never seen anything like it.

"Um..."

"I know," She sighed sadly, "I inherited them from my biological father. I'm such a freak." She went to hide it again, but was stopped just before she could. Her bangs were just barely above her eye when he stopped her.

"No, no! You're not a freak!" Chuckie assured her, putting his glasses back on, "It's like I said about your braces; Just because you have two-colored eyes, it doesn't mean you're a freak, or a cyborg, or anything like that. You're a person, like everyone else. Besides," He brushed her bangs back from her blushing face. "I think you have very pretty eyes."

She let a timid smile and blush grow. "Thanks, Chuck."

There was a few seconds of silence, as they gazed deeply at one another, before Tommy spoke up quietly. "If you guys are gonna kiss, just tell me and I'll leave." He would've said "again", but he didn't want to remind them about the "Tangled incident." He, along with pretty much the whole school, saw the photo in the school newspaper, but he didn't tease or question them about it.

"Very funny," Shenzi giggled.

"So, are you going to stop hiding yourself?" Chuckie asked her.

"Well um, no offense, but I've grown kind of accustomed to my hair being like this," Shenzi hesitantly explained, "It's been this way since I was 10." A yawn escaped before she could say anything else. "I, I'll tell the rest tomorrow while we're rafting. I'm tired."

"Me too," Chuckie agreed, taking his glasses off again.

"Let's hit it," Tommy chimed in.

"Hit what?" The redhead felt a bit nervous.

"The sack?" Tommy smirked, as Shenzi tried not to giggle.

"Oh yeah," Chuckie felt sheepish at his brief ditziness. He laid on his left side, his arm under his pillow, and drifted off to sleep. While sleeping herself, Shenzi turned towards the redhead and wrapped one arm around him as much as she could, with her face on the back of his neck and in his hair a bit. Chuckie flinched awake, but when he saw a tiny, grey hand with black polish on the nails, he smiled and went back to sleep. Neither of them noticed that Tommy was still awake, and remained so throughout the night. They did notice that he had been acting weird all day, but he denied it whenever they'd ask him about it.

Before long, daylight came, and Tommy was still awake. "Rise and shine, boys and girls!" Chuckie and the twins woke up in their respective tents, but a certain black-haired girl was still out like a light. "The raft's waitin', the river's here, get your baby butts in gear!"

"Um, B-Betty?" Chuckie piped up after putting his glasses on. "Little help? Shenzi's still asleep." Betty looked in the tent, and was amused to see that Shenzi was now on top of Chuckie face-down, so her sleeping bag was completely empty. Her long, dark hair concealed all of her face, and Chuckie's right upper arm. Chuckie occasionally giggled at her breath tickling his neck. And from what he and Betty heard, she was even snoring a bit. "She snores funny," Chuckie giggled quietly. Her snoring was a bit high-pitched, and somewhat quiet, but still audible. A few squeaks even accompanied them.

"I got 'er." The brunette woman gently set the black-haired girl face-up on her sleeping bag. "Rise and shine, Shenster!"

With a small snort, the black-haired girl snapped awake. "Oh! I, what happened?"

"You seemed to be using the Chuckster as your personal, portable mattress," Betty chuckled amusedly.

"O-oh," Shenzi blushed in embarrassment, "Sorry Chuckie."

"It's okay," Chuckie assured her, as he gave her glasses, "Here are your seeing eyes."

"Thanks," She giggled, putting them on her face below her bangs like always.

"Come on, kids! The raft's waiting for you!"

Shenzi and the boys crawled out of the tent. "How's your head, Shen?" Chuckie asked her.

"It's fine," She shrugged, "Is there a bruise?"

"Hmm." He tenderly pushed her bangs out of the way to have a look. "I see one, but just barely. Is it sore?"

"A little bit."

"Still? Well then..." When no one was looking, Chuckie kissed the spot with her bangs still brushed back.

"Thanks Chuck," She smiled timidly.

After she and Lil got dressed back in their day clothes from yesterday, with Shenzi re-tying her hair in its ponytails, they began learning how to paddle. They sat on the logs, with oars in hand, as Betty trained them for a while. Shenzi and Lil were struggling a bit from the oars' slightly heavy weights, but Chuckie and Phil assisted them, respectively.

After a short time, they were ready; They gathered in the yellow raft, where Phil tied the duffle bag tightly to one end. The girls kept their backpacks in the tents for safety. "Tommy, you coming?" Lil asked Tommy when everyone except him was in the raft.

"We're waiting," Chuckie chimed in. But Tommy stayed put, and even looked nervous.


The rest of the day went... pretty interesting. Chaz had fallen in the river, and when Betty dove in to rescue him, they were separated from the kids. They almost lost the duffle bag, but Lil grabbed it in the nick of time. She and Chuckie were angry at Phil for not tying it firmly enough, though. After a while of wandering, Chuckie and Shenzi finally learn why Tommy was acting so strangely: He was afraid of water. Chuckie assured him that it didn't change anything, because it was normal to be scared of something.

When they found smoke billowing from an area in the woods, the kids headed that way in hopes of finding help, but on the way, Phil fell in the river! Shenzi, Chuckie, and Lil were too scared to help him, but Tommy in, and rescued the brunette boy. Even though he briefly went back into danger, merely to grab his hat, Tommy managed to save him after Betty and Chaz, with their raft, finally found them. Chaz had fallen into the river again, but was quickly rescued by Betty and the kids.

After everyone was alright, they paddled back to the campsite, where Shenzi and Lil changed out of their wet clothes and into their Pjs. Shenzi's hair was down yet again. After they roasted and ate marshmallows around the fire, they sat around and chatted with each other, since it wasn't quite bedtime yet. Shenzi had a nagging feeling of guilt, so she excused herself and sat in the tent on her sleeping bag. Her knees were up to her chest.

She looked up when Chuckie crawled in and sat on his sleeping bag next to her. "You okay, Shen?"

"Y-yeah," She nodded, "I just... I just feel bad for not helping Phil out of the river."

"Oh," Chuckie mumbled, "Well, he's alright. Tommy rescued him."

"Yeah, but..."

"The point is, none of us drowned in the river. We're all okay."

"... Y-yeah, you're right," Shenzi nodded, "That river was pretty scary, though."

"Right?" Chuckie agreed, before he decided to change the subject. "Um... h-how's your head?"

"It's alright," She shrugged, "Not really aching anymore. I guess I forgot about it when everything unfolded. Boy, wait 'til I tell my parents and sister." She let out a yawn. "Man, I'm tired. Getting lost on a rushing river really tires one out."

"Yep," Chuckie yawned as well, "Let's hit it early."

"Hit what?"

"The sack?" He chuckled, knowing she was playing with him.

"Oh," She giggled, "'Night, Chuck."

"'Night, Tuck." After snuggling into their sleeping bags, they scooted closer together and drifted off to sleep in each other's arms.

"Tommy, can you check on Shenzi and Chuckie?" Betty asked the purple-haired boy. "They've been in there for a while."

"Sure thing." Tommy stood up, and cautiously peeked in the tent. He was surprised, yet amused, to see the two friends in a deep, sweet slumber. "They're sleeping," He reported back.

"Ah, hittin' the hay a little early, huh?" Betty smiled.

"Oh, they look so cute!" Lil quietly gushed after seeing them.

"We may as well follow their lead." Betty put out the fire with a bucket of water from the river. "G'night, kids! 'Night, Chaz!"

Shenzi and Chuckie heard Tommy crawl in, but they stayed still, feeling comfort in each other's company. Chuckie smiled when he felt Shenzi cuddle in his chest and neck. He held her closer with one hand on her back, and the other in her soft, dark hair. Guilt filled him up when he thought about the agrument they had, and the scare on the window washer's platform. He vowed again to never fight with her again, because if he did, who knows how it would go? They would never be friends again, and worst of all, she could actually die from a balcony or something!

But one thing he knew for sure was: Their friendship could withstand anything and everything.


(A/N: Hope you enjoyed this chapter! Sorry that I was lazy about the river scene; It basically goes the same way as it did in the AGU episode "River Rats", which inspired this chapter, anyway. You know the disclaimer. Originally, I was going to have Shenzi fall in the river, but a pet peeve of mine is when everything happens to only one character, so I kept it the way it is now.)


Random Fact About BxB

My most memorable trip to Disneyland and California Adventure was in summer of 2014. I rode the Haunted Mansion and Mickey's Fun Wheel for my first times, and I lost my iPod somewhere in there, somehow. :( But I got a new one, and I still have it.