This chapter felt a bit rushed to me... Might try to edit it later on...
Dorothy collapsed around the warm fire in the hearth and soaked up the heat greedily. The cabin was everything Wanda had promised and more. When first stepping through the large doors, her mouth had actually dropped open. She couldn't believe she had been introduced to such a gorgeous wooden building. High ceiling, bear mats on the ground - she hoped they were fake so that Phoebe wouldn't have a heart attack. A large lounge was in the middle of the main room and the most comfortable brown couches were stationed around it. Dorothy Ann was sitting in one, a blanket around her shoulders.
She had already showered and changed into a dry pair of pyjamas. Her and Carlos' packs had been completely soaked when they'd arrived, but they had placed their pyjamas by the fire almost immediately after getting inside so that by the time DA had showered, and Carlos had found something for them to eat, they had something dry to wear.
DA felt more comfortable now than she had all week. The warm fire, the cozy pyjamas, a full stomach. She had no idea Carlos could cook so well, and wondered how long she could hide her complete inability to make anything more complicated than french toast. The two of them had managed to dig up some spaghetti noodles and Carlos had made the best tasting sauce Dorothy Ann had ever eaten. It beat her mom's by far, though she would never tell her that.
Now DA was sitting by the fire alone, a warm mug of cocoa in her hands. Carlos had gone upstairs to shower in one of the guest bedrooms, leaving her to check the dark, rain splattered windows every second, praying that there wasn't a cougar or something waiting outside.
Dorothy Ann shivered, even though she was quite warm and pulled a blanket around herself tighter. They had searched through most of the bed and breakfast already, shouting out the names of their friends, but hadn't found anyone. To put her mind at ease, Dorothy Ann firmly told herself that they had probably ended up staying in some motel in the village below. But it was hard to get the images of her friends being attacked by bears or lying in the bottom of the river face down out her her frazzled mind..
Dorothy Ann shook her head. No, they were fine. They had to be...
She got up, placed the now empty hot chocolate mug back onto the polished oak table in front of her, and made her way out of the lounge towards the stairs that would take her up to the suites.
She had showered and left her soaking clothes in a corner room and now regretted the decision. After stepping inside, she sat down on the soft bed and looked to the large window on her left. Then to the one behind her. It made her feel far too exposed, like anyone could see her shadow walking to and fro in the room. She shook her head; she had heard too many ghost stories...
DA got up from her bed and walked back towards the door. She poked her head out of it, down the hall and saw, on one side, a series of closed doors down the hallway. On the other side was a railing that overlooked the lounge and entrance hall. The one second farthest door to the left was open. Carlos' room no doubt.
Dorothy Ann pulled her head back into her room, dashed off to the bathroom so that she could quickly brush her teeth. She then spat the frothy substance in the sink, rinsed out her mouth, and hurried back out of the room. She trotted down the length of the hallway, her footsteps padding lightly on the wooden planks on the floor. When she reached the open door she poked her head inside and saw Carlos' inside, pulling on a T-shirt. Dorothy Ann wished he hadn't, or that she had at least gotten another second of looking at that chest...
She cleared her throat and Carlos looked up. He grinned. "Knew you wouldn't want to sleep alone."
"No!" DA crossed her arms and glared at him. "Just didn't feel like sleeping yet."
He walked up to her, tugged one arm free and dragged her to the bed. He sat down himself and Dorothy Ann crawled up next to him. They didn't say anything at first.
"Soo..." Carlos said after awhile, flopping own onto his side next to her.
Dorothy Ann lay down next to him and she felt her stomach flutter as her took her hand and entwined his fingers into hers. She was so shocked at this sudden open gesture that she had, for a second, completely forgotten what had happened moment before their encounter with the mountain lion. Now it all came flooding back to her and she somehow felt more nervous than ever. What happened now?
"You know Tim asked me out last week," she said quietly, looking at their hands instead of his face. She felt his grip tighten, but the grip felt reassuring and she felt like the whole story she had been hiding was about to tumble out.
"He - he did?!" Carlos said aghast.
"I turned him down," said DA quickly, before he could say anything else.
"Oh... good," Carlos muttered. DA finally looked up at him and saw that his gaze was off onto the quilt. He cleared his throat. "You know, he told me he was..."
"What?!" Dorothy Ann suddenly sat up at this shocking bit of news, pulling her fingers out of his grasp. "He told you? What did you say?"
"Nothing," Carlos sat up so their faces could be more or less level. "What could I say?"
"Something, anything to talk him out of it!" Dorothy Ann snapped. "Do you have any idea how awkward it was! I almost said 'yes' just because he looked so pathetic there!" She crossed her arms. It had been unbearably awkward. She had been worried that they would never be able to patch things up again after her answer. She had almost said yes, just to make herself feel less guilty, and maybe said 'yes' just so that she could stop waiting...
"I wanted to!" Carlos insisted angrily. "DA you have no idea how much I wanted to talk him out of it!"
Dorothy Ann just continued to glare at him. "He won't talk to me the same way anymore! Things just become horribly awkward between us. I sometimes wish I had said yes!" She eyed Carlos carefully after saying this. "Because I thought it might not be so bad and - and -," her voice cracked. "And I was tired of waiting..."
Carlos' eyes widened, horrified. He looked like he was about to be sick. "You were - going to say yes...?"
Dorothy Ann tried to hide the glee she got from his reaction. "I didn't really have an excuse for turning him down..."
"So why did you?" Carlos was sitting on his knees now, looking very alert.
"Why didn't you say anything to him when he told you?!"
"Don't change the subject, DA!" Carlos looked agitated. Dorothy Ann glared at him. He sighed and ran a hard through his damp hair. "Look DA, I couldn't say anything. I was just as shocked as you! I don't even want to think about it, it was the worst thing anyone's ever said to me! Do you have idea how it felt to hear one of your closest friends declare he suddenly had a crush on the girl you've been in love with for years?!" His eyes suddenly widened, realizing what he had just said. He groaned and flopped down again, face into his pillow.
"Well..." Dorothy Ann started, trying to ignore how tight her stomach had just gotten. "Well - I..." she was having a little bit of trouble speaking. She took a deep breath and reached out to touch him lightly on the shoulder. Carlos' head snapped up. "For - for how long?" she had to know. The curiosity was already unbearable.
Carlos shrugged. "How should I know." He slumped back, face first, into the pillow and spoke into it. "It doesn't make any sense."
"W - why?" Dorothy Ann asked. The words coming from him bothered her for some reason, despite the fact they had been running through her mind for years.
Carlos got up from the pillow again. "Because. You drive me insane."
"No!" Dorothy Ann put her hands on her hips. "You drive me insane!"
"No, you drive me insane!"
"No, you're the most obnoxious person on the whole planet! You - "
"Don't try to deny the obvious DA..."
"You still think the chicken and the egg joke is funny, you're the only one who seems to think that 'bookworm' joke is still funny, you act like you're four - !"
Carlos snorted. "And you act like a forty year, nagging librarian."
"And even you're writing could easily be mistaken for a four year old's!"
"Yeah, well you still draw like a four year old."
"You - "
Only before she could even think up some snappy retort that would have him totally eating his own words, he kissed her. Hard. And Dorothy Ann's mind was completely wiped blank.
She had so little time to prepare herself for this gesture that she almost toppled over onto her back. She pushed him back hard on his chest, but made sure her lips never left his as he deepened the kiss. Her hands then slid up towards his hair, still damp from his shower. He smelled so good... his soap, his hair... She tasted the mint from his toothpaste as she felt his tongue explore the inside of her mouth. It was getting harder and harder to get made at him..
She whimpered as she felt his hands slid slowly down her back, suddenly surprised she felt herself wishing they would slid under her shirt. They didn't and Dorothy Ann groaned in frustration and pushed him back further onto the pillows.
xxx
Wanda was shivering violently on the ground as she tried to get to sleep. It was an impossible task. It was freezing lying on this mud. And disgusting. But she felt too tired to complain.
After much uncomfortable tossing and turning, Wanda heaved a huge sigh and sat up in the dark, crossing her arms. Were the others actually asleep?! Not one of her companions was moving save for the gentle falling and the rising of their chests.
It was horrible sleeping here. Absolutely horrible. Wanda pulled her hiking boot out of the mud and grimaced. There were flecks on the mud on her bare legs. It was raining too, but at least that made the air around them just a little bit warmer.
Wanda sighed again and turned to Ralphie, who looked like he was sleeping pretty peacefully upon the ground. Wanda wondered if he had felt she had blown him off. Pushing him away the minute she heard rustling in the trees next to the clearing. Well, she couldn't let Keesha or Tim catch them so close. Keesha had been glaring at her enough over the campfire when she had just snuggled up next to him...
God she felt like doing it now. Or maybe waking him up so they could go sneak off somewhere... Wanda quickly glanced over at Keesha. She looked sound asleep. Wanda shifted over ever so slightly and nudged Ralphie lightly on the shoulder.
"Knew you'd come back for more."
Wanda's mouth dropped open and she withdrew her hand quickly. "Were you awake the whole time?!" she hissed through her teeth. She saw Ralphie's eye open and he grinned.
"Just waiting. Couldn't sleep." He sat up and smirked. Wanda's eyes flickered back over to Keesha and Tim.
"Think they're faking it too?" she asked him.
"I don't think so. Tim's got a leaf in his mouth," Ralphie observed. He suddenly frowned. "Why do you want to hide it?"
"Hide what Ralphie," Wanda said, turning away from him. "You expected more?"
"W - what?! Y - no.. Maybe.. W-Wanda.." he hissed. "Are you kidding?!"
"Meet you behind that large tree in five seconds?"
Ralphie was up on his feet in less than one.
xxx
There it was again. The bear. This time twice as large. Arnold was trying to run, but his legs felt like lead. It was gaining on them. His stomach clenched, it's humongous jaws were bearing down on Phoebe. She was screaming - what was she screaming? It was hard to make it out, but Arnold had a feeling they were important, so he moved closer to her. The bear was forgotten for a second. But he still couldn't hear her. He was right next to her now and her screaming was like a whisper. And then he saw the jaws again, and yelled himself as they began to close upon them.
Arnold jumped and his eyes flickered open. He was breathing heavily, but he couldn't see the bear anymore. He couldn't see anything. Where was he? Arnold blinked.
Oh, he thought, his heart sinking, right..
He was lost in the mountains, in a cabin God knows where, with... a warm Phoebe lying beside him. He gulped, his glasses were slightly askew on his face, and he quickly shifted away.
He was starting to get quite confused an frustrated. Just when he was willing to admit his crush on Wanda to himself, he starts getting all funny around Phoebe?! What was wrong with him?!
Arnold swallowed again and backed up so he wasn't touching Phoebe at all anymore, no matter how innocently. Then, feeling colder all of a sudden, he lay back down on the wooden floor planks and tried to fall back asleep. He could hear the rain pounding on the roof of the cabin and was glad they had managed to find it. It was their one stroke up luck this whole trip.
Phoebe moaned softly in her sleep and Arnold felt his stomach contract. He closed his eyes, though it hardly made a difference, and tried to believe he was back in his own bed, safe and warm at home. It worked in a sense, because Arnold got very drousy after that, and mistook the warm body huddling into him again as a dream.
I think this is the penultimate chapter, if everything wraps up neatly enough for my tastes in the next one.
Reviews are nice :)