Beth glared at her phone. She was running out of options.

"Suck it up, Greene," said Tara, poking her head from the adjoining bathroom. "You're just going to have to spend the weekend in a tent with a juicy piece of man-meat."

"I thought you like girls." Beth had become far more comfortable around her roommates since that awful night last month, and she realized that Tara's remarks and jibes weren't mean-spirited. In fact, the more polite Tara was, the more reason there was to fear her. "Why are you calling Zach a 'hunky piece of man-meat'?"

"So you do think he's a hunk! I said 'juicy' not 'hunky'." She ran a brush through her hair, the brown locks ending right above her shoulders. "Anyways, just because I prefer to kiss girls doesn't mean I can't appreciate the male form."

"I barely know him." Beth sighed. Zach was a nice guy, and it had been sweet of him to offer to share his tent with her. "How am I supposed to get an 'A' on this project when I can't get any sleep on account of having some stranger next to me all night?"

"Or you could have some wild, monkey sex since you're not sleeping anyways?" She ducked as Beth threw a crumpled up paper at her. "Seriously, though, you're not gonna sleep outside, and you can't miss this trip, or else you're gonna have to write some boring fifteen-page paper when you could've gotten an easy 'A' while sitting around a campfire, eating 'smores."

She was right. Beth needed to go. If she'd taken the time to make friends with the girls in her class, this wouldn't be such a problem. But she was shy around new people, and by the time this trip had rolled around, most of the others had already made plans or had their own equipment and didn't have to share. She would, too, if Maggie would meet her at the campground, but her sister was being stubborn.

"Just call him, already, Greene." Tara disappeared into the bathroom, shutting the door behind her.

Beth picked up her phone and stared at it, willing it to give her an answer. Taking a deep breath, she let her fingers fly across the keys because if she stopped to think about it, she'd chicken out and hang up.

The phone rang once. Twice. "Hello?"

"Hi. Can I speak to Mr. Dixon, please?"

"How many times I gotta tell you to call me Daryl, Beth?"

"I was- I was just being polite," she stuttered. "How'd you know it was me, anyways?"

"I don't give my number to too many people."

"Oh." She wasn't sure how that made her feel, knowing that she was among a privileged few.

"You got trouble?" he asked. That was the reason he'd given her his number in the first place. And she hadn't had a need to call him since then, even though she'd wanted to see him.

"Sort of. Not really trouble." She tried to figure out the best way to explain her situation, and he waited patiently for her to speak. "I gotta go on a camping trip this weekend for my Geology class, and I asked Maggie if she could meet me at the campsite with my gear, but she says I should've grabbed it the last time I was home, like a responsible person would, so she's not going to come."

"Mmmm." This was new territory for her, interpreting his grunts over the telephone. She wasn't sure if that was a "yes" or a "no" or a "why did I give you my number, again?"

"So, I was wondering if you know how I can borrow some camping stuff? Or where I might be able to get some real cheap? I just need a tent and a roll. The college is providing the meals and things. Oh, and maybe a compass?"

"Where you campin'?"

"Umm, at the base of Blood Mountain?" she said, consulting the packet she'd gotten from the teacher. "You know the area?"

"I know it." There was a long pause, but she didn't have anything else to say, so she remained quiet. "I got some stuff you can use. Where should I meet you?"

Beth breathed a sigh of relief. "You could come by my dorm. Or I can ask Sasha if I can borrow her car, and I can meet you somewhere? Seems only right since you're the one doing me the favor."

"I meant… Which campgrounds you stayin' at?"

"Oh." She flipped through her papers. "It looks like it's some sort of special site, only available to colleges and universities and stuff. But, Daryl, it's a four-hour drive to get there. You don't have to go all that way when I'm right here."

"How many people are in your class?"

"Around forty."

"Guys and girls?"

"Mmmhmm." She didn't like the direction his questions were headed. She'd thought that he, at least, would understand how hard it was for her to make friends. "Girls that ain't sharin' a tent with someone got their own gear, like I was supposed to, only I gotta pick it up from the farm if I wanna use it. There was one guy who offered. We've met up to study over coffee a few times, but I hardly know him."

"You're usin' my things, I gotta be there."

"It ain't that hard to set up a tent, Daryl." Her breath came out in a huff. She was so tired of everyone treating her like a child. "Maybe I should just get a tarp and some rope. I mean, I still remember what you taught me about bein' outdoors. Sure, it's not as warm in November as it is during the summer, but it's only for a few nights."

"You ever slept without your covers on this time of year? Ever slept outside past mid-September?"

"No."

"I have." Another reminder of how very little she'd done in her life. "Camping gear's yours if you want it, but I come with it."

She sighed. Calling him hadn't solved her problem at all. Now she had to decide if she wanted to share a tent with Zach or share a tent with Daryl. Actually, the answer to that was easy. But what she wanted and what she was willing to ask for were two very different things.

o)O(o

"I'm glad you changed your mind," said Zach from the seat next to her in the van. "And don't worry, I'll be a perfect gentleman. I promise to keep my hands inside my sleeping bag the entire time."

"You don't have to do that," she said. "I mean, it's your tent. I'm the one imposing."

"I just want you to see that I'm a nice guy. And maybe next weekend, we can go out for more than coffee?"

She chewed at her bottom lip, regretting her decision for the millionth time. She didn't want to lead Zach on or let him think that she was interested in being more than friends. If it wasn't for the fact that she would have felt so guilty about making Daryl spend a whole weekend babysitting her just so she could borrow his stuff, she wouldn't be sharing a tent with Zach at all. She'd be cozy and dry inside Daryl's tent and Daryl's sleeping bag all by her lonesome. Instead, she was going to spend the night in Amy's sister's sleeping bag inside Zach's tent.

"So, what do you think?" he asked again.

"I don't know. Maybe?"

He smiled and squeezed her hand. Then, he wouldn't let it go for the rest of the ride to the campgrounds. Not that she pulled away. She didn't want to make things uncomfortable this weekend. She could let him down easy next weekend. Over coffee.

Their van was one of the last to reach the park, so there wasn't much time to look for a spot before they had to run to the amphitheater for final instructions from their professor. It wasn't anything that he hadn't told them before. Collect rock samples and record geological formations. Travel in groups, no drinking for anyone under twenty-one, which was most everybody, they were all adults and expected to behave that way, and tents provided very little privacy, so please be considerate to others who might want to sleep at night. Then they were set free.

It was an hour or two until sunset, and Beth knew that they'd need that time to set up the tent. So she walked the loop around camp, trying to find a spot to settle in. Unfortunately, all the spots in the center had been taken by the large groups who wanted to hang out or the individuals who, despite not wanting to share, didn't want to be alone. That left the outer ring of sites, most of which were occupied by couples since these offered more distance between the tents.

Zach was standing a few spots further down the loop, and she made her way to him. "I didn't have any luck," she said. "What about you?"

He pointed to the area of brush in front of him.

"That's not a spot."

"Look again."

She did. He was right. It was easy to overlook because the clearing was set further back from the dirt road. "There has to be another spot."

"You can try walking around again, but it'll be dark soon." He pointed towards the setting sun. "I didn't plan this, I promise. And I will keep my hands inside my sleeping bag whenever you're in the tent with me. Okay?"

She nodded and took the tent poles from him, helping him set up in the clearing. When they were done, they stowed their things inside and headed to the big concrete mess hall near the amphitheater. It was definitely one of the easier ways to make sure the campers didn't attract any bears by not properly storing their food. What college student was going to bring her own stuff when meals were being provided for them?

After grabbing their trays of food, Zach led her to a table with a few spaces left, even though there were plenty of empty tables in the room. She soon found out that he lived on the same floor as one the guys and gone to high school with another. All through dinner, he kept touching her in little ways, putting his hand on hers, brushing hair from her face, patting her arm. She bore it silently and tried to be as polite to his friends as possible, but she was wore out long before she reached her dessert.

"What do you think?" he asked. "Should we join them?"

"I'm sorry?" said Beth, completely unaware of what he'd been talking about.

"The guys are setting up a bonfire at their spot. Wanna go?"

"I'm a little tired, and we've got an early start tomorrow. I think I'm just gonna turn in."

"Are you sure?"

She nodded. "But you should go hang out. I'm a heavy sleeper, you won't wake me when you get back."

"No, I'll come with you."

He gathered their trays as he stood up and bid his friends good night, then he followed her back to their tent. True to his word, he waited outside while she changed. She offered to do the same for him, but he told her to stay. So, she did the next best thing, turning her back to him and facing the side of the tent while he rustled around behind her.

"Well, good night," he said.

"Good night."

She lay there the rest of the night with her back to him, unable to feel comfortable enough to get more than a moment or two of sleep. Although she'd lied about being a heavy sleeper, she'd hoped to get a few hours or so of peace while he was out. But he was a nice boy and thought he was doing the right thing by keeping her company instead of spending time with his friends.

When the sun broke over the trees to the east, she was already dressed and showered, waiting for breakfast to be served. She knew that with her lack of sleep she'd need food to keep up her energy. Not that they were supposed to be traveling very far from camp. All of the nearby trails were clearly marked, and they weren't allowed beyond the purple flags that indicated the edge of the private grounds. Still, she planned to stick a few extra goodies in her backpack.

Zach arrived at the mess hall just as she was leaving. "Hey, Beth. You were up early this morning."

"Habit from growing up on a farm, I guess," she said. "Do you mind grabbin' me an extra sack lunch? I may not look like much, but I can eat."

"Sure," he said. He smiled at her and took her hand as she turned to leave. "Why don't you come sit with me, and then we can meet Alex and Meghan at the trail when I'm done?"

"Alex and who?"

"My friends from last night. They're the other couple we're going hiking with."

Beth's smile faltered. 'Other couple'? Did they think she and Zach were a couple? Maybe she should straighten this out now instead of next weekend. If only she didn't have to stay in his tent tonight. No, it would have to wait until the bus ride back. She pulled her hand away. "I want to go over my notes before we head out, so I'll meet you at the trailhead. Okay?"

"Sure." He gave her a soft smile. "By the way, your hair looks really pretty today."

Her hand flew to the braid in her blond hair. It had been a long morning, and she'd been really bored. "Thanks."

A little while later, she stood at the start of the dirt trail, impatiently waiting for Zach and his friends. It was mid-morning by the time they came traipsing towards her, and she was eager to be on her way. Meghan walked beside her, keeping up the chatter as they ambled along the worn path, talking about clothes and make up and school and home. Beth was thankful that she didn't have to do much to hold up her end of the conversation.

They traveled deeper into the woods, collecting samples and taking pictures. When they'd found about half the items on the list, Zach pulled Beth back so that Alex could walk next to Meghan. "Having fun?"

"It's nice being outdoors," she said, smiling brightly. "Not quite like being on the farm, but it's nice in its own way."

"So, you're a farm girl, huh? I grew up in the city, but we'd go camping every summer. Plus, I've got all the important Boy Scout badges." He shot her an exaggerated wink. "I'll keep you safe."

"I'm sure we'll be fine so long as we stay on the trail." She looked up, realizing that they'd slowed down quite a bit. She couldn't even hear Meghan's voice anymore. "I think we lost them. We should hurry up."

"It's okay. They're fine." Her confused look prompted further explanation. "They ducked off the trail to go make out somewhere."

"What about the project?"

"We've got plenty of time." He held up his hands as she glared at him. "Hey, I thought you knew. People take the class for the express purpose of hooking up on this trip."

"No, I didn't know. I took this class because it's an undergrad requirement." She felt sick, horribly, horribly sick. "Is that what you thought? Did you offer to share your tent because you wanted to sleep with me?"

"What? No," he said with a frown. "I mean, yeah, I'd like to get to know you better. You're gorgeous." He grabbed her hand, and it took every ounce of her willpower not to pull away. "But I know you're not like that. You're shy and sweet. You're the kind of girl I wanna take home to meet my mom."

She thought over the last few days, every interaction between them. Although he'd been nothing but nice to her and a perfect gentleman, she still felt betrayed. "I think we should find them and go back to camp. And then I think I should find somewhere else to sleep tonight."

He let go and looked down at the ground. "No, you should take the tent. I'll see if I can squeeze in with one of the boys."

"Thank you, but—"

"I insist. It's the least I could do." He squared his shoulders and walked off the trail. "Come on. They can't have gotten far."

She hesitated, knowing that it was dangerous to leave the path. However, the sooner they found Meghan and Alex, the sooner they could go back to camp and leave this whole debacle behind them. Besides, the purple flags would keep them from going off the private grounds. Taking a deep breath, she trudged into the brush, calling out his friends' names.

o)O(o

They broke through the trees and into a small clearing, bordered by a fallen tree that Beth tiredly plopped down onto. She pulled the second sack lunch out of her backpack, the first one only a vague memory from hours ago.

"Shouldn't you save that for tomorrow?" asked Zach.

"We have to keep our energy up if we want to make it through the night." The light was fading, and she could already feel the cold settling in.

"I'm sorry I got us lost." He took the half a sandwich that she offered him. "Maybe I could build a fire or something. It'd keep us warm, and maybe someone would see it."

"You got any matches? A lighter?" A shake of his head told her what she already knew. "Neither do I. But if you wanna try rubbin' two sticks together, go for it."

"What about shelter?" he said, perking up again. "We could build some sort of shelter to keep us warm."

"We got everything we need right here." She thumped the log beneath her. "If we break off some branches and lean 'em against the trunk, it'll give us some protection from the cold."

"'Least you remembered that much from what I showed you," said Daryl.

She breathed a sigh of relief as he emerged from behind a tree, shouldering a shotgun. Zach, however, turned and stiffened when he saw Daryl, immediately positioning himself in front of her. "We don't want any trouble, mister."

"Relax, Romeo." Daryl's eyes narrowed as he looked at them. "I'm not here for you."

Shaking her head, Beth brushed past Zach to stand in front of Daryl. "How'd you find us?"

He shrugged. "Folks down at camp said you was missing. Followed your tracks here."

"You know this redneck?" Zach looked from her to Daryl, confusion on his face.

"Anyone else?" she asked, ignoring Zach's question. "We went off the trail looking for his friends."

Daryl shook his head. "You were the only ones." He scanned the clearing. "Could set up here tonight, but there's a stone shelter near the summit. It'd be warmer than camping out here."

"How far?"

"Mile. Mile and a half."

"In the dark?"

"Y'all are less than a quarter-mile from the trail."

She let out a rueful chuckle. A quarter of a mile. "I guess we should get to the trail before we lose the light." Hitching her backpack higher on her shoulders, she glanced at Zach. "You comin'?"

He nodded, eyeing Daryl warily as they followed him through the woods.

The trail was exactly where he said it would be, which was a good thing because the last mile was fairly strenuous uphill. They'd had to pull out their flashlights by the time they reached the summit. The promised stone shelter looked run down and the smell of piss permeated the air.

"I am not sleeping in there," she said.

"Ain't so bad. Couple mice running around, but at least it's got a wooden floor." She could feel him smirking at her, but when she shined the light at him, he was just giving her a questioning look.

"Tent."

He sighed and set down his pack, pulling out a tarp and some ropes. She shook her head, trying not to smile as she helped him tie the rope between two trees to make a tent, thankful that the spot was upwind of the building. Then Daryl handed her a sleeping bag.

"Do I get one?" Zach asked. She'd almost forgotten about him.

"I only brought one for her and one for me," said Daryl as spread out his roll onto the ground.

"Daryl," she said, tapping his shoulder, "he'll freeze without one."

"Well, he should've thought of that before he got you lost in these woods." He slid into the sleeping bag, scooting around until he'd found a comfortable position.

"Daryl." He grunted in response, and she let out a frustrated breath. Stomping over to where Zach stood, she shoved her roll at him. "Here."

"Beth, I can't—"

"You're damn right you can't," said Daryl. "Beth, you get over here and you get in that sleeping bag."

"I'm not letting him freeze." She crossed her arms as she glared at both of them now that Daryl had wriggled his way out of his sleeping bag to stand in front of her.

"We could share—"

"Oh no, you don't, Romeo." Daryl grabbed the roll out of Zach's arms. "She's not sleepin' with you, and there ain't room in my sack for both of us."

"Then I'll sleep with you," she yelled. When they both stared at her with their mouths open, she realized that she could have phrased that better. "I mean, Daryl, do you mind if I share your sleeping bag? I'm small, shouldn't take up too much room."

"Beth," said Zach, yanking the roll from Daryl and pulling her aside, "I get that you know him, or whatever, but he's old enough to be your father. I just don't know that I'd be comfortable with you sleeping beside him."

"That's not exactly your choice, is it?" She slipped her arm from his grip. "And I trust him a lot more than I trust you right now."

He stared down at her for a few moments before shaking his head as he walked away. After he left, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath, feeling the tension flow from her muscles.

"You don't have to share with me," said Daryl as he walked up to stand beside her. "I should be fine sleeping on top."

"It's been a long day," she said, opening her eyes, "and I'm exhausted. But I think I'd be too worried about you being cold to get any sleep."

He looked into her eyes, searching for something only he could see, and then nodded. He led her back to the tent where Zach was already settled. She took off her shoes and outer layers before slipping into the sleeping bag. After rustling around a bit, he joined her, zipping the sleeping bag closed to keep the warmth in. She'd meant to turn around and tell him thanks for saving her again, but her eyelids were too heavy and his body was pressed against her back and she quickly drifted off to sleep in the safety and warmth of his presence.

When the early morning light woke her up, she was alone in the sleeping bag with Zach snoring next to her. She got out, laced up her shoes, and left the confines of the makeshift tent. Daryl sat by the fire, chewing on something.

"Whatcha eatin'?"

"Mouse," he said. He shot her a sly smile when she looked at him in disbelief. "Jerky. Want some?"

She took a piece and sat down beside him. "You ever eaten a mouse?"

He shook his head. "Too much work for somethin' so small. 'Rather nab a squirrel, but a rabbit's even better."

"Thanks for coming," she said, quietly. "I'm sorry I'm so much trouble."

"You ain't trouble." He glanced at her before staring back at the fire. "Just had a string of bad luck is all."

"Do you think you could teach me to be… better?" She chewed her lower lip before continuing. "I'm tired of being weak. I'm tired of being afraid."

He was silent for a long while, so long that she thought he was going to refuse. "Yeah, I can teach you."

"Thank you."

They slid back into a comfortable silence until they heard Zach moving around in the tent. Without a word, they both got up and started breaking down camp, as if it were a familiar routine. When everything had been packed away, they headed down the trail. It was a short hike to civilization, but they'd ended up several miles from the university's campgrounds. Daryl threw their things in his truck and drove them down to the site.

By the time she got out of the truck, Zach was already heading towards the loop back to his tent. She walked around to the driver's side. "Thanks again, Daryl."

"You headin' back to Savannah?" he asked as he leaned out the window.

"Sometime this afternoon." She hesitated, not wanting him to leave just yet.

"You wanna ride back now? I can wait."

"No, I've bothered you enough," she said. In truth, she didn't have a reason to be standing here, but she didn't really want to go back to camp either.

"I ain't bothered." He looked at her with that stoic expression on his face, so she didn't know if he meant it or if he was just being polite. "You need a ride or not?"

She nodded, her lips pressed together in a tight line.

"Well, get your stuff. I'll be here."

A relieved smile broke across her face, and she ran to grab her things. Luckily, Zach wasn't there, but Meghan was.

"Beth, are you okay?" The other girl swept her into a big hug, and Beth awkwardly hugged her in return. "Zach told me what an awful night you two had."

"It wasn't so bad," said Beth. "Actually, can you let the professor know that I got a ride back?"

"With who?" Meghan's eyes widened. "That old man that you slept with?"

"Daryl's not… he's older, but he's not old. And nothing happened, we just slept." She shook her head. "It's not like that between us."

"So he's like your brother?"

"No."

"Father?"

"No!"

"Are you interested in him?"

"No… I don't know." Beth wondered why she was even talking to this girl that she'd just met the other day. "Look, Daryl is a friend. And he's giving me a ride back to the dorm. So can you tell the professor that, in case he asks. Okay?"

"Okay," she said, brightly.

Beth scooped up her things and climbed into the passenger seat of Daryl's truck where she spent the next few hours in blissful solitude beside him.