Chapter 3: Weekend Haze

After a long week of crazy teachers, gross lunch food, and freshmen jokes, it was finally the weekend. The group had planned to go on a camping trip that Luan, Kori's mom, and Arella, Rachel's mom, would be chaperoning.

Friday after school, they had loaded up into two cars. Rachel, Wally, Jenny, Vic and Gar were in Arella's silver minivan while Kori, Richard, Jade, Roy, and Karen were in were in Luan's black suburban.

They headed out to Cherokee Lake which was about 60 miles outside of Jump City. Cherokee Lake has always been their spot to camp out since they were in middle school. It was about an hour and a half drive but they mostly slept the way there. Mostly.

About an hour later they pulled up to the camp ground and got out of the car. Everyone began to stretch their limbs.

"Man, I am so stiff!" Said Wally stretching his arms to the sky.

"Maybe Jenny can help you out with that." Vic commented. Everyone began laughing and soon Arella and Luan came up carrying the tent bags.

"Hey, what's so funny?" Asked Luan curiously.

"NOTHING. " they all yelled quickly.

"Do I even want to know?" Luan asked her daughter.

"Not really mom." Kori replied. She then took the tent from her mom and headed over to the open to set it up.

While the girls pitched the tents, the guys set up camp and prepared the food. The moms sat in their lawn chairs reading magazines and chatting. Kori and Rachel walked up to their moms.

"Uhh, aren't you gonna help mom?" Rachel asked.

Arella looked up at her daughter and smiled. "Hey, we drove you guys here let us relax."

Rachel rolled her eyes and Kori laughed. The teenage girls walked away to help the others.

"Does Kori have a boyfriend?" Arella asked Luan.

Luan sipped her lemonade and shook her head. "Nope."

"Hmm. That's weird, she is a very pretty girl."

"Thanks Arella. So is Rachel. She has your eyes."

Arella stared at Rachel who was currently smacking Gar on the head for some odd reason. "Yeah...she is pretty special."

About 45 minutes later,the group had changed into bathing suits and gotten into the lake. It was about six o'clock and the sun was close to setting.

"Ahh! Roy put me down!" Jade screamed. Roy ran onto the dock with a wailing Jade over his shoulder.

"ROY!" He threw the Asian girl in and jumped in afterwards.

When Jade surface, she glared at Roy. "I hate you."

"I love you too." He smiled and kissed her on the forehead.

While they were swimming, Gar was trying to get Rachel to get in the water. She was siting in a lawn chair with an umbrella over her head and reading a book.

"C'mon Rae!" Gar yelled from the water.

Rachel looked at the blonde and shook her head. She continued reading her book, Hush hush, and was about halfway into it until she felt water being poured onto her head. Slowly, and angrily, she looked up to see Gar smiling sheepishly at her.

"Uhhh...it was an accident?" He rubbed the back of his neck and gave a toothy grin.

"I'm. Going. To. Kill. You."

Gar quickly screamed and ran into the lake. Rachel had chased after him and began hitting him on the head with a pool noodle.

Meanwhile, Vic and Karen were preparing food, Wally and Jenny were in the lake playing a game with Roy and Jade, Rachel was trying to dry her book off and punching an apologetic Gar every two seconds, the moms were relaxing, and Kori and Richard were sitting on the dock with their feet in the water.

"So how do you like. High school so far?" Kori asked Richard.

"It sucks. Heh...what about you?"

Kori stared out at the sun and Richard stared at her angelic face.

"It's alright." She finally said.

He looked down at the water and moved his feet slowly. "What about Jason."

"He is just a friend, Richard. You have nothing to worry about."

He looked at Kori and pulled her into a hug. She smiled and wrapped her arms around him. "If he hurts you, I'll kill him. You know that right?"

Kori laughed and pulled away. They stood up and she said, "I know. That's why you're my best friend."

He smiled at her and the next thing he knew Kori was pushing him into the lake. She started laughing and clutched her stomach.

"Okay, help me up since you pushed me in."

"Ohhhh no you don't!" Kori started running away and Richard got out and chased after her. She screamed and laughed at the same time.

"Richard no!" He picked her up bridal style and ran towards the lake.

He jumped in with her and she let out a scream. When they surface they started laughing and she splashed the water in his face.

"You SUCK!" She yelled while laughing.

"Ohhhh Kori..." He went under water and she looked around frantically. Then, Richard emerged from underneath and picked her up over his shoulder.

"AHHHH!" She screamed and laughed. The rest of that night everyone stayed in the lake until dark. Then they ate, told scary stories, and went to sleep.

"Jason." Jason turned around and saw his stepdad standing there.

"What."

His stepdad walked around the coffee table and sat on the couch next to him. Jason was flipping through channels on the TV and it was Sunday night.

"I know you admire that red head. What's her name? Tori... Lori.."

"It's Kori. And no I don't, she's just my friend."

Jason turned the TV off and looked to his stepdad. "Why are you bringing this up?"

"Because. If you befriend her, she'll end up hurt. You do know who he's friends with right?"

Jason's jaw clenched. He didn't like hearing about Kori getting hurt. He nodded his head.

"Good. Then you know to stay away from her."

"But-

"End of discussion Jason." His stepfather walked out of the living room and Jason pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Crap.."