Welcome to chapter 3, I hope you all have been enjoying this story so far. Please leave me a review and let me know what you all think.
"Urghhh" Peyton let out a frustrated grown as she tried to set up her tent as it collapsed again.
"This is ridiculous, can't I just use magic?" she pleaded.
"Peyton, this is going to be a magic free camping trip, for Mel" H.J. whispered to her.
"Well she can, not use magic all she wants, but I am so not going to be able to set this tent up without it" she replied.
"I'll help you Peyton" Faith said. "Hope and I already set up our tent."
Peyton made a funny face as Faith started setting the poles for the tent.
"This was worth getting out of bed for" Mel said to Parker as she watched Peyton struggle with the tent.
"There are a lot of things worth getting out of bed for Mel, you just have to start seeing them again" Parker responded.
"I know Parker, I just hurt. Everything hurts: Hello, good-bye, nice to see you; it's all painful right now.
"Mel, you're strong. It may take some time, but I know you will move past this. Remember who you are, your passion for everything, and know that people love you no matter what" Parker told her older cousin.
"Yea, love is kind of the problem" Mel said as she put her chin in her hand.
"I know you loved Shane but…" Parker was cut off my Mel.
"It's not just that Parker. I don't know if Peyton said anything to you but the night of the whole engagement fiasco Blake found me and sort of… confessed his love for me." Mel said with a slight question in her tone.
Parker let out a slight squeal "Mel that's awesome" she managed to muster out.
"No it's not Parker. Three demons in a row, don't I get some reprieve?" Mel questioned.
"Blake isn't a demon. Well ok technically yea he is but he doesn't count. I think I'm more evil than him" Parker said jokingly. It was no secret that Parker was the least evil person in the family.
"Parker I'm done with demons and I told Blake that. He'll get over it" Mel said.
"Wait you called Blake a demon… to his face?" Parker asked appalled.
"Well I didn't like say it mean like, I just, you know, stated a fact" Mel replied.
Parker stared and Mel. She couldn't believe her cousin of all people could hurt a friend like that. Parker opened and closed her mouth a few times trying to say something but couldn't think of what to say.
"Mel, I don't know how to respond to something like that" finally came out of her mouth.
"You don't have to. It's not that big of a deal Parker" Mel responded and got up and walked towards her and Peyton's tent now that Faith had it set up.
Parker walked over to her and Portia's tent. Portia had everything set up and was filling a large air mattress for her and her older sister.
"Nice job Portia" Parker said walking up.
"Thanks, I still can't believe neither you nor Peyton know how to set up a tent. How is she doing anyway?" Portia asked.
"Faith helped her out so it's all good. What should I do, I feel like I have just been useless since we got here." Parker said.
"Well we brought some wood for a fire, but we could use some kindling to get things started, take Hope and collect some small twigs and branches" Portia instructed.
"Why do we need a fire? We brought a grill to cook with." Parker stated.
"It's not camping without a fire Parker. Plus once it gets dark it will get colder and we will need something to keep us warm. How am I the only outdoorsy person in the family?" Portia asked.
"Hey I'm still better than Peyton" Parker said jerking a thumb towards their older sister.
"So true" Portia said and the girls shared a laugh. Then Parker went to get her cousin to go collect things for the fire.
"Alright everybody got their tents set up?" H.J. asked as he stood in the middle. Peyton and Mel's tent was up, Portia and Parker had theirs ready. The twins had their tent set up first, and Wyatt was helping Chris finish setting up the much larger tent for the three boys.
"Yep, we just have to secure one more pole" Chris said crouched to the ground.
"I sent Hope and Parker to collect some kindling for the fire for later. We may as well get the rest of the stuff unloaded and set up and then go swimming" Portia said.
"Great plan Portia" H.J. responded "Lets' unload the grill and get a pit set for the fire. Hope and Parker should be back by then."
A short ways away from the camp site Parker and Hope we collecting some branches for the fire.
"Do leaves work for kindling?" Parker asked.
"Only if they are dry. But we really shouldn't need those, if we seriously can't start a fire we have enough witchcraft out here I think we could survive" Hope replied in a slightly hushed tone.
"Ha yea" she replied. Parker just stared at her cousin for a moment. She wondered how she was so girly, yet still was better at this camping thing that her. Although, her dad had tried to take them out as much as possible when they were younger but still Hope loved hair, makeup and dresses. It was weird seeing her in cargo pants, flannel and hiking boots.
"At least I'm still better at this than Peyton" Parker mumbled to herself.
"What?" Hope asked.
"Nothing, I was just thinking about how terrible my sister and I are at this, but I am nowhere near as bad" Parker replied.
"Yea, I thought Peyton was going to chicken out but you know, she would do anything to help Mel. I mean we all would but I don't know those two just seem so close. Maybe it's because they are the same age." Hope replied.
"Yea, maybe. But I don't know if Mel wants the help. She is pushing everyone away. She even called Blake a demon" Parker said absently.
"Parker, Blake is a demon" Hope replied.
"Yea but she meant like a real demon, like ones that try to kill us" Parker replied.
"What? No, Mel would never say anything like that about Blake, he is practically family" Hope said.
"Well she did, to his face… after he confessed his love for her" Parker said in a bitter tone. She knew something was there between those two and the fact that Mel wouldn't even consider it was making the cupid part of her ache.
"Blake did what?" Hope asked.
"Yea, apparently he is the one who broke the spell with a kiss when Shane turned her, yadda yadda, found her when she ran off, blah blah blah, confessed undying devotion and was shot down and exploded in fiery death" Parker said embellishing.
"Uh wow, dramatic much?" Hope responded. "But still can't believe that Mel would say something like that to Blake, I mean he has never given her or any of us a reason to doubt which side he is on."
The two approached the campsite. "Let's not talk about this in front of the others, this could cause major drama in so many ways, and we are here to try and get Mel's mind off of things" Parker said.
"Well duh" was all that Hope replied as H.J. waived them over to let them know everyone was going swimming.
"Ah nothing like a dip in the lake to make everything so much better" Faith said as she walked to the shore. "Where did the boys go?"
"They went down a ways to attempt some fishing, but I think it's a good thing we packed some coolers" Portia said with a giggle.
"Now this part of camping I like" Peyton said as she put on some more sun tan lotion.
"Agreed" Mel said as she turned over to get some more sun.
"Come on you guys haven't even been in the water since we have been down here, let's go for a swim" Faith wined at her older cousins.
"Gross there are animals in that water and who knows what else" Peyton said.
"That's sort of the point Pey" Faith replied.
"Come on, let's race out to the buoy out there" Portia said as she got up and started walking to the water.
"Let's go check on the boys" Hope said as her and Parker started walking down the shore.
An uneasy silence fell over the two girls left on the sand. It was unusual because the girls were so close.
"Just come out and say whatever you're trying not to say" Mel said with her face away from Peyton.
"What are you talking about?" Peyton asked.
"Pey, I read minds and even though I'm not doing it intentionally, yours is screaming at me" Mel said shifting to look at her cousin.
"Look Mel, we brought you out here to cheer you up and not think about what's going on back home" Peyton started to say.
"But if I have to be out here, I would at least not want my family trying to coddle me" Mel answered abruptly.
"Well if I talk about it will you promise not to get upset and storm off?" Peyton asked.
"Alright" Mel replied.
"I just think you're making a huge mistake with Blake. He is not your average demon Mel. First off he was raised as a human, he just has special powers. If you could feel what he feels for you, I know you would give him a chance" Peyton said.
Mel was silent as if pondering what her cousin had just said. Suddenly, she stood up and started walking away. Peyton jumped up and started going after her cousin.
"Come on Mel you said you weren't going to get upset" Peyton said grabbing Mel's arm.
"Look Peyton, you might have a point. So I'm taking your advice, and you're coming with me" Mel said as she grabbed Peyton's hand and the two hearted out of the campsite.
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