AN: Thank you everyone for the nice words and for suporting me. You guys are the best. I'm happy that so many of you continue on with me on this journey.

I hope you enjoy :)

Callie POV

Augsut 14th

I woke up, when I heard Mariana turning on her other side. She mumbled something incoherent in her sleep, but remained asleep. I reached above the air mattress I was sleeping on, where our bags, clothes and bags stood and found my watch.

It was only a little bit over 6, but I knew I wouldn't be able to sleep any longer. I felt well rested and I didn't feel like I needed any more sleep. So I put the watch around my wrist. Quietly, not to wake up Mariana, I got myself out of my sleeping-bag and I crawled over to the entrance of the tent.

Once I was out of the tent, I closed my eyes and breathed in the fresh air. Opening my eyes and looking around the campsite, I was surprised to find out that I wasn't the first one up. I saw Duke and Brandon sitting together on the ground a bit further away from our campsite. Time by time, Brandon petted Duke.

"You're up early," I said walking up to him. Duke jumped up, his tail wiggling. He ran to greet me.

Brandon looked over his shoulder "You too," I was still petting Duke, he was pressing to my legs, to get closer to me

Now that I was up to Brandon, I saw that he had his music notebook with him. The page that I saw was filled with music notes.

"What are you writing?" I asked sitting down next to him

He was sitting in a place that overlooked the river and the hills on the other side of the river beautifully. The Sun was raising and it made the view even more breathtaking. Wind was blowing softly, moving my hair and the tree leaves. Duke laid down next to my right side just hand reach away.

"I'm not sure yet," Brandon said looking down to his notes and scratching his jaw

He had a light stubble since he hadn't shaved before the camp trip. Neither Cooper, nor Brandon had taken their shavers or razors with them, so they both had a nice stubble grown out. But as we found out, Jude and Jesus weren't capable of growing a beard or even a stubble.

"I woke up, left the tent and saw this view!" he gestured to the scenary in front of us "I felt this inspiration, that I hadn't felt in a long time. So I got my notes and started writing everything down,"

I glanced to his notes "How much have you got this far?"

"Um..few pages," he shrugged off and turned a bunch of pages. B had written at least some 6 pages of notes.

"Few pages, huh?" I chuckled

"Well, I won't know, how it sounds, till we get home and I can play it and actually hear what I have written down," He said turning the pages back to the last one. Brandon tapped his pencil to the paper and scribbled few more notes down.

"You had no inspiration?" I asked referringto the fact that he mentioned he hadn't felt it in a long time

"This whole Summer, actually," He admitted ssoftly as he looked up to me "I think I had drained myself out during the last semester. I just felt...tired,"

"That's understandable. We all need to recharge and take a break time after time,"

"Yeah," He agreed, a smile appeared on his lips "And this camping trip is pretty great for that,"

"But you do like it, right? Studying in Curtis Institution of Music?"

"Yes, it's great!" He said without hesitation. I could see it in his eyes, when he talked about it, how much he loves it there "The professors are amazing. They are hard on us, but I like it that they keep pushing us. It's never dull. They bring the best out of us. I like that they keep giving us these tasks, that makes us challange ourselves!"

"Good. I'm glad you like it," I looked out to the river. In the corner of my eyes I saw Brandon smile.

"When do you fly back to Philly?"

"August 28th," Brandon said placing his notes and pencil on his left side. He pressed his hands to the ground little bit behind him and stretched his legs out. Sort of like streaching out.

"That's soon,"

"2 more weeks. Plenty of time to get tired of all of you,"

"Ha!" I called out "Maybe we will get tiered of you first!" Just for fun I added "We don't actually like you that much. We can barely tollerate you!" Brandon smirked back, knowing damn well that wasn't true and that I was just teasing him

"What about you? When do you start your new job?"

"I will start on August 30th," I said proudly, not being able to keep the big smile off my face. I got my educattion in Palomar College. The program lenght was 2 years. This was going to be my first real job. It wasn't a field intership or some clinical work in hospital, that was required for me to get my education. The training wheels were off.

"Are you nervous or scared?" He asked glancing to me

"I'm nervous and scared!" I corrected him. I'm excited about my job, but at the same time a little bit scared and anxious, because of the responsibilities and seriousness of the job. One mistake can cost another human's life.

"I guess, it would be weird if you wouldn't be," Brandon said quietly looking out to the river. Duke moved and put his head on my legs. My hand automatically went to his head to pet him.

"Morning you two!" we heard a voice right behind us. I felt a hand on my right shoulder before I felt a kiss to my left cheek.

When I glanced to Stef, she was kissing Brandon's cheek as well, while he replied to her "Good morning, mom!" Stef was crouched down behind us, her hands resting on both of our shoulders, her head between us

"Quite the view," Stef said taking in the scenary

"Beautiful," I agreed

She patted my shoulder. When I turned my head to look at her, Stef asked me "10 minutes?"

"Sounds good," I smiled back at her. Stef squeezed my shoulder softly before she stood up.

Brandon looked up to his mom and then to me "You two are crazy!"

"Thanks!" I beamed back at him as I jumped up to my feet to go get ready

~o~o~o~

We were running next to each other in quite a fast pace. The ground beneath our feet was so dry that we left a dust trail behind us as our feet hit the ground. My gaze was averted down, to watch where I put my feet. There were many roots on the trail. Many places where ankles could be twisted easily. The wind didn't do much good. Thankfully we were in the middle of the woods, so there was a shadow and we weren't in complete Sun light.

I felt sweat dripping down my back, my temple, my nose, down my stomach. My running shirt didn't have a dry spot on it. I was breathing heavily with every step that I made. Heart was beating fast and loudly in my chest. My mouth was dry. The heat was playing it's part. Stef next to me was in no better condition than I was.

"Walk?" Stef breathed out glancing to me, giving me a desperate look

"I thought you never say that," I exhaled as I stopped running "How come it's so hot this early in the morning?" I asked, when we had walked for a while

"Don't know," Stef said right before she raised her right hand up and squirted some water from the sport bottle in her mouth. I raised my bottle up as well, but before I took a sip, I squirted some on my face, refreshing myself.

"This was not a good idea," I said still breathing heavily as we walked down the trail in the woods

"You said that yesterday," Stef replied before taking another sip of the water, while I pulled on my shirt, unstucking the sticky shirt from my skin

"So why are we doing this?" I glanced to her and watched how a drop of sweat hanged on her tip of the nose. I knew the answer myself - we signed ourselves up for another marathon in September.

"We are crazy," Stef smirked back

"That we are," I agreed pressing my left hand to my waist as I started a breathing exercise for pain in the side "How long have we been running?"

Stef raised her arm up to look at the sport watch on her wrist "28 minutes,"

"Pathetic!" I said making Stef chuckle out "I have ran 3 marathons!" I turned to Stef and repeated louder "3!"

It all started with the martathon Stef signed me up to, when I talked about sex in front of Frankie and then ran from Stef and Lena. Each year following that year, I have been doing a martahon. It wasn't doing them only becuase Stef kept challenging me. It also kept in in shape for my job. Running was a great way to clear my head after the long study sessions as well. And honestly, I kind of like it now. I would even say that running is my hobby now.

Throwing my arms up I continued "And now I can't even run for 30 minutes!"

"It is 27 degrees (80 F) and the air is very…stuffy! It's very humid!" Stef reassured me "I think we should head back. It's not a good idea to keep torturing ourselves,"

"How far till we get back to the camp?" I asked looking around us. I had paid no attention what so ever as to how far we had run. Stef had found out this trial we could run, that we could run in almost a circle, not running too far from our camp.

"Umm...don't know for sure," She said looking behind us "I think another 2 km (1.24 miles),"

"Oh-god!" I whined out. My legs felt like macaroni. Breathing was hard. I barely had any energy to keep walking. There wasn't much water left in my sport bottle.

I placed my free hand on Stef's shoulder "Piggyback ride!"

"What?" Stef's head snapped to me. She pushed my hand off her shoulder "No way! Walk yourself!" she looked down to my legs

"Please!" I pleaded and blinked my brown, puppy dog eyes at her

"No," Stef stated back sternly, not changing her mind. She kept her eyes on front, refusing to look at me.

"Come on, please!" I skipped two steps to be in front of her, so she would look at me

Stef turned her head to the left "No...keep walking!"

"Stef!" I extended my arm in front of her, that way trying to stop her from walking pass me

"No!" She cried out "Get away from me!" Stef tried to avoid me the best way she could

"Help me," I said in the most miserable tone I could muster

"Oooh, no - no, that's not going to work," In a light jog, Stef ran pass me

When I wanted to jog after her, I clipped on a tree root and landed hard face down on the ground. I tasted sand in my mouth. The water bottle was gripped tightly in my hand. I didn't want to get up, because I felt embarrased how I fell.

"Callie!" Stef called out in panic. She ran back to me and crouched down to me, aiding for me.

"Owie!" I breathed out, when Stef rolled me to my side

"Are you okay? What hurts?" Stef asked scanning my body for injury

"My pride!" I got out in no-nonsense tone, making Stef laugh out. I laughed back, but remained laying on my back on the ground, looking up to her. Stef got up and stood next to me. As she looked down to me, lightly shaking her head, she sighed deeply.

~o~o~o~

"You're amazing!"

"Aha," Stef panted out. She blew her breath up, that way trying to get a stray of hair out of her eyes.

"And very strong," I looked at her flexed biceps

"Mm-hmm," Stef hummed back

"Have I told you that I love you?"

"Not in the last few weeks, no!" Stef replied keeping her eyes on the trail in front of us. She remained concentrated on her orignal task - walking!

"I do. I love you," I made sure she knows

"Good to know," Stef breathed out

Quickly I grabbed the two water bottles in my left hand and slapped her upper arm playfully "Hey!"

"I would be careful if I were you!" Stef warned me, glanced to me and gave me a firm look

"If someone says they love you, it's nice to say it back!" I lectured her

"That is true, but it doesn't apply, when the other person doesn't feel that same way,"

"You don't love me?" I asked hurt and leaned further away from her, to get a better look on her face

"Right now – no!" Stef said bluntly keeping her eyes up front

"That's not very nice," I said quietly and averted my look down to the path

"I will say it back, when I won't have to carry you on my back!" Stef replied and stopped briefly. She did a little jump, tossing me up an inch, to get abetter hold on me. I tired my best to help by adjusting on her piggyback. She has been carrying me on her back for the last 5 minutes at least. Her arms probably started to feel heavy and hurt.

"How much longer? I'm tiered!" I asked innocently looking around me to the forest

Stef stopped walking and turned her head to see me "I can drop you right here, right now-" she warned me

"Sorry, sorry!" I quickly replied and kissed her temple "You are the best!"

"Much better," Stef replied as she resumed carrying me forward, heading towards the campsite

We arrived at the campsite some couple of minutes later. Stef was still giving me piggyback ride. The others were up. They were sitting by the campfire, drinking tea and eating their breakfast alll while chatting with each other.

Jude was the first one, who saw us "Oho!" Jude laughed out "Is that what you call running Callie?"

"Hey, I ran!" I called back, still sitting on Stef's back

"For like 5 minutes!" Stef chuckled back as she carried me closer to the campfire

"Well, you sure did find yourself a nice ride." Lena grinned back as she watched us "Not sure if Stef feels the same way,"

"She promised me a foot massage in the evening at the campfire," Stef replied to her wife as she let go of me. She bent down, pressed her hands to her knees and was catching her breathe. I handed Stef back her water bottle. She took it and drank it all.

"Go take a swim," mom told me, when she turned in her seat to have a look at me "And then come get some breakfast,"

"I'm not hungry," I replied and lifted my water bottle up to take a sip

"Not up for a discussion, Callie!" Mom answered sternly "You have to eat, you need the energy. We have a long day ahead of us!"

"Hey!" I lowered the water bottle down "I'm an adult! I don't have to listen to you anymore!" I replied in a playful manner. I was half serious about it.

"Good one," mom laughed back, but then looked at me with dead serious facial expression "Do adults ask their mothers to make doctor appointments for them?"

"Mooom!" I whined out, embarrassed that she just told the others. The other kids laughed back, having fun on my expense.

Lena turned to Brandon and said with serious facial expression "Why are you laughing?" She turned to look at the twins on her other side "I remember making dentist appointments to you three only a week ago!" The smiles from Jesus, Mariana's and Brandon's faces instantly disappear, making Jude, Frankie and all the other real adults laugh out.

"It's not funny!" I said looking to mom, then to Cooper, who was sitting next to mom, and finally at Lena and Stef "It scary...calling the front desk," I didn't say it as a joke, but the adults just laughed harder

This was a real fear of mine – calling to make a doctors appointment. I can clean the house. I can make dinner. I can do loundry. But I cannot make a doctors appointment. I honestly don't know how adults to it. Just thinking about picking up a phone, dialing a number and hearing some person, who you have never even seen before in your entire life, pick up the phone - makes me cringe and shudder.

I pouted looking around the 4 adults "You are very mean!" I turned on my heel and walked towards my tent to change out of the running clothes to swimsuit

~o~o~o~

Some hour and half later, we had eaten. Mom, Lena and I were washing and putting away the little bit of dishes, pots and tableware that we had with us. Amy was rinsing it, I was drying, but Lena was putting everything in the kitchen stuff bag. Mariana was putting away the food we had taken out for breakfast.

Stef, Brandon, Jesus and Jude were rolling our tents. It was a team work and this morning, clearly, it was done faster and more efficient than last morning. Meanwhile Frankie was playing around with Duke. Cooper was by the boats, making sure they are in check and they aren't letting out air.

It didn't take long till everything was packed and we were ready to move on. Mom was walkingaround the campsite to make sure that we hadn't left anything behind, Lena was making sure that everyone had sunscreen on, so wedon't get burned.

"Okay!" Stef clapped her hands getting everyone's attention "The seating for today is the following –" She paused for dramatic effects, we all looked up to her

We had 4 boats. In the beginning we agreed that we will do rotations, so we don't get tired of each other. We all voted on the first day, that Stef will be in charge of the seating each morning.

"Jesus and Jude you are with Cooper! Frankie, you are with Amy and Duke! Mariana and Callie you are on your own today – enjoy your freedom for the day! Brandon, you are with mama and me!" Stef looked around everyone "Any objections?"

Silence. Jude and Jesus both shook theirheads. Mariana and I looked to each other, smiling, happy that we were put in one boat, without any adult supervision. Brandon simply continued to rub the sunscreen on his arms. Frankie didn't react as well as she was busy with blowing air in her face from the boat pump. Cooper took his cap off and readjusted the size, so that it fit him better.

"Wow..." Stef breathed out "Seriously? No one!" she raised her arms up and looked around the camp siteone more time, giving everyone some time to think about the seating

"Not a single objection? No bickering? No nothing?" Stef said looking around the campsite, souding dissapointed

"Are you upset that the kids all agree?" mom asked her confused as she walked towards the boats

"Well, but that's boring," Stef mumbled to herself, letting her arms fall back down to her sides

"It's a win!" Lena said to Stef, when she walked up to her. She placed her arm gently on her lower back "Take it and walk away, before they change their minds,"

~o~o~o~

We were on the water for at least some 4 hours. The Sun was up high, which meant it was the middle of the day. I was starting to feel a little bit hungry, so it was lunchtime.

Cooper, Jude and Jesus where somewhere in front of us. As well as mom, Frankie and Duke. But Stef, Lena and Brandon were behind us. I heard some distant chatter from all of them, but we were too far to hear what they were all talking about it.

"Ummm...Callie?" Mariana dragged out slowly. By her tone, but she sounded worried at the same time

"Yeah?" I asked without opening my eyes. I was too lazy to do anything. The Sun was shining bright, keeping me warm. I was waring only a bathing suite, same as Mariana. The river did it's thing and carried our boat down the river by itself. We didn't have to row at all. Mariana and I were both laid back and catching Sun.

"Callie!" She said in more persistent voice

"What is it Mari?" I asked opening my eyes and looking at her on the other end of the boat

"I think we have a problem," She said vaguely staring back at me

"What kind of a problem?"

"There is water in our boat!" Mariana said pulling her stretched out legs closer to her

"What?" I screwed up my face

"There is water in our boat!" she repeated sounding uneasy

"So what?!" I looked to the river we were floating down in a steady speed

"So what?" Mariana cried back in shock and started at me. She pointed down the middle of the boat "There is a hole in the middle of our boat, Callie!"

When my eyes traveled to the middle of the boat on the floor, I saw that some water was slowly getting int the boat. There must be a tiny tore in the floor. There was a small puddle of water in the middle of our boat. My legs were put up on the side of the baot, so I hadn't felt the water.

"We are going to sink!" Mariana called out in panic as I put my legs down and sat up straight

"Calm down," I said calmly as I moved towards the middle of the boat, so that I could see the tore better

"I don't want to die! Drowning is such a horrible way to die!"

"Don't be so dramatic! I said raising my head up and rolling my eyes at her "No one is dying. You can swim. Land is right there!" I gestured to the land on my right "It's not like we are in a open sea!"

"So you agree – we are sinking!"

"No, we -"

"Don't touch it! You are going to rip it bigger!" Mariana called out as I touched the hole, through where the water was coming in. I was trying to understand how big it was by touching it, because the water was making it hard to see.

"I'm not going to rip it!" I moved my finger over the tore, trying to feel it better

The water flow inside the boat stopped instantly, when I put the tip of index finger over it. The tore was small. Cooper can probably fix the stuff, which he took along with him, that contained some stuff for the boats. Some waterproof glue and boat material will do the trick.

Mariana slapped my hand away from the hole "Damn right!" Mariana cried out "I'm not going to allow you to rip it!"

I pulled my hand back and screw my face up in shock and confusion "Why did you hit me!?"

"I didn't!" Mariana argued back "I stopped you from ripping the hole bigger and sinking us both!"

"I tried to understand how big the tore was!" I explained to her, even thought I knew it was pretty pointless trying to reason with an overreacting Ms. Thing

"By ripping it bigger!" Mariana said back gesturing to the water in the boat "Do you want us to sink faster!? Do you have a death wish or something?"

"Mari!" I put my hands together, tips of the fingers pointed towards her "We are not sinking! It's a tiny hole! Not even a half cementer (0.2 inch) long. Cooper can fix it!" I said with certainly trying to persuade her that everything will be okay

"Look how much water is in the boat! It's at least four cups! " Mariana gestured to the puddle middle of the boat that was getting bigger with every second

Her head snapped to the side and she looked to the land on her left "Do you think we can make it?"

"To the land?" I glanced to the rocky land as well

"To safety!" She corrected me

Mariana leaned to the side of the boat and looked over to it, to the water "The river is quite fast. Thankfully the water is warm, so we won't freeze!" I wanted to add that it was 30 degree (86 F) heat, but figured it was pointless

Mariana continued to ramble "There are probably whirlpools there. The shore is at least some 50 meter (54 yards) away. The stream could be stronger than it seems! Do you think there are rocks at the bottom of the river? Should we try to save our stuff as well?" Her head snapped to the bags that were behind her "I'm an okay swimmer, but I'm not sure if I can swim while holding 3 bags. What if they pull me down or what if they catch on to something-"

"Mariana!" I chuckled at her overreacting "You do know that we have paddles and we can row to the land?" I put my hand on one of the paddle that was lifted on the side of the boat, so that it doesn't slow down our boat floating down the river

"I'm not rowing this boat anywhere!" Mariana protested and shook her head "What if we row onto something and rip the hole even bigger?"

"Paddle's can help get to the shore faster, you know, before we sin-" I was interrupted by a sound. It sounded like we went over some branch and it scratched the underneath of our boat. Everything happened fast.

"Abandoned the boat! We're sinking!" Mariana cried out as she jumped up to her feet "I'm out of here! Paddle on your own!" she said before leaped out of the boat, swaying it in the process

"Mariana!" I called out after her as I leaned over the boat to look at her. But I don't get an answer - I only get water in my face from the splash she made, when she hit the water.