Good Times

*Jared*

So, I will be sneaking Anna out of her place on Friday at eleven. Sweetness.

I was checking my email when Mark called me.

"Hey, man. What's up?"

"Not much. Just packing up all my crap." He said. "You?"

"Checkin email."

"So, did you seriously invite Anna?" he asked.

"Yeah...why?"

"Dude, you know she's like, really sickly and shit, right? I mean, she'll weigh us down. She'll probably die of sun exposure."

"Dude, shut up. She won't die of sun exposure. She needs to get out for a while. I'm sure if you were in her shoes, you'd be the same way."

It annoyed me to no end. Mark had always been somewhat of a douche to people he didn't know, but when he decided that he liked you, he was the loyalest guy you would ever hope to have as your friend. "I want you to drop it, man. Give her a chance. She's actually a really cool girl."

He hesitated. "Whatever. Is Johnny coming, too?"

"Yeah, I think so. He hasn't texted me back for sure though yet."

"Make sure to bring your guitar tomorrow. And marshmallows. Love the mallows." He said with a laugh.

I laughed back. "Yeah, dude, whatever."

"See ya." He said, and then he hung up.

I stayed on the computer for a while before logging off. I went out to the living room, where Dad was sitting on the sofa, watching the history channel and smoking his pipe.

"Hey, Dad." I said, sitting down next to him.

"Hey." He looked over at me. "You still going camping this weekend?"

"Planning on it."

"We're supposed to have great weather this weekend. Low eighties, low humidity. It should be a nice weekend. Think I might go fishing."

"Oh, could I take about three rods? I figured we could catch some fish and cook 'em over a fire or something."

"Sure. You got bait?"

"Bought some this morning."

"Make sure that you have the weekend off?"

"Asked Gordy on Monday."

Dad grinned. "Well, then, it sounds like you're all set."

I grinned back at him. "I'm heading to bed. G'night, Dad."

"Night, son."

I fell asleep that night grinning, thinking about the awesome weekend ahead.

Anna

I wouldn't let my parents ruin my life. I was going to have a totally medicine free weekend with Jared Jackie and...unfortunately, Mark. Ugh, I hated him. But I wouldn't let him put a down on my mood.

I couldn't wait to show them all how strong I was. I had a lot of muscle, but it didn't build up....that was one of my many 'problems'. My muscle didn't build up. I had once hiked down the grand canyon and up in one day. Thats more than twenty miles! Unless you had special permission you were not even alowed to do it in one day. I got permission.

I imagined the sun would be nice. I could almost feel the cool stream water. I though about the sights, the sounds...Then I snapped back into reality. It was time to pack here.

I shoved a bunch of jeans, undercloths, and t-shirts into a blue camping backpack, then grabbed my poka-dot sleeping bag from under my bed. I slid that in its alloted place under the backpack. I also tossed in a swiss army knife, a box of matches and a guide to edible and non-edible forest plants. Just in case. I shoved everything under my bed and went downstairs.

I grabbed an apple out of the refridgerator and ran to go call Jackie. I needed to know if she was bringing a flare gun. If not... I had a spare one.

"Hey Jackie!" I said.

"Oh, hey Anna."

"Are you bringing your flare gun tomorrow?"

"Camping, no why?"

"I wasn't sure if I should bring mine."

"YOU have a flare gun? Of all the people Anna.."

"Should I bring it?"

"Nah, explosives are Jared's thing." We both laughed, this was going to be an awesome trip.

----Yes, it is a bit odd that ANNA, of all people, would have this survival stuff. You willl find out why later.--------

Jackie

"Jackie, hun, what are you up to?" Jackie's mother asked. She leaned against Jackie's bedroom door's frame in her paint splattered overalls and ACDC t-shirt.

"Packing for a camping trip this weeked with Jared, Anna, and maybe a few other people," Jackie said. She threw a sweatshirt into her duffel bag and turned back to her dresser to find her favorite pair of shorts.

"Well that sounds fun," her mother said. "I'll be here, alone, painting, all alone."

Jackie looked up. Her mother was pouting and giving Jackie her best puppy dog eyes.

"God, mom," Jackie said. "I swear you're more of a teenager than I am. And besides you have Cam."

"Cameron is five, Jackie. I love him to death, but he's nothing compared to my lovely seventeen year old daughter."

Jackie walked over to her door and hugged her mom tightly. She was a good three inches shorter than Jackie, who had taken after her father in most of her looks. Jackie only had her mother's bright blue eyes.

"Love you, mom," Jackie said into her mother's curly, dark brown hair.

"Love you, hun. Now, if you're going camping tomorrow you better get some sleep!" Jackie's mom said with a laugh. "Hurry back though, I might have re-painted your room if you take too long!"

Jackie rolled her eyes and went back to her packing. Her mother was so odd. She had Jackie when she was sixteen and promptly married Jackie's father (who had been several years older than her at the time) and dropped out of high school. She made her living as a painter, which she was very talented at.

Jackie sighed and threw her duffel bag to the floor, collapsing onto her bed. Camping was going to be great. She just had to remember to pack some of her own food. Jared was big into meat, meat, meat. And Mark definitely wouldn't be very accepting of Jackie's vegetarianism. Oh well, the weekend would still be fun.

Anna

Friday night finally came. I watched the seconds tick by like hours. Then I heard a low motor grumble outside my window.

"Anna!" Jared called.

"Shut up." I yelled from upstairs. I dropped down a rope later from my window and climbed down.

"I am going to have to jump." I say, staring at the ten feet gap from the end of the rope to the grass.

"Ill catch you." Jared said. I took a deep breath and jumped. Thankfully he did catch me.

"Wow, your lite." he commented.

"Thanks." I replied. I frabbed my backpack from where I hid it in the bush and put it in his car. then we drove off towards the best weekend of my life.

*Jared*

I blasted All Time Low as I drove my van packed full of people to the State Park. Mark sat up in front with me and Annie, Jack, Johnny, and Sam sat in back. "Jared, how are we going to get in? I thought the park was closed past eleven." said Sam from the back.

"I talked to Bob Staford about a week ago to see if he could let us in past ten in necessary. He told me that on Fridays, it doesn't close till twelve, and seeing as how it's only about eleven o'five, I'd say that we'll be able to get in without much of a problem."

Everyone murmured okays and in about ten minutes we had gotten through the gates of the park.

I drove to the spot my dad and I usually used. It was a little clearing that was close to the Lake and river. There were trees all around us but in the center where we would be sleeping, it was cleared.

The air was warm and the sky cloudless with a full moon. You could hear the waves lapping against the shore. It was so peaceful.

I slapped my hands together. "Okay, so now, we unload!"

We took out our sleeping bags and pillows and fire wood. Mark and Johnny started to dig for a fire while I helped the ladies get all of their things out of the back that were needed for tonight. As everyone was setting out their blankets, Annie looked confused.

"What is it, Anna?" asked Sam.

"Are we not going to sleep in a tent?"

"We weren't going to, but I brought one just in case it started to rain." I said. I just had to laugh at her shocked expression. "When we go camping, we sleep under the stars. The only reason we bring a tent is when bad weather is forecasted, and even then we usually just go into the van and wait it out."

She blinked. "Oh, um...okay?"

I threw my arm around her shoulders and took her to look out at the lake. "Isn't it amazing?" I murmured. "With the moon and the stars so bright? That's why we don't use tents. We can't see it. We can't hear the waves crash against the shore. We can't hear the sounds of nature."

I smiled at her. "You want a s'more?"

"What's a s'more?" she asked.

I looked at her like she was crazy. "What's a-, guys!"

They looked at us. "What?"

"Annie here has never had a s'more!"

There were cries of disbelief, and Jack said, "Well, come over here and we'll fix you one!"

I led her back to the group where they had gotten a good fire going. As Annie sat down, I took out my guitar and looked at Mark. "You gonna play with me?"

"I'm way ahead of you, bro." he said with a grin, reaching back and taking out his own guitar.

"Swing Life Away?" I asked him. He nodded, and together, we both started playing.


*************
here's a link to the song. I just thought it was appropriate

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eaAnuDQv2SI

Anna

I was offically having the best night of my life. I had my fist smore, and it was awesome. I mean, who came up with the idea to combine a grahm cracker, chacolate, and a marshmellow (another thing I never had before)?

And when jared toook out his guitar and started to play my favotite song, I nearly burst into tears of joy. I sang in my high saprona voice the parts that were not part of the chorus. I left that to Jackie and Mark.

Am I loud and clear, or am I breaking up?
Am I still your charm, or am I just bad luck?
Are we getting closer, or are we just getting more lost?

I've been here so long, I think that it's time to move
The winter's so cold, summer's over too soon
Let's pack our bags and settle down where palm trees grow

I've got some friends, some that I hardly know
But we've had some times, I wouldn't trade for the world
We chase these days down with talks of the places that we will go


Those were the only parts I sang, but I still loved singing.

"I hate to admit it, but your voice is really good." Mark said.

"It is, I wish I had a voice like that." Jackie.

"Oh, thanks," I said, a little embarresed.

"And now your face looks like a tomato." jared said.

"At least it has color." Mark said.

"Ha Ha." I said sarcasticly. This was the best night of my life.

I'll just...you know

Sam~~

"Guys!" I yelled, "Oh my god guys!!"

The others turned to meet me, my shirt was slightly wet and my legs attracted dirt (well mud at this point) and I had left my shoes- somewhere.

"What?" Mark asked, mouth full of smore.

"Best thing ever! Empty lake, it's a bit chilly but so amazing!" the words tumbled out of my mouth.

"But we don't have swimsuits," Anna seemed interested however.

The air was silent with the awkward atmosphere.

"You didn't," Jackie's eyes were wide with disbelief.

"That's-" Jared started but I interrupted him.

"Tempting but no, I just swam in my sports bra and shorts!" A wide smile was spread across my face, my slightly wet hair twisted into soft curls.

*is it too late to join?*

Anna

"Ah, one little problem..." I said.

"What?" asked Mark.

"I can't swim." I said.

Mark looked at jared, "I told you she would ruin out whole trip, she can't swim, what type of joke...?"

I burst out laughing, "I can't belive you guys belived me when I said that, of course I can swim. And the look on your face, Mark..." i laughed some more.

"Not funny!" Mark said, but Sam, Jackie and Jared were already laughing with me.

"Why dont we just toss on some old jeans and a thick t-shirt and we can go swimming."

"Uh, I am not wearing a shirt." Mark said.

"Suit yourself." I said, taking another bite of my smaore before going to change behind a really big roc.

Johnny (sorry haven't posted guys!)

I was having the best time ever, eating s'mores and just hanging out. When Sam suggested swimming I practically died. Swimming! I was so ready to do anything. I mean, sitting around was really fun, but doing stuff was my favorite. I quickly stripped off my shirt, left in my basketball shorts. "Ok!" I said, smiling. "Can we go now?" I started jumping in place, to excited to stand still.

Jackie

Everyone else ran towards the lake, but Jackie was frozen to the spot. A lake? Shouldn't she have known they'd be near water? And that with a bunch of boys, they'd want to go swim? Of couse, she should have expected it.

She couldn't go with them though. She just couldn't. Hell, she couldn't even take a bath without freaking out.

"Aren't you coming, Jackie?" Sam asked.

Jackie shook her head. "No, I... I'm a little tired."

Sam shrugged and ran back towards the lake. Jackie sighed and sat down on the grass. None of them knew yet. They would all think her odd for not wanting to swim. But she had only just moved here, had only just met all these people. She couldn't just lay it out on all of them that her dad died in water, that she had been stranded alone and scared on water after that, and that she just couldn't go in water anymore.

It had taken her father and it had almost taken her. She just couldn't.

Anna

I sat down next to Jackie, "Why won't you come in? And I know your not tierd, not after having all that sugar."

"Please, just leave it alone Anna."

"Jackie, I know how it feels when life lets you down. i get that, a lot. But unless you talk about it nothing will get better." I put my arm around her. She stood up.


"I said, leave it alone Anna!" she marched off towards the woods. I sighed, shrugged, than ran back into the water. As soon as I was in I remembered I still had mascara on, great. When I came up it was streaming down my face.

"You look like a racoon." Jared said.

"In a waterpark." Sam added.

"That has messed up fur." Mark said, lifting up a strand up my messy, wet hair.

"Thanks, that makes me feel awesome." I said sarcasticly.

"It is actually a good look for you." Mark said, stepping back and making a square with his hands.

Jackie

Why hadn't Anna just left it alone? Why couldn't she have just gone to the lake without any of the questions?

Now Jackie had run off. Into the woods. Alone. At night. Boy, was she an idiot. Oh and to top it off, she was pretty sure she had gotten herself lost.

Everything looked the same. Dark. She could have at least thought to bringa flashlight with her. Jackie sighed and trudged off in the direction she thought would take her back to camp.

*Jared*

We all splashed around for a bit when I noticed that Jackie wasn't with us. I climbed out of the lake and dried myself off.

Johnny saw me. "What are you doing?"

"I haven't seen Jack since we started swimming. I'm going to go check in on her back at camp." I replied.

"Okay. We'll all probably be back shortly anyway."

"Alright, man. I'll just stay up at camp."

I walked back to camp in no time. Jackie wasn't there. I frowned. Why wasn't she here?

I called her name. "Jackie? Jackie!"

Soon, I heard someone calling back. "Jared? Jared, where are you!"

I recognized Jackie. "Jackie, wherever you are, just keep talking so I can find you!"

"Okay!"

I grabbed some rope and tethered it to a tree and started walking with it in the direction of Jackie's voice. I found her about ten minutes later.

"Hey, Jack."

She fake glared at me. "I liked you better when you used my real name."

I held out my hand. "Come on, camp isn't too far away."

When we got back, everyone else was there in clean clothes, drying of by the fire.

"Where were you guys?" asked Sam, ringing out her hair.

"Just looking for some stuff." I replied quickly. Jack looked at me funny.

"It's the truth." I said with a laugh.

"Ooookaay...I'm going to sleep. It's almost two, and the sun is going to wake us up around nine, so I suggest everyone follow suit." said Johnny, laying down on his palette.

We all mumbled in agreement and laid down. "Goodnight everyone!" I said tiredly.

"Night!"

Anna

I got up before anyone else the next morning. I put a bagel on a rack above the fire and changed into a suitabl hiking outfit. Jeans, and a black tee. When I got back to my bagel it was burned to a crisp. So, I had a deep fried bagel for breakfast. I put up my hair in a bun and stared into the flames for a while.

I imagined everyone's starteled faces as I out-walked them at the end of the day. They would be out of breath and I would be ready to walk another three miles. Or jog. Mark's face I would be most anxious to see. That would be the making of my day. I sighed. He was up not five minutes later.

"Morning albino!" he remarked.

"Give it a rest. You know, by the end of today..." I started.

"You will be out of breath and I will have to carry you the back three miles. And Jared will laugh and you..."

"Oh, be nice for once in your life."

"Never!"

"Please?"

"Nope."