A Different Kind Of Love Triangle

Chapter 12: Nightfall (Camping Trip - Part II).

"It was a dark night, just like this one..
A few friends huddled against a dying flame..
Hoping the light keeps away whatever is roaming in the dark..
Leaves were crumbling, they knew something was out there but no one knew how to approach it..
Or escape it..
The flames flickered.. it was slowly but surely fading away.. like their hope..
They knew they would be consumed by darkness soon.. or whatever the thing was..

...

With a hiss the fire disappeared..
The friends looked at each other with fear in their eyes..
Shivering in the moonlight..
One of them felt a tug on his jacket..
He looked at the others as he gulped.
He wanted to say something..
But before he could..
WITH A GROWL THE CREATURE DRAGGED HIM AWAY!-"

Titli: AAHH!
(She screamed as N exclaimed,
N seemed offended that someone interrupted his theatrical scary story)

Saquiyah: Do we really need a horror story about campers.. while we are camping?

N: That's the fun! The thrill! No one would be able to sleep at night!

Zoe: I don't think that's a good thing.

N: But that's the point! I want you to curse me under your breath as you get scared by the tiniest sounds around you at night..
Not knowing what's coming to get you!
(He leaped at me)

Nathan: I'm bored. (I said nonchalantly)

N: You aren't scared? What about you Aiden?
(He looked at Aiden who was sitting in front of me)

Aiden: What- No.. I'm not- scared. At ALL!
(His voice was quivering)

N: Sure.... Um- I think I should stop.

Zoe: What? But I want to be traumatized!

N: Take a look in the mirror then.
(Zoe gasped)

Saquiyah: Brutal.

(I looked at Aiden to see his eyes locked on the crackling fire in the middle of us..
Was he scared? Or something was bothering him?)

Zoe: I'll remember that N.
(N was about to say something but his phone started ringing,
As he checked his phone, his eyes became a little stiff..
With a sigh he cut the call)

N: I'll be back..

Nathan: Where are you going?

N: To the bathroom.
(With that he walked away,
I looked at Aiden with a concerned look and he was equally concerned.)

Titli: When he comes back we should play a game to lighten our mood.. and to drive away fear.

Saquiyah: Agreed.
(Zoe, who was sitting next to Titli and Saquiyah, got up and sat next to Aiden.
Zoe whispered something in his ear which Aiden chuckled at, but I couldn't make out what she said..
I know Zoe just wants to annoy me while acting like she's "into" Aiden.. but it had the opposite effect..
I was jealous.. Very jealous.
She could flirt with Aiden, tug his jacket, hold his arms as a joke and no one would bat an eye..
But it would be so much different if I did that..
"Maybe I could.."
Aiden's drunk words drifted back to me..
"Did he really mean it?"
With that question I emptied the beer bottle I was clutching onto...
Aiden looked at me, I could see he noticed something but he didn't say anything and continued his conversation with Zoe..)

. . .

(By the time N came back Titli had prepared the pot above the fire for the dinner.
With an exhausted smile N sat beside me.
The spark in his eyes seemed dimmer but before I could say something to him, Saquiyah clapped her hands)

Saquiyah: Okay! He is back, let's play a game while the dinner is being cooked.

Aiden: What game?

Saquiyah: What about "Never have I ever"?
(The rest of us groaned)