Holding Hope

Chapter 1

A/N: This story is in a way based off the Netflix Musical A Week Away. Please watch it, it's awesome.

Anyway, enjoy the story!!

This story begins when it had been three years since the night that almost stole my best friend's life.

Wait, okay, bad why to start a story. Sorry.

My name is Jazzy Chon, but the story I'm about to tell you happened back when I was often called Jazzy French. Before, when people would joke about me and my amazing boyfriend. Before, when me and my besties Eliza, Cable, Hunter, and Zeke, went on our second adventure.

Anyway, at the time of this story I was nineteen years old. I wasn't very tall, but that meant my boyfriend towered over me, so it was okay. I had (very) long black hair, which I wore back into a high ponytail tied in place by a pink ribbon. I was wearing a short pink skirt and a baby blue T-shirt. On my feet were a pair of pink sneaker and at my feet was a large pink rolling backpack.

My best friend Eliza, or Eli, was eighteen years old at the time. Her short shaggy mess of mahogany brown hair had grown out since we were freshmen, so she wore it back in a high ponytail, tied in place by a ginger ribbon. She has beautiful super deep brown eyes and soft, dusty colored skin. She has a very curvy body, and is just the perfect amount of fluffiness. She is very pretty, even if she doesn't believe it.

She wore a burgundy zip-up hoodie over a white T-shirt and faded khaki pants. On her feet she wore a pair of maroon color Vans high-tops. Her black glasses rested lightly on my nose and a stuffed dark purple backpack hung over her right shoulder.

Zeke is, at the time, my boyfriend. He's a tall, husky, hot and handsome man. He has curly dirty blond hair and hazel eyes. He has pale skin like Cable, but his face is pointier, if that makes any sense. He wore a dark blue shirt and black shorts. On his (large) feet he wore black shoes and white socks while he had not only a stuffed backpack, but a stuffed galaxy themed rolling suitcase at his feet.

Before you ask, yes, Cable is a nickname. His real name is Terry Valadez, but we call him Cable because his initials are TV. Get it?

Cable's a funny one, but we love him. He's a bit of a brute, as his is very husky and not very tall. He's about two inches below my height, but two inches taller than Eli. He has dark curly brown hair and lovely hazel eyes, yet not nearly as lovely as Zeke's. His skin is pale, which means when he blushes his whole face goes red so easily, which is funny.

He has big feet, so his black tennis shoes are huge, as are the dark gray shorts he was wearing. He wore an aqua blue shirt with a floral pattern, giving him a "vacay" vibe, and he also had a large black rolling backpack at his feet. He's a handsome person, not going to lie, but he is Eli's boyfriend. I could never like Cable, just as now she can never like Zeke. It's logical, and respectful.

Finally, Hunter. He's a tall Chinese boy, with black Asian eyes. He has shaggy black hair, but it's not long, as he cut it recently. Pale freckles covered his face, which was about the same tone as mine. He's not as husky as Zeke or Cable, but he's not super skinny either. He was wearing a long-sleeved grayish-blue shirt and black pants. He had large dark blue shoes on and light gray socks, and a red rolling backpack was at his feet.

If you're wondering why we all had rolling backpacks, (except for Eli who is a light packer, yet seems to always have everything anyone could ever need, and Zeke who over packs yet always forgets to bring the important stuff), it was because we were going to summer camp!!

Last three years of Sr High we couldn't go because Eli was hurt and, in the hospital, and we didn't want to go without her. But now, we can! Even if she insists on wearing long pants and sweaters to hide her burn scars, wound scars, and the bandage she had to wear around her torso to protect her ribs. I keep telling her not to be self-conscious, but I'm not going to force her. To each her own, even if it is a little annoying.

Anyway, greatest news ever, right? This camp would be so awesome!! There's something there for each of us to face a fear and get stronger! There's paintball for me cuz I'm scared of guns, there's a blob for Zeke cuz he's afraid of lakes. (Yes, he can swim, he's just afraid for some reason.) There's a Talent(less) show for Eli cuz of her stage fright, and there's the ropes course for both Hunter and Eli who are afraid of heights. Greatest week of our lives!!

"Says here Camp Hium has the girls' and boys' cabins next to each other. That's cool, right?" Cable asked the rest of us, reading something on his phone.

"Yeah, it's cool. Although, I heard days can be long and nights can be short. I'm gonna try to sleep as much as possible." Zeke said matter-a-factly. We all laughed, knowing he's the first guy to fall asleep in class.

"Oh! I'm so excited. I just hope the promise of FKAC wasn't a fluke." Eli smiled. Another wonderful thing, the greatest singers of all time, the Smallbone brothers, would be performing as worship at Camp Hium. But, only for the week we're there. Is that awesome or what???

We performed with them in the school musical when we were freshmen, and I never thought I would see them again. But, hey, no one can know the mind of God. Best week ever.

"I just hope the food is okay." Zeke whined at Eli, who was lecturing him on the lake.

"Alright kids, time to go! Everyone on the bus!" A man with an aussie accent yelled. We hugged our parents' goodbye then walked toward the man. My jaw dropped as all five of us discovered who he was.

He was Joel Smallbone.

"Hey! Kids! You're the kids that performed in the school musical three years ago. That must mean you," Joel pointed at Eli "Are the girl that saved me and my brother from that fire. It's great to see you again."

I couldn't tell if I was more surprised that he was here, or that he remembered us.

"Uh, yeah, uh, that was me." Eli stuttered out. Joel opened his arms, and the five of us gave him a hug.

"It's great to see you again Eli, Jazzy, Zeke, Cable, and Hunter." Joel said, surprising us that he remembered our names. We all smiled widely, and were about to walk on the bus when another man stopped us.

"Hey kids!" Luke Smallbone said happily, also hugging us.

"Hey Luke, I think these kids should have a cool group name. Like For King and Country, but clearly not as cool, as that's taken." Joel said, rubbing his chin.

Luke thought for a moment before saying "What about The Ranchers?"

"Why the Ranchers?" I asked. Luke smiled.

"Because, the musical was How to Relate at Meadow Ranch. So, you guys are the Ranchers." He explained.

"We love it!" The five of us, or the Ranchers, exclaimed in unison. Joel and Luke smiled. The Ranchers climbed onto the bus and took our seats, me and Zeke in front of Eli and Cable, in front of Hunter and the girl he liked, Tara. Once everyone else had piled on, the Smallbone brothers took roll call, then we were off.

The Ranchers and the Smallbones were on their way to Camp Hium.

And we could not be more excited.