strange. [ds]

III

Stella awakens to an almost glorious day. The sun is shining, making the light filter through the trees and dapple the ground with pretty patterns. But any day can only ever be truly glorious once she's drunk a coffee.

She stumbles out to the firepit, slumping down against a log next to Gracie, one of Jason's friends. "Sleep well?" Gracie asks and theres a glimmer of laughter behind her voice that Stella can't quite decipher.

"Amazing- turns out 500ml of vodka knocks you right out."

"Bet you're feeling it now though." She gives Stella a sympathetic look. "Drew get this girl a coffee...quicker!"

Stella can't help but laugh as Drew grabs the kettle from the fire looking rather flustered. "Black, two sugars." She says with a sweet smile.

"Hi my name's Drew and I'll be your barista for today-" He mutters sarcastically.

"Thankyou Drew!" Gracie chirps.

"Yeah thanks Drew." Stella echoes with a grateful smile, the coffee making her feel better already.

Once everyone's up and sat around the firepit Jason stands up on a log to rally the troops, so to speak. "Alright guys we wanna get to the water before its too hot to walk so everyone eat something and grab you're shit and then we can head."

Ruby catches Stella's eye from where she's sat next to Jase and makes a little mock salute gesture that sends the pair into fits of giggles. Despite loving Jason with all their hearts, the two main girls in his life can agree that he's a little overbearing at times.

Everyone follows his instructions of course, scrambling to gather towels and swimsuits, and in under fifteen minutes the group have set off through the trees, Will and Jason taking the lead, map in hand.

"We've gotta watch out for leeches, and any rocks in the water if people are jumping in- hang on everyone here can swim right?" Hattie is chewing her lip to pieces as she walks beside Stella, counting the potential dangers on the fingers of her right hand.

Stella gently clasps her hand with one of her own, shaking her head. "Hey there's no need to worry Hats, Jason and Alex and some of their friends came here last summer and they said the water was really great- crystal clear and everything, we're gonna be fine!"

She nods, looking a little more at ease, "If you say so." She sighs.

"Hey, why don't you go and help Will and Jase with the map reading, take your mind off it? You're good at that sort of thing." Stella nudges her towards the boys in front of them, and to her surprise Hattie actually obliges, falling in step with Will.

Stella tugs Jason's sleeve pulling him away from the pair. "Cmon Jase you can leave this one task in someone else's hands right?"

He glances at Hattie and Will in vague amusement, "Matchmaking are we?"

"Hardly- just giving them a push in the right direction."

"You need to butt your scheming little head out of people's lives." He groans.

"Didn't hear you complaining when I was inviting Ruby round to sleep over every weekend." She sticks her tongue out at him, avoiding his retaliative swipe.