It Started With Hello

Chap. 40

After Emma finished changing, she crawled out the front of the tent. Looking around for a moment, it seemed everyone else had already finished setting up the camp area. There was a fire pit in the middle of the tents with different chairs placed around it. Alex sat in one, roasting a hotdog, with Ms. Black watching over him. Chris was sitting in another, munching on a s'more along with Kandy, and a few feet away, under a shady tree, Mr. Black and Blake were playing cornhole.

She made her way over to the group sitting around the fire, taking the spot beside Chris. "No hard feelings about stealing your girlfriend, right?" she joked, picking up a metal stick with a hotdog on it.

He looked over at her, tapping his chin. "I guess I can look past it this once, Pear. But I order you to make me a s'more as tribute. We'll call it a trade."
She laughed, nodding. "Sounds fair to me."

Kandy looked at her boyfriend, an eyebrow raised. "You're just going to trade your own girlfriend so easily?"
Emma watched on as Chris pulled his hotdog away from the fire. "Well, baby, it's already set. A trade's a trade." Emma laughed along with Ms. Black, who must have been listening in.

After Emma ate her hotdog, she decided it was time to work on Chris's s'more. But then she realized she didn't even know how to make a s'more as she picked up a graham cracker hesitantly.

Blake, apparently finished with his game, walked over and sat in the chair beside her. His eyes scanned over the shirt she was currently wearing. "Nice shirt, Emma. Doesn't look much like your style," he whispered loud enough for the others to hear, bumping his shoulder against hers.

She blushed, making Kandy laugh. "Know it umm... it may be a little different and kinda dark and weird, but I like it," she said, having a slight double meaning, looking at him with a grin. He smiled while she looked back at the graham cracker. He noticed her confused face, unable to hold back a soft laugh.

"What's the problem, Em?" a grin hinting on his lips. She looked over at him. "I want to make Chris a s'more, but I literally never made one before. Like..." She picked up a marshmallow, setting it on top of the dry cracker.

Chris shook his head behind her back. "That's just sad." Kandy elbowed him slightly.

Blake picked up one of the metal sticks, grabbing the marshmallow off the cracker. She watched carefully. "I've never even tried one before," she whispered as she watched the marshmallow toast over the fire.
Blake put together the perfect s'more, passing it behind her to Chris. "Pay off your debt first."

Chris ate the s'more happily.

"Now you try," Blake nodded towards her. She picked up another marshmallow, placing it on the stick. She placed it over the fire. It quickly started to burn. Blake put his hand over hers, pulling it back slightly. "You don't want to burn it." She swallowed hard, feeling the coldness of his rings on her skin. He guided her hands a good distance away. The marshmallow got nice and toasty, then he pulled it away. She picked up two graham crackers, like she saw Blake do earlier. He placed the chocolate square on top. She smooshed the melted marshmallow onto the cracker, putting the two halves together.

"Now give it a try. I bet you'll love it." She bit into the crunchy cracker; crumbs dropped on the ground. After chewing it, a smile spread on her lips. "Wooow." The group laughed while she looked down at the s'more, amazed. Blake reached out a thumb, wiping chocolate from the corner of her mouth, giving her a smile. He stood up and walked away. It left her dazed and confused, watching him walk away.

"Wow is right," Kandy said. Emma turned her head, looking over at Kandy, who was laughing loudly while leaning back in her chair.

****

"And she screamed and screamed...but no one heard her!!! Mohahaha!!" Chris yelled, standing up, holding a flashlight underneath his face. It had been a few hours after dinner. Night had fallen, and everyone decided it was time for scary stories. They had each been telling scary stories for the past few minutes now.

Emma immediately vetoed joining because she hated scary things like movies, TV shows, and scary stories, so why the hell was she sitting between Kandy and Blake, listening to Chris tell this nightmare-inducing story? She was basically asking for nightmares at this point. Everyone else seemed into the story despite the darkness of night wrapping around them and the wind whooshing through the trees, rustling their leaves.

Kandy reached up, pulling the back of Chris's shirt, making him fall back into his seat on the other side of her. "That was a good one, Chris. I would have never guessed she was the one who was dead the whole story," Alex said, shaking his head before yawning loudly. He rubbed his eyes. Emma didn't know what time it was, but it must be late if Alex was yawning.

"Okay, everyone, I think it's time to call it a night," Mr. Black said, throwing a stick onto the fire in the middle of the group. Ms. Black stood up, stretching. Calling it a night? Emma would definitely not be sleeping tonight with all these scary stories filling her head.

"Night, kids," said Ms. Black, walking towards Alex's tent to get him ready for bed while Mr. Black waved at them before walking to his and Ms. Black's tent.

"Night, Em," Blake said softly while standing. She looked over at him as she stood. The firelight reflected in his green eyes, sharpening his already chiseled features.

"Night, Lake," she smiled, feeling slightly out of breath while backing towards the other tent, tripping slightly over a stick.
Blake laughed softly, shaking his head.

"So clumsy," he whispered before making his way towards his tent.
Emma slapped herself in the forehead, embarrassed. Making her way towards her tent, she crawled inside. She saw Kandy already in her sleeping bag, snoring softly. She crawled into her own bag, pulling the fabric to her chin, looking at the top of the tent, closing her eyes to at least attempt to get some sleep.