Pushing Forward (Sequel to An Unlikely Duo)

Chapter 25: Part 1 A Weekend Permanently in Our Memories

"Jeremy can you come up here. We need help carrying these bags down stairs. If Kayla keeps trying to do it herself she's going to throw out her back again," Paige shouted out the window to Jeremy before turning to me "Kayla Ryan's drop the stupid bag. Stop being stubborn and just let Jer carry it down" she scolded me.

"It's not that heavy I have everything under control" I insisted. She was right. I couldn't carry the bag down the stairs without falling, but I wasn't about to admit that. While Paige was busy sitting on her suitcase trying to zip it closed, I kicked my bag down the stairs.

I picked it up at the bottom right as Jeremy walked in.

"I can take that outside. Tyler should be here with his truck any minute. Jeez Kay what did you put in here? Bricks?" Jeremy heaved the bag onto his shoulder.

"Wait a minute Angela and I have ours too" Paige shouted as she and Ang dragged their bags down the stairs.

"Here I can carry mine just fine while you help them" I took my bag back before heading outside.

"You three do realize we're only going for three days right? Not a month. Why did you pack so much?" Jeremy muttered as he followed me outside.

"Overpacking is impossible" Angela claimed before carrying out some of the bags of food.

"I disagree" Jeremy called over his shoulder before dropping the bags onto the driveway right as Tyler drove up.

Right after he hopped out of the driver's seat the back door opened.

Jake stepped out.

Followed by Mary.

"I've never actually been camping without Jake and he always builds the tent. The guy's finally useful for something so I brought him along." Tyler messed up Jake's hair while Jake shot me an awkward smile, "oh and when he found out Scott was coming, he brought Mary along too" Tyler added. Jake slicked him on the ear, clearly annoyed Tyler said that out loud and in front of Mary.

Scott and Stephen rolled up a minute later.

Paige and I were both going camping with our ex-boyfriends and current boyfriends/fiancé. While Paige didn't seem phased I was definitely worried.

This weekend just got a lot more... interesting.

Scott came over and gave me a hug before tossing our bags into the trunk of Tyler's trunk.

We all made awkward small talk before climbing into the truck and pulling away.

Tyler and Jeremy were up front. Stephen, Paige, Angela, and Jeremy were in the middle, and somehow Mary, Jake, Scott, and I were squeezed into the back together.

Thankfully Jake and I were on good terms at the moment, but being squished between Scott and Jake was still weird to say the least.

Tyler spent the next two hours making us play "name that song" while he chugged two bottles of coke. We had to stop twice so he could use the bathroom because the idiot couldn't pace himself.

"Thank God we're finally here. Remind me to never road trip with you" Jeremy glared at Tyler while we all called out our agreement.

"Oh come on guys I'm just having fun here. Last one to the water is a rotten egg". Tyler shouted before racing off toward the lake, leaving the rest of us to unload the truck.

"How old is he again?" I asked Paige.

"He's actually older than the rest of us despite his toddler like tendencies" Paige rolled her eyes jokingly.

An hour later after Scott and Tyler proved to have no tent assembling skills, the rest of us finally got the camp site set up.

We had four big tents circled around a bonfire pit. A portable grill, firewood, and stocked coolers with enough food and drinks for a week.

"Alright what do we want to do first?" Jeremy asked as we all plopped down on the logs around the fire.

"Rope swing" Tyler and Jake shouted before racing toward the lake. We all came prepared, wearing our bathing suits under our clothes, so less than a minute later we were all in the water.

Mary, Paige, and Stephen were in a canoe paddling toward the other side of the lake while Angela and I were attempting to stay up on paddle boards. Now this wouldn't have been too difficult if Jer, Jake, Tyler, and Scott weren't jumping off the rope swing trying to throw us off.

"Cannonball" Jake shouted as he came flying off the rope heading straight toward where I was precariously standing on my board.

Knowing this wasn't going to end well, I abandoned ship right as Jake hit the water next to me, smacking his foot on my board in the process.

"Dude your foot hitting that thing was so loud" Tyler shouted from the rope swing platform.

"Trust me, I felt it" Jake grimaced.

"What were you thinking? There is no way hurling yourself towards a person standing on a hard object could ever sound like a good idea" I was treading water next to him, and was probably the only one who could tell that Jake's foot was hurting much worse than he was letting on.

"Maybe I was thinking that dumb rope would throw me a little farther, or maybe I wasn't thinking at all" Jake gritted his teeth.

"Alright I won't tell them that your big tough self is in pain right now if you let me look at your foot. Deal?" I whispered to Jake. I knew he was terrified of injuries or of anyone thinking something like this could slow him down; however, I also knew he was a dual college athlete and if someone didn't assess the foot and he kept using it, he would regret it later.

"Fine, but I'm sure it's just bruised" Jake held onto my board as I paddled to the bank.

"Scott come here" I called. He took one more swing on the rope before swimming over to where I had Jake sitting on the grass.

"What happened to not telling anyone?" Jake scowled.

"Neither one of us are doctors, but two pre-med students' opinions is better than one, so you're going to have to get over your phobia of people knowing you're injured okay?" I explained as I looked over his ankle.

Scott came over and I explained what happened while Jake grumbled over how we were "making a scene about nothing."

Scott gently moved his foot back and forth. I felt a sudden pain in my right hand. I looked down and realized Jake was squeezing it. His face remained impassive, but my hand knew Jake's injury was far from painless.

Scott gave me a knowing look. We were on the same page

"Jake we think you either bruised some of the bones in your foot or possibly fractured a few. I think we should go see a doctor" I explained calmly.

"No way. We just got here and I'm not ruining everyone's weekend. If you're right, and I trust your judgement, then going to the doctor today or Monday won't change much. I'll stay off of it this weekend I promise. We need this getaway" Jake looked out at the water, but I knew what he was implying. I needed this getaway.

"Fine, but I swear if I see you trying to walk around on that foot I'll bust the other one so you can't even attempt to walk" I threatened.

Scott and I helped him over to one of the logs around our campsite, but I could tell not being able to walk on his own was already driving him crazy. As much as I wanted to deny it, I think the fact that it was Scott that was helping him was making the situation worse.

Of course much to Jake's dismay, as soon as Mary saw Jake's foot wrapped she started lamenting about how this was going to affect his football season, and pretty soon everyone thought Jake had suffered some career ending injury. It took him a while to convince everyone that it wasn't serious and he would be fine again soon. The questions and worry was clearly driving him crazy, but Mary must not have noticed because she brought it up repeatedly the rest of the afternoon.

By the time everyone changed it was time to make dinner. Angela and Jeremy grilled burgers while the rest of us set up the fire and more food.

We all settled in and ate while Tyler told us a story about the time Jake woke up to a raccoon in his tent while they were camping as kids. Let's just say Jake's fear of raccoons had a clear source.

After dinner Tyler suggested we play ghosts in the graveyard like we did as kids. Everyone was onboard as soon as Jake convinced them he would be fine just watching.

Only three rounds into the game, Jeremy was covered in mud and Mary was panicking because she dropped her phone somewhere. While Angela tried to reassure her that the world really wasn't ending, I went back to the campsite to grab a flashlight.

"Done with the game already?" Jake's voice came out of the darkness and startled me.

"Mary lost her phone. I figured a flashlight would quicken the search process" I explained as I dug through one of my labeled supply bags.

"She's always losing her phone. Is this weekend everything you hoped for so far?" Jake asked.

With the flashlight in my hands I perched on the edge of the log across the fire from Jake. The shadows and light flashed across his face as he watched me expectantly.

"Angela was right. This was exactly what I needed: to get away from it all and just have time to think" I watched several sparks fly off the fire and drift to a landing at Jake's feet.

He knew that by it I meant Andrew. He may be the reason for this trip, but I had avoided thinking about him until now, or at least tried to.

"How are things going with the long lost father?"

"The ball is kind of in my court at this point. He's slowly going to get back into Charlotte's life, and he wants back into mine, but the question is whether or not I let him" I explained the situation, but still no answer presented itself to me.

"Do you want my two cents?" Jake asked. When I nodded he continued, "I'm sure for the past ten years you've thought of a million things you would say to him if you ever got the chance. For the first time in a decade you have that chance. Hash out the whole thing and say what you want to say, so if one day he isn't there anymore you're not living with the regret of what you should've said" Jake's eyes were level with mine across the fire.

"Oh my God Jake I'm so sorry. I shouldn't be talking about this after what happened with your dad. I wasn't thinking. Gosh I can't believe is said that I-"

"Kay calm down. It's fine. I don't resent you for still having a dad that would be ridiculous. I'm just saying there are a bunch of things I wish I had the chance to tell him, so take advantage of the opportunity to say your piece so you don't regret not saying anything one day" Jake explained, and he was right. He didn't seem bitter, just wiser.

"I guess I can't avoid him forever, but at least for the rest of the weekend I can enjoy this little break from reality we created for ourselves" I smiled at him, and the light from the fire danced across his face as he gave me a soft smile in return.

To be continued... be ready for heartbreak, confusion, and finally some explanation. READ BELOW!

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