Cursed

21: Camping Out

"So, about Lacey's dad's," Jay said after Lacey passed out.

"Wasn't it just so big?"

"Yeah," Nolan answered. "You could fit, like, 2 of my houses in there!"

Rebel wasn't going to say anything. She didn't want to admit it, but the Tanner house was pretty impressive. But Jay and Nolan both stared at her so intently, she had to say something.

"It could fit 5 of my houses easily," she added. "But why do you guys think it's so cool? Aren't you used to open spaces because of living in a farm?"

"Yeah," Jay agreed. "That's true. But I just didn't think that city apartments could be that big. But, yeah. Nolan, why do you think it's so cool?"

Nolan furrowed his eyebrows.

"What are you talking about?"

"Well you are a rich kid, too," Rebel added.

"I already told you, I'm not. The only rich person here is Lacey."

"That's not exactly true," Jay said.

Rebel and Nolan looked at him, confused. Jay sighed.

"Alright. Let's have some share time. My family's kind of rich too."

"But I thought you said you live in a farm," Rebel said, still confused.

"Yeah. But farmers can be rich, too."

Jay didn't look happy to share this fact about him with the 2 of them. But Rebel didn't think anything of it.

Nolan obviously did. He stared at Jay, just stunned. Has he never heard of a rich farmer before? Well, neither had Rebel.

"Well," Rebel said, interrupting Nolan's creepy stare. "We should probably get to bed."

The 2 boys agreed and they set up their bedrolls.

Jay stopped Nolan from setting up his.

"I thought you were keeping watch."

"Can't I keep watch in comfort?"

Jay smiled and let him continue. Rebel guessed that he liked Nolan's new sense of humor. It was obvious that he had become more of a people person since the first time they met.  But Rebel still didn't trust him. He can't prove himself by making jokes.

After their bedrolls were set up, the 3 said their goodnights and quickly dozed off.

"Rebel!" Nolan whispered. "Rebel, wake up!"

Rebel's eyes fluttered wide open. She sat up so sharply that she almost hit Nolan with the ball of fire in her hands.

"Woah!" Nolan shouted, trying to calm Rebel down. "I thought you were a deep sleeper."

Rebel ignored the remark and flew her eyes around the dark trees that surrounded them, looking for any sign of danger. But there was no sign of immediate threat.

"What's wrong," Rebel asked, urgently.

"I heard a creepy sound coming from over there."

Nolan pointed to the left. Rebel, still groggy from just waking up, climbed out of her bed roll and crept around the sleeping Jay and Lacey over to the cluster of trees Nolan referred to. Rebel put her blazing hand into an empty spot with no trees, so she wouldn't catch anything on fire. But there was nothing unusual.

Rebel turned to face Nolan, annoyed.

"There's nothing there. But why couldn't you just look yourself?"