Connor's POV
"Connor. Connor, honey. Wake up."
"Hhhhuuhhh?" I moaned. I can pretty much recognize my mom's voice instantly. I can gladly say that I'm really close with my family. Sisters and everything.
"It's 9:30. I thought you would be up by now.
"Whaatt?"
She playfully nudged my head.
"We're going camping remember? And we have to pick up that friend of yours."
Oh. My. God. How could I have slept in on a day like this? Oh yeah. It's a Saturday.
Moaning, I managed to mubble, "I'm up. Thanks mom."
"Hurry up Bug. We have to leave in a ten minutes."
Damn.
I sat up in my bed and snatched a random shirt from on top of my cluttered dresser. I'm never going to keep this room clean no matter how hard I try.
A dark blue Aeropostale shirt. Good with me.
I grabbed a pair of shorts and a few shirts and stuffed them in a cute little duffel bag. I'm glad to say I pack light. Like any other guy in this world. I always thought girls went a little overboard with packing.
I ran out my bedroom door and threw my bag at the door from the top of the stairs. Quite literally I threw the darn thing. I put on some light blue Toms and ran out my front door after sliding down the railing of the stairs. I don't understand how anyone can grow out of that.
With my family already waiting in the family van, I hopped in and slammed the door. I tossed my bag in the back as my brothers, as if robotically, ducked while invested in their Nintendo DS. I gave the thing to them just about a month ago and they've already beat 3 or 4 Pokemon games. I never thought I could be beat.
"I always knew you could be a spy." My sister noted from my crazy pursuit. I simply rolled my eyes with a girly personality on my face and said,
"Sofie lives on Elm. I'll tell you when." As I stated the command my mom looked at me with a stink eye. Instantly scared out of my mind, I leaned forward and kissed her on the cheek.
"I love you mommy and thank you for taking me camping."
"That's better." She shifted the car into drive and made her way onto the road outside of our driveway.
Sofia's POV
"Mooomm!! I'm leaving to go camping now!" Short and straight forward.
"No need to yell my wonderful child." My ignorant mother whispered with her hand rubbing her temples. She walked out of her bedroom doorway and grabbed a coffee cup. "Be safe I guess."
"Don't act like I've never done this before." I snapped as I slammed the door. I'm never going to mend things with her. I shifted the purple striped backpack on my back to a more comfortable position. I figured I didn't need much for a night of camping.
I walked up my sidewalk and sat on a brick I have a few feet away
from the road as I started thinking. What's going to happen? How awkward do you think this is going to be. Oh good lord the awkwardness is going to kill me.
I decided to all let it go and wing the situation. I figured that Connor wouldn't be here for a few minutes so I cleared my stormed up mind and rested my eyes for a quick second..
*I lifted my head to find campfire in front of me. Around me was a pretty teenageish girl, a couple of highschoolish boys, and a middle aged couple sitting next to each other. Frantically and frightened, I stood up suddenly to analyze my surroundings.
Wait, what? I was in a dark forest with bright green pine trees all around me. The kind you'd see once in a mile in Arizona. To my left there was a grey Dodge Ram and a camper attached to the back. Not a huge camper but just enough for a snug family. A cute family for a matter of fact.
The pair of boys we're giggling away on something one of them has just said. They reminded me of those middle school girls giggling about how cute that new exchange student was.
The girl was semi focused on her IPhone 5 but would look up at the fire every once in a while. Seemed to be trying to pass time. What surprised me was she seemed to enjoy being there. Most girls with IPhone 5's wouldn't enjoy camping as much as I would think.
The middle aged couple looked like the parents. They both seemed to be completely relaxed as the mom rested her head on her husbands chest. They both simply gazed into the fires deepest flames. Like they were watching it's each and every move. And it seemed all of us were sitting on those stereotypical log circles that you'd see in movies. One for each group or person. Four in total.
"Hey what's the matter?" The middle aged mom asked as she moved her head back to its natural position. That's probably the nicest tone I've heard in a year.
I slowly sat back down still not knowing what to do with myself.
Out of nowhere another body slowly appeared into the fire's light. Analyzing the body from foot to head I slowly looked up. Signature Toms, sand colored shorts, Pac-Sun shirt. Holy crap it's Connor Franta.
This is his family.
And this is the camping trip.
My heart stopped beating right as the out going boy said a single word,
"Relax."
I let go my breathe and sat there frozen. Connor made his way over to my designated log and sat down next to me. Still refusing to move, I managed to stutter a few words.
"Wha- What's going on?"
Just as soon as I started talking I looked over and linked with Connor's genuine eyes. The whole scene seemed to instantly warm my heart.
Quicker then it started I broke the bond and looked down at my shoes. Will always be my black Converse.
I closed my eyes for a good four seconds and found myself laying on Connor's lap when I opened them. From instinct, I flinched. My whole body's posture seemed to change within that four seconds. I shifted my eyes to look up at Connor. I found him staring into the fire like his make believe parents. Without moving an he moved his lips unnaturally as whispered,
"Relax."
As much as I was creeped out, I looked back at the fire and stared myself. All at once, my shoulders let their tension go. Maybe I should just relax. And sure as hell let go. I drifted off into my own daydream as a huge outside sound honked to the heavens.*
Once again, I internally heard another honking sound as my eyelids shot open. Being in a completely different surrounding, but the same as ever, I saw an adorable family van. White with dark gray tinted windows. Still not knowing exactly who it was I just stared at the van. Seeming like a million years, I watched the drivers window roll down to see a middle aged woman.
"Hi Sofie."
The voice was crisp and clean like any mothers voice.
"Uh hi."
The original whisper.
"Let's go camping shall we?"
My heart dropped as it let go of it's tension. It's Connor's family.
* * *
Minutes later we were on the freeway heading north. Wherever north is. I happen to be sitting between the right window in the second row of the van, and Connor's sister. A cute, sophisticated girl with gorgeous brownish hair and the same facial features as the rest of the siblings. Let me tell you, they spend no time with silence in the car. There were the two brothers in the back chatting away with a single device in both of their hands. Connor sat straight up talking about anything he could think of with his parents in the front seat. The tension between people isn't as bad as I would think. Leaving Connor's sister and I.
"So what do you like to do?" Connor's sister started.
Being the not very open me, I replied with, "Uhh, read I guess? I really don't do much. You?"
Completely ignoring my counter question, she excitedly replied, "Oh my gosh me too! What books? Oh I like Veronica Roth. The author yah know? She writes completely AMAZZINGG books."
I flinced. I love Veronica Roth. She's unknown.
"I love Veronica Roth."
"OH MY GOSH REALLY? MOM! She knows Veronica Roth!" Looking between me and her mother, she mumbled, "I'm Alli by the way."
As the hour went by Alli and I figured out we have a lot in common. I laughed more than I thought I ever could. I seemed to open up. I completely forgot that the boy I've been stalking my high school career is next to me. And my god, he didn't look happy. Whenever Alli and I giggled or even just started a new topic he looked away with a disgusted look on his face.
"We're here!" His mother exclaimed.
I hadn't even noticed that we had turned into a campground. Alli bumped my shoulder with a smile from ear to ear on her face. I grinned and followed the group out of the car. Staying out of the way, we set up camp.
Connor's POV
I am pissed. My sister completely stole my guest from me.
At this moment I'm sitting on a log rounded around the fire pit. There's still daylight outside but there wasn't much to do after tents were up. I have to share a tent with the two robots. Not that I care much, I love their little guts, but honestly, I just want to go home. There's Internet there.
Sofia and Alli had already made plans to sleep in their own tent. Whoopy.
"Connor, would you light the fire please?" My dad.
"Yeah dad." I noticed sadness that I hadn't noticed before.
"Hey. What's wrong? Arn't you happy here?" My dad came back to talk.
"I'm doing alright."
"Let me ask you something. Why did you invite that girl?"
The question struck me. Why did I bring her? Did I pity her? Was I still in the phase of helping her? I didn't know. I definitely have feelings for her. Wait no I don't. I've just wanted to help her. That's all. I shouldn't have invited her.
"She's with Alli now it doesn't matter. I uh, wanted her to make friends."
My dad gave me a shady look and walked away. Thank god. I loved him but I wasn't feeling well anyway. I went into the reserved tent and laid down. Let's go home..
Sofie's POV
Hours later we were all sitting around the fire. It was concerning how much it looked like my daydream. Same set up with the logs, same seating, same lighting. Except Connor sat with his brothers. And I sat up with his sister.
Alli whispered from my left, "Why did you agree to come?"
I looked at her, surprised. I didn't know.
"I had nothing better to do?"
"But my brother invited you. Did you expect to be with him? My friend couldn't make it. So I'm glad I got to hang out with you."
My heart warmed.
"It's just sad cause you're freshman and I'm senior. Going into at least."
I didn't know she was that old.
Right as her sentence finished, my foot started to loose feeling again. Knowing it's been happening often, I ignored it. Seconds later it started to hurt. Like nothing before. The pain pierced into my foot like needles all up my leg. I carefully stood up as the family looked at me.
"Excuse me." I simply stated.
"Where are you going?" Alli with a strange worried voice.
"I'm just going to lay down. I don't feel good."
As I started my hobbling journey I glanced at Connor. His eyes were completely emotionless. With a drop of hate.
My heart turned ice cold.
I got to my borrowed tent and laid down. The pain got worse. It seemed to travel up my leg and torso. I wanted to scream the pain away.
Something. Is. Wrong.
I don't remember passing out.
* * *
I woke up to Alli staring at me from above with worried eyes.
"Relax."
I recoiled to the word.
I realized I couldn't feel below my waist. I closes my eyes.
* * *
The next thing I remember is waking up to an unknown voice in a weird smelling place. A man said,
"She has a type of Diabetes. You made the right decision bringing her here. She could've gone into a diabetic coma."
Once again I passed out.
~~~~~~
Thank you guys so much for reading. I'm glad I finally got another chapter finished. Again, sorry for not updating.
On another subject, I need help. Comment or message me if you can help me write or just motivate me. It would mean the world. Thank you so much, and stay tuned!
Merry Christmas, happy New Year, and congrats O2L on a million!
