Survive Or Die

Chapter 2- fun and tension

"Where are we going exactly?" Aria moans for the a hundredth time as she drags her feet across the dry, sandy ground. I've learnt to ignore her.
"Here's an idea. Shut up," Issys crush, Sam, says.
She glares at him but stays silent.
After a while more we find a small town. It's mostly deserted so we are able to fit into about ten small houses. I take a warm shower and get changed into some 'borrowed' pyjamas that I find in a closet.
"Hello princess," I hear behind me.
I spin around to see the same guy from yesterday. Except this time all he's wearing is a thin towel around his waist. His dark hair is wet and ruffled and dripping down his gorgeous body. Snap out of it Celia! I mentally urge myself. "Like what you see?" He winks.
I drag my eyes away. "What," I struggle to get past the lump in my throat. "What are you doing here?" I straighten up.
"Thought you might need some company," he grins. "And this is the guys room."
I glance around quickly and notice he's right. The bed is dark blue and the mat on the floor is coal black. There are even Star Wars figures on the small shelves. "Right." I try to get past him but he is standing in the middle of the doorway. He barely moves, intent on making it awkward for me. I manage to squeeze past him and into the room next to his. This one is full of a lighter and more feminine blue with pictures of a fifteen year old girl and some other girls. It doesn't seem right, sleeping in a dead girls bed, looking at her photos. So, one by one, I set them all gently face down. I yank off the covers and throw them in a pile in the corner of the room. I find the linen cupboard and some thin blankets. They aren't that warm but they'll do.
I curl up on my bed with the thin blanket over me and manage to fall asleep.

I wake and quickly get changed into some jeans and a plain black t-shirt. I wear my own sneakers and tie my hair up in a messy ponytail. I wander downstairs where I smell pancakes. Just as I'm about to step down the last stair I hear voices. The guys voice and Judiths voice. And she's laughing. I walk in to find the guy cooking while Judith is seated on the kitchen bench with three plates next to her, her small feet swinging against the drawers. "Celia! This is Carl. He makes yummy pancakes," she chirps.
He shoots me a grin and whistles. I glare and sit down at the small table. Judith is in a cute, yellow, summer dress with her hair pinned back. "He even did my hair," she exclaims.
Now it's my turn to give him an odd look. His cheeks turn cherry red and he tries to cover it with his short hair. He chuckles and gets a glare from me.
Carl flips three pancakes onto each plate and passes them around the table. We eat them extremely fast since we haven't eaten in ages. I spot one of the former owners backpacks and fill it with food and bottles of water. "Let's go," I say and saunter outside. Almost everyone is outside, chatting amongst themselves and laughing. My eyes widen with surprise when I see Evie giggling and flirting with a guy who I barely recognise as Sam, the guy Issy has been crushing on. A smile spreads across my face when I spot her storming up to me, her eyes blazing and her nostrils flaring.
"Who the hell is that?" She hisses.
"Evie. She's cool. Give her a chance," I use her words which makes her more mad, and walk off. "Come on everyone! Lets go!" I call. I get a few groans but everyone seems okay with the idea of moving on at ten in the morning.
A few minutes into walking I notice that Judith isn't holding my hand. I slow down and glance frantically around. Eventually I hear her soft voice and someone else. I look over my shoulder to see her walking hand in hand with someone else. It's a girl, about sixteen, with fluffy, curly red hair. She has a few freckles and keeps her hair tied in a neat, fluffy ponytail. I relax when I see Judith giggling like a little girl again. "Anna," sings Issy, coming up from behind me.
"Do you know the names of everyone?" I ask her with an eye roll.
She grins. "Mostly." We walk in silence for a while until Sam starts walking next to Issy and her face turns soft red. He is pretty good looking, I have to admit but not really my type. He has messy light brown hair and berry blue eyes, sparkling with trouble. He smirks and winks at her and I roll my eyes again when her face turns soft pink. "Bye Issy," I laugh and continue to walk alone. Until Hayden catches up to me.
"Let's turn towards the jungle," he says.
"But the creek is this way," I point out, confused.
"We'll be better hidden in the jungle."
"Until we starve or die of dehydration."
"You're only a kid what would you know," he mumbles.
"God Hayden. I'm just trying to do what I think is best okay."
"Well maybe it isn't best," he continues to argue.
I stop and spin around to face him. Everyone else stops too but they hardly notice. "If you don't like it then leave. Please." I turn back around and saunter off.
Finally we make it to the creek. It's not that big but it definitely isn't small either. It's surrounded by a canopy of trees and nice, green grass. It's practically heaven right now.
A big cheer goes through the group as everyone disbands to swim and climb or simply rest.
I decide to sit on the bank and watch Judith , and everyone else, swim. "Come on, Princess!" Carl calls. He is completely soaked and is only in a spare pair of pants he must've brought.
"I'm good," I call back and fiddle with a strand of grass. He rolls his eyes and climbs out. Before I can register what he's doing, he scoops me up over his shoulder and tosses me into the water. I come up, soaked and sputtering, to find him already treading water in front of me while Judith laughing in the background with a few others. Carl just grins at me. "God, you're such an ass," I hiss and swim around him.
"Aw come on, Princess. Have some fun," he says as he swims next to me. I glance around at all the happy and laughing faces. There's something else on these faces. Something new. Hope. And we need hope at the moment. And a lot of it.
"Fine," I sigh, a smile creeping up my lips. "For a little while."