Camping ~ a Joel Dommett FanFiction

CHARADES AND THRONES

I'm the first up this morning, so to be useful, I collect firewood, refill the water, clean the toilet and begin to light the fire.

I perch on a log, poking the fire with a large stick, my other hand underneath my chin. The log wiggles as somebody sits down next to me.

"Morning." Joel whispers, nudging the fire with his foot, causing it to spark aggressively.

"I didn't wake you did I?" I worry, biting my lip.

Joel shakes his head. "Nah, Martin's snoring did." He chuckles. "How long have you been up?"

I shrug, "Funnily enough mate, there are no bloody clocks in here," I grin, poking his shoulder, "but maybe about forty minutes. I'm used to waking up early back home."

"Isn't it weird how back home so much is happening and there are probably loads of people watching, but we have no idea what they think about us?" He whispers once more, looking up into the cyan sky.

"That's just the paranoia talking. Try not to think about it." I smile reassuringly, prodding the fire once more.

"But what if they hate me?" This question makes me gulp. I've been worrying about the same thing too.

"No one could hate you, and if they do they're obviously massive dickheads."

Joel laughs at my response and prods the fire once more.

"Who's waiting for you at the end of the bridge?" I know the answer, but I want to calm him down slightly, and I know thinking about seeing his mum in a couple of weeks will lower his nerves.

"My mum. God I miss her." He mutters, looking up into the sky.

"She must be insanely proud of you and everything you've overcome in such a short time." I add, peering up into the abyss of trees and the eggshell blue sky.

Joel hums and nudges my shoulder. "How about you?"

I scratch the back of my calf. "I came out alone. My family and I don't get on and my best mate has a phobia of flying."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't apologise!" I place the cooking pot onto the flames, filling it with water.

"If I go out before you, I'll wait for you at the end of the bridge." Joel smiles, and this time, I cannot see even a trace of sadness behind it.

I feel my insides turn to mush and my ribcage gets too tight for my lungs.

We sit in silence, prodding at the flames, stirring around the rice and beans. When the food is ready, Joel has the joyous task of waking everybody up.

When Ant and Dec greet us in the morning they bring dismal news. Another trial that we all have to partake in. We have to split into two teams, and do a trial in those teams, and the two winners from each team get a 'throne' and are taken to a nicer camp with hot water, nice beds and food. The losers have to wait on them. The trial is called, 'Claim of Thrones'.

"I hate these competitive trails." Ola groans as we begin the process of team making.

Martin begins to explain some lengthy way of picking teams when Larry interrupts him. "Let's just go in the teams we competed in during the Hungry Games, the blues and the yellows?" Everyone likes the simple idea so we settle in those groups.

Martin decides that our group is going first.

And we are off. Through the trees, across the bridge, over the water, and into the tranquil trial area, the only sound is the happy crickets chirping away. "Nervous?" Lisa questions.