Gold Digging?

Day One

Beth was three hours into what she felt was the longest drive ever, from her school to the camp site. It was her final week of school and she was ready to go home and relax. She would have been able to enjoy this trip, would have been able to relax and have a good time if it wasn't for him.

For the past few months, a boy in her class had been talking to her on Instagram. At first, she thought that he was trying to be social, but then she realized, he was hitting on her. She didn't want to be rude, being the reputable girl she was, but he was so goddamn annoying. She knew exactly what he was doing, he did it to any girl he could. He would attempt to chat up a girl, ask her out, get rejected, and move onto the next girl. This cycle had been going on for years now. Unfortunately, she was the next girl in the firing line, but Beth had decided she wasn't going to think about him. She had more important things to do. She had a new book to read, and there were at least two people coming to the camp that she could tolerate. Besides, the asshole wasn't even in the same vehicle as her! He was in the car with the two boys in his year and she was in a minivan.

Beth was thinking about him again. Fuck, that asshole was consuming her thoughts. She had to keep herself distracted.

"Yanesca, I'm bored," She whined flopping across her lap. Her friend looked at her, half annoyed and half amused.

"I thought you said you had a new book to read?" Yanesca said, half smiling. Yanesca, the closest to sane in her class, was, in fact, trying to read a book of her own. Yet, having a person lying on you, pinning the book to your legs, makes it hard to do so. This may have been what annoyed Yanesca. More likely, it was because this was the seventeenth time Beth had said that in the past ten minutes. Yanesca brushed her braid over her shoulder and gave up on her book altogether.

"Look, Beth, this is the problem. You need to find something to do! Use your phone like you usually do." Beth sat up, frowning.

"I know, but I can guarantee he's going to message me!" At this, Yanesca's shoulders slumped.

"Oh yeah. Right." she sighed, closing her book. Yanesca knew who Beth meant by him, but that was about as far as the list went. Admittedly, a few others also knew but one was overseas and the others were on the other bus.

"Look, Beth, why you can't reject him and get over it?" Yanesca asked, "Seriously, tell him you're not interested and move on!" Now it was Beth's turn to scowl.

"I can't do that, it would crush him!" Yanesca laughed.

"Yeah, right! How many times have people rejected him? It's got to be at least ten. Was he crushed by any of those rejections? No! It takes him two days, at the most, to get over it and start hitting on someone else!" Still, Beth was unsure. She knew he had done this kind of shit before, but it still bugged her to push him away. She didn't want to full-on reject him. Yanesca did have a good point, though. Again, Beth exhaled and turned towards the window, watching the bush roll past. The minivan she was in tumbled further onward. Further away from her home, her dog and, most importantly, her adequate internet access. Closer to Margaret River, and closer to her inevitable doom. Yanesca smiled at her.

"It'll be alright, Beth. You'll see!" She said, before turning back to her book. Beth sighed for what seemed the 100th time that day.
"We'll see, Yanesca, we'll see."

Roughly an hour later, Beth was waking from her 'Beauty Sleep'. She looked out the grubby van to see crystal blue skies, and dense, green bush. She groaned.

"Ugh, this place is horrible. Imagine the reception out here, I'll be getting next to no bars out here!" The minivan drove over a speed bump and finally came to a halt. Yanesca emerged from her book.

"Oh, are we here already?" she inquired, and eyebrow half-raised. The teacher was the one to answer that question.

"Alright, everyone, it's time for a break. Eat your recess now, or go the toilet if you need to. We need to be back on the road in five minutes to keep on time!" Peter boomed, bringing the most zoned-out students from their tech ventures. One by one, the students waddled out of the clammy van into the cool, fresh air.

"Beth! Yanesca! Finally, some intelligent conversation!" Someone yelled from over near the other bus. Both girls turned to greet the voice that was calling to them.

"Hey Imogen, how have you been holding up?" Yanesca asked, waiting for the two girls to reach them.

"And what do you mean, 'intelligent conversation'? I was in the van too." The fourth girl asked, annoyed.

"Well, Tayla, you were at the back of the bus, listening to your stupid music. However, I was at the front, dealing with Levi and Chris, and their terrible jokes!" Tayla cringed.

"Oh, right." Beth and Yanesca both laughed.