Steady

Chapter Four

Chapter Four

The girls and I sing along to the dumbest song ever written as we make our way to the lake. With every mile that passes, more tension eases from our shoulders. It's nice to be able to relax in the company of friends, and I intend to fully unwind before the weekend is over. That shouldn't be too terribly difficult. Nothing mellows a girl out like three days of sun, sweat, and Skyy Vodka.

By the time we reach the campground, we're all in full party mode. We no longer look like four sleep-deprived women who've spent a month vigorously studying for finals we could never prepare for, and I also no longer feel like I'm wearing my shoulders for earrings, so that's a nice improvement. I've never been more grateful for the opportunity to relax.

"There it is!" Sydney shouts as we pull up behind a line of parked cars. There seems to be an entire village of tents set up in one huge cluster.

"Do we even have a tent?" Nora asks.

We all roll our eyes before exiting the car. If Nora hadn't been so busy eye-banging the hot checkout guy at Wal-Mart, she would have noticed the enormous five person tent we bought.

We make our way across the grass, scoping out the scene before us. The crowd mostly consists of our fellow dorm-mates, but there are quite a few people I don't recognize. Everyone has a red solo cup in hand, a smile on their face, and a victorious gleam in their eye—the tell-tale symptoms of college students free for summer break.

"New meat," Sydney purrs as she ogles the crowd.

Normally, I would scoff at her objectification of the male form, but I'm too excited to pay it any mind. Plus, wow. Guys in nothing but swim trunks and ball caps? Swoon...

"Look! Carter saved us a spot!"

I shield my eyes from the sun and squint in the direction Veronica is pointing. Sure enough, there's Carter, stretched out in a lawn chair, giving the stink eye to any man who dares step foot in his ten-by-ten stretch of grass.

As we approach, Carter slides his sunglasses down to rest on the tip of his nose.

"About time y'all showed up." He stands and dusts freshly mowed grass off his flip-flop clad feet. "I was worried I'd miss out on all the skirt chasing because none of you can keep to a schedule, but now that you're here, I bid you adieu."

Without waiting for a single word from us, he tips his invisible hat and saunters off toward a group of half-tipsy freshman.

"Ugh," Veronica spits out. "What a pig."

The girls and I all exchange a look. It's no secret that Veronica has a thing for Carter, has for months, but he's far from the monogamous type. She wants hand holding and whispered promises while Carter is more into dry humping and forgetting phone numbers. I love the guy, but he's too flighty for a stable relationship. I commend him for sowing his wild oats while still in college, but he's far from what Veronica needs in her life, so I'm happy she doesn't have the guts to actively pursue him.

"So, uh, anyone ever assemble a tent before?" Sydney asks as she slips the instructions out of the zippered bag.

"Nope."

"Uh uh."

"Do I look like a hobo?"

Sydney lets out an exasperated breath and looks across the grass to where Carter is flexing his biceps for a girl in a tiny white bikini.

"I'll go see if Car-"

"No!" Veronica grabs the instructions. "We don't need his help. We are four grown ass women with college degrees. This isn't rocket science. It's a tent! If pioneers and homeless people can do it, so can we."