do it for the views

a new traveler

[screams had just been heard from the distance as tree and rye were setting up camp]

"uhhhh" tree began with an expression only a confused teen could make. "i hope that wasn't any of us". assuming it was, i rolled my eyes and fell back into my sleeping bag. i wanted to cry, i came here to have a good heccing time with my friends and we're all literally going missing. "well shit, lets go before the fire gets drowned out".
me and tree walked quite a while before we actually forgot where the scream came from. but we enjoyed the stroll whilst talking about how much we hated that intro to business teacher. but our conversation was cut short when sounds of grunting and a variety of items falling came from a small kiosk. we stop and keep a hard eye on the building when all the sudden the door sprang open and a tall figure stumbled out. his features were hidden by the darkness but the slow cast of moonlight was just enough to notice a familiar face...

"YO IS THAT COLE?" trees voice boomed in the night. the figure looked up, his blonde hair covering his eyes, which were shifting between the both of us.
"uhh, hi?!" cole said, so confused on what the hell was happening
"what are you doing here!!?" i say eagerly.
"i was uh, exploring this place, what are you guys doing here? did you hear that scream?"
he asked
"we came here to explore as well, but all of our friends are missing. we're scared that that scream came from one of them." tree says
transfixed in his word, cole tells us he was avoiding and hiding from our group, terrified that they were looking for him.
"why would they be looking for you?"
his posture straightens and his hands begin to fidget with a flashlight in his pocket
"oh, um, idk"

a tight glare broke between us, he knows something i don't.

"wElL guYs, we better get going!" tree suggests.
the awkwardness is unbearable as the three of us quietly walk to no where in particular, pretending to care about each other in more ways than normal. we had lost track of where the scream had originated from, so we headed back to the camp to see if anyone really did make it. through the whole walk cole became very paranoid, nervously looking through the tree lines and peering over small bushes, as if he was waiting for something, but what?
my mind cluttered with all the horrid possibilities, could we even trust him?! who says he hadn't changed since 8th grade? i kept my head busy with the thought of this night turning out somewhat enjoyable, but it was impossible, i just really wanted to go home.