Choices ((Old Copy))

Part 3

"Yes! This sounds great! I wanna compete!" Sean exclaimed as I and Josh announced the whole thing. Of course, we didn't mention that it was actually a battle for my affection. Ugh, I didn't like the way the sounded, even in my head. But this has gone on too long, it's time to end it anyway. 

"And I want to help with music and flyers and stuff," Noah said, Josh smiled and began chatting with the two about what they could do and how they could help. I looked over my shoulder at the forest every few minutes to see if Ben returned, but I didn't see him. 

"So, it's a big race really, huge." I began again. "First your bike from the Lodge to the lake, then you kayak across the lake, you camp on the other side of the lake for three days and then you climb up to the top of the mountain rocks and zip line back to the lake where you'll ride your bikes back to the Lodge. And the best part is, you don't have to do it on your own, you'll have a teammate." 

"Sounds great," Sean said, he was making his way over to talk to me privately when his phone buzzed. He sighed and got out his phone and pressed it to his ear. I could hear my dad's voice telling him to get back to the Lodge. Sean hung up and sighed again. "Noah, Skye's dad needs us for a project." Sean groaned and looked back at me in a goofy way that said 'Wish we could have talked, but duty calls.' I waved as they went back through the tunnels to the Lodge. Josh beamed at me, glad our idea worked as well as we thought it would. 

"Skye and Josh: Two, Universe: Zero," Josh said successfully. I laughed and hugged him. We made a good team, and I'm glad he's around so much. He keeps me in line allot of the time when I usually mess up. "I'm going to go help Noah with the flyers," Josh said, hugging me one more time before taking a few steps towards the tunnel. "Oh, and I came up with a points system, Sean gets one for at least trying to talk to you. And I haven't seen Ben since I told him you were missing, so, Sean's in the lead." He took off before I could respond, saying that I didn't want a points system. 

I sat at the trunk of the tree, watching the place where Ben went into the forest. That was the only entrance into the forest, so there was no way he had gone around or something. Everywhere else the trees were too thick or there was poison ivy. 

I almost fell asleep as the last of the sun slipped away from me. I forced my eyes open one more time, I couldn't sleep here, id get sick, or probably be eaten by bugs and creepy things of the night. But I also couldn't go back to the Lodge, not without Ben. I saw Ben walking towards the Lodge, he saw me in my bright blue shirt and jogged over. 

"What are you doing out here!? It's dark and cold!" Ben took off his jacket and put it around me. I wasn't even shivering, though it was a tad bit cold. 

"I was waiting for you," I said sleepily. He got me to stand up and apparently my skin was colder than it felt, he pulled me closer to him and rubbed my arms to try and heat me up. 

"You're going to get sick, you should have gone back to the lodge." He said protectively, but not angrily. 

"What were you doing in the woods for eight hours?" I asked stubbornly. He sighed and continued to try and heat me up. 

"Thinking mostly." He admitted when he realized I wasn't going to give up unless he answered. "Then I was testing different styles of carving, Sean didn't carve your name into the tree. I don't know who did, but I think it was your mom." Ben said calmly, he tried to walk me to the tunnel, but I faked right and went left to see the carving again.  I looked at the carving closely, Ben appeared behind me about a foot. I ran my fingers over the carving to see if it was smooth or rough, the ground under me opened and I screamed. Ben, being so close, grabbed my hand, I gripped his wrist tightly with my right hand, my left was caught in whatever hole I had fallen into.