middle of nowhere • jack avery

xxxxiv

CHAPTER FORTY FOUR

Their fourth of July on that summer was the most bittersweet celebration Reagan's experienced.

It started out amazing.

After setting up the tents, the six younger ones of the group all huddled up at the edge of the deck, trying to fish (complete with Ronald's top tier fishing gear), even though none of them actually knew how to.

Eventually, Jonah was able to pull one up the water (everyone screamed in excitement) but their howls of joy turned into laughter at the sight of the fish that was barely 2 inches long. They took it out of the hook and let it back in the water, calling it a day.

When they walked back to the camping site, barbecue was waiting for them so they all sat around in a circle on top of the dirt, stealing food off the grill before Logan could even plate them.

"Fuckin' barbarians," Logan scowled at the sight of them with barbecue marinade forming joker-smile lines at the corner of their lips.

To clean off, Corbyn suddenly took off his shirt and threw in on the ground. He let out a spartan cry and the other boys, the idiots, somehow understood and started doing the same, peeling off clothing until they were left in their boxers

Then all at once, they ran to the water. Reagan curled up in laughter at the sound of them shrieking from the cold.

"Look at her!" Daniel scolded, taking to Zach while pointing at Reagan, "She has the audacity to laugh while she's sitting there, the coward!"

Reagan laughed even louder, throwing her head back.

That was a mistake.

Because the moment she heard the sounds of footsteps coming, it was already too late.

All at once, Jonah was picking her off from where she sat comfortably on the tree trunk and Reagan screamed.

"Put me down!"

"Who's laughing now?" Zach yelled out and when Reagan started thrashing for her life, she felt the other boys restraining her as well, laughing as if their life depended on it.

Then all of the sudden, she was thrown into the water, soaking wet, while fully clothed.

They swam in the huge lake for hours. When she got lazy, she'd use Daniel as a floatie.

At some point, Jack came up from
behind her and wrapped his arms around her shoulders for support. She tried not to think so much about it. She's been piggy-back riding the other boys countless times while in the water, but Jack was different.

No matter how much she wanted to pretend that they were friends, her mind keeps going back to the waterfalls.

It was her first time with Jack then. One of her fondest memories.

When the sun was starting to set, they all watched from the edge of the lake, feet still dipped in the water.

The sky was all kind of colors and suddenly, a single firework sounded off in the distance.