Murder in the woods

Chapter 3

"So how was kayaking?" Brad asks us as we join them for dinner, my hair still soaked. Laughing, Jonny looks at me. "He pushed me in!" I whine, pretending to be annoyed at him. "Ah, good one, mate!" Brad laughs, high fiving him. Lara just laughs at us and then they tell us about their afternoon building campfires and shelters. "We even got to roast marshmallows and heat up hot chocolates." They brag.

While we're tucking into our bowls of soup, Chloe runs in. "Hi, sorry I'm late! I was having so much fun!"
"That's great, what was your activity again?"
"It was kind of like a form of orienteering, I suppose." she says, taking a roll of bread and dipping it into her soup, "We played games of capture the flag and manhunt and did scavenger hunts."
"Who else was in the group from our school?"
"Bryan, Lily and whatshername, umm... Becky!"
"Wait, you were in a group with Bryan? I'm so happy for you!" Lara squeals.
"Why?" Jonny asks, genuinely confused as to why this is the best news ever for Chloe. Blushing pink, she mumbles "Oh, no reason, it's nothing. So how was your day?"
"Wait! You have a crush? On Bryan? Why him? I'm clearly better than him." He teases her smugly.
"Pfft, as if! I do not! Now can we please talk about something else?" Chloe begs, and I laugh at her, knowing that she can't wait to tell us all the details later when Brad and Jonny are gone.

                                                                    *
Sure enough, an hour later, we are all huddled up under Chloe's covers giggling and listening as she tells us all the gossip. A bag of Doritos sits open in the centre of our little fort. Munching on the crisps, Lara and I squeal when she tells us about how they decided to team up in Manhunt and for the Scavenger Hunt.

"And then, we got to the final item on our checklists: the camouflaged First Aid kit. We were meant to be working alone, so only one of us could turn it in and be crowned the winner-"
"Ooh, what happened next?" I ask, leaning forward in anticipation.
"I'm getting there, hang on, little Miss Impatient!"
"Oy!" I laugh, elbowing her.
"Ok, so we both see the last item we need to find to win and he looks at me, then back at the First Aid kit. Then he said to me, "You can have it, it'll be our little secret that you didn't find it alone." Obviously, I insisted that he had it, but he wouldn't give in! Eventually, I was crowned the winner, much to his satisfaction."
"Awww! You two are so going to become an item!" Lara giggles. "We should set you two up!"
"No way, guys! No!" Chloe laughs, "He probably was just being nice. We don't even know if he likes me."
"Who wouldn't? You're pretty and kind, funny but a tad annoying at times..."
"Hey! I thought you were the annoying one!"
"Nah, it's always been you!" I argue.
"Actually," Lara interrupts, "You're both seriously annoying at times!"

Chloe and I both wack Lara in the head with our pillows after that and we all collapse into a giggling mess on the floor.