Stronger Than You Think

Chapter 18: Birthday Camping

*** January 18th ***

It's my birthday in two days and I'm taking the others camping. I'm packing my duffle bag with clothes that will last for the week.

I grab some of my books and go into my bathroom and put my panorama and, Fandoms Unite necklace, singlets, SnapBack and my baggy pants.

I put my nail polish back in the cupboard. My dress is hanging up in my closet. My THG movie is on shelf with my BVB album and the Abundance of Katherine.

I put on Eden's necklace and exit my room and leave the house. I text Eden and he replies almost immediately.

Me: I'm ready. You comin?

Eden 💘: On our way.

Me: Cool! c u soon.

I walk out to the shed and grab the tent bag and my sleeping bag. I head out the front just as Eden and Skylar's cars rock up.

I chuck my stuff in the trailer and jump into the front of the car. Andy, Tommy and Elinor are in the seat behind me and Olive and Lex are in the back.

"Hey guys" I say and put my seatbelt on. "Hey!" they all say a little too cheerfully.
"Hmmmmm... what are you guys up to?" I ask as Eden heads off.

"NOTHING!" they all say at once. I turn around and focus my eyes on the road. I turn on the radio and plug in my iPod.

'If you can't hang' by Sleeping With Sirens comes on. "I don't wanna take your precious time" Andy and I sing.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++

4 hours and 10 rest stops later we arrive at the property. It's right in front of the woods and as so as I get out I run straight into the trees.

I feel all giddy running through the trees and I start to laugh uncontrollably. "IRISSS" I hear someone call and I turn to see Andy running behind me.

"You left me behind" she says and I laugh and run off again. The woods are like my second home and when I'm here I'll run for hours.

It starts to get dark and Andy and I run back to camp to put our tents up.

+++++++++++++++++++++

I pull out the matches and set one alight. I chuck it into the pile of sticks. It catches alight and starts to crackle.

I head to the tent that I'm sharing with Eden. He's standing at the barbecue cooking steak and chops. "This is why I'm with you" I say and lock my lips with his.

"Haha" he says and turns back to the BBQ. I grab my camp chair and sit it by the fire. I walk back to my tent and grab City of Bones out of my bag.

I sit down on my chair and open it. Getting lost in it all at once.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++

"DINNERRRR!" Eden yells and it snaps me out of my trance. "FOOOOOOD!" I scream and run to him after setting my book down.

I grab my plate from him. The one the biggest steak and most amount of peas. I carefully walk to my chair and with one hand, lift my book, dog ear the page carefully put it in the pocket at the side I my camp chair.

The others sit down and Cara strikes up a conversation. "So!" she says "What do you have planned for tommorow?". I raise a piece of steak to my mouth and chew.

"Well" I say when I've swallowed "I'm gonna go running to the river and see if I can find the pack". "Yep!" says Kendall "I'm going with Ris". Andy gives me a thumb up to say she's coming too.

"You three and that fucking wolf pack" sky says and shakes his head "Every time we come here it's 'TO THE PACK!'". I laugh. "What can I say? I'm a werewolf an I think they miss me" I say.

"God Iris!" Newt says "I never should have brought you here when we were young". "Yeah. Well, I still would have come eventually as it's Andy's favorite place too!" I retort.

Everyone continues talking while I completely destroy the piece I meat on my plate. "HAH!" I hear Andy yell "Bitch I beat yoooooou!". "Oh dear lord" Elinor says and everyone laughs.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++

I finish my dinner and I take my plate back to Eden at the sink. I turn around to head back to the fire when he grabs my wrist.

"Do you wanna play hide and seek tonight?" he asks with a smile. "Sure" I say "I'll go ask the others. I turn back around an he grabs my wrist again. "No!" he says "Just us".

I raise my eyebrow.... ding! The lightbulb goes off. "Ohhhh..." I say and smirk at him. I walk back to my chair and pull out my book.

"Ris" Elinor whispers to me a couple minutes after I sit down. I look up from my book a little as she pulls her chair towards me.

"Hm?" I ask and raise my eyes a little more away from the page "What's up?", she smiles. "I was about to ask you the same question" she says. "Me?" I ask "Nothing".

"You look nervous" she says with pure concern in her eyes. "Really? Oh!" I say and look back at my book. She was right, of course, I am nervous.

I know why Eden wants to do and I know I'm ready... I'm just nervous. "Eden wants to play hide and seek tonight" I say "Just us". She raises an eyebrow and then she finally gets it.

"Ohhhh" she says and looks down. "Are you ready? 'Cause if your not and he's forcing you into anything I swear I'll smash his face". I laugh. "I'll smash his face myself actually. I'm ready though" I say and turn back to my book.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++

When the others are all in bed and an I'm still sitting at the fire reading, Eden comes out of the tent with a couple of big blankets.

I put my book down and smile up at him as he walks over. I look up at the sky. It's a full moon. I look back at Eden and he smiles.

I jump off my chair and run into the woods. I find the clearing were I found the pups and look up at the moon. It's light shines down on my face.

I howl and an here the pack howl back from a fair distance away. Eden walks up beside me and lays the blankets down on the ground.

He straightens up an smiles at me. I run off and find a tree about 5 meters away. I climb up it as I hear Eden's footsteps coming closer.

He's standing at the base of the tree I'm in. He's turning head in every direction. He walks away and I giggle... This guy obviously doesn't know this one thing about me.

Which is stupid as we've known each other since I was 5. I slide down the tree and run to a different one.

+++++++++++++++++++++++

We've been playing for half an hour and I'm in a tree a couple of meters away from the one I was in at the start.

Eden is standing beneath me again and is looking a little worried. I'm getting bored so, seeing as I'm not that high up, I jump down and land on his back.

"Ugh!" Eden gasps and hold onto his shoulders whilst I drop off him. "I can't believe you didn't bother to look up!" I say and he laughs.

"Next time I'll make sure I do" he says and now it's my turn to laugh. He leans in an our lips meet. I feel a bolt of electricity shoot through me.

He kisses me more roughly and I find my self pulling my fingers under the hem of his shirt.

I pull it off, having to pull away from the kiss. I stare at his chest and abdomen for a minute. Even though I've seen him shirtless before, I blush.

"Do you have a condom?" I ask and he whips one out of his back pocket. I kiss him again and we fall into the rugs in a tangled mess if bodies.
__________________________
Ullo! So this chappy is a long chappy and... yeah! Hope you enjoyed it! Vote and Comment bubs! 💭📷🔅