Chapter 12

I sighed into the window and then rubbed of the mist that my breath had left on it.
It really was unfair that they were sending us back home just because we got lost; it's not our fault we decided not to follow Nikki's obsolete sense of direction and actually try to get back. Okay maybe I should have been a more trusting 'girlfriend' to my 'boyfriend' Marshall.

So much for a buying a purple pop-up tent even if I did want the pink one.

"Martha, honey, what are you talking about? Oh my God, no way, that did not happen!" Mom shrieked into the phone as she swerved the car and several other cars blared their horns. "You poor thing!"

"Mom! Wear your earpiece!" I said loudly so she could hear me over Adam's mom on the other end.

"It's okay honey, I'm gonna get off the phone in a minute anyway," but mom's attention was quickly off me as she gasped, "Arthur's taken you where? Wow! You lucky little-! Oh right, yeah okay, I will pass the message on, no it's okay, he can stay with us, mm hm, yup, okay then, bye honey!"

My ears perked up at this new information, what was going on exactly?

"Guys, do you mind if I meditate?" Rain asked and started since no one was listening to her. It really was unfair that she was seated in between Adam and me.

"Adam I have some fortunate news!" Mom said turning round to discreetly wink at me. "Well, it may be unfortunate, depends how you look at it, but here's the thing, your homes experienced a bit of a termite infestation." Mom always did like to make it short and sweet. In this case minus the sweet.

"What?" he shouted.

"Oh, it's okay, Martha was getting groceries and Arthur was at work when your bedroom wall kind of cracked a little where the termites had eaten away at the wooden framing of your house and then some of your roof slanted and collapsed a little on your stuff, but it's okay, everyone is fine!" she added to soften the blow a little.

"What? All my stuff is ruined?" he cried wearing an adorable pained expression.

"Actually, Martha was able to save your laptop and your school stuff!"

"Oh yippee, I can still do my homework!" he said in fake glee as I giggled in the corner.

"What are you laughing at?" he asked a little angry.

"Nothing," I said putting on a straight face.

"Well, anyways, when your house started crumbling in your parents called in the exterminators, who shall, by the way, be gone in a week."

"So where are we staying?"

"Well, it's not so much we, but you. Since you were supposed to be camping your parents took some time off work and are staying at a romantic inn in Vermont!" Mom said with a sigh.

"What? They went to Vermont?"

"I know! It's the most amazing little inn with a view, and there's a lake, and-"

"Wait so where am I staying?"

"You're mom said you can stay with us!" Mom turned around and discreetly winked at me.

"What?!?" Both Adam and I yelled, well I yelled, Adam more of, well, spoke it.

Rain opened her eyes and stopped with the 'om'-ing. "You people have no respect for the art of meditation!" She hissed before starting it all over again.

"You can sleep on the couch," mom said winking again at me. "Or of course I could always get out Laurels sleeping bag and you could sleep in her room, because, you know, there's more chance of intruders coming in through the, um, front door, and into the living room, right Laurel?" she asked winking at me again. Mom never did master the art of subtlety.

"Wrong mom, I'm sure the intruders won't be able to get in through our security system," I assured her as she gave me a oh-come-on-it-will-be-better-that-way look but I just returned with a mom-that-is-so-inappropiate-and-I-cannot-believe-that-you-would-suggest-such-a-thing look but I'm not sure she got; it is awfully hard to get that much into one look.

"Yeah, I'm sure I can sleep on the couch Miss Brookes," Adam said eyeing us strangely as if trying to figure out what was going on. Boy if he knew!

"Oh fine, Laurel get some sheets for him out of the cupboard," Mom instructed trying to sound motherly although really I was relatively surprised she knew what I kept in the cupboard. "Okay, we're here, so Rain, where did you say you lived again?" Mom's pager beeped. "You know what, scrap that, I'll drop you off at the main road, work calls, bye honey," she screamed to me after dumping our stuff and driving off.

Adam and I got out of the car and I struggled to carry my stuff up to the front door. "It wouldn't hurt to help you know-" I said turning round to see him carrying my other much bigger suitcase. "Oh, well, um, thanks," I finished awkwardly as he dropped my bag at the front door and started carrying his own.