Remember Me? (Percy Jackson-- Leo Valdez Fanfic)

Chapter 7: Camping

A/N: HERE IS CHAPTER SEVENTEEN MINUS A DECADE. What? Don't mind me. Took me a while to write, I know, but I hope you forgive me cuz I made two long chapters to make up for it XD XD You know what I'm about to say. PLEASE. PROCEED.

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~Kristen's POV~

"You ready?" Alfire asked.

"You have no idea." A determined smile spread across my face. 

"Okay kids, in the car, let's go!" My mom called, and Alfire and I jumped into the backseat.

"What about your mom?" I asked him quietly, knowing he had a thing about not leaving her alone for too long. She wasn't exactly the most mentally stable of people. She was kind though, so I worried for her almost as much as he did. I almost thought he would decide not to go. Which was why I was surprised when he shrugged.
"I called in one of her old friends who had been passing by. I asked if she could stay with her while I'm gone, and I'm just surprised when my mom told me I could go." He let out a chuckle, then his face dulled slightly as he gave an anxious smile. "But she'll be okay though."
"It's only for two days." I reassured him. "Thank you for coming, by the way."

His grin returned as he spoke. "Made you a promise that I'll have to make this birthday great, didn't I?"

"You never seem to stop reminding me, so yeah. You did." I laughed softly.

"Seatbelts." My mom said from the front. I groaned briefly before she looked at me through the rearview mirror. I sighed and put it on, glaring at Alfire as he tried to hold a laugh in. He sat comfortably with a seatbelt, but as I barely reached five-foot-three, the seatbelts seemed to serve no purpose but to squeeze my gut and choke me. I wasn't one to complain about my height, but this was just unfair. 

The car started moving for about five minutes of silence. I had been staring out the window until I felt something touch my arm. I turned to see Alfire holding his phone out to me. I looked down at it, and then back at him.
"What's that for?" I frowned.

"You told me that this had to be a completely electronic-free trip right? I had to bring my phone so I could call my mom when I get back but for now," He held his phone closer to me. "here."

I raised my eyebrow. "You're really going to go along with what I say and give up your phone for two straight days?"
He shrugged, smiling. "Hey, if you can give up the internet for two days, then so can I. Besides, we can't risk violating any rules for your birthday-wish-upon-a-star-ritual now, can we?"

I rolled my eyes but laughed, taking his phone. I took out my phone from my pocket and tapped my mom's shoulder.

"Mom, could you take care of this for us? We don't want to lose it." 

She looked at me with an amused smile and nodded nodded. "Sure honey."
"That also means neither of you can use your phones either." I dared to say.

To my surprise, she just laughed. "We're aware dear, you've been telling us that since you were eight. Don't worry, we won't."
I grinned at her and sat back in my seat. 

For the next hour, Alfire began talking, telling me everything we had to try out while we were camping, and how he could teach me to make a fire with sticks. To my surprise, he looked serious. I had asked him if he had been a boy scout, but he shook his head saying he just picked up a few tricks here and there. I leaned back on my side as I watched him talk. It was already noon, but I hadn't been able to sleep a wink the night before, excited for this trip. One more day until my birthday. I thought.