CAMP MARS

Chapter 2

"No."

Hannah, for the first time since meeting her here, has lost her smile and replaced it with this distressed frown. She then shook her head and practically started begging me to go.

"You have to come! My Dad will never let me hear the end of it if you don't!" Hannah pleaded as I shook my head, continuing my argument.

"Hannah, I can't. I told you six months ago and everyday between then and now that my mother needs help. She's still not one hundred percent." I claimed.

"Okay, I get that, but isn't she working again? And doesn't she have a whole other child?"

"Another reason why I say no. If Ashley finds out I'm going to Malibu for the entire summer, she'll flip her lid."

"Okay, so lie! Please, Katie... I wanna meet 30 Seconds to Mars, and I want to share this with one of my best friends." Hannah continued to plead.

"Then take one of your parents or siblings. Or, maybe even Becky or Rachel." I suggested as she shook her head.

"I can't do any of that. Dad is out of the country on business and will be gone for a month; Mom is taking my brother and sister on a Disney Cruise; Becky is going to Ireland for the whole summer to visit family while Rachel is going to Disney World with her family. You're the only option I got."

"The answer is still no."

I then tried walking away when Hannah stopped me by literally jumping in front of me. "C'mon, Katie. I know you're not a big 30 Seconds to Mars fan but do this for me." Hannah said, getting down on her knees and hugging mine.

"Hannah, stop it!" I ordered as she refused.

"Not until you say yes!"

"I'm not saying yes. I can't afford it; I don't even wanna know how much those passes cost."

"Oh, you know, a lot..." Hannah then looked up at me with this silly grin. "Okay, fine... Five thousand dollars."

My eyes went wide as my heart nearly stopped. "Five thousand dollars?!" I shouted very loudly, causing a few people to look my way.

"Each." Hannah added.

I then began making silly noises as I tried scrambling for the words to use. Five thousand dollars each for a season pass? That's to expensive for someone like me – I can so tell what's all gonna be there.

"Hannah, that is to big of a gift. I can't accept it." I told her as she squeezed my legs tighter.

"You have to!" Hannah cried.

"I can't afford that! Besides, I'm not gonna spend my summer in some... hippy environment, listening to music I don't like, eating nothing but veggies and tofu around a campfire." I said, finally shaking Hannah off my legs as she began laughing.

"Oh, Katie, relax. It ain't like that at all. Yes, they'll be music, but also crafts, sports, hiking, swimming, cooking classes, the usual summer camp stuff. And, they also know not all of their fans are vegans like them, they'll have meals like hamburgers and hot dogs and stuff."

"Great! Eat meat have them judge me, no thanks."

"No! They're not gonna judge you – they may in their heads, but they're respective."

"Oh, that's great... No."

"Come on, Katie! Please! I need someone to go with me, I promise I'll make it up to you. And if money is an issue, then I got that covered too because I know the money you saved over the last year is going towards your bills and to help with food and gas. My Dad is giving me a thousand dollars for the whole summer – that means five hundred dollars for me and five hundred for you; if you say yes." Hannah said, still pleading with me, praying I say yes instead of no.