The camping

Chapter 1

The young girl uttered a long sigh, looking at the text messages received earlier in the day. No answer from her friend. But what could she do? Kristine walked to the refrigerator to get two bottles of water. She handed one to Judith before leaning on the counter.

"Still no answer?" she asked her.

Judith shook her head.

"She's always late."

"A stroke of luck that she works for her mother!"

The two girls giggled.

"I'm convinced that she came late on the day of her birth," Kristine added, opening her bottle.

"About a week late, according to her mother."

She ended up putting her cellphone on the counter, sighing again. Annie had not given any sign since the day before. They had met at Kristine's to look into the final details of their trip. Judith had her last exam the next morning while her friends had already finished for about a month. Annie was working the day they planned to go on vacation. Since she was borrowing her father's RV, she had to go home after work, load her stuff before she joined her friends. A little shopping at the grocery store and they were officially on vacation! But Judith wasn't convinced that it was a great idea. She hated camping. Outdoor activities were not her thing. Annie loved to go on excursions and Kristine was part of the soccer team at their college. They had worked very hard to convince their friend.

"We will have fun," Kristine said, dropping her bottle. "You'll see."

"If you say so."

"Does your mother agree?"

The young girl bowed her had, replying:

"I haven't seen her for more than a week."

"So she doesn't know you're leaving?"

"She doesn't care. I can make my own decisions."

Kristine grimaced. She didn't like to hear her friend talking this way about her mother. Her relationship was far from great. She knew it. t wasn't a secret for anyone. And since Judith hadn't mentioned her father, Kristine assumed that he was still abroad. As always. Her friend was an adult and she could handle herself very well. She had done it until now without her parents' help. It was better to change the subject.

"Your exam," the young girl started, "you really went back there to pass it? Couldn't you do it online?"

Judith shook her head.

"Impossible. I checked."

"It's still a two hours' drive to college only for that."

"Not really a choice," Judith replied, shrugging, "but I wasn't the only one who had to go back."

"Failed?"

"No. The exam took place on a Monday morning and several students were at their parents' house. And you remember that huge storm that happened last month?"

Kristine nodded.

"They couldn't be there because of the damage on the road. Everything was closed!"

"And you? Why did you have to pass it? I thought you already took it."

"I passed it after... my breakup..."

Kristine immediately regretted her question. It was just coming back to her. She took her bottle and raised it.

"And we are officially on vacation! Let's drink to our freedom!"

Judith had a little smile, raising her bottle. Good catch! The three friends knew each other since their early years in high school. They all attended the same college, but there were less spending time together. With their studies, they attended new groups of friends. So they wanted to stay the three of them, spend time together away from everything. And that's all they could find. Judith had suggested to them a hotel-casino somewhere in another city. Or even an amusement park. But they wanted to be away from everything, which apparently included civilization.