Original Summary: Joel almost drowns :o
Original Notes: Hi all! I have so much lore planned out for this chapter, and then I realized that I DIDN'T WRITE THAT SKIING CHAPTER I WANTED TO. That'll probably be the next chapter now. Even though they all went camping, that doesn't mean they can't ski the next week, doesn't it? :D
The timeline isn't perfect, ok???
Yes the skiing chapter has Flower Ranchers in it finally >:D
"Wow!" Scar exclaimed when they reached the campsite. They were the first ones there. "This is cool!"
"There's still snow on the ground," Grian grumbled, kicking a pile.
"You're the one who wanted to go camping," Scar pointed out. "Now, how do we set up this tent?"
"Here, I'll show you," Grian said, picking up a black pole. Scar tried to pay attention, he really did, but Grian was making no sense and the poles looked the same and ooo there was a pretty bird there-
"Scar," Grian said, sidling up to him. "You didn't hear anything I just said, did you?"
"Nope," Scar said sheepishly. Grian rolled his eyes, but he was smiling. He gave Scar a small kiss and turned back to the half-built tent.
"Can you hold that bit please?" He asked, pointing to a long pole. Scar held it, watching as Grian did some sort of trick to get it to connect with the other three poles and really, nothing made sense at this point.
"Hello!" Bdubs called as he walked into the camp. "Wow! This is one large campsite!"
"I know right?" Grian said, motioning to the whole clearing. "And there's a river and a lake nearby."
"Shoulda told me," Bdubs said, still looking around. "Then I would have brought my fishing rod over."
"I think you can rent some in the check in cabin," Grian said, fumbling with some sort of nail-looking thing. "Say, are you parking or were you dropped off?"
"Parked," Bdubs said. "Wait. Does this place charge a fee for parking?"
"Yeah, it does," Grian said, finally done pounding the nail into the ground. "And you have to check in to let them know you're staying."
"Be right back!" Bdubs called, dropping his bags on a bench. "I have to go check in!"
Gem was the next to arrive. Grian was examining an old barbecue when she walked into the campsite. Scar was unpacking some snacks, and Bdubs was unfolding some clothed foldable chairs.
"Hello!" she called. "I found my tent!" she dropped her luggage onto another bench that wasn't occupied by food and Bdub's stuff. "Can we go fishing later? I brought my fishing rod!"
"Sure," Grian replied, poking the barbecue. It was a bit rusty, but it was still usable. However, Grian didn't know how to cook or grill, so he would have to leave that to someone else. Hopefully, at least one of the people in the group chat knew how to make food without setting the whole camp on fire.
"Great!" Gem declared, sitting down on one of the foldable chairs. "When are the others getting here?"
"Soon, hopefully," Grian said, stretching and leaving the barbecue. He then walked over to water spout and turned it on a few times.
"Check Desert Duo Ship," Bdubs suggested. "Someone must have texted since I left."
"Okay," Gem agreed, pulling out her phone.
[Lizzie]: We're almost there!
[Gem]: We?
[Lizzie]: Me and Joel
We were hanging out and checking out ski resorts
He hasn't skied this season yet and I want to learn
[Gem]: Ooo cool
We should all go skiing though
It's pretty late into the season already and we haven't skied
[Joel]: Ikr!
[Lizzie]: We're here!
Joel's gonna go check in
I'll join u guys
[Gem]: ok!
Soon, everyone had arrived. Some people started setting up tents, others rested in chairs and drank lemonade. Soon, however, Grian grew restless and made the others join him on a half-hiking half-fishing trip.
"Come on," Grian said, tugging on Scar's arm. He was eating a bag of chips. "Don't you want to see the river?"
"Sure," Scar mumbled, his mouth full. He shrugged and followed. Gem ran up to them and joined the party.
"Aren't you guys coming?" She called to the rest of the group. There were a few "yeah"s and a few grumbles (mainly from Joel) before they all started making their way towards the stream.
"How are you enjoying camping so far?" Grian asked Scar as them walked. Scar gave him a thumbs up, his mouth still full of chips.
"I's gweaf," he said, his mouth full. Grian laughed.
"No talking when your mouth is full, Scar," he muffled his giggles and looked around. "I think we're near the river now."
Indeed, they could all hear the loud rushing of water. Grian ran on the path and was greeted by the fast tumbling currents of a clearly flooding river. Must be the melting snow, he thought, surveying the scene.
"This is actually really cool," Joel said, hesitantly tapping a stone with his shoe. After the stone failed to shift, he jumped on. "Look at me!" He waved his arms around excitedly.
"We get it," Grian said, amused. He was laughing again. Joel hopped from one rock to another, grinning. "You know, I think someone put all these stepping stones here on purpose. Part of the forest trail, I think. A way to get to the other side." He climbed onto a particularly large boulder and continued on his way.
"Looks fun," Lizzie said, hopping onto the first rock. "Wow. This river is a lot wider than I initially thought it was."
"It's flooding season," Cleo said, examining the chain of rocks. "That looks dangerous."
"It looks cool," Scar argued, following Lizzie. She was now on the second rock and steadying herself as the water lapped at her shoes. Wearing a determined look, she slowly stepped onto the third stone, which wobbled.
"You uprooted the path," she complained at Joel.
"S'not my fault," Joel said. He was already halfway across the river.
"Joel, be careful!" Grian called. "That rock looks slippery!"
"I'll be fine," Joel said, waving him off. He stepped onto the rock and frowned. It was covered in algae. "Hmm, maybe not." He turned to go back but found that his dramatic hopping from rock to rock had made many of the smaller stepping stones wobbly and unstable. Hesitating, he put his foot down on the rock behind him and quickly shifted his wait to grab the boulder that was just beyond.
"Joel!" Grian shouted, but it was too late. Unbalanced, Joel flailed around a fell as the rock gave way to the current and tumbled downstream. He landed in the freezing water with a splash, and the last thing he heard before he went under was Grian's distressed screams.
Cold, cold, cold. That was the first thing Etho was aware of as Joel fell into the river. He didn't dwell on that though; he was too numb with shock as he watched Joel float further and further away.
"I have a fishing rod!" Gem frantically screamed as they all ran downstream and tried to catch up to Joel. It was no use. The current was too strong. Joel's head burst from the water a few times but was always pushed back down. Gem practically hurled the fishing rod at Joel as the hook caught onto his hoodie and kept him from traveling even farther away.
"Ooh, my arms!" Gem cried as she tried to hang on to the fishing rod. Dirt was already piling up beneath her shoes as she started to slide towards the river.
"We have to save him!" Grian cried, looking at Joel's figure sputtering as Gem tried to hurl him in. "Can anyone swim really well?"
"We can't risk it," Pearl worried, wringing her hands. "The current is too strong. They're just end up washed downstream too."
"Then does anyone else have a fishing rod?" Etho asked, running towards Joel. He stared helplessly out at the rolling waves.
"Hurry up!" Gem shouted, tears threatened to escape from her eyes from how sore her arms were getting. "Any longer and the fishing rod will snap!"
No, Etho thought, a pit opening in his stomach. "I'll go!"
"You can't!" Lizzie wailed. "You'll get trapped too!"
"I have a fishing rod too," Bdubs said, fumbling with a cheaper version of Gem's rod. "I rented it." He looked at it worriedly. "It definitely isn't as strong as Gem's."
"Hook it onto me," Etho said. "I'm going in."
"Are you sure?" Bdubs asked, his eyes wide.
"I'm sure," Etho said. He looked around. Aha.
"Tie this around my waist too," he said, tugging on a thick vine hanging from one of the trees. It wouldn't budge. He tugged at it for a long time before Impulse, Tango, Scar, Jimmy, and Grian managed to help pull it off.
"Alright," Bdubs said, still a bit worried. He hooked his fishing rod onto Etho and Scar, Impulse and Tango gripped the vine. Jimmy and Grian stood by the edge of the water as back-up while Pearl and Lizzie helped Gem hold onto the fishing rod. Mumbo supervised the whole rescue mission while Cleo, Skizz, and Martyn each climbed trees and dangled vines in hopes that either Etho or Joel could grab onto them.
"I'm going in!" Etho declared as he waded into the water. It was cold, sure, but it was no colder than he already was. He gripped Skin's vine first and gave him a thumbs up as he sank deeper into the water and had to start to swim. He then reached for Cleo's vine and nearly missed as he made his way over to Joel. However, Martyn's was too far off, and he knew he couldn't grab it even if he jumped.
I have to to this for Joel, he thought, pushing on. With a leap of courage, he let go of Cleo's vine and swam for his life until he reached Martyn's.
"ALMOST THERE!" Mumbo called from the shore, sounding really nervous. The fishing rod and the vine tied around Etho's waist prevented him from being washed away, at least.
"Faster!" Pearl, Gem, and Lizzie yelled at the same time. The mound of dirt was larger now, and the three of them were struggling to stay in place. The fishing rod also had a splinter in it, and the string was getting thinner by the second.
Almost there, Etho thought, gripping Martyn's vine as he swam as close to Joel as possible while still holding the vine. Taking a deep breath, he swam and grabbed Joel before immediately pivoting and grabbing Martyn's vine again.
"You okay?" he gasped at Joel, wheezing. Joel was coughing out water.
"Yeah," he croaked. "Thanks for saving me."
"Anytime," he said, hugging Joel closer. Joel had a death grip on Etho as he swam to Cleo's vine and then Skizz's. When they finally reached the shore, Grian and Jimmy grabbed them both and lifted them out of the water.
They just sat there, breathing for a while. The whole experience was terrible. Joel was still clutching Etho, huddling for warmth. Bdubs offered his jacket to them and Etho wrapped it around Joel, even though he was also cold.
They were soulmates, he realized. It was certainly a weird and dramatic way to realize. But they were. The cold wasn't just a coincidence. Joel shivered as Etho stood up, wobbled, and Grian had to grab him for support.
"Come on," he ushered them back onto the forest path. "Let's get you back to camp."
They huddled together by the campfire as the rest of the group made burgers. Lizzie came over and offered them both burgers, which they both gratefully accepted.
"Mm sorry," Joel muttered when he was done with his burger. "It's my fault you had to swim in the freezing water."
"It's not your fault," Etho said, shifting in his chair to make more room for Joel. They were starting to dry now.
"It was though," Joel said, looking sad. "If I had just listened to Cleo and Grian..."
"Don't say that," Etho insisted. Joel looked up at his face, that was still covered by that soggy mask. "I would save you again if I had to."
"Thank you," Joel said, burying his face into Bdub's jacket. "You know, I'm glad your my soulmate."
"I am too," Etho replied, leaning back in his chair again. "I am too."
"Are you guys dry yet?" Grian asked, joining Etho and Joel by the fire. "We want to roast marshmallows and tell ghost stories."
"Pretty much," Etho said, lifting his sleeve. He examined it and shrugged. "Joel?"
"M' pretty dry," he replied, shifted so he sat up better. "I'm in. You have smore ingredients?"
"Cleo brought some," Grian said just as Scott came over, his hands full of graham crackers, chocolate, and marshmellow bags. He hadn't gone on the journey to the river because he wanted to explore a flower field, so he felt a bit guilty he wasn't there to help. Now, he helped around the camp as much as possible. Cooking, setting up camp, carrying items, you name it.
"Cool," Joel said, making no move to get his own chair. Not that Etho minded. He was fine with sharing with Joel. He was still cold, anyway.
They all sat around the campfire, laughing, telling jokes, and insulting over people's marshmallow roasting skills. Grian's were always undercooked; Jimmy ate them raw along with Scott and Lizzie.
"That's a crime," Joel had gasped when he saw that. Etho was glad. Joel was feeling better already.
Speaking of Joel, his marshmallows were always burnt so badly it was a wonder that Joel could even eat it without spitting it out. Etho always tried to make his marshmallow perfect, but it was always undercooked at some parts and burnt at others. He noticed that probably the only person who got a guaranteed perfect marshmallow was Mumbo, who had seemed to have perfected his technique a long time ago.
Soon, it was time to sleep. Everyone chose a tent and set up sleeping bags. It was going fine until Joel declared: "I don't have a sleeping pad!" when many of the other campers realized that they didn't have one either.
"Me neither," Jimmy added.
"Told you we should have checked if we had everything," Lizzie said, throwing up her arms in exasperation at Joel. "Grian, do you have extras?"
"I do, actually." Grian counted his extra pads and frowned. "I only have two. Guess that means you're sleeping on ground, Joel."
"WHYYYY," Joel complained.
"Remember? We agreed that if we're short on supplies ur not getting any."
"Oh," Joel said, looking thoughtful. "We did agree on that, didn't we."
"Yeah," Grian agreed. "Okay, well, I'm going in. I hate standing outside in the dark with all the bugs."
Soon, everyone started to return to the tents. Scar, Grian, Jimmy, Tango, and Mumbo shared one, Scott, Skizz, and Martyn shared one, Pearl, Lizzie, Gem, and Cleo shared one, Bdubs, Impulse, and Etho shared one, and Joel got the Beach tent.
"WHY," Joel had yelled when he heard the news. "WHY do I get the BEACH TENT?"
"We're short on supplies," Grian had said when he poked his head out of the tent he was using.
"This is so unfair," Joel said, pouting. "I almost drowned today. I should get the biggest tent."
"Nope," Grian replied as he poked his head outside a second time.
"Hmph," Joel grumbled, kicking a rock.
"I'll keep you company," Etho offered. Somewhere off in the distance, Pearl, Lizzie, and Gem shared a knowing glance.
"Alright," Joel said, shrugging. He gave the beach tent a glare before starting to unroll his sleeping bag.
THE FLOOR WAS HARD.
Joel guessed that much was obvious, but sleeping on twigs and rocks turned out to be WAY worse than he imagined.
"Ow," he rubbed his back. It was already sore after laying on the STUPID GROUND for like, a few seconds.
"You okay?" Etho asked, sitting up. "It sounds like you've been in pain all night."
"I have been in pain all night!" Joel whined. "And it's cold! Stupid ground! Stupid Grian! Stupid wind!"
Ehh, this was going to be awkward. "You, err, want to share mine?" Joel blinked, his mind still processing what Etho had just said. "You know what," Etho said after Joel didn't reply. "Ignore me. Forget what I just said. I'm going to sleep now-"
"I'm coming over," Joel insisted. "I'll have you know there is a very pointy rock under me and it's poking me to death."
"Alright," Etho said, amused. He rolled to the end of the sleeping bag and stayed very still as Joel climbed in.
"This is so much better than my stupid sleeping bag," Joel muttered, trying to get comfortable. They were squished together pretty tight. "Anyway, g'night." Etho watched skeptically as Joel fell asleep practically immediately.
How do people just do that? He thought, frowning. Oh, sleep was a long time coming for him.
Back in Grian's tent, they were having a party.
Or, err, Grian, Scar, and Tango were. Mumbo was looking exasperated and Jimmy had his face buried in his pillow, his hands over his ears.
"WHYYY ARE YOU GUYS HAVING A PARTY?" Jimmy complained into his pillow.
"Why not?" Grian said, tossing a marshmallow at Scar's head. Scar tried to catch it in his mouth but it hit his eye instead.
"HOW ARE YOU OKAY WITH THIS?" Jimmy asked Mumbo, who was now looking resigned.
"I just got used to it," Mumbo said, motioning at the craziness of the whole situation. "You will too soon."
"I don't get it," Jimmy grumbled, smashing his pillow onto his head. At least they weren't blasting music yet.
"Time to wake up!" Grian declared at four in the morning.
"I hate camping with you," Jimmy declared. "Remind me to never sleep over at your house."
"Oh, don't worry!" Grian said brightly. "All the sleepovers will happen at your house!"
"S' too early," Scar mumbled, rolling over and draping an arm around Grian. "Go back to sleep."
"Fine," Grian grumbled. "I'll wake you guys up in an hour then."
"NO, DON'T," Jimmy burrowed deeper into his sleeping bag and tried to drown out the sound of Grian laughing.
"Rise and shine!" Grian declared exactly an hour later.
"I hate you," Jimmy glared at Grian as he yawned and sat up. "No point going back to sleep now. Couldn't fall back asleep when you woke us up the first time anyway."
"Aww, you love me really," Grian said. "Come on, let's see who else is awake!"
"Literally no one!" Jimmy yelled at Grian as he exited the tent. "Grian, you're the only mental person here!"
When Joel woke, he felt Etho's arms around him. He exhaled slowly, not sure what to do. Could he wiggle out without waking Etho, or would he have to-
"I'm awake," Etho said, rubbing his eyes. He blinked. "You really are a restless sleeper."
"So are you," Joel rolled his eyes. It seemed that they had gotten tangled together overnight.
This is totally normal, Etho reassured himself. They were soulmates, they could sleep together. Really, how was Joel not freaking out right now?
"We should take lots of photos of the whole campsite before everyone cleans up," Pearl suggested. "It would be cool! Like, a photo album!"
"Too bad we didn't take a photo of Joel drowning," Gem sighed. "That's probably the most memorable part of the whole trip!"
"Gem, you know how weird that sounded?" Pearl deadpanned.
"Yup," Gem said, with misplaced cheerfulness.
"I took a picture of it, actually," Lizzie said, holding up her phone.
"LIZZIE, when did you even have TIME to do that?" Gem asked.
"You know, when someone is drowning, the first thing someone does isn't usually 'take a photo'," Pearl smothered a laugh.
"It should be take a photo," Lizzie argued. "Or else, how will anyone remember?"
"No one wants to remember drowning," Gem said.
"Well, I wasn't drowning, Joel was!"
"Isn't Joel your best friend?" Pearl was now also laughing. "When your best friend drowns, I don't think you're supposed to take a photo either."
"He didn't drown!" Lizzie protested. "He almost drowned.
"Yeah, and that makes all the difference," Pearl laughed. Lizzie gave her a playful shove before putting her phone away.
Who's excited for Scott to FINALLY JOIN THE PARTY???
Anyway here's the original notes: THIS TOOK FOREVER.
(checks word count before publishing this chapter): 13,257
(checks word count after publishing this chapter): 16,594
me: pulls out calculator: 16,594 - 13,257 = 3,337
me: OVER THREE-THOUSAND WORDS??????????
(I am so proud of this :D)