My eyes were bulging once I felt a small drip of water fall onto my nose. I wanted to scream from the fright it gave me but I was able to contain it. Mia stood up happily above my bed, with my drink bottle in her hands as she poured it on my face. Without hesitation I smacked it out of her hand leaving it to fly across the room and leave water all across the floor, making her burst into laughter.
"C'mon wake up, it's five thirty we have to leave soon!" She pulled my sheets back leaving me chilling to the bone.
Groaning, I stood up letting my eyes adjust to the dim lighting of the room. Holly and Aspen were just waking up as well while Mia and Christina wandered around getting ready.
"Was it really necessary to throw water on me?" I rubbed my eyes, wiping my face.
"Yes," she giggled, tying the laces of her baby pink sneakers.
I grabbed my bag pulling out my black nikes, shorts, a black top with the short sleeved white puffer jacket with a hoodie attached. It should hopefully warm me up enough so I won't have to bring more jackets. Ducking under my sheets I attempted trying to pull all my clothes on, wiggling in different positions trying to make it easier. I looked up in the mirror hanging on the wall, my hair was messy and super curly, brushing it out carefully so it wouldn't frizz, I chucked it into a pony tail.
Quickly throwing my shoes on I grabbed my face cloth and toothbrush walking outside of the cabins. People moved like zombies, all still waking up and moving at a speed a snail could beat. The sky was still dim and the air was freezing making goosebumps rise on my bare skin. I looked to my left, Michael was tying his shoe laces on a seat outside of their door, his hands slipping from the string as he blinked his eyes over and over.
"Blake help me," he whined, throwing his hands around like an angry child.
I walked over tying up one of his shoes, then to the other. "Is little Mikey happy now?" I pouted my lip shuffling his already messy hair.
"Oh go away," he laughed shooing me off.
The bathrooms weren't very far from the cabins. The small building was made from concrete with a blue tin ceiling. Nice. The mirrors and sinks were chipped and the toilets looked at least decently clean. Five showers line up across on one side of the building with thin looking curtains to shield them. Knowing that I'd have to use one this afternoon made me cringe.
The hot water felt nice running over my hands as I rinsed my cloth under it. Squeezing the water out I spread it over my face, feeling refreshed afterwards. There was really no point to put makeup on, it would just come of anyway.
"How's your head this morning?" A voice called from the door. Turning, I saw Luke walk in, his hair messy and structure looking tired.
"Fine, yours?" I smiled looking at him through the mirror remembering last night.
He laughed shaking his head, "think I may have gotten a concussion."
He walked to the sink beside me, brushing his teeth. I did the same, to be joined by the other three boys filling up the rest of the sinks.
"Competition to get the most foamed mouth!" Ashton called while they all started trying there best to win. Luke didn't get very far but Calum had toothpaste dripping from his chin as it went everywhere.
What the hell do these guys get up to in their spear time?
I laughed walking out of the bathrooms and back to the cabin to put my stuff away. Everyone was grouped out by the front of the forest where different obstacles were laid when I arrived.
"Now that all of you are here we can begin." Mr. Carter looked as tho he was about to explode with enjoyment. I was confused as to why we were doing this activity when we could've done it back at school but hey whatever they say. "Each of you will be in groups competing with each other. You will go through the relays one by one then go back and tag your team mate who will then go over it, so on and so on until one team wins." Simple.
"Teams for today will be..." He held his clipboard in front of his face. "Mia, Holly, Dominic, West and Hannah." The all huddled around one another.
"Next we have, Calum, Will, Blake, Christina and Michael." I walked over towards Christina while the rest of the boys followed around as well.
"Luke, Ashton, Carter, Aspen and Olivia." Leaving the last five to be in a group. "Now you're all probably expecting this relay to be like you'd play it when you were five, but no. Follow this track and begin." Mr. Carter pointed through a trail that lead through out the trees.
I removed my jacket throwing it to the grass as everyone speared into four lines in front of the track. Christina was first, then Will, Michael, Calum and me. I looked to the other lines seeing Luke was also running last for his team. A loud noise went off as the first runners ran off, Christina taking the lead while I saw Mia and Aspen running together near the back. I lost sight of them as they went deeper into the woods.
"Do we have to do this?" Michael groaned looking up to the sky. "Why is this shit so early?"
"Because we are abseiling for the majority of the day," Will answered kicking at the grass.
The first runners seemed to be taking forever, giving me an idea on why we started so early because it will take a while to get through it. All I could think about was beating Luke, proving my strength to him.
Almost an hour passed before it was my turn, everyone was returning drenched in water and mud making me concerned that I'll freeze to death. I saw Cal in the distance, his arms working to make his speed faster. The muscles moving around as his tilted his head upwards trying to catch air. He approached me reaching his hand out to tag me but instead missed my hand smacking his muddy hand onto my boob leaving a fair mark of his hand on my chest. He laughed as I winced in pain but brought my legs in front of myself and started running.
I looked behind me to see Luke still waiting but Ashton just caught up to him smacking him on his back. My legs went faster as I raced through the trees nearing a slope that went up. My fingers dug into the roots of the soil and trees, heaving myself over it to regain my balance and travel along further. I looked behind me, Luke almost in sight. Tree roots covered the ground being careful not to trip over any, and sharp stones rose from the soil like mountains.
"B wait up!" Luke called from behind me but I continued to run not falling into his scheme to probably over take me.
"I'm not falling for that Luke," I called back approaching a bank about ten meters down hill. I had no choice but to stop and examine the muddy fall. Luke's footsteps neared behind me as he came to a halt putting his hands on his hips. I took a step to the edge keeping my balance steady as I started to slowly jog down the hill. It was quite steep making me worry I might fall over. Where was everyone? Did I go off track?
"Uh- Luke?" I questioned turning around to see him shuffling down on his ass, probably an easier way for him because of those long legs.
"Yeah?" He said jumping back on his feet walking to me.
"Have you seen the others?" I looked around seeing no sight of anyone. He did the same, a look of concern on his face.
"You were the one who got us here," he put his arms up in defence laughing.
"Excuse you, you followed."
"Were there like tags or signs we were meant to see?" He asked starting to walk more. I followed close behind him as we neared a stream of water. I looked around me, bushes with sharp prickles surrounded every inch of our sides and I instantly spoke up.
"Luke careful!" I warned trying to avoid the sharp pricks on the branches. He looked over his shoulder to me before jumping back as one sliced the skin of his calf muscle. No blood spilled but it was quite a big scratch. I reached out trying to grab onto his shirt for stability, then a feeling like a knife scraping into my right elbow.
I winced turning my elbow around to look at it as blood trickled down my arm. The cut crossed over my elbow and some of my upper arm. Luke tried stepping forward more, but came into contact with more bushes cutting up his arms. I did the same, feeling scratches form on my legs. I saw the opening, a lake of water ahead.
As soon as we were out I ran to the water dipping my legs into the cool stream, letting the flowing water wash away the seeping blood. Luke instantly did the same cleaning the cut on his calf muscle which had seemed to be larger with more blood. It stung like hell but I bit my lip trying not to focus on it.
"Oh shit B your arm," Luke gaped taking hold of my arm. The skin was torn away with blood pooling from it, I couldn't really feel it.
"It's fine," I smiled looking at the stones which were now red.
"Dude we gotta get this thing tided up!" He laughed, cupping his hands and scooping them in the water. He slowly poured it over my elbow the sting shooting up through the my arm. "Sorry," he said quietly cleaning it up with his white shirt.
"Thank you," I said awfully quiet, coughing to clear my throat. I looked down the stream the sun was starting to rise making the scenery orange. It was beautiful. Luke's leg started to weep more, almost like puss and blood mixed together, it was awful. I grabbed onto the hem of my shirt, ripping some of the fabric from the ends of it. It was old anyway and I couldn't have cared less.
"What are you doing you goof," Luke chuckled sitting on the stones. I grabbed his leg, pouring some water over it to clear the mess. Folding the fabric over the cut and tightening it enough so the blood couldn't escape. "I think you needed that more than me," he smiled reaching down to his own top.
I rolled my eyes thinking about how cheesy this was but I was just trying to help him. I didn't expect the offer back. He pulled the white fabric revealing a few centre meters of his toned stomach. Doing the same, he wrapped it around my elbow giving it little ability to bend but that was alright.
"I wasn't dying," I gently hit his shoulder standing back on my feet.
"I was just trying to help," he smiled, still sitting down on the stones looking at our reflection in the water.
•••••
AN
Please tell me what you guys think I'm so lost rn on what to do with this😂😭
Thank youus
~Em