Veronica's POV
~a few days later~
"Guess what day it is?" I jumped back a little and grabbed my heart as Calum bursted into our cabin, scaring the absolute shit out of me.
I looked around the cabin to see the others girls doing the absolute same, just as confused as I was.
"Game day!" He answered for us, lifting his arms in the air. Once he brought his arms down, he handed each of us a purple bandana. "Purple is our color this week so make sure you wear this. We'll be meeting at the front entrance of the camp so I can lead you all out to our home base."
Once Calum left the cabin, I turned back to my bunk and opened up my drawers. I slipped on a pair of black athletic shorts and our Cabin B team shirt that Calum distributed to us before our first challenge. Next, I pulled my hair up into a pony tail and wrapped the bandana around my head just like I did for the first challenge.
Once I tied the ends together, I turned to Carla, "Does it look okay?" I patted the bandana down, making sure there was no bumps visible.
"Yeah, that actually does look good," she nodded, examining it a bit more. "Can you do that for me?"
After I showed her how to wrap it around her head, she thanked me before leaving to change.
As I was waiting for her, I sat down on my mattress and thought about the last time I played Capture the Flag. It wasn't too long ago, possibly half a year or so. In gym, we'd play a few games in the short forty-five minute range but it was still fun.
"You ready?" Carla asked, hopping down from her mattress. I nodded once before lifting myself up and heading towards the door.
As we walked towards the path, I noticed that the grass was completely dry and that there were no puddles in sight.
I smiled to myself, mentally thanking the sun because Capture the Flag would have been a huge mess with dirt and water covering everything.
Carla and I walked down the path in a comfortable silence until we came to the entrance of the camp, right before the Main Cabin. We spotted a few girls surrounding Calum before joining them and tuning into what Calum was saying.
"The course is huge," he admitted, scrunching his nose. "Like the whole camp is involved."
"And we don't know where the other team's flag is?" Morgan questioned, resting one of her hands on her hip.
"Nope, only the other team knows where it's at so we need to find a good hiding place for ours."
The rest of the time we waited for our other teammates to show up, Calum continued to answer the little questions we had. Once everyone showed up, Calum leaded us out of the camp and towards the field where we'll meet Cabin D.
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"This is the line that seperates both team's boundaries so if you get tagged in the other team's side, you get put into jail," the man that spoke at the first challenge, in which I just found out that his name was Dave, explained.
As both my team and Cabin D nodded, Dave handed the red and blue flags to Calum and Ashton. I noticed my team walking to the front line to where Calum was so I just followed them.
"Whichever team finds the other team's flag first and successfully makes it back to their own team's side without being tapped and put in jail, wins," Dave finished, looking at both teams. "You guys ready to start?"
I nodded at Dave before scanning my eyes over Cabin D's team.
"Then begin!" Dave yelled, motioning for both teams to seperate and hide their flags. I quickly pushed myself away from the line and sprinted behind Calum.
"Wait, wait," Calum stopped and turned around, looking at us. "Veronica, Carla, and Morgan come with me to hide the flag," he pointed, motioning us forward. "For the rest of you, go onto Cabin D's side and try to find the flag."
Some of the girls immediately turned around, obeying Calum's demand, but the others frowned before throwing us daggers and running away.
"Okay," Calum clapped before starting to run again. "Any ideas of where to hide it?"
"Maybe in a hole," Morgan suggested, scanning her surroundings.
"Too prediactable," Calum commented, making me nod.
"How about under a log or cover it with some leaves and branches," Carla suggested this time, but Calum shook his head.
"That'll be too noticeable because the flag is huge," Calum looked back at us, frowning.
I scanned my eyes over the permiteter, trying to think of a good hiding place, before speaking up this time, "Okay this idea might not work but we could give it a try."
I stopped running, making the other three stop also and look at me. "What if we hid it up in a tree and moved some branches and leaves in front of it like camoflauge. Not many people can climb trees," I rose my eyebrows and shrugged my shoulders, not knowing what to say next.
Calum paused for a moment before slowly nodding, pointing his finger at me, "That could actually work, Veronica." He looked around for a second before turning back to us, "But can any of us climb trees?"
The three girls shook their head while I raised my hand lowly, making me a bit embrrassed, "I, uh, I actually can climb some trees."
Calum clapped his hands before motioning us forward, but having us walk this time.
For the next five minutes, all four of us kept walking while looking at the trees to try and find the perfect one. Some were too large to even attempt climbing while others were too weak and small, making it easy for the other team to spot it.
Suddenly, Calum stopped walking and pointed forward, "That one. That's the perfect place."
Calum was, indeed, right. The tree was absolutely perfect, not too high but not small in the slightest, and it also looked difficult to climb but I knew I could do it.
Once I climbed up the tree, in which there was difficulties, I sat on the branch and placed the flag in a small hole that went through one of the branches.
"Now just move a couple branches and leaves in front of it," Calum yelled up to me, pointing towards some supplies I could use.
After I successfully camoflauged the flag, I hopped down and landed with the help of my four other teammates.
"Now what do we do?" Morgan asked, picking at her nails.
"Morgan and Carla will stay and guard the flag," Calum started and then pointed to me. "And Veronica and I will head towards the front and join the other team."
"But-" Morgan started to protest, but Calum quickly cut her off.
"Make sure that if you see someone, tap them and take them to a secluded place as far away from the flag as possible," Morgan and Carla nodded, glancing at each other but quickly looking away.
Soon enough, Calum and I were running again, dodging the branches and rocks that were scattered throughout the woods. As we made it closer to the front line, I heard a noise to my left, making me stop right in my tracks.
"Calum," I whispered, motioning him towards me. He slowly crept over to me and kneeled down, looking towards where I was pointing. "Listen."
As the noise I heard before replayed, Calum looked at me and rose his eyebrows. I nodded once, getting what he was intending, and stood up. Calum followed my actions as I slowly crept behind a tree, peeking over the side.
The noise that we heard before was coming from a girl that belonged to Cabin D, who was grabbing her side as she, I hope, was trying to jog. I looked to my left and nodded towards Calum, indicating him to go to the left, as I moved to the right. As we followed her through the woods, we causually gained up soon and, a bit of time later, tagge her.
"To jail we shall go," Calum faked a British accent, grabbing the now disappointed girl's upperarm.
After awhile, we ended up catching a few more noisy girls, also taking them to the jail. Calum and I soon decided that we'd just capture and send people to jail rather than look for the flag, due to the fact that five girl's were already over there.
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"Calum?" I heard one of the five girls that was sent to find the flag, yell.
I watched as Calum's ears perked up and his head snap to the voice, "I'm right here!"
The girl, who was named Courtney, soon came into view and rushed towards us excitedly, "We found the flag, we won!"
I looked at Calum for a second before balling my fist up before thrusting it into the air several times, celebrating.
As the three of us decended towards the front line, Morgan and Carla caught up to us.
"Did we win?" Carla asked, a look of confusement starting to embody her face. Once she noticed me nodding my head, her facial expression changed to a happy one, making her smile.
Once we made it to our destination, we spotted Ashton with his arms slung around two of his teammates with their heads down.
"The game is officially over," Dave stated once we all lined up, staring at our opponents. "Cabin D is done for the day, but Cabin B will be playing the winner of the next game for the point."
I turned towards Carla and high-fived her before nodding towards Calum who was already doing so towards me.
"You guys are now allowed to go back to your cabins and do what you want while this next game finishes," and with those last words from Dave, we seperated.
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The screen door to the cabin swung own, revealing Calum who looked slightly frustrated, "Cabin A won, we're playing Luke."
"What's so bad about that?" Pauline spoke up, taking a seat next to me.
"Luke is seriously skilled at Capture the Flag," Calum informed us, running a hand through his already tousled hair. "I should've seen this one coming."
"How good could he actually be?" I wondered out loud, resting my hands on my knees.
Calum looked at me, eyes growing wider, before saying, "Oh, you'll just have to wait and see.
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"You guys remember the directions I told you before, right?" Dave asked, looking at Luke and Calum. Once both of them nodded, Dave distributed both of the flags, just like before, and started to back away. "Are you guys ready?"
Calum looked at our team before nodding, "Yup."
"Good luck to both of you. The winner of this game will recieve the point," Dave rose his hand in the air. "Now begin!"
And with that, Calum bolted back after yelling to the same five girls to follow Luke's team quietly. Calum then waved Carla, Morgan, and I with him.
"Are we hiding it in the same place we did before?" I asked Calum, running beside him.
I watched Calum put on his thinking face, but still mainting his breathing, before nodding his head, "It worked last time and no one spotted it from the other team."
"Are we hiding it in the same tree?" Morgan asked from behind us, breathing a bit harder than the rest of us.
"Yeah, that tree was perfect," Calum nodded forward, leading us to our previous destination. Once we made it to the large tree, I stood on one of the roots that was slowly rising.
"Same thing?" I questioned, turning to look at my three teammates.
"Same thing," Calum nodded, assuring me. I took a deep breath before lifting my self up and starting to slowly climb the tree.
As soon as I made it to the top branch, I sat myself onto it, scanning my eyes for the hole I spotted before. The hole soon came into my sight and I immediately slipped the flag through it, starting to feel the need to rush.
Calum said Luke was good so I was imagine they already sent their troops over.
Once I made it down to the ground, scratching myself several times along the way must I add, Calum told us his plan.
"Morgan and Carla stay here just like before," he started, pointing at them. "But this time, Veronica, we'll be seperating. Luke is fast so I know he'll be coming onto our side. If we stick together, it'll give them more of a chance to look around."
I nodded, completely understanding what he was getting out.
"Alright, just yell if you need help or spot someone," Calum nodded towards us before running his own way. Once I bid a goodbye to the two girls, I ran the other way that Calum went, remembering his plan.
As time passed, I found myself circling the perimeter, passing the same spots over and over. But the weird thing was that I didn't spot a single human being.
Not one.
I didn't even hear any leaves crunching or any sticks breaking.
I furrowed my eyebrows, getting slightly frustrated, before starting to head back to the tree where we hid the flag.
As I made the first sign of leaving, I finally heard a few leaves rustling, signaling some form a movement. I immediately stopped, stiffening my body, before moving my head and looking at my surroundings. My eyes scanned over the endless amount of trees, not spotting anything.
I quietly sighed to myself before stepping forward again, thinking nothing of it. As I took a few more steps, I heard the leaves moving again, but this time it sounded like a human was stepping on them, not just the wind moving them,
I bit my lip nervously before slowly walking towards the noise, making sure to keep my movements quiet. As I kept slowly approaching the sound, a figure bolted from behind a tree, making me step back a little. I quickly adjusted myself, squinting towards the figure, before making out a blonde haired male.
Luke.
"Luke!" I yelled and ran after him, gaining a bit of speed. A dodged a few trees, trying to keep my balance, before pushing myself harder. I noticed myself running a bit faster than he was, making me approach his figure with a determined face.
As the chase continued on, I noticed a dead end coming up, making me grin. As Luke started to slow down, I also started to slow down too.
Luke's shoulders shrunk down as he turned towards me, biting his lip.
"Oh, God, don't bite your lip," I said in my mind as I stared.
"You got me," Luke sighed, bringing me out of my thoughts, raising his hands in surrender. "You win."
I nodded, grinning, "I do, now don't I?"
"Yup, just take me to jail," Luke stepped forward, extending his hand to me. I walked the rest of the way and tagged him, capturing him as a prisoner.
"Well that was easy," I admitted, linking my fingers through Luke's, pulling him forward and towards the jail. I started nodding, before slowing down, "That was easy."
I looked back at Luke who was grinning to himself, squeezing my fingers gently.
"That was too easy," I stated, shaking my head this time. "What'd you do?"
Just as I asked the question, I heard Carla and Morgan scream out from a distance away, "HELP."
"Dammit," I swore to myself, gripping Luke's hand harder, starting to run towards the cries. "What did you do?" I asked Luke again, leading him towards the tree.
"I dunno," Luke kept his mouth shut, but I could hear him chuckling behind me.
After a few minutes passed, the tree started to come into view, but neither Carla nor Morgan were in sight.
"Hello?" I called out, pulling Luke next to me, making sure to keep a firm grip on him. Once no one answered, I tried again, "Hello!"
A moment passed before cheers and victory cries erupted from a bit away, indicating that an achievement was made. I frowned towards the voices before looking at Luke who was still grinning.
"I swear," I started off, but was cut off by Calum who came into view, frowning.
"Cabin A won," he sighed, shaking his head. "Six girls ambushed Carla and Morgan, but I couldn't get here in time."
My mouth dropped, letting the news sink in, before I started to frown, "We lost?"
As Calum nodded, Luke started to laugh and punching the air in victory, making my own hand lift up due our attached fingers. I looked at Calum who staring at our linked hands, confused, before pulling my hand away. Luke stopped waving his arms in celebration and looked at me, raising his eyebrows.
I could feel my face start to turn a shade of red, realizing that Calum noticed Luke and I holding hands.
I coughed quietly before shaking my head, "What the hell did you do, Luke?"
Luke grinned again before hinting, "I may or may not have distracted you to let my teammates sneak towards your flag." He shrugged before blushing, raising his hand in victory once again, "and it worked!"
Soon enough, Luke, Calum, and I headed back to the front line where both of our teams stood.
"Cabin A wins!" Dave announced, making Luke and his team cheer. I bowed my head in disappointment, frowning just like my other teammates.
Darnit.
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100 votes till the next chapter (: I've got midterms coming up so I'm really starting to freak out, but I already wrote the next chapter!