...
"YOU'RE DOING IT WRONG, you idiot."
Levi glared at her from his position by the water's edge, his fishing rod swaying from left to right with every move he made. Patience didn't seem to be one of his virtues, but then neither was calmness.
"I don't remember asking for your opinion," he sneered.
Ella rolled her eyes, already used to him annoying her by now. "I'm not an expert either, but you shouldn't move that much. You're scaring the fish away."
"You need to be quiet," Levi muttered," don't see you doing that either."
But although he complained, the fishing rod was completely still moments later. Levi watched it with an intensity she almost found funny, his hands clutched tightly around the rod to make sure it didn't move.
"So you can listen," she said, patting him proudly on the back.
"I'll push you in the water," he threatened.
She knew he would actually do it too.
"Look!" Will shouted happily," I've got a fish!"
"Are you cheating?" Alex asked indignantly," none of these swimming fuckers is getting close to my line."
"You can't cheat at fishing, Alex," Ella said.
Will held up his line, a fish writhing on it as it tried to get free. He was careful in not hurting it when he put it in his bucket with water though, before then emptying it in the river again.
"What'd you do that for?" Alex exclaimed.
"It was pitiful," Will said.
"You once broke a guy's bones with a bat," Alex said," this isn't the time to grow a conscience for a fish."
"That was different."
"Come fight me, Tyler."
Ella dangled her legs above the water, glad for the warm summer day. Clarkson had given each group fishing rods and told them that when they caught two fish, they could return and get breakfast. That had resulted in people throwing things at him and Clarkson barricading himself in the house. So now they were here, futily trying to blend in with nature.
Honestly, they would probably be here for a very long time. The only one who succeeded in actually catching fish was Will, but then again, he also put them back in the water immediately after, so he was useless. Their next best hope was pinned on her and with how little knowledge she had of fishing, that meant they were not doing well at all. She rose to her feet and discarded the fishing rod, her mind made up.
"Where are you going?" Levi frowned when she walked towards the trees.
"I'll go and persuade Clarkson to just let us eat," she said.
"I don't think your witty charm can get us out of this one, babe," Alex said as he started throwing bait in the river in an attempt to get the fish to come closer.
"Don't worry," Ella said," I have a plan."
She walked through the trees, her plan clear in her head. As soon as she reached Clarkson, she would just say she was planning to contact her mother and how distraught the revered judge would be once she learned her daughter had to spend a night in one tent with three guys. If that wasn't enough, she would threaten to call Sebastian here. Normally her brother coming over really didn't do much, his social personality enough to make anyone love him, but Clarkson's dislike for him was on another level entirely.
Resorting to blackmail really wasn't her thing usually, but she was hungry and tired, so exceptions could be made. Besides, if Clarkson had been so negligent with the tent arrangements, she didn't think he would make a big problem out of a bit of cheating. The light was spilling from the clearing. She was just a short distance away from it now and she took another step -
Her back slammed right against a tree then, hands gripping her arms.
Every instinct in her told her to knock whomever it was right out, but she bit her lip instead, blood dripping from the new wound. Pain shot through her from the rough wood behind her, but she didn't pay it any mind. She had felt worse. As soon as someone stepped in her line of sight she looked up, eyebrows raised.
Tamara grinned at her, two guys holding Ella back as the girl walked towards her like a predator towards it's prey.
"You wanted to talk to me so badly?" Ella said dryly," I'm flattered."
"Don't be flattered," Tamara hissed," be scared. Can't you see the position you're in?"
Oh, she could see it just fine. One elbow to the gut, a punch to the chin and both guys would be down. And then she would take her sweet time with Tamara here.
Scared was one thing she was far off from feeling.
"That's right," Tamara smirked when she didn't answer," stay quiet. I just know someone like you ended up here as a fluke." She raked her nails against Ella's skin, almost hard enough to let her bleed. "I'll show a weak girl like you what happens when you fuck with someone in St Joseph."
Ella stared at her, bored already. Was this the best speech the girl could come up with? If it weren't up to her mother, she would long have knocked them all out. But instead she had to settle for talking now and getting this solved as quietly as possible.
"What do you want?" Ella said.
"For you to get away from your group," Tamara said.
"You like one of them?" Ella said," which one?"
She looked at Tamara, the girl's cheeks tinting red already. It couldn't be Levi, because even though he had his rare moments of kindness, she doubted anyone could get close to him. Will then? Or -
"Alex?" Ella said," you like Alex?"
"You can't tell anyone," Tamara hissed as she slammed her hand next to her head.
"Do I look like I care enough to tell?" Ella said.
"So do you get it?" Tamara said," stay away from him or -"
"Really?" Ella said," this is quite toxic, you know. If you like the guy, go up to him. Don't just threaten all the girls close to him, it won't even achieve anything."
"Oh yeah?" Tamara sneered, the guys tightening their grip on her arm.
"Yeah," Ella said, not giving an inch as she leaned forward," this idea that you have to wipe out your rivals or something is idiotic. If you want the guy and he doesn't have a girlfriend, well, just go for him then."
"It's not that easy," Tamara gritted out.
"It is," Ella said," you're pretty, Alex is a flirt. Just confess or something."
Tamara blinked, taken aback by her comments.
"You really think he would go for me?" she said after a pause.
"How should I know?" Ella said," but if you don't try, you'll never know for sure."
"Help me then," Tamara ordered.
"Are you crazy?" Ella said amusedly," do I look like I have all the free time in the world? Just do it yourself." She gestured at the guys holding her with a jerk of her head. "And if your cronies could let me go, that would be very nice."
"Those are my brothers," Tamara bit out.
"Sorry for this," one of them muttered.
"She can get a bit intense," the other one said.
"Family trip, huh," Ella said amusedly.
"You're annoying," Tamara snarled.
"And you have a terrible personality and are quick to jump to conclusions," Ella said," we all have our flaws."
"For someone who's in quite a bad position you sure don't know when to shut up," Tamara said.
"Well," Ella said," seeing as you want to get with Alex and I sleep in the same tent as him, I could just as well decide I like him too if you don't let me go."
"I'll break your nose," Tamara threatened.
"And I'll tell Clarkson," Ella smiled sweetly," you'll be expelled from this camp and I'll have the whole week with sweet, handsome Alex to take care of me."
"You snitch -" Tamara began.
"Seeing as I am in, like you said so nicely, quite a bad position, I don't think I really have any qualms with snitching right now."
Tamara's jaw tensed, but a moment later she nodded at her brothers, who released her. Ella stretched out leisurely, a smile playing on her lips.
"Well then," she said," next time you have a crush, do refrain from kidnapping and assaulting other girls, alright? There's a thing called talking with the actual guy itself, you know."
"How does anyone stand you?" Tamara said.
"They don't," Ella grinned as she walked towards the trees, sparing Tamara one last glance.
"It's how I ended up here."