"I am not wearing that" Corinna said as she looked at the skirt. "How the fuck would I run in that"
"Fair point." Cody said. "But you have to wear the ugly sweater."
"I don't have tits like these to not show off." She said as she held up the ugly brown sweater. But it will do."
"There you go" I smiled. "Oh fuck that's a dog collar..."
"It's a collar... but not for a dog" Cody said. I could feel both Noel and Joji staring at me heat rushed to my face.
"Bad girl... I guess" I said with an awkward smile as I put it in my box. "We can wear our own swim suits right?"
"Yes we do have some, but each go through a powerful bacterial wash after use."
"Guess that means I can wear this.." Emmy grimaced as she pulled out a pure pink and gold bikini out.
"This will be fun" Joji said. "It's a costume party." He threw something at me. "Can't wait to see you in that"
"Joji" Noel said with annoyance. I could tell he wanted to say more but we were around others. He just looked at me.
"I think they are cute" Sarah said. I was searching for the person who asked for her opinion because it wasn't anyone here. "Its so clear they like each other"
I sighed as I looked at what Joji threw. Best to ignore her. "Oh what the fuck?" I said as I looked at it. "Joji this is actually fire." It was a black crop top that had skeleton hands gripping where my boobs would go. "I am deff wearing this with..."
"See they are on such a level." Sarah chimed in again.
"Who knew friends would like the same fucking things?" Emmy snapped. "Its almost like they have shared interest or something"
"Oh... there is that" Sarah looked down for a moment, but she was far from done.
"I think I will get ripped jean shorts and maybe a flannel..."
"Well me and Noel" oh this bitch was about to get bitched slapped out of the state of California. "knew each other like that"
"And what a successful relationship right?" Noel didn't even look at her when he said that. I reached over and touched his arm, it tensed under my touch then relaxed.
We were all silent, none of us knew where to look so our feet seemed the best place.
"Oooo Margie" Spock suddenly chimed. We all turned to see Spock pulling ear buds out. "Look at this"
For once, I was grateful for spock's interruption. He held up a dark red leather jacket. "That". I clapped my hands. "Is the best fucking choice," I turned holding it high. "What are you guys looking out for outfits."
The awkwardness slowly seeped out of the group. Sarah was quiet for the rest of the "How about this." Cody pulled out a ripped black t shirt. "All I need is like a beanie and some eyeliner." He looked to me hopefully.
"Bitch I paid 40 dollars for mine"
"Are you really going to prevent me from giving my all during this experience" Cody shot me a challenging look. The man knew how to play me like a fiddle.
"Two applications... and I will do it for you." I said as I dug through the bin. "Oh fuck yes Babe- noe- EMMY" I looked up at the group. "I mean Emmy lol I only call her babe when its just us" I gave an over the top wink. Hoping people would buy my lie.
"Is that all I am to you" Emmy feigned a broken heart. "A dirty little secret"
"Well... yeah"
"Thank god I was worried you were catching feelings" Emmy grimaced.
The rest of the night we went through all the bins. We began drinking with some of the staff and soon enough we were swapping ghost stories.
"So you know why we chose this place for the camp right?"
"Urban myth right?" I said as I leaned closer to Noel, without it being to obvious. Sarah was watching us like a hawk.
"Its more than a myth" Janey said.
"Its absolute bullshit" Curtis shot back.
"Well tell us and we will vote" I said enthusiastically.
Curtis looked over and smiled. "Jane will you do the honors?"
Jane sat on her knees and adjusted her pony tail. "So... during the gold rush you know the towns began popping up all over the place right? These towns were filled with people, some were there for the gold, others came to run away from civilized America." There was a pause as we all exchanged looks. Noel felt closer to me, maybe I was imaging things but a chill was settling in the group. "Our town was known to pop up with all the others, and it was a quaint little place. Everyone liked everyone and as far as crime there was none. However there was a high amount of death thanks to two facts" She put up one finger. "Mining accidents... and disappearances"
"Disappearances?" Emmy questioned.
"See people would wonder in the woods and not comeback... they would find their bodies though... months later."
Our group was silent once more. Janey had us wrapped around her finger, waiting eagerly for the next word.
"No one thought of it, it was still the wilderness and with the mining accidents... death was easy to get used to. Business began to boom for one family especially; Mary and Marcus Thatcher. See the Thatchers were the local coroner and funeral home. They were well loved by everyone, the brother and sister who gave cheap prices to bury loved ones. The only thing that gave anyone pause was how they insisted on living a mile or so away from everyone else. Yet one strange thing did not count against them. Until" she smiled. "The Branson twins."
"Who are the Branson Twins?" Cody asked.
"Oliver and Miranda Branson, see they were the first twins to be born in the town. And just like Mary and Marcus they were loved by everyone, including the Thatchers. At this point the Thatchers were fairly old so the Bransons would walk to their house every day to help them with chores. Until one day when Miranda Branson came running into town, covered in blood."
"Oh my god" Corinna said. Jane nodded. "Apparently the Thatchers tried to kill them, and the only way to defend themselves was by killing the Thatchers. When they asked where Oliver was Miranda began to wail. She was worried he had died. The constable went to the house and sure enough there was oliver, alive but hurt. They also found that the Thatchers were planning to kill the Bransons for years. No one knew why."
"Fuck" Noel breathed. No one noticed that he wrapped an arm around me. He rubbed it like he was reassuring himself I was there.
"Months passed and all was quiet. The Branson Twins... seemed to go back to their usual way of life, until a knock came on the door. It was lawyer giving the twins the Thatchers land."
"Wait how?" I asked, resting my head on his shoulder.
"The Thatchers made their will, giving everything they owned to the Branson twins a week before their passing."
"What did they do?" Sarah asked.
"They took the land. They had been living at home for some time and they always loved the house. They even took their business. And for years all was well, until Eliza Nelson."
"Here we go." Joji sighed as he drank his beer.
"Eliza was another girl to go tragically went missing, expect a day later she came back. She claimed that all the able men had to follow her and see the horrors in the woods. She marched them right to the Cabin... the Branson's home. And there they saw true horror."
"What did they see?"
"Bodies... hung up like meat. And Oliver Branson cutting them."
Everyone was silent. Even joji had stopped smirking.
"When the Constable saw him, he shot him on site... right in the chest" Janey almost got emotional. "Then he heard a wail. It was Miranda... she was on a boat fishing. Desperate to get to her brother she jumped in the water and began to swim to him... but drowned half way." She folded her arms. "It is said that Oliver also crawled to her until he bled out."
"Was that the end?" Spock asked.
"No the Constable began to search the cabin, that's where he found the cellar. Filled with Dark artifices. He found a table and there was a detailed collection of journals dating back a hundred years. Apparently it all started with a pair of twins from Ireland who claimed they found the source of imoratlity by possessing the body of twins and killing their old bodies. There were articles for some of the murders... and just accounts for others... but one eerie thing that the constable notices was the handwriting..."
"the hand writing?" I asked. I felt a chill creeping up my spine and turned to Alex. He was looking at me too. Twin thing I guess... kinda wished he was the older sibling right now.
"Yes see all the journals were signed with the different names... but the handwriting was the same."
"Meaning for over a hundred years... the same person was filling in the journals" Noel said.
No one said anything. "Yes... and it is said because of their wicked deeds that they cannot find rest. As a result the spirits of the original twins wander the woods. The Brother, wanders on land, and the Sister in the lake, both looking for each other and... a new host."
"BAHHH" Curtis jumped up behind us causing me to jump into Noel. His arms went around me instinctively.
"FUCKING HELL CURTIS" I yelled as I pushed away from Noel. I met eyes with Joji and couldn't help but feel guilty. "That is not okay."
"you're right" He grinned as he sat back down. "Absolutely hilarious."
"God I am ... that was not okay" Sarah laughed. I was more upset then I realized over the fact she and I agreed on something.
After all we at least had the same taste in men.
Fuck lets go back to the murdering twins shall we?
"So is it true?" I turned back to jane.
"I find a newspaper article" She pulled up a picture of a newspaper on her phone sure enough I saw it "BRANSON FAMILY FOUND TO BE CANNIBALS" was on the first page.
"Fuck" we were all silent.
"Lets drink" Corinna said as she went up and grabbed and empty beer bottle, "And play some dumb games."
"Spin the bottle? Seriously?" Noel asked.
"Well mine is different" Corinna stated as she put it between us. "Its not just a kiss, the person gets to dare the other to do anything they want."
"Fuck me." I said. "what the hell? I am in."
"YES" Corinna said. "You first then."
I spun and the bottle landed on Alex. I grinned mischievously. "Anytime someone quotes a song you know, you have to sing it for ten seconds, for the next half hour"
"What the fuck?"
"Isnt that a song"
"Oh fuck you" Alex said as he stood up and began singing.
"Sibling rivalry" Cody joked. "That's a tail as old as time right?"
"FUCK OFF CODY" Alex said as he began to sing again.
"Yeah Cody" I said. "Fuck off and spin the bottle" I smirked.
"Alright" He spinned it and it landed on Sarah. "Okay Sarah every time someone snaps their fingers you have to do a cartwheel."
I snapped my fingers immediately. Sarah glared at me as she got up and did a fairly decent cartwheel. It would probably look better if she wasn't trying to actively steal my boyfriend.
"I am spinning now" She said as she walked to the bottle.
"Are you?" Emmy said as she snapped her fingers and reached for the bottle. The dares continued until Sarah finally got her hands on the bottle. And sure enough the bottle slowed and landed right on me. She grinned, completely thrilled with herself. "So Margie... I dare you to" Her eyes dragged to Joji and my stomach hit the floor. "To Make out with Joji for fifteen seconds"
Noel was stiff next to me. He wouldn't make eye contact. I looked to Joji who slowly stood up. "If you're not comfortable with this we don't-"
"Oh she does" Sarah said right before she snapped her fingers with the most triumphant smirk. "Kiss now please"
"Someone get a timer out." I sighed as I got up and walked to Joji. "Love you as a friend buddy"
"Like you the way you know buddy" He whispered. His hands went cautiously around my waist, like I would disappear if he wasn't careful. I leaned up tilted my head up to meet his lips. When his lips closed the distance I could feel how eager he was. His lips were cool from the summer breeze but his mouth was warm and made my lips tingle. My stomach began to flutter as he deepened the kiss, I could feel him holding back. Part of me was grateful... the other part wanted more. I gripped his shirt to steady myself, which was taken as invitation to slide his tongue into my mouth. My lips parted slowly giving him the space he need while also pushing my own tongue in his mouth.
"AND TIME"
I pushed away from him immediately. Not sure how to feel I stepped back. Joji looked at me strangely as he sat down.
"Well that was hot."
"Read the fucking room Sarah" Corinna snapped.
"I need to take a moment." I said. "I think the standing brought all the alcohol to my head" That sounded like a good lie I guess. I walked away from the group and rounded a cabin.
I reached into my pocket and almost cried in relief when I found a joint and lighter in my back pocket. My hands were shaking as I lit the joint. That kissed fucked me up. Joji fucked me up.
But it still wasn't Noel.
Noel. I turned to the fire pit to see Noel walking towards me. I stopped as I saw him. Not even sure what to say.
"Noel... I am so sorry... I shouldn't have followed through-hm" Noel closed the distance pinning me the wall of the cabin. Pressing his lips against mine. I pulled him closer, desperate for his touch.
"Did it feel the same?" He finally said as he pulled away.
"No" I breathed knowing exactly what he was talking about. "Yours are always better" I rested my forehead against his cheek.
"Then I have nothing to worry about." He hugged me tightly. "Its... just not the best thing to watch someone kiss the woman you loved.
"I hate sarah..." I said. "I hated that."
"Noel?"
I felt Noel push away and turned to see Sarah rounding the corner. "Its your turn to spin."
"No I think we are done for the night." He said as he turned back to me. "You want to go for a walk."
"I would love to" Sarah said before I could open my mouth. "Margie... shouldn't you be with Joji? I mean after that kiss... lets just say I wouldn't leave him alone."
"God you are so obsessed with my love life." I scoffed. I was done, fucking done. "Who knew it was me that you were trying to fuck with"
Sarah folded her arms and glared at me. "I'm not surprised you see that way, considering you are just another girl in callie with a youtube channel"
"Except I'm good at it. What was your sub count again?"
Sarah stepped forward. "I hope that makes you feel better while you fuck with Cody and Joji."
"That's rich coming from a girl who couldn't take a fucking hint if it hit her with a bus"
"Whats that supposed to mean?"
"That Noel wants FUCK ALL WITH YOU"
"Hey hey hey" Noel got in between us. "Sarah you have done enough tonight. Just go to bed."
"But-"
"Go. To. Bed. I am sick of your drama" That was the first time I saw sincerity in Sarah's eyes. She looked like she was about to cry.
After she turned on her heel Noel faced me. "You can't let her get to you... that's what she wants."
"I know but fuck is she incessant" I said as I bit my lip.
"I know. I do. I am so done with her shit, just two more days, then I will never say the name Sarah again"
"I love it when you talk dirty." I as I hugged him.
Two more days. I could do it.