Camping Tip #1 : Death (yours or someone else's) can really put a downer on the whole trip, so try not to die. 

Callie and I hop over the fence with ease - cheerleading for two years has its perks - whilst Jack and Oliver clamber up the fence. Oliver trips and falls unceremoniously onto the grassy floor. He curses as Jack helps him up and we sprint towards the house. Adrenaline pumps through me as I run in the narrow alley between the house and garage. Callie, Jack and Oliver quickly follow behind me. The front porch lights flicker on when we come to the driveway. I half-expect to see Flo Jo and Crud to be standing on the patio with shotguns but it's thankfully empty. The black SUV is parked a few feet away and we head straight for it.

"It won't open!" Oliver says as he rattles the handle of the car door. "Fuck! Where are the keys?"

Jack shuts his eyes for a second, opens them and then points to the house, "I saw Flo Jo drop them in a bowl in the living room when we came."

My mind moves at a million miles a second as I rattle through our options. "Okay, I'll go get them," I say, "You guys watch out for Flo Jo and Crud."

I turn and run up to the house. "Wait," Jack says.

I pause on the patio and glance back at him, "What?"

"I'm coming with you," he says, "Oliver look after Callie, we won't be long."

I open my mouth to protest but I don't want to waste time arguing so I just sigh and nod. If anything goes wrong I have the shotgun. Yeah, I don't exactly know how to use it but the sight alone should keep Flo Jo and Crud away right? I raise the gun as I open the door and we step into the darkened hallway. The floorboards creak and the spring wind sweeps in. Jack and I walk into the living room. As he starts searching for the keys, my eyes land on the vase Oliver broke. The pile of teeth are still there, I swallow and find myself hoping they're not human teeth again.

"Got them!" Jack said, jangling the car keys in his hands.

"Okay-"

A high-pitched scream pierces the air. Jack and I turn and run out of the house to find Callie and Oliver, they have their backs pressed against the cars. Callie spots us and points to the fence. Jack and I follow her finger and I gasp when I see the bear. It's standing by the fence, staring resolutely at Callie and Oliver.

"It's Patricia," Callie says.

"The fucking bitch followed us!" Oliver says, "Can you believe that? It's actually stalking us! Can this trip get any wierder?"

Callie hits his arm, "Don't call Winston's mother a bitch!"

"OW! She is a bitch!" he glares at her, "Damn it! You know what? I've had enough of your abuse, Callisto!"

For a moment we all just stand still, eying the bear and letting the bear eye us. Movement snaps into Jack as he tosses the keys to Oliver. Oliver just about manages to catch them. The bear growls and Callie screams. Oliver yanks the door open. He jumps into the driver's seat and Callie jumps in after him. A second passes before the engine roars to life but Jack and I are still standing on the patio having a stare down with the bear.

"Patricia!" Callie shouts next to Oliver, "Where's my baby? Where's Winston? You damn bitch! I trusted you! I....I loved you!"

"Now you're finally seeing the light, Callie!" He grins and then looks over at us. He leans out of the car window, "Hey! What the fuck are you waiting for? C'mon!"

Blood roars past my ears and I almost don't hear Jack. "Peryn," he says, "when I count to three, we run. Okay?"

I nod. The distance between us and the car has to be at least fifty metres. It's fine. We can do this. We have to. If we don't, well, I don't want to think about that.

"One," Jack says.

I swallow and my grip on the gun tightens.

"Two."

Patricia the bear is looking right at me now, baring its teeth like it's daring me to move.

"Three," he breathes, "Go!"

We jump off the patio and start running. Behind us the bear roars and leaps into action. It's now a terrifying race between us and the bear. It would almost be funny if we weren't about to die. The icy fear makes my heart and pumps my legs forward. I glance over at Jack, I'm a little bit ahead of him and my worry spills into fear.

Callie and Oliver are screaming at us, flailing their arms at us. Finally, finally, after what feels like forever, we reach the car. I yank the door of the back passenger seat open and hop in. I shove the shotgun into the corner and look back. I reach my hand out for Jack. I'm not sure if it's me or Callie and Oliver screaming his name but my throat feels raw from something. Jack grabs my hand and I pull him into the car. I fall back and he lands on top of me with a grunt.

"Go, Kaminski!" Callie shrieks, "Fucking go!"

The bear reaches the car just as Oliver drives off. Jack pushes himself off me and lies back on the seat. The car door is still open so he leans forward and slammed it shut. I sit up too and sigh.

We're breathing hard and fast as we look at each other. A beat passes and then we're both grinning so widely my mouth starts to ache. Jack brushes a hand through his dark hair and for some reason, the simple move makes my heart skip a beat. I take his hand in mine and intertwine our fingers together. Jack's grin softens into a warm smile as he lifts our joined hands and kisses the back of my hand. Heat coils in my stomach at the gesture.

"What the fuck?" Oliver says.

We look up and I gasp when I see Flo Jo standing in front of the large gate. She glares at us, shouting profanities as she waves her arms up and down. I glance at Oliver, his snaps his mouth shut and his jaw clenches as he scowls back at her.

"Oh you wanna play this game, you bitch?" He shouts and jolts the gear stick. "Okay, let's play!"

The needle on the odometer creeps up and up, from forty to eighty in two seconds.

"Oliver," I say, watching with baited breath as we speed straight to her. "Oliver, what are you doing?"

He doesn't answer, he just stares straight ahead. His knuckles whiten as his grip on the steering wheel tightens.

"Oliver!" I shout. Flo Jo is only metres away now.

At the last second, her eyes widen and she leaps out of the way. Oliver's face breaks out in a grin. Flo Jo has landed somewhere in the shrubbery. Callie, Jack and I look back, she pushes herself up and starts running after the car but its futile. We're going too fast.

"Oliver, the gate!" Jack says, "Watch out for--"

Oliver grits his teeth and rams the car straight into the gate. Metal screeches and the gates split apart as Oliver rams the car through. The crash leaves the gate wrecked and deformed in the darkness. Oliver keeps driving down the road, laughing as Callie whoops and claps her hands.

"Oliver Kaminski, I could kiss you right now!" Callie says, beaming at him.

Oliver laughs, "Hey, do whatever feels right."

My jaw is slack as I lean into the front of the car. "I seriously thought we were going to die but - oh my God, Oliver, that was amazing!"

"Thanks," He grins, "I've always wanted to do that...and I totally kicked ass at it."

Laughing, I lean back into my seat and look at Jack. The sudden paleness of his face makes my smile drop. "Jack?" I say, squeezing his hand, "What's wrong?"

He winces, "I think...I think the bear got me."

Callie whips back to look at us. Her eyebrows rise, "Got you? Got you where?"

He hoists his left leg up onto my lap and rolls his jeans up to reveal three bloody claw marks across his calf. Callie gasps as something twists in my stomach.

"When...when did this even happen?" I ask.

"Must have been when you were pulling me into the car," he says, "I felt something scratch me but in the rush, I thought I imagined it."

I peer at the cuts. "Okay, they don't seem too deep, we just need to..." I look around for a piece of cloth, just something to use but I see nothing. An idea pops into my head and I yank my crop top up and over my head. Jack's breathing hitches as he starts to splutter.

"Per-Peryn," he says with reddened cheeks and wide eyes, "what are you doing?"

I rip into the top until I have a long enough piece of cloth. I wrap it around the claw marks and tie it in a secure knot. I pat his leg and smile, "That should stop the bleeding for now but we really should take you to a hospital to get checked. I don't want it to get infected."

He slides his leg off my lap with a low wince and set its down. 

"You didn't have to take your top off," he says and if it's possible, his face has gotten redder.

I laugh, "It's fine."

"Whoa, what? Peryn took her top off?" Oliver says and tries to look back but Callie punches his shoulder.

"Keep your eyes on the road, Kaminski," she says.

Oliver grumbles something about being oppressed by Callie Marshall but he doesn't turn around. 

I can tell Jack is trying hard not to stare at my bra and it makes me want to laugh. He's seen me in my bra so many times (not that we've, y'know, done it, but our make out sessions would turn a little heated and one or both of us would end up topless before we cooled things off) and he always looks like he's going to combust each time. It's so cute.

He pulls his sweater off and hands it to me, "Here."

I smile when I see the white Avengers tee he's wearing underneath. I thank him and put the sweater on. It's a little too big for me and my heart races because it's warm and it smells like him. I didn't realise how much I missed wearing his clothes until now.

I look out of the window and I'm glad to find we're speeding down the highway, further and further away from that creepy couple. I hope we never see them again. We pass a neon sign that tells us Linbeach is only ten miles away. The radio comes on and Lana Del Rey's enchanting voice fills the air.

"Oh tell me I'm your national anthem!" Callie sings, rather terribly if I might say so, "tell me I'm your national anthem! Red, white, blues in the sky, summer's in the air and baby heavens in your eyes!"

Jack's hand finds mine again and I turn to him. Oliver groans and starts complaining about her terrible singing and Callie tells him to shut up or else. He doesn't, so they continue arguing like they always do but I'm not listening. I'm looking at Jack and he's looking back at me with so much candor and light and adoration it makes it hard to breathe.

"Are you okay?" he asks, his voice is deep and somber, sending shivers down my spine.

I can't help but smile and scoot closer to him. I rest my head on his chest. His heart is a drumming beat that showers me in this overwhelming feeling of home. He wraps an arm around me and I snuggle into him. I close my eyes.

"I'm great," I tell him.