Chapter 2: The trip

Previously...

Looks like I can't do anything anymore to stop them.

I just sigh in defeat.

"Okay, okay. Bye grandma Lyd, I'll sure miss you!" I said and kissed her on the cheek.

I felt a tight hug in return.

"I'll miss you too, Nicolette."

I immediately let go of my grandmother's arms and ran to the car.

"You sure took a lot of time to realize you're not gonna stay home, huh?" daddy said before I entered.

"Yeah, yeah."

I waved to my grandmother one last time.

"Ready?" he asked and I nod in response.

I looked at the other keychain grandma gave me. It's a keychain with friendship quotes on it.

"Making friends huh?"

---

Nini

I stopped reading my book when someone touched me. I removed one of my earphones and looked at dad.

"Here we are," he said and looked behind me.

I turn my gaze there and saw many students gathering.

Lots of buses and teachers too.

It looks like we're already leaving.

I put my things in my bag and got out of the car.

I closed the door and walked a few steps away from him.

I couldn't stop thinking about something so I stopped and turned to him and said,

"Can't you change your mind-"

"Nini." dad cut me off.

"We're here now, go on. Have fun. My decision will not change, okay?"

"But dad-"

"Nini, don't be naughty. You need to have a vacation, you need to let go, for now, the ones you're used to and try some new ones."

Well, you give me no choice dad but to do this.

I approached his car and took a deep breath.

"Dad-"

"Nini, that won't work."

I was left surprised.

I didn't even say a thing!

"I predict what would you tell me," he said and imitate my voice, "if you really love me, why are you forcing me to do something I don't want to? right?"

I stopped at what he said.

He knows.

"You know, Nini? You will not grow if you stay there in what you are used to."

He comes closer to me.

"Staying there will make you feel empty. But, if you can push through, and try or get out just once, you may find

an exciting and new world awaits you," he said then smiled.

I just give him a smile in return.

"Santos, Nicolette Niome."

I heard my name being called. I immediately turned around and saw our adviser beside bus number 3.

"Santos, Nicolette Niome? Are you here?"

"She's here!" dad shouted and pointed at me.

My adviser looked in our direction and gave a thumbs up.

"All right now, go there," he said and pointed where the rest of my classmates are.

I can't help but feel sad.

"Dad, do you think I can do it?" I asked while not looking at him.

"What are you talking about? Of course, you can, you are my daughter," he said.

I looked at him. I saw him get out of his car and approach me.

"There's no one in our family that can't handle anything without working together."

He immediately hugged me.

"Just always remember, I may not be always in your side but, she always will," he said as he put something around my neck.

"She's always there by your side no matter what happens."

He moved away from me so I try to touch what he puts around my neck.

And there I saw a necklace.

This was...

"Mom," he said so I looked at him.

"She's always there, okay?"

I couldn't help but cry.

"Ms. Santos, we need you here." I heard my adviser say.

I wiped away my tears and walked two steps backward from my dad.

"That's my girl," he said softly.

"I'm on my way!" I answered my adviser and then ran in her direction.

"She loves you so much Nini, remember." I hear he says.

"Can't decide?" our adviser said as soon as I arrived.

I nodded shyly in response.

"Oh? Mr. Villanueva, where are the others? We're leaving now," our adviser asked and looked behind me so I turned my back.

There I saw a skinny, pale, and well-behaved boy wearing glasses.

"Let's see, for Mr. Haxley, he's surrounded again by his fangirls, he couldn't stop them from getting chaotic so he ran away while Ms. Garcia, she really doesn't want getting surrounded by noisy people so she probably walked away too," he answered while lisping at some words.

Yep, he's a nerd. Confirmed.

"I'm actually here beside you and the bus."

"WAAH!"

Villanueva immediately hugged me tightly when we heard someone speak.

I looked at him with a frown.

"Uhh, s-sorry, I didn't mean to," he said and slowly walked away.

We looked beside the bus and there we saw a girl wearing a jacket.

She was just leaning on the bus and had her hand are inside her pants.

One of her earphones was removed.

She looked at us so I couldn't help but be nervous.

"Garcia, you're there. Next time, don't do that, okay? You're giving me a heart attack," our adviser said.

She nodded in response and put on her earphones.

It's okay Nini, maybe she's really shy.

"Just one more, where is he-"

Ms. Samera didn't get to finish what she was going to say when a boy suddenly came into us.

"Ms. I'm already here," he said while still panting.

Ms. Samera's eyebrows raised as she looked at the boy.

"Do you know what time it is? You're the only one missing in your section, Mr. Haxley. I don't like what you're doing," she said seriously.

"I'm really sorry, Ms. I won't do it again."

Ms. Samera sighed.

"You four come with me."

She immediately walked to the door of the bus.

She called us so we immediately approached there.

She wasn't joking about the part that we were the only ones missing from our section.

"Ms. Garcia and Mr. Villanueva, you both are seat number 37 and 38," Ms. said while pointing to their bus seat.

My two classmates immediately went there.

So it was just me and Haxley.

"On their right side, Ms. Valencia and Mr. Haxley, you both are seat numbers 39 and 40."

I immediately preceded to walk to our seat.

"Wait, she's next to me? But why?" I heard he asked so I stopped.

"You can't complain, Rhyss. We chose that and it's our decision, just follow it."

I just sigh.

As I continue to walk to my seat number I see some of my classmates whispering.

They’re already making this thing a big deal.

I immediately sat on the window seat.

I was about to lower my bag when I noticed someone standing by my side.

“I want the window seat,” he said.

I put down my bag and took my book, cellphone, and earphones.

"Sorry, first come first serve," I replied to him as I leaned back in my chair.

"Tsk, I hate you," he said as he sat down next to me.

I put my earphones in both of my ears and chose music.

"The feeling is mutual," I replied to him and opened the book.

"What an unlucky day," he whispers and crossed his arms.

Guess I have to read this book for the whole camp trip.

---

Throughout our trip, I just read a whole two books.

Even though our tour guide was giving activities so that the trip would not be too boring, here I was, in my seat.

Reading while listening to music.

"Attention students of Darkson University, we're almost at camp Ever Realms!"

I continue reading my book after I hear those words.

My eyebrows met when I saw something in the book I was reading.

I looked at the person next to me in shock.

"What do you think are you doing?!" I shouted at him and pull away my book.

"We're already here at the camp, Ms. Nini. Our teacher, tour guide, and the rest of our classmates are already there outside," he said as he put his ballpen in the bag.

"How can we be here already? The tour guide said-"

Before I continue what I was about to say he already cut me off.

"Nini, we already passed the sign that said 'Camp Ever Realms' after our tour guide said we are almost at the real camp."

I just looked at him.

"What are you talking about?"

He just facepalms first before answering me.

"What I mean is 5 minutes have already passed Nini since she said those words. Get it?"

I slowly nod in answer.

Wait? 5 minutes?!

"We just park the bus, Nini. See?" he said as he pointed at the window.

I looked there and saw many students gathering.

Oh my gosh! Am I too busy reading my book?

Nah, it's fine. At least my book is-

"Wait, my book!"

I looked at my book and I can't help but get mad.

I looked at him and showed him what he had drawn.

"Why do you have to draw a smiley face on the top of my book?!"

I saw that he closed the zipper of his bag.

"I can't get your attention, you're so busy reading that boring-"

"Boring?!" I repeat what he said.

He slung his bag over his shoulder and stood up.

He nodded in response.

"Yeah, boring. No one reads a book like that these days except you," he told me.

I raised my eyebrow.

"Excuse me? For your information, this is a romance book. It's written by a famous writer, Jorelle Montividad, and it's not just an ordinary and boring book you say," I replied to him.

"I don't even know who that is."

That's because you're dumb.

"That's because you have no taste in books, tsk!"

I looked at my book again.

"Do you know how expensive is this? This book cost 299 pesos and then you just draw on it? I keep it always safe, I even put a plastic cover around it and then you just draw a smiley face?"

I should've protected my precious baby more.

"Oh wow, what an unlucky day," he said in a teasing tone.

I looked at him with an expressionless face.

"Well, I'm gonna go now. You know the saying 'if I'm having a bad day, so you are having a bad day too'," he said while smiling.

"So, good luck!" he said before disappearing from my sight.

I just sigh.

I knew I should've brought four more books.

"It's okay, Nini. Everyone can have a bad day, well for me, I do have a bad start..."

I put my book, earphones, and phone inside my bag and close it.

I get off of my sit and looked at the window.

I sigh once again.

"I just have to keep calm and look for something positive like this," I said and looked at my necklace.

That's right, mom is still here with me. This is just the start.

"Okay! Let the challenge for me begin!" I said as I walk towards the exit of the bus.

"Aren't you excited? Omg! Our very first camping trip!"

"Yes! I can finally sleep on a camping tent."

"I'm so excited about this trip! I'm looking forward to the activities here, especially those hot nature guides."

I hear them whisper as I walk past them.

Geez, they're all being crazy about the camp activities and the nature guides.

"Attention everyone."

We all stop what we are doing and looked at the speaker attached to the mini stage.

"Please head to our mini stage so we can start and talk about how this week would be the best camping trip ever!"

The others immediately went to the mini stage. It wasn't that far so I went too.

While walking I saw a woman wearing a light brown cargo short matching with a t-shirt that has the logo of camp Ever Realms.

I couldn't help but be nervous when I got close to the stage.

"Welcome to camp Ever Realms, everyone! I'm your camp director Addilyn Mendoza and this is my team."

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To be continued…