Page 62 of Into the Mountains
I gave her a side eye and she puts her hands up like she’s about to defend herself. “I just…you seem lighter is all. Whatever did or didn’t happen last night, maybe it’s a good thing?”
I loop my arm around her shoulder, and she wraps hers around my waist. “I’ll let you know when I figure it out, okay?”
“Alright everyone.” Sky turns around to the group, clipboard in hand. “We are ready for our next team bonding activity. This time we are going to mix up the couples. I’m going to choose randomly from the scraps of paper in this hat.” She holds up a faded red hate and shakes it, rustling around the few pieces of paper inside. “Each one has our names on them and we will pair up that way. Once we are paired up, we will grab a canoe and get ready.”
A canoe. Great.
“Is this a competition or something?” I ask.
“Everything is a competition,” Hudson answers.
“So what’s the game, then?”
“The game, Charlotte, is whoever reaches the end of the route first wins,” Sky answers.
“And what do we win?” Elias leans in.
“Bragging rights. And a full week free at Camp’s resort.”
Jacob grabs the hat from Sky and lifts it above her head so she can’t see the papers she’s reaching for.
“The first pair is…me and Hudson.” She groans and we all laugh. We know how those two are together and it’ll be amazing to see them fail as a team considering how much they butt heads.
“Next pair is Jacob and Avery.” They nod their heads at each other like they can see themselves working together pretty well.
“Which leaves the last pair, Elias and Charlotte.”
Wow, universe. Subtly is not your strong suit. Form a club with Hudson if you need a hobby and get out of my life please and thank you.
Without glancing at one another, we go for the nearest canoe and start getting ready. “Do you want a life jacket?” Elias asks, holding out a bright green vest to me.
Usually I’d say no since I feel like I’m a pretty strong swimmer but after yesterday, I’d rather be on the safer side. “Yes, actually. Thank you.”
He puts his arms through his own life vest and makes sure it’s secure before grabbing our oars and placing them in our canoe. “She couldn’t have at least rented two person kayaks? They’d be much easier,” he mutters.
“I think that’s the reason she didn’t. She wants to make this as hard as possible for us so we have to work together.” If last night was any indication, we work together just fine. But we are here to do team bonding, and even though Elias and I have bonded in our own way plenty, I do think our competitive nature is going to win out at the end of this.
“You ready to kick their asses?” he asks, further confirming my thoughts.
“Oh they don’t realize they’re all about to lose by a long shot.” We grin and giggle at each other like kids hatching up a secret plan to play a prank on their parents.
Our heads turn in the direction where Sky and Hudson are already arguing about who is sitting in front and who is sitting in the back. “This is ridiculous. Why wouldn’t you be the one to steer it?” Hudson barks.
“Because you will be able to propel us further a lot faster than I can.”
“Butyouknow exactly where we are going. That’s an advantage so you should steer.”
“It’s one path, you idiot. It’s not like I have to make sure you get off on the right exit. You just follow the river. Surely you have enough brain power to do that!” Now we are laughing at the twoof them. If we weren’t confident we were going to win before, we definitely are now.
“What are you two laughing at?”
Elias stifles his laughs long enough to bait them. “The fact that there’s no chance any of you are actually going to beat us.”
“No way,” Hudson denies. “You two can’t get along for shit.”
Interesting. With the way he was so flustered this morning, I could have sworn he definitely heard us last night. Or maybe he just temporarily forgot with the competition in the air.
“You’d be surprised what we can accomplish when we put our differences aside,” Elias chimes in. Did he just—I shift my eyes over to Avery and see her eyes widen. Yep, he did just.
