Twenty-Nine // J.G.

ten.

Day 6.

"I'm never forgiving you guys for last night," were the first words I said to Sammy and Nate once they returned from their sleepover at their girls' hotel. They were groggy and probably under the influence of a couple things, but I had no sympathy for them at the moment, since they ever-so-graciously threw me under the spotlight, knowingly, against my will.

"Are you really still stuck on this shit, Mar?" Nate groaned, rubbing his forehead. "We said we were sorry."

"I was terrified on that stage!" I protested, stomping my foot with no concern of my current state of immaturity. "I cried. Don't you guys care about that?" The pitch of my voice had gone up a few octaves as I put on the helpless and hurt act because I deserved a sincere apology, unlike the measly "We didn't mean it" they used last night. With heavy sighs, the two them lugged their bodies off the couch and shuffled over to me, offering warm hugs and guilty expressions.

"We weren't trying to make you cry, Mar. You know that." Sam reasoned, rubbing my back. Using our height differences to my advantage, I hid my smile under their heads and tried not to act too giddy.

"Of course not. We were just tryna make you have fun, let go a lil' bit. We didn't think it would be that bad." Nate commented.

I wanted to laugh. I had these boys wrapped around my little fingers, and I was loving it because it wasn't often that I had the upper hand over both of them during a rough conversation. Serves them right for breaking my rules in the first place.

"You guys really mean it?" I pouted, looking up at them. They both nodded their head.

"We just want you to enjoy this trip." Sam sighed.

"I am enjoying it. With you guys." I frowned, coming to the realization that I too had been a little distant since this bet with Jack. I had been so focused on trying to get away from him that I forgot why I was even on this trip in the first place: I wanted to spend time with my two best friends. "I love you." I blurted out to both of them.

And here come the big smiles and boyish reactions that I've come to appreciate so much.

"Aww, I knew you couldn't stay mad!" Sammy laughed, ruffling up my hair, which earned a slap on the chest from me. Nonetheless, I smiled because I knew I still had my boys with me, no matter how stupid they could act, and how stuck up I could be.

"What's going on here?" A third party entered the room, eyeing the awkward huddling of us three in the middle of the living room.

"I made the boys apologize for last night." I smiled brightly, unraveling myself from their hugging to get situated on the couch. Jack looked amused, but by the threatening looks the boys gave him, he didn't seem to want to speak on it.

"Speaking of last night, how was it?" He smirked. That certainly lightened their moods.

"Yo, she was so loud," Sammy started, and my eyes widened.

"Let's not!" I squealed, plugging my ears with my fingers while I belted out a long string of la's. I could hear the boys' laughter, and then Nate yelling at me to stop. With the utmost caution, I removed my make-do earplugs and got up to retrieve my tea from the kitchen island. "Anyway," I glared at the trio across from me. "What's the plan today, boys?"

All three of them exchanged looks, and I suddenly felt squeamish, my eyebrows curving upwards. Whatever they were planning, they must have been thinking of some catch for it because matching smirks began to grow on all their faces.

"We're going waterfall hunting." Jack said.

Oh boy.

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