A Timeless Place

Chapter 22

"Kitty! WES!" Jordan shouted in surprise.

"What happened to you guys?" Kevin asked us.

"What do you mean?" I asked, a little too quickly and defensively. Eli raised an eyebrow at me.

"You're both dripping wet," Eli continued.

"I upturned the canoes," I quickly replied. Wes coughed, hiding a laugh. I rolled my eyes at him, knowing exactly just what sort of comment Wes wanted to say so badly.

Someone behind us cleared their throat. Bridgette stood there with her arms crossed over her chest and her foot tapping the ground impatiently.

"Here, dry yourselves off," Kevin handed us all towels. Bridgette rejected his offer and strutted to where the rest were seated and sat there, completely ignoring everyone.

I shrugged at everyone's looks at us and grabbed a sweatshirt from the bags, slipping it on.

"Well anyway," Eli pursed her lips to not laugh. "Breakfast is ready. And your coffee, princess Kitty." At the last comment, Bridgette snorted. Jordan and Eli raised an eyebrow at her but no one commented.

I smiled gratefully at them, while still wringing my hair with a towel.

We all gathered around the fire Eli, Jordan, Kevin and Jan had made, sitting on the ground and enjoying the breakfast they had made. I was impressed. They had made pancakes, eggs and toast by that fire alone, using pans Jordan and Wes had brought along. There was also syrup, cheese, honey and jam packed with the bag. This was probably Mary's doing. If it had been up to Wes and Jordan when packing, they'd have just survived on nothing but chocolate and marshmallows for the whole trip.

No one had seen Ash and Alex yet and Tyler was still 'looking for them'.

"Honestly, it's like we never get a break from café duties," Jordan complained, biting into an apple. He was sitting cross legged on the ground. Eli nodded, lounging down next to him. Less than a metre off, Kevin, Jan and I were sitting facing them.

"What do you think we keep you around for," Wes replied. He was sitting on a tree stump, sipping on some coffee. My coffee. He had stolen mine and Jordan had to make me another. Wes was acting as he normally did as though nothing had changed. Anything that happened back there didn't seem to faze him one bit. He still held the same smirk, the same twinkle to his eyes whenever he joked around. And I hated myself for letting it affect me. So I tried my best not to think about what had happened back there and to just concentrate on enjoying my time with my friends right now.

"An outlet to your feelings, says recent rumours," I smirked at Wes. Jordan and Eli laughed. Kevin looked confused. Jan nodded in understanding.

"Don't mistake my relationship with Jordan to yours and Eli's," Wes responded.

"You're the pervert who likes to think about that," I wrinkled my nose at him.

"Someone's a sore loser," Wes crossed his arms over his chest.

That hit me right in the chest. I opened my mouth in annoyance but before I could say anything Eli cut in.

"You two sound like a married couple having an argument," Eli rolled her eyes at us. She stood up, brushing dirt off her. She was still wearing her bikini bottoms but had thrown on her beige jumper on top.

"Coming from the one shouting and swimming in circles in the canoe," I raised an eyebrow at her, choosing to ignore Wes.

"We were simply misunderstanding each other," Eli explained, looking over at Jordan and smiling sheepishly. He raised an eyebrow up at her. "Okay, it was more like me not knowing how to take directions all over again."