Camp Idol

Episode 2

If Cori hadn't already been rooted in place, she would have been now. She dropped her phone and continued to stare dumbly at her dream guy from Miracle 10. Her breath seemed to catch in her chest, and for a moment, Tanner gazed back, making Cori's heart pound.

"What are you doing here?" he finally asked again. "Oh," his eyes fell to the magazine she was still clutching, now illuminated by her fallen cell. "I should have guessed." Tanner sighed. "You're here for autographs, right?"

"What? No," Cori frowned, too stupefied to even realize that she was holding the magazine.

Tanner looked at her curiously.

"Then it's just coincidence you showed up here with that?" he pointed at the magazine.

"I promise, it's not what it looks like!" Cori instantly dropped the magazine, wishing she had left it where Dezarae had dropped it back in the cabin. "I just-" she scrambled to explain, but her next words were drowned out by a roaring crack of thunder.

"It's gonna storm. Come on," Tanner said, suddenly picking up her cell phone and lighting the way through the trees.

As she followed after Tanner, Cori felt like she was in a dream, but feeling a raindrop hit her cheek, she knew she was awake.

"Hurry," Tanner called behind him, leading her at last out of the trees.

Cori emerged past the final mossy trunk and glanced around. A large, two-story cabin was settled nearby and a blazing bonfire illuminated several more figures near the lake.

"How did we end up back by the lake?" Cori asked Tanner, surprised to see the water, but even more surprised by her ability to wonder so casually despite her nerves.

"Everything's by the lake," said Tanner plainly. "We're on an island," he finished, striding away towards the campfire.

"An island?" Cori gasped to herself. "So I guess I won't be able to get a cab..."

"You coming?" Tanner paused halfway to the fire, waiting for Cori. "Unless you want to get caught in the rain."

Cori furiously shook her head and hurried after him, but when they reached the fire, she almost froze again at the sight of those sitting around it. The flames were casting light upon four faces- the faces of the rest of Miracle 10. They were all there...Axel, JM, Kole, Nicky U... and they all looked stunning in the orangey glow. However, no one was as appealing as the guy standing next to her, who was now handing back her phone.

"Hey guys," Tanner said. "I found the source of the light in the woods. A prowler," he nodded at Cori and she hoped the glow cast by the fire would cover her blushing.

"Well, she doesn't look too dangerous," JM shrugged.

"How'd you find us?" asked Kole.

"Yeah, we thought we had the place to ourselves," sighed Axel.

The boys all watched her carefully, awaiting her response.

"Miracle 10 is looking at me," she panicked.

The band members continued to stare.

"I, uh, took a boat," she told them when she finally found her words.

"But how'd you know we were here?" Kole raised his brows.

"I didn't," Cori waved her hands. "I was just hoping I could maybe find someone with a telephone. I don't have any service," she held up her cell, accidentally shining the light onto Nicky U's face. "Oh, sorry!" she embarassedly turned off her flashlight app, but a streak of lightning lit the scene even more.