INFATUATION ⇢ CHRIS CHAMBERS

seven

The next day, Chris and Nina stayed quiet about what happened last night, but stuck very close together, grinning at each-other every now and then. To their surprise, no one seemed to notice - not even Teddy.

"Jeez, Gordie. Why can't you get some breakfast stuff like uh, Twinkies and root beer!" Vern suggested.
"Sorry, Vern. I guess a more experienced shopper could've gotten more from your 7 cents." Gordie retorted. Nina snorted.

Finally, Chris, Nina, Teddy, Gordie and Vern stopped on the tracks and looked out at the forest in front of them.
"Gentlemen... and women, The Royal." Chris announced.
"The tracks go way out of the way." Teddy stated.
"If we cut across this field right here, we'll be there in an hour." Chris told him.
"I think we should stick to the tracks." Vern suggested.
"I think we should go across the field." Teddy said.
"I agree with my brother." Nina nodded, turning to Gordie.
"Yeah." He agreed.

"Let's go," Chris said, before turning to Nina and grinning. "race you down to the start of the woods."
Without an answer, Nina began to ran to get a head start since she knew Chris would win. "Hey!" He called. "You cheated!"
"Take no prisoners!" Teddy yelled, pretending his sleeping bag was a gun and shooting at the sky, before running after them with Gordie.
"Hey, you guys! It's a lot safer if we, uh," Vern lazily pointed at the tracks.
"C'mon, man!" Teddy called out.
"You don't know what's in those woods!" Vern shouted. He then sighed. "Hey, you guys! Wait up for me!" He called out, running and then falling face flat onto the floor, before getting back up and carrying on, struggling a little.

***

The group stopped in front of what looked like a large mud bath filled with leaves, sticks and creatures Nina would rather not discover. "I am not going in there."
"How are we supposed to get across this?" Vern questioned.
"We'll use you as a raft." Teddy joked.
"Very funny."
Chris turned around and snapped a thin branch off the tree behind him and poked the surface of the water to see how deep it was.
"Chris, I don't think-"
He cut Nina off. "It's not that deep, we can walk across." He told his friends.
Nina watched the boys begin to walk into the brown water. She was about to call out something but cut herself off when the four boys then fell and found themselves neck deep in the dirty water. She burst into a fit of laughter. "I knew it! Now there's definitely no way you're getting me in there!"

"I told you we should've carried on along the tracks." Vern said, rudely.
"Is it me, or are you the world's biggest pussy?" Teddy retorted.
"I suppose this is fun for you." Vern replied.
"No," Teddy said, some of his hair hanging over his glasses. He turned around to face Nina and grinned. "but this is!" He began to continuously dunk Vern underwater, laughing his signature laugh.
Nina gasped and ran into the water and she too was soon neck deep in the disgusting river. She pulled him away. "Act your age, Teddy!"
"This is my age! I'm in the prime of my youth and I'll only be young once!"
"Yeah, but you're gonna be stupid for the rest of your life." Chris retorted.
Vern and Nina 'oo'ed as Teddy took off his glasses and handed them to Vern. "Alright, Chambers! You just signed your own death warrant! You die, Chambers!" Teddy announced.
But before he could touch him, Nina leaped forward and started dunking her brother. Teddy broke free after about three dunks and launched himself onto his sister, trying to dunk her. But Chris jumped in and began to dunk him. "That's no way to treat a lady, Teddy. Especially one of such higher class than you!" Chris joked, sending Nina and wink as he carried on dunking him.
"Thank you, Chris, but I can protect myself just fine." She grinned, pulling Chris away from her brother and beginning to dunk him. Once Chris rose to the surface, he couldn't help but smile once he saw how happy she looked and how happy her laugh made him.

"Hey, where do you think you're going LaChance?" Teddy asked Gordie, who was swimming away with his stuff.
"Yeah, LaChance?" Nina teased.
Chris looked at his friends before they all swam towards Gordie, who had now reached the end of the water and jumped on top of him. Vern first, Nina second, Chris third and then Teddy.
"Sleeper hold, sleeper hold!" Vern teased. "No one gets out of the sleeper hold!"
"Hey, Vern. There's something on your neck!" Gordie exclaimed.
"Yeah, right! I'm not falling for that one, LaChance." He remarked.
"No, Vern. There is something on your neck!" Chris said.
Nina gasped and jumped away from the boys. "It's a leech!"
"Leeches!" Teddy shouted.
The boys jumped up and stripped down until they were all in their pants.
Nina was panicking since she knew she had leeches all over her body too, but didn't want to undress in front of the boys. She ran behind a tree as the boys frantically brushed the bloodsucking creatures off and she did the same.
She stripped down until she was in her underwear and brushed them off, making sure every part of her body was leech free... until she released she can't check her back.
"Uh, Chris?" She asked quietly once he had finished brushing the leeches off Gordie's back. "Chris!" She shouted louder. He spun around and his eyes widened. "God dammit, Chris! Stop looking at get these stupid things off of me!" She ordered, covering her bra with her hands.
Chris ran over and brushed them off for her. "There, all gone."
She turned around and smiled awkwardly. "Thanks,"
"Come back over. I swear to God if any of them say anything I'll hit them." He promised.
Nina sighed and nodded. "Okay, but let me at least get the first hit."
He grinned before stepping in front of her and walking back to his friends, Nina following behind, covering herself the best she could.
"Oh, shit, Chris!" Gordie cried, looking down at his pants. "Oh, shit, man!" He reached into his pants and pulled out a leech, his fingers had blood on them.
"Shit," Nina said, trying not to laugh when Gordie fainted.
"Gordie!" The boys said, running up to him.
"He's dead." Vern declared.
"He's not dead, he just fainted." Nina told him.
"Well I don't-" Vern trailed off when he turned around to look at Nina. "Hey," He smiled.
"What?" Nina shot at him, trying to cover herself up more.
Chris shot him a glare. "Vern, take your eyes off her now."
"Dude, that's my sister!" Teddy yelled, hitting his shoulder.
He winced at the pain before looking at Chris. "And it's fine for you to look, why?" He questioned.

Gordie then woke up, which luckily meant neither Nina or Chris had any explaining to do.
"God, I've never met anybody who fainted before." Vern said, amazed.
"Maybe he made a bad mistake and looked at your face." Teddy retorted.
"Shut up, Teddy. You okay, Gordie?"
He winced and nodded. "Yeah."
Chris took hold of his hand and helped him up. Once he regained stability and his vision was clear, he saw Nina and looked at her for a split second before he knew what would happen to him if he looked any longer.

Nina consciously stepped behind Chris and put her hand on his shoulder.
Chris smiled to himself, he was lucky to have her feel the same way about him and he felt happy to be able to protect her.
Teddy tutted his head forwards. "Let's walk. Our clothes will be dry soon enough so we can get changed again."
The group nodded and started walking until Teddy stopped them. "And if any of you somewhat glance at Nina, I'll knock your teeth out." He said, looking at Vern in particular.
"Why are you looking at me?!" He asked, innocently.
Nina rolled her eyes. She felt a little better now that her brother had warned his friends so she stepped out and stood beside Chris.
"And I don't know why Nina's taken a sudden fancy towards you, Chris. But just don't look for too long, okay?" Teddy said to Chris.
Chris chuckled and nodded his head. "Sure. Now let's go."

Once Teddy had turned his back, Chris grinned at Nina and took hold of her hand and the two slowly walked behind Teddy, Gordie and Vern.