The Dog Walker

Chapter 6 - Edited

I nod my head to the music on repeat in my mind as I walk down the hallway. I'm in a good mood and I know it's because it's close to the field trip I'm about to go on. Camping! I almost can't contain my excitement. I'm grinning and can't stop humming. Even what I'd seen in the mirror this morning couldn't seem to dampen my mood but just in case it got worse, I brought my sunglasses. They wouldn't look out of place anyways.

I'm an animal... You're an animal... I'm an animal... You're an animal!

I walk into the classroom and swerve around a desk. I'm still humming as I practically almost skip from desk to desk before finally settling on my own. I drop my hiking bag beside me; most of the students have one to beside them as well. A few of them glance my way, amused at my obvious good mood.

"What's up with you today?" Adrian asks from the seat beside me, laughing. I shrug, grinning. He'd apologized for suggesting that Shaw and I were doing something last week so we're friends again and I'm glad. It had gotten awkward at one point, him assuming things and me angry with him. We'd pass each other in the hallways and he'd open his mouth, me waiting expectantly only for him to walk away.

I glance around to find Shaw, once again, looking at me. I bite down on my inner cheek nervously and look away, my good mood faltering. Mr. Burns walks in with a smile and sits down at his desk.

"Good morning class," he smiles then nods at the others. "Students not from my class. As you know, today you have no classes because we are going camping," Mr. Burns grins, obviously as excited as everyone else is at the prospect of leaving school grounds. Some of the students begin to whoop and holler, including me.

I love camping. It's even better since we're going camping for three days - on the day before, of, and after the full moon. I know it's a risk but one glance down at a pocket on my packed bag and I smirk. The colored contacts will come in handy.

"I hope everyone has their stuff with them because the bus is waiting outside for us," Mr. Burns informs us. "Oh, and if you bring your phones, I should let you know that there will be no cell service out there. You parents know this; they signed the waiver that allowed you guys to go." Most groaned, including Ruby. "I don't want to hear it. I told you this the first day I handed out those forms! Learn to listen." He stands from his desk and motions for us to follow.

I stand up with everyone else, I sling my bag over my shoulder and trail after Mr. Burns. We start to walk down the hall, everyone talking loudly to each other and making faces at other students sitting in class through the little identical windows beside every identical door. Luke and Travis race each other out the front double doors.

"This is so stupid, I don't get why we even have to do this," Ruby complained from beside me. I shrug over her bad vibes.

"Personally, I'm really excited."

"Oh yeah, I forgot you're the nature-loving one out of the two of us," she remarks, rolling her eyes. A small smile tugs at my lips before a full-blown grin takes over my face.

We board the bus and with luck - Ruby charming the boys - we are able to sit in one of the back seats. Adrian walks down the aisle and kicks out a kid that was sitting across from us.

"Hey, that was mean," I accuse, narrowing my eyes at him.

"Meh, survival of the fittest," he shrugs. I scoff. The bus starts to move with a jolt, driving us out of school property.

Buildings are sparse at first, around school grounds, but the farther we go the more buildings pop up until we turn down a road that's covered on both sides with trees and shrubs. Faintly, I can make out abandoned buildings and old farm barns and houses through the gaps in the greenery. Unimpressed, I lean my head against the window and close my eyes.

"What are you doing?" Adrian's voice is hardly loud enough to be heard over the rumble of the other students and I think if I pretend to not hear him, it'll be believable. The thought makes me smile, a giveaway.

I don't bother opening my eyes before answering. "Taking a nap," I mumble and start to drift off to sleep...

A hand is shaking my shoulder and I groggily open my eyes to see that the hand belongs to Ruby. So many cranky thoughts drift through my mind and I know that I need to be extra careful with how I am or I'll regret saying or doing something I don't mean. "What do you want?" I grumble. Great start.

She doesn't look at all bothered with my attitude. Instead, she looks on the verge of laughter. "We're here." I sat up and looked out the window; she's right, the bus has stopped and all you can see is trees and bushes outside of a small clearing where some students are beginning to gather. I smile and stand up. Grabbing my bag, I follow everyone off the bus.

Looking around, I notice we are on a dirt - albeit muddy - road with a trail to the right that leads off into the forest. Mr. Burns unloads tents and other things from the school bus's trunk before it quickly drives off, the driver probably not wanting to be stuck in the mud. I'm so glad I wore boots and not tennis shoes. We follow Mr. Burns along the trail he raises a hand for us to stop. We're in another clearing, this one a lot larger. There isn't a fire pit anywhere so I determine we'll have to make one.

"Okay everyone, this is where we will be camping. Start to set up your tents and a group of you gather firewood for the fire. Don't wander too far," Mr. Burns instructs. I grab a tent and walk over to the outside of the clearing and clear away some sticks and rocks, my bag banging against my hip.

"Ruby or Adrian, get over here and help me put up this tent!" I hear heavy footsteps approaching and Adrian appears beside me.

"Could you be any louder?" He complains, a small smile on his face, whilst he runs a hand through his sand-colored hair.

I settle on shrugging, grinning at him before turning to the small folded up tent on the ground. "I don't know. I could try but I don't want to embarrass myself." He laughs and bends down to start figuring out the poles while I unfold the fabric. "Where is Ruby?"

"Gathering wood for the fire."

I mouth falls open in surprise. "Ruby... is collecting firewood... in the forest?" The tent's fabric is forgotten in my hands as I look at Adrian. "It's true, weird things happen every day," I say in disbelief.

"Isn't it 'you learn something new every day'?" He corrects, a large grin on his face as he holds back a chuckle. I shrug.

"Same difference." He rolls his eyes. A few minutes later, it's set up and I grab my sleeping bag, ducking into the bright blue tent to spread out my sleeping bag.

"That looks pretty comfortable; maybe I'll just test it out." I open my mouth to say something but before I can, he jumps onto my black sleeping bag. As he groans in pain from his body making harsh contact with the ground, I laugh. His glare does nothing to stop me.

"Are you okay?" He groans again, rolling onto his side to press a hand against his back. "Need some help?" Holding out a hand for him to take before I can register his smirk, he pulls me down. Luckily, he breaks my fall.

"It's not funny!" I'm whining while grinning, trying to sound cross but it doesn't really work because I start to laugh as well. It takes me a moment to notice he's still holding my hand. My gaze drifts from his eyes to his lips and I realize I want to kiss him so badly right now.

Then everything comes crashing down. Bright blue tent smothers us, poles sticking into my legs as I struggle while the zipper for the opening scraps my arm.

"You okay?" Adrian's chest is rising and falling at a fast rate. Whether from what was probably about to happen, what did happen, or both I don't know. I nod, hoping he can't see my red face. Glancing around, I see we've garnered a good amount of attention from some other students but nothing too bad. Mr. Burns didn't notice at least. Ruby, who is carrying wood, wriggles her eyebrows as she walks over.

I can feel my face burning with embarrassment and look over to see that Adrian's is the same