The Bad Boy ✔

Chapter Twenty Seven-The Hippie Van (Camping Trip part 1)

Chapter Twenty-Seven

I stared at the two mini-buses in disbelief. This had to be some sort of joke. And if it was, it wasn't very funny.

The air was chilly. Rain was the predicted forecast for the weekend-and in my opinion-a subtle but effective hint that camping was possibly the worst idea for couples-fake or not-to participate in. Seriously, where was the fun in camping? All you did was pitch a tent in the ground, share the night with buzzing mosquitoes and eat out of tinned cans. How utterly revolting.

God, I sound like Beth.

But back to my predicament. There was nothing wrong with mini-buses. I've been on them before. You know for school trips that actually counted. Like the time I thought a Physics tour would be fun. What an awful thing to think. Physics was definitely not fun inside the classroom. It was even worse when you had to share a communal-house with the rest of your classmates. Let's not forget the bathroom with cockroaches.

However, Mrs Davis was notorious for being a little strange. With her long, flowing skirts and billowing shirts, she was labelled a hippie from the start. And now, we were being forced to choose between the school's mini-van and well, the one Mrs Davis chose. I wasn't sure what would be the appropriate word for it, other than hippie van. I mean, there was even a painted peace symbol on the side.

"Hippie van?" Jace asked me.

I frowned, my hands gripping the handle of my trolley bag. "No way in hell."

Mr Barlow, stepped out of the white bus. His hair was speckled with white at the sides and he wore glasses that were round and engulfed the rest of his face. He glanced at the remainder of students who had yet to pile in. I didn't want to be here. Not really. Maybe if I pretended to be sick then I could sneak back home. Wait, Dad would know. I could always just stay over at Eliza's.

"Come on Brett," Beth called. Her blonde head popped out of the door from the white bus. "I've saved you a seat at the back."

Brett walked past me, not even sparing me a glance. At one point in my life, I would have at least some disappointment, but things were different now. The most I could muster was a glower directed towards his harpy girlfriend for snagging the better of the two buses, and ultimately sealing my fate without my consent. I was not going to spend two hours in a bus with a girl who had made my life a living hell. Not even if it was the only way to escape the mafia.

"Hippie van it is then," Jace murmured with a smirk.

I glared. "It's not funny." My gaze settled onto Mrs Davis. "She already treats me like her family now."

"Family?" he asked.

I trudged after Jace, my trolley bag suddenly out of place amongst the small duffel bags. Even Beth had managed to pack light. But it wasn't my fault my father had decided to pack food in there. And I wasn't going to deny him the right to be a good father. Besides, I was not going to live off baked beans and roasted marshmallows. Food was a girl's best friend. Not diamonds.

"Yeah," I muttered. "Ever since my father and Davis started chatting it up like teens in love, she's been treating me weirdly. Like she actually likes me." I made a gagging sound.

"Aren't you being a little melodramatic?" Jace questioned. His grey eyes settled onto me. "Even for you."

I stuck my tongue out at him. "You're supposed to be on my side here."

Jace slung his arm around my shoulder. "I am Pipsqueak. But someone's got to pop that air out of your head sometimes."

"Idiot," I cursed. "You stupid idiot."