The Parent Trap {Jariana}

{ｃａｍｐｉｎｇ ｗｉｔｈ ｓｔｅｐｍｏｍ ａｎｄ ｄａｄ}

It was already midday and the Brooks plus Frankie and Meredith haven't been able to even reach halfway of the whole trail. At the rate they're going, thanks to Meredith, it would take them the whole three days to even reach the mountain. That was what Emmi Brooks actually said when they stopped for the umpteenth time ever since they started walking.

She was the leader of the group of six and she enjoyed the camping trips she and her father took every year before class starts. Walking confidently through the rough and rugged terrain, she was a few feet ahead of Jai who was directly behind her. Balancing herself, she easily walked over a fallen timber and avoided the big rocks which were situated at the right side of it. Squealing in delight, she looked around and motioned to her father to hurry up.

Jai beamed proudly at his daughter as he too easily balanced himself and walked over the timber. Meredith was next and she propped herself up on a huge boulder at the left of the timber and tried to cross with a disgusted look on her face. Unfortunately, her bangs were in her line of vision and so it created a few black spots which made her miss her step and fall on her butt. The girls stifled a giggle as Jai rushed over to help her. Luke smirked to himself as he easily crossed with Frankie, who was chuckling to himself. Avia came after the boys and stood on the rocks behind the blonde, eyeing her warily.

Meredith wasn't really in one with Mother Nature and so she found no pleasure whatsoever in their hike. Huffing and panting, she gritted her teeth and tried not to lose face in front of her now rival's children. She already planned to send Emmi off to some boarding school once she and Jai were married but with the new situation, she decided to just send the both of them. Landing splat on her buttocks, she felt exhausted, again, and decided to sit on one of the huge rocks that were laid out beside the fallen tree trunk.

"Oh... I'm gonna kill my trainer... he says I'm in such great shape!" she seethed in between pants. Jai heard her and went back to check on his fiancé. Seeing that she was tired, again, he had no choice but to stop.

"I can't believe people actually do this for fun." Meredith continued complaining as she rubbed her legs that were burning in pain.

"Hold on, we're stopping." Jai announced and Emmi halted and tried to straighten the angry expression that was coming upon her face. Frankie took the time to sit on one of the rocks as well and re-tie his boots. Luke went and stood by Emmi, comfortingly rubbing her back to calm her down. Avia ignored everyone as she was too busy picking up rocks on her way down to Meredith.

"Again?!" Emmi couldn't contain her vexation any longer, "Dad, at this rate it'll take us three days just to get to the lake," she complained in an insisting tone and Jai gave her a quelling look.

"Meredith isn't used to this altitude... Just chill, ok?" he said in a calm voice and Emmi rolled her eyes as Jai went a few feet away to check the trail. Luke went after him. Emmi scowled as she turned back to Meredith and her eye caught her sister who sat directly behind the blonde bimbo. Avia gave her a small smirk as she opened the Prada backpack and started filling every pocket of it with the rocks she had gathered. Emmi's expression instantly lightened up, slapping a hand on her face to cover her evil grin as she watched her twin while Meredith finally sat up with a long moan.

Frankie glanced at his niece, catching her eye as she filled the backpack. He only chuckled, acting as if he didn't see a thing. He didn't like Meredith either. He preferred for his sister to take Jai back.

"Oh, I am in so much pain. Can someone hand me my Evian? I can't move," Meredith asked and Avia looked up startled while Emmi looked at her coolly but didn't move. She only stood there with her arms crossed.

"Sure." Avia replied after deciding that she won't be so heartless. But after seeing the small lizard beside the Evian bottle, she immediately changed her mind. "Brilliant." She whispered to herself with a huge smile. Picking up the small reptile, which started moving frantically as it tried to escape, she gently placed in on the bottle where, upon being raised, it would be directly in front of Meredith's eyes.