THE BOYS ARE going on a hike today, and Alex has something up her sleeve.
She knows the group is going to follow the same path her's did yesterday, so at a bend along the path, she stands, thinking about her best move. Finally, Alex crouches down and reaches for a large, smooth rock.
She whips a permanent marker from her bag and scrawls 'Turn Me Over' on the somewhat grimy surface of the rock. Flipping it over, she bites back a smile as she scribbles 'You just took orders from a rock' along with an obnoxious, winking smiley face on it.
Slipping the marker back into her bag, she places the rock next to the path, maybe eight hundred meters from camp, and begins the short trek back.
Harmless, but just for a laugh. Even if Riley doesn't fall for it, or Dylan for that matter, and someone else does, it'll still be harmlessly hilarious.
With that though in mind, and a smile on her lips, Alex breaks through the tree line and comes face to face with the campsite in the early morning. It's quite something, the sky and the trees and the lake glittering in the distance. The fire pit in the middle of camp, surrounded by tents of varying sizes—and skill level in putting them up, she notes, passing a haphazard blue one that looks about to collapse. Chuckling, she continues through to walk through to her tent. Rebecca will cackle once she hears what Alex has done. She's a closet evil mastermind, honestly.
Before she can reach her tent though, she is intercepted.
"Jake," she nods to him as he yawns.
"Alex," his hazel eyes narrow, "What are you doing up so early and wondering around with a tog bag?"
She adjusts the strap, pulling the bag out of his line of sight, "Nothing."
"Yeah, I totally believe that." Glorious, blond bed head and all, Jake Thomas strides over and yanks the bag from her shoulder. He rummages through it, avoiding Alex's attempts to get it back by rotating in place or backing up a few steps and raising it above her head. He's been pretty playful like this since he warmed up to her over the last few days since their McDonald's lunch. It took a bit for him to crack a smile at her, and it surprised her how shy someone who seemed as confident and extroverted as he, actually turned out to be. He has a wacky sense of humor though, and it's strangely endearing.
Accepting defeat, Alex patiently waits with her arms folded as Jake isn't able to find anything incriminating. A marker wouldn't look very suspicious in a bag. Speaking of markers, Alex should have drawn a curly mustache on Riley while he slept! Jake too, just because. Damn it, she'll have to do that next time.
Eyes still narrowed, Jake passes her the bag which she slings over her shoulder. Alex bats her eyelashes playfully, "See, I told you I didn't do anything."
"Yes, you're the picture of innocence," Jake rolls his eyes.
Alex's grin is broad, "I know right!"
Adjusting her bag strap, smug expression still intact, she strides past the baffled boy and continues the walk to her tent. Today's activity for her group—which sadly doesn't include Dylan, but does include Rebecca—is canoeing. Alex isn't quite sure what to make of that one, considering she's never done it before. She has no idea if it'll be a breeze or impossibly frustrating. And there's only one way to find out.
"Good morning, sleepy head," Alex's eyebrows raise at Rebeca's extremely messy hair. There are strands sticking up in every direction—it can't be fun to have hair that does that every night.
Rebecca frowns, yawning widely, "Where have you been?"
Alex winks, "Out."
Rebecca either doesn't care or is not awake enough to bother with questioning her further, and doesn't deign to respond, choosing rather to stretch and squint at her watch.
YOU ARE READING
Out To Get Her
Teen Fiction[First place winner of The Cosmoetic Awards Teen Fiction category!] All Alexis Taylor wanted was to get though her senior year unscathed and under the radar. Few knew she existed, and she liked it that way. But all her plans turned to rubble the mom...
