Chapter 8: Morning After Mirage

Everyone was hungover. Everyone’s heads hurt. Everyone except me.

It was the day after the party and my friends were out of it. Addison sat on the couch, clutching two Advil tablets. She looked like hell. Sadhvi had managed to rouse herself from bed only to collapse onto the couch.

Lucas, meanwhile, had disappeared into the bathroom. He stayed there for a long time—Matt chugged water as if his life depended on it. Lola sat nearby, her eyes closed as if she were trying to shut out the world around her. And James, usually the life of the party, remained uncharacteristically silent.

They needed breakfast.

It wasn’t my turn to cook but I busied myself in the kitchen anyway. The sizzle of bacon and the aroma of pancakes and eggs filled the air. I’d always enjoyed cooking. It was a way to express my love and care for those around me.

“Breakfast is ready!” I called once I was finished.

One by one, they emerged from their respective hiding places. Each of them looked terrible, but there was a glimmer of gratitude in their eyes as they saw what I had done for them.

“Thanks, Keily,” Addison said.

“You’re the best. Seriously,” Lucas told me.

With a weary smile, I served them breakfast. Each plate was piled high with pancakes, bacon, and eggs. The room was silent as we ate. The only sounds were the clinking of utensils against plates and the occasional sigh.

As we ate, I asked, “So, what time do you guys want to leave for the campground?”

Silence.

As I surveyed the room, my heart sank at the sight of my friends. Each of them looked worse for wear after the events of the previous night. Despite my best efforts to rouse their spirits, it was clear that the idea of going to the nearby camping grounds wasn’t appealing to them.

“We’re still going, right?” I asked.

But as I looked around the room, I could see the weariness etched on their faces. The exhaustion was evident in their slumped shoulders and drooping eyes. They were in no condition to go.

“I’m not feeling up for it,” Addison admitted.

“Me neither,” Lola said, before downing her glass of water.

“I’d rather spend the day recovering…” Lucas added.

Oh no. This sucked. Our plans for the day would have to be abandoned. I had been looking forward to the camping trip. I was excited at the prospect of spending time in nature with my closest friends.

The thought of hanging out in a tent, cooking marshmallows around a campfire, and singing songs under the stars had filled me with so much excitement. But now, those plans lay in ruins.

James and I had put so much thought and effort into the camp. We’d gone shopping and spent a good amount of money on equipment…

As I watched my friends struggle to even muster the energy to sit up straight, I felt so very disappointed.

This is not how I wanted the weekend to go.

“I’m feeling well enough to go,” James told me.

He was clearly lying. His eyes were bloodshot and his shoulders slumped. But his words still lifted my spirits.

“Are you sure?” I asked.

“Absolutely,” he said.

Despite his obvious fatigue, he insisted that he was well enough to go camping. I could tell he was pushing himself, but his willingness to make the effort filled me with gratitude.

“Ok! We can go after I’ve helped to clean,” I said.

“You’ll do no such thing!” Lucas protested. “You cooked breakfast, I’ll clean.”

“And we’ll clean up the bottles,” Addison said.

With the kitchen and party cleanup taken care of, James and I set to work packing the car for our camping trip. I could feel the excitement building within me as we gathered our gear and loaded it into the trunk. The anticipation of the adventure ahead filled me with renewed energy.

I decided to drive. James was in no condition to do much. He settled into the passenger seat and quickly fell asleep.

I navigated the winding roads toward the camping grounds. I felt a sense of peace wash over me. The serene beauty of the landscape stretched out before us. And as I stole a glance at James, he looked so peaceful as he slept beside me.

Despite the challenges we had faced, I knew that we were exactly where we were meant to be— together, on the open road, embarking on a new adventure with the promise of new memories waiting to be made.

As we arrived at the camping ground, James stirred from his slumber. He blinked groggily as he glanced around.

“Are we here already?” he asked, his voice tinged with surprise.

“Yes, you slept the whole way,” I replied, my tone light as I teased him gently. Despite his initial grogginess, I could tell James was glad to be here. He sat up straighter as he took in our surroundings. We got out of the car together, but James paused. He bent over as if he was going to puke. I heard him sucking in a deep breath.

“I’ll set up camp while you take it easy,” I said.

“I can help…” he tried.

“You are in no condition to help,” I told him as I took the pineapple camping chair out of the car and set it up. James hesitated at first, but eventually relented. He sat down in the camping chair with a sigh of relief.

As I set to work assembling the tent and taking our things out of the car, I could feel James’s eyes on me. His expression was a mixture of gratitude and guilt.

After a while, James began to feel better. The fresh air and the promise of adventure must have revitalized his spirits. With newfound energy, he joined me in setting up the tent, his strong hands deftly maneuvering the poles into place.

Together, we gathered firewood and other supplies. We worked side by side as we prepared for the night ahead.

Once our campsite was set up, I noticed the signs warning of bears in the area. James caught me staring at them, and he couldn’t resist making light of the situation.

“Looks like we’ll have to keep an eye out for bears trying to raid our snacks after all,” he quipped, a playful grin dancing on his lips.

His comment made me chuckle. “Yeah, let’s hope they’re more interested in our picnic basket than in us,” I replied, trying to mask the underlying unease with humor.

“No bear will eat me after all the alcohol I drank last night. I’m sure I’d taste terrible.”

That made me laugh.

“And if they are going to eat our food… we should eat theirs. Let’s go fishing!”

“Are you good at it?” I asked.

“My dad used to take me fishing all the time,” James reminisced, a nostalgic smile lighting up his features. “He always said there’s something special about being out on the water, waiting for that first bite.”

That made me want to try it.

“Those sound like good memories. I don’t really know how to fish.”

“I’ll teach you!” James said eagerly.

Despite my lack of experience, I was eager to learn, especially with James as my patient and knowledgeable teacher.

With James’s encouragement, we made our way to a nearby fishing spot. He carried the fishing rods. The tranquil beauty of the lake reflected the trees and clouds. And there were several canoes that we could rent.

“We can fish out of a canoe,” James said.

The idea appealed to me, and I nodded eagerly in agreement.

“That sounds like a blast,” I replied, already imagining the thrill of casting our lines into the water.

As we made our way toward the canoe rental area, the hairs on the back of my neck stood up. I stopped walking and looked around.

I saw that same group of annoying kids from before. You’ve got to be kidding me. My discomfort spiked as I noticed them eyeing us. I shifted my weight from one foot to the other. Sensing my unease, James didn’t hesitate to confront them.

“What are you looking at?” he called out.

The kids scrambled away. They disappeared into the trees.

I felt better once they were out of sight. But I couldn’t shake the feeling that those kids were up to no good. Their sudden appearance had put a damper on our otherwise enjoyable day.

Nothing bad would happen… but I still had a sick feeling in my stomach.