Setting up camp

Despite some navigation issues from car number two, they all eventually made it to camp in good time.

As Jess’s car pulled up, Macca almost fell out of the side of the car as he opened up the passenger door. They laughed at him as he pulled out the flask from his back pocket, “Hope we all fucking brought enough.”

Jess getting out of the front seat, came around the car and snatched the flask off him. She gave it a light shake and realised it was empty, “You bastard, you drank all of that on the trip here??”

Shrugging, Macca stumbled forward, getting his balance back.

“He was absolutely hopeless with directions and Tiff wasn’t much in the back,” Jess said, shaking her head.

The entire trip, Tiffany was locked in on her laptop, focusing on her studying, not looking out of the window once to see where they were. Jess could have driven them all to Mexico and Tiffany wouldn’t have known any better.

Locating the best spot to set up in this isolated area of land near the water, the crew grabbed out everything they could from the cars.

“Sooo sleeping situation?” Ali asked.

“Well we’ve got a big tent that can definitely fit three inside, also have two, two-man tents that we could probably get away with putting three inside and a solo swag for whoever what’s to be alone sleeping,” Mark explained, everything in front of them.

“But who’s bunking with who?” Jackson asked.

Miranda scrunched up her face as soon as he asked that, knowing very well that there was no chance that she would sleep in the same tent as her latest ex-flame.

“Well I don’t care who I’m bunking with but I’m not setting up a tent,” Jess said, hands on hips, “Driving here was my contribution.”

“Alright little miss princess,” Ali mocked her, laughing.

Macca walked over to them, a bit easier this time, “It’s basically summer, I’ll sleep bloody anywhere, don’t care if it’s outside.”

Without any official sleeping groups decided, the gang all began to work on setting up each tent and deciding as they sent.

Just by the way certain people worked with others to put up the tents, the groups began to work themselves out organically. Mark found himself working with Tiffany to set up what would end up being used as a three-person tent.

Next to them, Ali watched Daniel fiddle with the tent poles, unable to work out how it all worked. He was getting tangled in all the materials and starting to get frustrated with the process.

She laughed as she came up behind him and grabbed the poles from his hands, “You’ve never been camping before you, that’s obvious.”

Daniel shook his head, his cheeks slightly red, embarrassed as if this made him look like less of a man.

“This stuff is all me, camping, fishing, hiking, you name it,” Ali explained, “The great outdoors, I just love it out here.”

“Well I couldn’t be any more different,” Daniel told her, “My family would never stay in anything less than a 5 star hotel.”

“So they wouldn’t be caught dead out here?”

Daniel chucked, “Not even if you paid them for it.”

Eventually they worked everything out with Daniel basically watch Ali put it all together piece by piece. The sophomore boy stood behind with the instruction manual, no help whatsoever.

“Have you got someone to share with yet?” she then asked him.

“Uhh umm no,” he stuttered at first, getting lost in her eyes.

She knew he wouldn’t ask her himself so Ali took the bull by the horns, asking him first. He smiled and once again allowed his cheek to turn another shade of red.

“Sure we can bunk together then,” Ali smiled back.

As Ali took a step back and admire the view of her hard work, Mark and Tiffany finished putting up another tent, just a little bit closer to the river’s edge.

“Thanks for coming Tiff,” he told her, fixing up the final touches of the tent, “It means a lot that you were willing to come out here at this time.”

“Only because it was you that asked me,” she smiled.

He didn’t know why but everytime she smiled at him, Mark felt his heart melt. She had such a bright energy about her to match that natural beauty. Even when she was focused solely on her studying, just her presence was enough to lift the mood of everyone.

“This looks big enough for three?” Jess’s voice then appeared from behind them.

The brunette had her hands on her hips, smiling at the three-man tent that was already set up. She walked forward and put a hand on both of their shoulders, “Can I pleaseee stay with you two?”

“I don’t know Mark,” Tiffany turned to face him, “What do you think?”

“Hmm might be a bit too tight and cramp with three bodies in there, don’t know Jess,” he replied.

She laughed, slapping his butt playfully, “Now I know that’s a lie, you’d never turn down a sleeping arrangement like that with me and Tiff.”

He smirked, she had him there. Mark would have been happy to share a tent with any of the girls here but he had to say, ending up with Jess and Tiffany was arguably the best result of the lot.

Looking over at the rest of the group, Mark immediately noticed Jackson taking the swag, keeping his distance from the other set up tents. He then saw Ali and Daniel setting up there’s while Miranda and Winter fiddled with their own two-man tent, slowly getting it done.

Macca who was determined that he would sleep in the back of someone’s car was already stripping off his shirt and making his way down to the lake for a swim.

The pairing ups were interesting to say the least…