Thank you all for your kind words about my first story. It definitely got a better reaction than I anticipated. As for this story, it is just the beginning of Skye and Ryan's vacation. Parts 2 and 3 are currently being worked on. Special thanks to Smuttyandfun for taking a look and giving some advice.
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As I sat in my apartment with my bag packed up and ready to go, I tried to stay positive about the weekend ahead.
"It'll be just as fun as it always is," I kept telling myself. But the message rang hollow. It didn't seem like that was going to be possible.
The trip I had packed for was the annual McCormick boys camping excursion, and it was typically something I looked forward to every year. At its inception, it started as a family thing. All four of us β mom; dad; my brother, George; and myself β packed into our car and drove to Pisgah National Forest in the Appalachian Mountains for a weekend under the stars.
Back then, I was far less enthused about the whole thing. I was only 10, and the idea of four days without screens was unfathomable to me. It honestly felt like I was being grounded. The seven hour drive certainly didn't help.
It took all of one night to completely change my mind, though. I fell in love with it all. The crackling campfire, a sky full of stars that you couldn't see back at home, and the sugar overload from eating my weight in s'mores. We have gone back every year since then.
Well, at least my brother, my dad, and I have. My mom decided it wasn't her thing after the first year. She didn't enjoy being eaten alive by bugs, so it became an annual boys weekend. Still, it was the biggest constant in my life as things changed around me. It didn't change when George left for college, when he graduated and moved from Richmond to just outside Washington DC, or when I finally shipped off to college myself β we always made sure to carve out time for this trip. Just the three of us.
Not this year, though. It started last month when George said he was bringing his new husband, Colin, along. Their wedding was this past fall, and Colin is a huge outdoors guy himself. I was excited about the addition, honestly. Colin is a lot of fun, and all of us got along really well. There was also the fact that he had his own tent, which would mean we no longer had three people sleeping in a two-person tent. An all around win.
But three days before the trip, something else happened to change the roster. Dad threw out his back lifting weights (at least, that's what he told us). It wasn't anything super serious, but it was enough of an issue that he couldn't come with us. Sleeping on the ground doesn't help a slipped disc, I guess. And that's how our McCormick boys camping trip went from being the highlight of my year into something I was dreading. The way I saw it, I had become the third wheel for two newlyweds.
** BUZZZ **
I looked down at my phone and saw a text from my brother.
"Running a bit late. Be there in 30. Colin brought Skye btw"
What?! I quickly texted him back asking for an explanation.
I wasn't the only one that was concerned about the new group dynamic. George didn't want me feeling like I was the add-on, so he talked to Colin about it, and they decided that bringing Skye along would make it less awkward.
That worked for me! I had only met Skye one time β during George and Colin's wedding β but it was a good time. She seemed like a nice girl, and we spent most of the reception talking. And I wasn't sure, but I also thought that I could detect a hint of flirting. We even danced a little.
There was also the fact that Skye was truly stunning. Skye and Colin's family was first generation Chinese, yet she had a few freckles that really popped from her golden skin tone. It made her look a lot like Lucy Liu, if you are looking for a comparison. She had the most luminous smile I've ever seen, and the first time I saw it, my brain short circuited. Even though I was a good 14 inches taller than her 5'1" stature, that smile made me feel like I was about three feet tall. At the wedding, she wore a bright red dress with a very deep slit that showed off her legs, and she had her jet black hair up in a bun. I rarely took my eyes off of her.
I looked in the mirror and at the string bean with a crow's nest for hair.
Oh God, I look like a troll.
I wasn't expecting any female company on this trip, so it would be an understatement when to say that I looked rough. I did what I could; I untangled the mess that was my curly black hair, and I shaved. Sure, my stubble would come back while on the trip, but I at least wanted to make a good first impression.
At 11:45 PM, an hour after George sent the text, his Subaru finally pulled up to my apartment. I grabbed my bag and headed down to greet them, only George beat me to it and was in the lobby waiting for me.
"What's up, little bro?! Ready for an epic weekend?!" he said, punching me a little too hard in the arm.
"I'm just glad to be done with finals. But yeah, this should be fun. Even without Dad," I added.
"Don't be such a downer. It's gonna be a blast. And don't act like replacing dad with Skye is necessarily a downgrade. I saw you two at the wedding."
That got a chuckle out of me. For the record, George wasn't implying that he was glad Dad wasn't going to be there; I'm sure he was as disappointed as I was. But George had always been the most positive person I'd ever met. He is the kind of guy that can find a silver lining in the worst of situations, and his enthusiasm is infectious. He could convince me that a trip to the lowest circle of Hell would be a blast.
We walked down to the car and saw Skye and Colin getting out, both rubbing their eyes. I guess they had slept most of the two hour drive from D.C. to Richmond. Colin greeted me with a hand shake and went to help George figure out how to cram my bag in the already very tight trunk.
Even half asleep, I have to say, Skye was absolutely stunning. She was wearing a flowy denim skirt that went down close to her knees, and a black camisole. Her hair was up in a ponytail. She gave me a big hug and then flashed that smile of hers. Just like that, my brain was unable to function again.
"Hey...uh...Skye," I said, rubbing the back of my neck with my right hand.
"Hey, yourself! I hope you don't mind me crashing your guys trip."