Max and Lucy were twins who just celebrated their 18th birthday last week. They were both in their final year of college and it was getting very stressful. Both of them had a talent for academia, and were bookworms. Max was studying Chemistry, Physics, and Mathematics, whereas Lucy was studying Human Biology, Latin, and Sport Science.
Tensions were high in the house and it was Dad's idea to relieve the stress slightly with a sunny weekend in April to head for the campground. As a family, they hadn't been camping together for many years, although Max and his friends had frequently spent weekends in the summer break up in the hills, mostly so they could drink a few crates of beer without anyone monitoring them.
"Please can you grab the toast, I've got so much on right now" mum screamed to the rest of the family. No one replied. Dad was in the bathroom shaving, getting ready for work with music blaring, Max was getting his clothes on for college, and Lucy was just finished showering in her en-suite.
"Can anyone find my keys" Lucy whaled, but no one answered.
"Found them!" She replied to herself a few seconds later.
Dad had forgotten to book the camping, so on the way to work he dialed a few in the Green Springs National Park and they were booked in. A pitch for 4, its own enclosed, hedge covered, enclave on the campsite, Saturday night.
Just after lunch, Dad received a call from his mother who spoke in a very muffled tone "Sweetheart, your father has been taken ill and is on his way to Mason's Gate as we speak." He always referred to his parents as mother and father, as it was instilled in him as a child. Mason's Gate is a private hospital, 10 minutes from their country house in Surrey. It was unclear what the symptoms of his fathers illness were, however he knew it must be serious as the man was the living antonym of a hypochondriac, often as a child being reassured that and injury or illness could be cured at home.
Dad left work immediately and made his way to collect mum from work, then they made the 2 hour drive to Surrey. Mum texted Max and Lucy, letting them know the weekend is cancelled and Grandad has been taken ill. Both of them were quite upset at both bits of news they had just received.
When Max an Lucy were younger, they were inseparable but as they had grown up, all through their teenage years, they hadn't spent so much time together.
Max texted Lucy "I know the parents aren't available this weekend, but seems a waste to cancel the camping as we rarely have weekends free anymore, shall the two of us just go and have a break from all this studying?"
"I'm not sure the last time I've been camping and I was really excited, yeah, let's go and have a well deserved break!" Lucy texted back.
They both had a half day on Fridays, mostly which consisted of private study, although Max would usually hang out with a few friends after college. Lucy arrived home just before 2. She was mid way through getting changed, then the hunger struck. She decided to quickly make some lunch in the kitchen, a bacon sandwich. She didn't know what time Max was home, but had taken the risk it wouldn't be in the next 10 minutes. She had underwear on, a light blue, lacey, matching set she had bought for an ex-boyfriend last year. She was covered by a baggy Guns n Roses T-shirt which she had borrowed from her brother's washing pile. She stood about 5'4", blonde long hair, which was usually tied up, and a sporty, slender physique.
As she was plating up her sandwich, Max walks through the door "Hello... I'm home", to which Lucy had to decide if she was going to run upstairs and get some clothes on, and take Max's T-shirt off, or play it cool and pretend like nothing happened. Before she had time to decide, max walked in to the kitchen "that smells great, can I have one of those, Luce!?" She went slightly red in the face and said "Sure, I'll pop a few more bits in, give me 5."
Max sat in front of the lounge, switching through what was on daytime tv. Lucy brought through his plate and they decided what to watch. Lucy suggested they watch Saltburn on Netflix, as neither of them had seen it yet. They finished lunch and started the film. They hadn't packed for camping yet, but decided there would be time before they left tomorrow.
They fell into a slumber on the sofa, which almost needed replacing as the cushions forced whoever was sat in it closer together. Lucy's head rested on Max's chest for most of the film, and Max had his arm over Lucy's stomach.
"Your six pack is pretty defined now, those evenings at the gym have really been paying off" Max said in a nonchalant tone. Lucy, always trying to impress her brother, blushed. "No need to make it weird" she replied, trying her best to conceal any excitement that compliment gave her.
The film had become quite sexual in nature, but it didn't phase either Max or Lucy. They made eye contact a few times, on the bathtub scene and the grave scene.
It was one of Lucy's secrets that a few months ago, she watched Max take a bath. She was just walking past and poked her head in, to see max alseep. From this day it had sparked a curiosity which she wanted more. Max was about 6' and quite muscular, yet not much definition, brown hair. The twins didn't look much alike, relative to other twins.
As they were lying on the sofa, she and max had fallen into more of a spooning position, unusual for the siblings. As Max's arm was innocently wrapped round Lucy's waist, she blushed. "Could he feel the energy too?" She thought to herself, not knowing Max's stomach was churning and there was this electric feeling between them.
Lucy made a bet with herself and turned round, almost felt like it was catching Max red handed. She kind of killed the vibe there and then, but tried to reconnect that feeling by saying "that film was surprising. A few times it had me feeling funny, tingly."
Max didn't quite know what to say "I... yeah..".
Their eyes locked and there was silence, Lucy looked at Max's lips and back to his eyes. There was a very strong tension that neither of them knew how to break. They moved slightly closer together, and Max felt a deep sense of guilt. He came to his senses that he wouldn't be able to undo this, and quickly pulled away. "Let's go and get our stuff ready for camping" he said to Lucy. Her heart sank. Had she just made a fool of herself, trying to tell herself not to be embarrassed. They packed all their stuff and got ready for bed.
They had decided to leave at 6.30am to arrive at Green Springs at about 12pm. Max drove the whole way, whilst Lucy browsed her phone, read her book, and wasted the time away on the long drive. As they pulled up to the gatehouse at the campsite it looked pretty empty.
The ranger spoke to them at the gate "hello, what name's the booking under?"
"It's under Pete, there were meant to be four of us but only us two made it" Lucy responded.
