“We’ve been searching for half an hour, where could he have gone?” Ty asked.
“I don’t know,” AJ said.
They kept going. It was so dark and their flashlights were barely able to light their way.
“When I find him, I’m gonna kill him,” Ty said, suddenly angry. “I told him to stay close!”
AJ turned his flashlight to his left. “Hey, I think I see something!” he said excitedly.
“Where?”
“Over there! By that tree.”
Ty broke into a run headed for the tree, AJ right behind her.
“Nick!” she screamed, dropping to her knees beside him. “Omigod, Nick, wake up!” She pressed her ear to his chest and sighed with relief when she heard a heartbeat.
“Is he okay?” AJ asked, fear in his voice.
Ty didn’t answer. She checked for injuries instead. Finding none, she gently shook him.
“Nick, it’s me, Ty. AJ’s here too, can you hear me?”
Nick moaned and moved his head from side to side.
“He’s okay?” AJ pressed.
“He’s fine, I think he just fainted.”
“Dark...ghosts...animals...” Nick babbled.
“Can you sit up?” Ty asked.
Slowly, very slowly, and with the help of Ty and AJ, he was able to sit up.
“Are you okay?” Ty asked.
“I’m fine, I just got turned around and couldn’t find my way back to camp. And then my flashlight died, and something brushed my leg...”
“Shhh, it’s okay,” Ty said soothingly. “As long as you’re all right.”
“I’m fine,” Nick assured her. “I just want to get back to camp.”
“Let’s get you up then,” AJ said.
Together they got Nick to his feet. Ty then forced Nick to look at her.
“You don’t have a headache or anything?”
“No, I’m perfectly okay.”
AJ took a step back, he knew what was coming next.
Ty nodded. “Good. Then,” she paused. “Are you out of your mind?!” she yelled in his face. “I thought we’d lost you! For crying out loud, I told you to stay close!”
Nick had expected the yelling, he knew he’d get it from Ty. What he didn’t expect was for her to yell and then kiss him, like she was doing at the moment.
AJ’s jaw dropped as Ty pulled Nick close and kissed him hard on the lips.
“Da-yum!” AJ drawled when she moved away. “Remind me to get lost tomorrow night.”
Ty whirled on him and jabbed her finger in his face. “Don’t you dare!”
Howie, Brian and Kevin came running towards them.
“My God, girl, we could hear you a mile away!” Brian exclaimed. “We see you found him.”
“You missed out on the good part,” AJ said. “She kissed him!”
“You did what?” was the shocked response.
Nick was speechless and Ty just nodded. “I was happy to see him, now let’s get back to camp.”
The group followed their guide back to the campsite. While the Boys got the fire going
again, Ty excused herself and walked to the edge of the stream. Kevin watched her sit
down and bury her head in her hands. A moment later, they could all hear her crying.
What about, they didn’t know.
