OF ALL THE CAMPSITES, IN ALL THE WORLD

Chapter 3 

When I stirred in the morning, I stretched and opened my eyes. Hani was gone, but Ally was still sound asleep beside me. I could smell bacon and hash browns being cooked. I quickly grabbed my sweats that I had shed through the night and opened the tent flap. I saw Hani, Brian, Nick, AJ and Howie all sitting around the picnic table, making breakfast. I pulled my shoes on and crawled out of the tent, stretching along the way.

“Please don’t tell me that you guys have been up for hours?” I asked as I walked over to the table. I sat between Brian and Howie and rested my head on Brian’s shoulder.

“No, just long enough to get things ready for breakfast.” Hani replied from her perch on Nick’s lap. “Allyson still sleeping?”

“Like a log.” I said closing my eyes. “Why are we up so early?”

“Because it is a beautiful day out and we should be enjoying it and not sleeping it away.” Brian said cheerfully.

I sat up and turned to him, “It is way too early for you to be so darn cheerful.” I grumbled.

“You really are not a morning person are you?” Howie asked from my other side as he poked me in the ribs.

I jumped, “I am when I want to be. And don’t tickle me.” I laughed as I poked him back. He got off the bench of the picnic table and ran to the other side. He stood behind Nick and smiled at me, daring me to come after him. “It’s too early for this Howie. You don’t want to start with me.” I warned.

Howie reached in front of Nick and dipped his hand into the pail of water that was there and splashed it at me. Laughing, he ran to the other campsite. I ran after him catching him just as he reached their tent. He quickly went inside, daring me to follow him.

“All right Howie, you think that it is too early for me to go in there and get my revenge. Think again.” I said as I jumped inside, landing right beside Kevin.

“Morning.” He said sleepily.

“Did I wake you?”

“No, Howie did.” He rolled over and stretched, “Thanks D.”

“Hey no problem.” Howie chuckled as he crawled out of the tent.

“How did you sleep?” I asked as I sat up and crossed my legs.

“Not bad, until Howie came in here. You?” Kevin reached for his T-shirt as he threw the sleeping bag back.

The sight of his body, sent a bolt of electricity run through me. I shivered a little, even though it was warm in the tent. “Very well. Dreamt about you all night though.” I confessed.

I could see Kevin smiling, “Oh, really, do tell.”

I laughed, “I don’t think so. We don’t know each other that well yet.”

We joined the rest of the gang outside, by this time, Ally had made herself over to the table as well. We all helped get breakfast together and then ate quickly. While the guys got ready, us girls cleaned up the dishes. Then while we were getting ready, the guys cleaned up the sites. Putting everything away that could be stolen while we were gone. An hour after we all woke up we piled into two vehicles with Kevin, Hani, Nick and Brian in my Pathfinder in the lead. Ally, AJ and Howie followed in the car that the guys had rented for their stay here.

Kevin was driving under my direction. We made it to Banff in a couple of hours, stopping along the way to see whatever animals were along the roadside. We lucked out and even saw a small black bear. The first place that I wanted to take them all was to the Banff Springs Hotel. This hotel was amazing. It was easily a couple of hundred years old, beautiful and even rumored to be haunted. Everyone was stunned when we pulled into the parking lot. Kevin grabbed my hand as we made our way into the hotel and walked around all the little shops that were there. The guys were recognized by a few fans, but for the most part, were left alone. We stopped at several of the stores and the guys bought so much stuff. We teased them that they were going to have to buy more luggage to get the stuff home. They even spent a little on us girls. Nick bought Hani a beautiful bracelet that he saw in the window of one of the jewelry stores. Hani tried to stop him, but Nick wasn’t hearing her. He bought it right away and put it on her right there. It sparkled from the light hitting the diamonds. AJ bought a watch for Ally that she fell in love with when she saw it. It was a Gucci watch that had diamonds in the face for numbers. Just as Hani had tried to stop Nick, Ally tried to stop AJ. It was just way too much for only knowing her for such a short time. He wouldn’t hear of it.

We had passed by another jewelry store and I saw a necklace that had a huge diamond solitaire on it. I had always wanted one of those, but could never justify the price on one. I always thought that it should be the man that I loved that bought it for me. I stopped when I saw the necklace, pulling Kevin to a stop with me. I stood staring at the necklace and didn’t notice that Kevin had disappeared. The others were watching him in the store and once they realized what he was doing, they got my attention away from the diamond so that the clerk could get it for Kevin. I was standing at the window of the store across from the jewelry store looking at some blankets that Brian found. The next thing that I knew, Kevin was putting the necklace around my neck.

“Kevin, you didn’t.” I whispered as my hand went to my throat where the diamond rested.

“Of course I did. It looks beautiful.” He said as he kissed me lightly. “Now, what else is there to do in this town?”

I choked back the tears that threatened to fall and directed everyone out of the hotel. We got back into the vehicles and headed into town. We managed to find two parking stalls together and walked out into the heart of Banff. There was so much to see that we spent the rest of the day in Banff. We went into every shop that was on Main Street. The guys bought even more stuff and still more for us girls. They were going to make it very hard to say goodbye at the end of the week.

It stuck in the back of my head about Kevin wanting to stick around and get to know me better. I was too scared to bring it up and decided that I should just let him do it. We all were having so much fun that when we finally decided to head for dinner, it was after eight o’clock. We found a nice little Italian restaurant and decided that was where we were would eat. It was just a tiny restaurant, we almost took up the whole place. But the food was great, the guys paid for everything after a brief argument over the bill.

After dinner, we headed back to the campsite. It was almost midnight by the time that we got back. Even though it had been a long day, we all were still wide-awake. When we got out of the truck, I felt a little chilly, so I went to get changed while the guys started a fire. I pulled on my sweats, my favorite sweater and my wool socks. Now I was ready to sit by the fire. Just as I was reaching for the zipper on the tent flap, I heard someone approach.

“Kevin, if that’s you, you are too late, I am dressed.” I joked as I opened the tent flap.

“Nope, not Kevin.” Brian said.

“Hey Brian, what’s up?” I asked as I sat down, half in the tent and half out, to put my shoes on.

“Well, everyone else has gone for a walk down to the lake, but I wanted to talk with you first.” He said as he sat at the picnic table.

I didn’t like the sound of his voice. And me being me, I was instantly worried. “What’s wrong Brian?”

“Well, you know that Kevin and I are cousins.” He started. I nodded my head as I sat down beside him. “And I love him like a brother. These past few years with him have been the best. I don’t try to father him, because he is older than I am and he knows better. But I have to look out for him.”

I looked at Brian, “Brian, before we get into this I think that I should tell you that, you are scaring me to death. I worry. There is nothing that I can do to stop it that is just me. Please just tell me what is the matter.” I begged.

“I was wondering what your intentions are with Kevin.” He whispered.

I smiled as I grew quiet and remembered my conversation with Kevin the night before. I reached over for Brian’s hand and looked him right in the eyes. “Brian, I appreciate that you love Kevin so much. And let me assure you, at this point, right here and now, if Kevin asked me jump off the highest mountain around here, I would do it in a heartbeat. I didn’t think that love at first sight was possible, but now I know that it is. I don’t know what is going to come of this, but I am dreading the end of the week and having to say goodbye to all of you, especially Kevin.” I finished.

Brian smiled back at me and raised my hand to his lips. “That is all that I needed to hear.” He replied.

We grabbed a flashlight and headed down to the lake. Where we arrived just in time to see Howie throw Nick in, fully clothed. We goofed around at the lake for a bit and then made our way to the site and warmed up. We sat around just talking for awhile then we all retired. Just as I was getting up, AJ held me back. We were the last ones to stand.

“Talk with me for a second Sydney.” He said.

I sighed as I realized what he wanted to talk with me about. “What’s up AJ?”

Everyone else was gone. Ally was dawdling around outside our tent so that she could have a last goodnight from AJ. “Well, I was just wondering how things are going with Kevin.” He started a little shyly.

“Things are fine.” Was all I offered. When I went to stand up, he once again pulled me down. “What is it AJ?”

“Well, I just want to look out for Kevin. I don’t want him to get hurt.” AJ said.

“AJ, I am not going to hurt Kevin. I am in love with him.” I stated. That was the first time that I had said it in those words.

“You love him after only two days?” AJ asked.

I sat quietly thinking about what I had just said. “Yes I do.” I said finally. “Like I told Brian earlier, I didn’t think it was possible. And right now, I would do anything for him.”

AJ seemed satisfied with what I had said. “Good.” He stood up and smiled at me, “I don’t mean to be nosy, but I have to look out for him.”

I reached over and hugged AJ. “I understand.”

We both went our separate ways and said goodnight. I had just crawled into my sleeping bag and gotten comfortable when I heard someone whispering for me outside. “Sydney.”

I rolled back over and peeked outside to come face to face with Nick. “I am trying to sleep Nick, what’s going on?”

“Can I talk with you for a minute?” He asked.

I stared hard at Nick for a minute before I answered. “Sure, I’ll be right out.” I replied and crawled back to put my shoes on. I went back out into the dark night to see Nick waiting for me by a tree. “What’s up?”

He put his arm around my shoulder and led me to the road. “I uhhh ... well, I was just wondering how things are going with Kevin?”

I stopped dead in my tracks. “What is it with you guys? I know that you love Kevin like a brother, but couldn’t you all have cornered me at once?” I said a little loud.

“What are you talking about?” Howie asked from behind us.

“You too?” I cried. “Look, I will tell you two the same thing that I told Brian and AJ.” I quieted down so that I wouldn’t wake anyone up. I walked over to the picnic table that Kevin and I sat at the night before. Howie and Nick following me. “I didn’t think that it was possible but I have fallen in love with him. To some extent. How it happened, I don’t know. I most certainly am not going to analyze it and try to figure it out. I am going to embrace it and do what ever I can to make things work. If Kevin came out here right now and asked me to jump of a cliff, I would.” I stated. I looked from Nick to Howie and then back, “Anymore questions, gentleman?” I didn’t mean to sound rude, but I figured that if Kevin wanted them to know, then he would have told them.

“No that about does it.” Nick replied.

Well, I have one. Why are you so protective of him?” I asked.

Howie looked at Nick and then took a deep breath, “You probably heard about Beth. He got hurt really bad by her and we just don’t want that to happen again. We all love Kevin like he was a brother. And we want to protect him.” Howie finished.

I sighed heavily, “You guys, I appreciate that you are just looking out for Kevin. I really do. And I don’t want to step on any toes or anything here, but Kevin is a big boy. He can look after himself.” I looked at Howie and Nick across from me. “But I assure you guys that I will do whatever I can to not hurt him. I don’t want to do that.” I smiled at them, “Now can I go to bed please?”

They both laughed as they nodded their heads. “Go ahead.”

We all stood up and I went over to Howie and Nick. “You guys are the best, don’t ever lose what you five have.” I said as I hugged Howie first and then Nick.

The guys walked me over to my tent and left me with a kiss. I crawled into my sleeping bag, exhausted. It had been a long day with the promise of the following day being even longer. The guys wanted to head out to Maligne Canyon and do some hiking. It was a couple of hour’s drive away and a good four or five hour hike, depending on the trail that you took.

I fell into a deep sleep and was surprised when I woke up and found that Hani and Ally were all ready up. I stretched and reached for my watch, bolting up when I saw that it was almost ten o’clock. I never sleep that late. I quickly pulled on my shoes and went outside. Everyone was sitting around the picnic table just finishing breakfast.

“Well, there she is. I thought that you always were up early?” Kevin asked as he came to my side and kissed me.

I kissed him back and made myself a plate of breakfast. “Had I been able to sleep last night, I probably would have been up early.” I said pointing my comment to AJ, Nick and Howie. All three of them just smiled at me.

“What?” Kevin questioned.

I shook my head, “Nothing. Don’t worry about it.” I brushed it off with a wave of my hand.

“So what’s on tap for today?” Brian asked as he started to clean up.

“Well,” I started as I put a piece of bacon in my mouth. “You guys wanted to go to Maligne Canyon. That is a couple of hours drive and then quite the hike, so I think that we should just get going.” I finished. Kevin had brought over some eggs for me and was about to put them on my plate. “No. I hate eggs.”

“Really?” He said

“Mmmm. Haven’t eaten an egg in probably 15 years.” Then I laughed as I realized how old that made me appear. “Fifteen years, that kind of dates me a little huh?”

“Well you better hurry up so that we can get going.” Ally said as her and Hani went to load things into the truck.

Forty-five minutes later we were on our way. The guys had gotten some food together while I had changed and Hani and Ally put things away. Kevin was driving once again, with Ally, AJ and Brian in my truck. Nick, Hani and Howie followed in the car. We made it to the Canyon and all filed out. There were a few younger kids around and they recognized the guys. Who were more than gracious and signed a few autographs.

It took a good part of the day to hike the trail and back. We stopped after a couple of hours to eat and rest. It was a good work out. We all found out that we were out of shape somewhat. Of course the guys were not as bad because of the workouts they get on stage. But they used different muscles and they could feel it.

We headed back to camp just before dinnertime. Stopping at a little town on the way for some dinner. By the time that we made it back to the campsite, the sun was just starting to go down. Brian and Nick started a fire as we gathered around the fire pit.

“You know, I am so glad that I thought of this little camping trip.” I said as I sat beside Kevin reaching for his hand.

“Me too.” Hani and Allyson both agreed.

“When do you guys head back to Leduc?” Nick asked.

“Three days.” Hani whispered.

“You want some company?”

Hani looked at Nick, then turned to me. I in turn looked at Kevin. I didn’t mind if Nick came to be with Hani and I was sure that AJ would come to be with Ally. “I would love to come.” Kevin replied, answering the question in my eyes.

--> chapter 4 

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