Camping

First chapter of my novel 'Livvy'.

“This is it?” Clarissa asked disgusted.
“Yep,” Livvy replied, laughing at Clarissa’s horrified expression.
“I’m guessing you’ve never been camping before Clara?” Justin asked, cocking his eyebrow.
Clarissa just shook her head.
Livvy looked over at Clarissa’s worried expression, then out over the small patch of bare land before them that they would be using as their camp sight. It was covered in short grass and you could hear the sound of a river just a couple of meters away.
“Come on Clarissa, it’ll be fine,” Mark said, kissing her gently on the cheek.
“Okay, if you say so,” Clarissa said uncertainly.
“Yes, I say so,” Livvy said jokingly.
“Let’s set up camp,” Justin suggested.
The four friends made their way over to Livvy’s car and began to un-pack their things.
How Clarissa would survive here, Livvy would never actually know.

“Mark, I stand by, you can’t sing!” Livvy groaned.
Clarissa just giggled. “Don’t worry,” she said. “I still love you.”
Mark went red, then seemed to take immense interest in the crackling bush fire in front of them.
Livvy looked over and saw Justin sitting just across the fire from her, looking into it.
He glanced up, saw her and smiled.
Livvy was amazed at how his blue eyes looked so mystical in the bright red light.
“Livvy! Earth calling Livvy, you there Livvness?” Called Clarissa.
Livvy looked up. “Oh sorry,” she said sheepishly.
“We’re toasting marshmallows,” Mark declared, holding up a stick - no make that a branch - laden with about twenty marshmallows!
“I hope you packed a few hundred packets,” Justin muttered. He must of noticed Mark’s sweet tooth too.
Livvy reached over and picked up a stick with two forks. “Perfect for marshmallows,” she declared.
Livvy walked over to where Clarissa was holding a bag full of the pink and white clouds. Livvy picked six white ones.
“What you don’t like pink?” Justin asked.
“Nup. Do I come across as a pink kinda girl?” Livvy asked with a smile.
Justin’s glanced over Livvy in her white t-shirt, black pants and scuffed sneakers. “I guess not,” he replied with a laugh.
Justin grabbed the pink marshmallows Livvy hadn’t and put them onto a stick. Then he went back to his seat and thrust the stick into the fire.
“Stupid marshmallows,” Clarissa muttered.
“What?” Livvy asked, popping one of her own warm, brown marshmallows into her mouth.
“I burnt my marshmallows,” Clarissa replied, sighing.
Livvy giggled.
“Here,” Mark said. “Have one of mine.”
Clarissa smiled and took one of Mark’s marshmallows, putting it into her mouth and rolling the sweetness around in her mouth.
“I think it’s time to hit the hay,” Justin said with a yawn.
Livvy glanced at her watch. “Woah, yeah!” She said. “It’s 2 am!”
Justin walked over to where they had a bucket of water for when they put out the fire. He dropped it over the flames and they sizzled out.
Mark and Livvy switched on a torch.
“Let’s go,” Livvy said.
Under Clarissa’s parent’s rules, the girls where to be in one tent and the girls in the other.
The all said goodnight to one another and went into their tents.

“Wake up!” Came a voice from outside Livvy’s tent.
“Argh, piss off!” She moaned, rolling over.
The tent flap opened and Justin and Mark stepped inside.
“Wake up!” They yelled.
“Geez! It’s only 7!” Clarissa groaned.
“Yes, and we are going on a walk after breakfast,” Mark announced grinning.
Clarissa threw a pillow at him.
“Hey!” He exclaimed.
Livvy stood up and stretched. “Alright, we’re coming, just let us get dressed,” she said shooing them out.
“Okay, okay, we’re going. You have ten minutes.” Justin said, putting his hands up in surrender. “We’re going to make breakfast.”
“We are?” Mark asked surprised. As far as anyone had known, Mark had never cooked anything in his life.
“Yes, so we can go on our walk,” Justin said plainly.
“Out!” Clarissa screeched.

After Clarissa and Livvy had gotten dressed and the four friends had had breakfast, they headed out on their hike.
The morning air was crisp and fresh, yet it was a little cold. Flowers bloomed everywhere and the trees were starting to get their green leaves back.
Clarissa screamed.
“What?!” Mark asked, rushing over to her. “Are you hurt?”
“It’. A. Spider.” Clarissa squeaked out.
Mark looked at where she was pointing and burst out laughing.
“What?” Justin asked.
“It’s tiny!” Mark declared.
Justin looked over and started laughing. The spider was about 2mm in diameter and didn’t seem particularly lethal.
“It’s big!” Clarissa exclaimed.
“Hey,” Justin said suddenly. “Where’s Liv?”
Mark stopped laughing and looked around. “Good question,” he said.
“Livvy?” Justin called. “Olivia!?”
No answer.
“Oh crap, we’ve lost her.”

*****

Livvy walked through the forest, keeping her eyes on the path, when she realized that it was to quiet. Looking around, she noticed that Mark, Justin and Clarissa weren’t there.
“But they were just here,” she thought.
Livvy turned around and started running back towards the way she had come.
Suddenly, the ground gave way and she felt herself falling. She screamed, then felt the heard ground knock the wind out of her.
She had been knocked out.

*****

“Livvy! Livvy where are you?” Clarissa called frantically.
“Damn it Livvy! Where the hell are you?” Justin yelled.
Mark, Justin and Clarissa had now been looking for Livvy for several hours. They had gone back to camp and them up again, practically everywhere around their camp site!
“She’s not here,” Mark declared exasperated.
“She has to be here!” Clarissa exclaimed, nearly in tears.
“What are we gunna do?” Justin asked, head in his hands.
Justin sat down on a boulder a little way off.
Mark shrugged. “Dunno. Go back to camp and phone the police I guess.”
Justin stood up and walked over to Mark.
“No!” Justin yelled. “We have to find her now!”
“We can’t Justin,” Mark said calmly.
“We have to!” Justin exclaimed.
“No,” Mark said.
Justin pretended not to hear Mark and kept on walking.
“Justin, wait,” called Mark, grabbing Justin by the shoulder.
“Get off,” Justin grunted, shoving Mark’s hand away.
Justin kept walking towards the deeper part of the bush.
“You’re not gunna help Liv by going after her,” Clarissa said.
“So what? We’re gunna sit on our fat a*s’ and wait for the police to come?! Do you know how long that might take?!” Justin screamed.
“Justin, stop it, please!” Clarissa cried, tears streaming down her face. “I want to find her too! Livvy is one of my best friends!”
“Fine!” Justin said. “You two can go back and wait for the cops ‘til the cows come home, but I’m going to find Livvy now!”
With that, Justin ran out into the bush.
“Justin!” Clarissa screamed after him.
He didn’t turn around.
“Just leave him Clara, come on, we need to call the police,” Mark said, pulling Clarissa into a hug.


*****

“Stupid so called friends,” Justin spat to himself out loud. “I’d rather find Livvy by myself. Seems like I’m the only one she can depend on right now.”
That was pretty true, Livvy’s parents seemed to only care about her grades and how well she did at school, not her as a person. The main people who supported her were Justin, Clarissa, Mark and her horse-riding instructor - Tanya.
Justin pushed his way past the branches and vines. Perspiration beading on his forehead. He wiped at it with the back of his sleeve.
“Where are you Livvy?” He muttered under his breath.
Suddenly, Justin felt the ground give way. He let out a cry of surprise.
“Ooff!” He cried as he landed on the hard ground with a thud.
He stood up and brushed himself off.
“Ouch,” he said rubbing the back of his head.
He didn’t seem hurt, so he kept on walking.
“Livvy!” He called as he walked. “Olivia! Are you here?”
Just then, Justin spied something that looked like a log, but it had what looked likes cloths on, on the riverbank.
“Olivia,” he murmured.
Then, he was off. Running faster than he had ever ran in his life.
The shape was Livvy.
“Livvy!” He cried, looking at the motionless body. Her hair splayed all over her face.
He felt the side of her neck for a pulse, there was a faint yet regular one.
“Oh my God Livvy!” Justin cried. “Please be okay!”
Justin knelt down beside Livvy and smoothed her hair out of her face.
Scratches lined her face in every which way and there was one huge gash on her right cheek.
“Okay,” Justin said to out loud himself. “Gotta call and ambulance.”
Justin pulled out his mobile phone and dialed triple zero with shaking fingers.
“Hello,” came a voice over the phone. “Police fire or ambulance?”

The paramedics lifted the stretcher Livvy was lying on into the helicopter. Clarissa was in tears, leaning against Mark for support. Mark had his arm around Livvy’s waist, looking shocked.
Justin was standing a little way away, feeling numb.
“Hey Just, you okay?” Mark asked, coming up next to him.
“Yeah, I think so,” Justin replied.
“Come one, let’s go home, then we can go to the hospital and see how Livvy is going,” Mark said.
Justin nodded and followed Mark and Clarissa towards their campsite.
Justin felt the first few tears fall, before brushing them away and putting on a brave face.
“I have to stay strong for Livvy,” he said to himself.