Chapter 13: Campfire Stories

*(y/n)'s POV*


That night we were sitting by the warm campfire, listening to Cassidy play her guitar then she started to sing softly, when Penny says. "I've got serious munchies. Any chips left?" He starts to look around for any food. "Dude, you scarfed the whole fucking bag...have another hit." Hannah said as her and Finn smoke their cigarettes. "Yeah, yeah. I packed a fat bowl." He said as he picks up the bong and lights it.


"Are you getting tired, babe?" Ingrid asked Anders, who replies back to her in swedish.


"Whooaaa! You see that shit?!" Penny asked as he looks up into the starry sky. "It's a fuckin' UFO! I'm serious, man! Look!" He exclaims. "They're finally comin' to take you back!" Finn said after he takes a drag from his cigarette, and looks up in the sky. 
Cassidy continued to sing her song until I started to join in and sing with her. She smiles at this and the two of us just sang in harmony.


I took a piece of the puzzle


I took a soigne


I took both roads, everywhere they went


Now something's gotta give


If living


Is giving


I'm ready


I'm willing


Cassidy, strums the last notes on her guitar as she smiles over at me while everyone applauded us. "Tripped on a few words, but...y'all are baked, and (y/n) helped me, so I'm good." Cassidy said as you nod at her. "Good job, girls." Finn said.
"Soooo....beautiful! (Y/n), we didn't know you could sing!" Hannah said and I shrug at her. "I was a little cautious and embarrassed on how I sang but...." I said as I glance over at Sean and Daniel and smiled softly at them. "...I got over it." I finished and they smiled back at me.


"Damn. Why ain't you two rich and famous? I mean both of you could hook us up." Penny said and Cassidy and I laugh at this. "That was cool, girls." Sean said and I began to blush. "Thanks everyone! I take ass, cash or grass." Cassidy chuckles then she gives a fake cough and said. "Hint hint."


"Sean....take a puff and pass it to your friend." Finn said as he hands the smoke to Sean. "Nah...I'm-I'm good." Sean said then Finn tried to pass it to me. "No, I'm good as well." I said then Daniel tries to reach for it. "Daniel!" Sean and I exclaim at him. "No fucking way!" Sean said to him, firmly. "Jeez. I was just joking." Daniel grumbles as Finn stands up and hands the smoke to Penny. "Haha, you better be." Sean said.


"That is all for us. We must sleep." Ingrid announced as her and Anders get up. "Ah, there go the party animals!" Finn said. "What is it...ten o'clock?" He asked. "No worry, Finn, we'll party like rockstars tomorrow for our last night." Anders said. "Come on! One more round!" Finn begs but Ingrid and Anders bids us all a goodnight and head to their tent.


"Geez, I swear everytime you play that song, Cass...I see my poor Blackflag." Hannah said in a sad tone. "Aww, man. I'm sorry." Cassidy said. "Who's Blackflag?" Daniel asked. "It was my dog back in Colorado, until....last year?" She said as she looks over at Finn, questioning. "Yeah. Somethin' like that." He replied. "About a year ago, we were hopping a train...just me, Finn and Cass...and Blackflag. We got caught stealing some shit in some random town...motherfuckers called the cops on us. Had to run for it. We saw that train from afar and went straight at it, cops right behind us. We barely made it, but nobody was able to get Blackflag." said Hannah.


"God." I whispered as Hannah continues. "Yeah...I see him chasing after the train, yapping at me....But I left him there. That's it. End of story. I hope the cops picked him up, got him a better home. I think about that damn dog everyday" She sniffles for a moment before picking up a can and said. "Here's to Blackflag." Then everyone raises their can and drinks from it. 


"Um....I miss Mushroom. That was our rescue dog. She didn't make it with us." Daniel said, sadly, as I frown over at Daniel and pat his shoulder. "Aww....sweetie." Hannah said as she gives a sympathetic look towards him. "Jeez...sorry I ruined the mood." Hannah said. "Don't worry, Hans. We can do worse. Let's hear everybody's worst memory. Fair and square." Finn said.


"You serious?" Cassidy asked him. "Why the fuck not? We all need to say our piece, once in a while. Who's up?" Finn said as he looks around but no one offers. "Penny?" He asked and Penny nods. "Cool. Bust out the violins. Check this out....say hello to my little friend, Jinx. Met him dumpster diving in New Mexico. He was cool, but boy had issues. Mood swings, delirious, self-harm....fun shit like that. He seemed to get better with me. I think I loved him...he gave me this coin." Penny said as he holds up the coin that was hanging on a chain around his neck. 
"Said he never gave his trust to no ond before. We used to come here every now and then, hook up on cash. But he disappeared. A few miles north from here, in a pot farm just like this one. He went out one night, high as fuck, and zoom. That was the last time I saw him.  Now I gotta hold onto this fucking penny just in case...." Penny said, frowning, as he looks down at his necklace.


"Wow....wasn't there, like, an investigation, something?" Sean asked. "Fuck no. He didn't have no ID, no nothing. Cops don't give a fuck about us. I looked for him for awhile, but...I couldn't track him down." Penny replied. "That sucks, brother." Finn said.
"Shit like that happens around here." He adds. "Plus the guy needed medication." Hannah said and Penny nods. "Sure did. I just hope he's okay. Maybe I'll run into his crazy ass someday, who knows...it's a small world. I'll hand him back the trust that he gave me...." Penny said.


"All right, bad vibes indeed, can we do worse? Uh...Jake? Please?" Finn asked and Jake looks up at him. "Well...just don't laugh. I guess my worse memory is when I lost my faith...." Jake replied. "Yeah, you mentioned it....what happened?" Cassidy asked him. 


"I used to be a sheep. A true believer. I was raised in Haven Point, Nevada. Small community. We have this amazing Reverend, people lined up to listen to her. She's...intense. But for some reason, things....happened to me and I started doubting myself...It....kind of escalated. People said I was trouble, I couldn't get the answers I was looking for. Even from my own folks." Jake said. "I know the feeling." Hannah mutters as Jake continues.


"I felt so lost....wasn't sure what to believe anymore. So I left. I just...needed to be alone for awhile, you know? Find the truth by myself. I'm still looking for it." Jake said. "Jacob, my son, maybe we're the truth you were looking for...." Finn said and Jake smiles. "I'm glad I found you guys. I don't know if I'll ever go back there....not until I get a signal from God at least." Jake said. "I hope you can, bet your family misses you a lot...." Daniel said to him. "I miss them too, just not the other stuff." Jake said. 


"You probably did the right thing, I hope you find the space and answers you need..." I said to Jake. "Thank you, (y/n)..." Jake said, appreciatively, then he turns to Cassidy. "What about you, Cassidy?" He asked. "Your turn."


She shakes her head. "Nu uh...pass. I already sang a song." She said and Finn chuckles. "Figures. What about you, Sean? You obviously don't have to talk about that shitshow backnin Seattle, but, if you have something else...." Finn said. "Yeah. I've got a whole bag of these, don't worry." Sean replied. "We're all listening, man..." Finn said and Sean let's out a sigh.


"Well, this was a while before we met you guys in that market....we crashed at an abandoned house, with our pup, Mushroom. One morning she got out to pee, and disappeared. She had run into a fucking puma." Sean said and everyone's eyes widen. "No way!" Hannah said, shocked. "Swear." Sean said and I nod. "I was there. I can vouch." I said. "What the hell happened?" Penny asked. "I faced it like I'm facing you now. Our puppy was dead. There was nothing we could do..." Sean replied. "We failed her...poor puppy." Daniel said, sadly, and I wrap an arm around his shoulder. 


"Oh, fuck. I'm sorry, guys. That's awful." Hannah said, sympathetic. "Laws of nature--but...that still sucks. Cougars are beautiful creatures, but they're super scary." said Cassidy. "I was so afraid that it would hurt Daniel and (y/n), too..." Sean added and I give him a small smile. "I bet. A kid wouldn't stand a chance against one of these." Hannah said. Then she looks over at me. "What about you, (y/n)? You seem awfully quiet." She said and my body jerks a bit as I look up at the others. 


"Well...there is one thing...I haven't told anyone about it. You guys would be the first to know it." I said and they all lean in. "Go on..." Finn said and I down at the ground before I let out a heavy sigh. "Sooo...as you guys know, I was in foster care. A good chunk of my life was spent either at the orphanage or in between new families. When I was about Daniel's age, maybe a little older, I started to ask about my parents. The head lady, Mrs Robinson, only said that my mother dropped me off at the orphanage when I was just a few weeks old, not even a month old." I said and they all look at me, hanging onto every word.


"She only told me her name: Lydia. That's all she would give me. Well...I began to track her down. I figured she still had to be around town. So I searched for her and finally found her about two years later. I-I went to her place and my mind was racing...thinking what she would say, how she would react...would she be happy....would she be mad or sad....just crazy shit like that." I said and I let out another sigh.


"I showed up at her doorstep and asked her if she was Lydia. She said yeah and I asked her if she had a daughter about twelve years before and gave it up for adoption. The look on her face looked like I just threaten her with a gun. She was extremely shocked that I found her and...I was happy. I was hoping she would pull me in for a hug and welcome me in the home and keep me. But....I was dead wrong. She was like Why and how did you find me? I was confused when she asked me that and I told her I was looking for her because I wanted to be a family and I thought she'd be happy to have her daughter back. Long story short, she didn't want me...at all. She was about sixteen or seventeen when she had me and didn't want the responsibility. So she gave me a way and never looked back." I said.


"Holy shit!" Cassidy whispers.


"What about you dad? Did you ever find out about him?" Sean asked me. "I did ask her about him before she shoved me out of her house. She said he died from a car accident a couple of years after I was born. So I have a dead dad and a mom that didn't want to have anything to do with me. She basically shoved me out of her place like I was some sort of trash." I said as I look down at the ground in sadness when I felt Sean take my hand in his. I look over at him and he gives me a sympathetic look. 


I squeeze his hand in appreciation as Hannah shakes her head. "That's fucked up." She said. "Yeah, life us a bitch. We can only go with the flow. Like a river. It's why I'm not dragging around any bad memories." Finn said.


"Come on!" Cassidy said.


"Bull fucking shit man!" Hannah exclaims. 


"You started this shit, bitch! Don't punk out now." Penny said. 


"Listen, smartasses, I'm just saying you can't change the past, so you just gotta focus on what's next. Memories are just lessons for the future." Finn explains. "The future, huh? What's your big plan, Prophet?" Cassidy asked him. "Wanna know what my plan is? Picture this...a kick-ass beach house in Costa Rica. Sunshine, feet in the sand...sweet ocean view...we be one big, fucked up, happy, dysfunctional family! We just chill and sing and drink cocktails out of coconuts. Only thing we need is a little cash along the way and then....Boom!" Finn said then he laughs as Cassidy shakes her head.


"That's your dream? Beach house and coconuts?" She asked. "Oh, uh, too boring for you?" Finn asked her. "Sounds like my folks' retirement plan to Florida! I don't need anything else than what we already have! Sure we're working our asses right now, but we can beat it if we want! I'm not gonna settle down, no way. That's how shit starts, you know? When you start having things of your own. Things you ought to defend. Property. Land. Family. What do you think you're missing out on now?" Shs asked.


"Um, coconut cocktails?" Finn asked and I giggle a bit. "Well, agree to disagree, fucker!" Cassidy said. "Man, I'm too high for your shit. It's time to crash." Penny said as he gets up. "And Penny goes down! Peace out, brother." Finn said as Penny leaves the campsite. "Night night!" Cassidy said.


"Looks like we still have some booze left...who's in?" Hannah asked. "Oh, twist my arm." Finn chuckles. "A...teeny, tiny drink. And we need to talk about Sean's hippie hair. Boy needs a real haircut...." Cassidy said. "Oh hell yes he does!" Finn exclaims. "Now it's your turn to get a trim! Karma!" Finn said to Sean, who just smirks and rolls his eyes. 


"I'll call it a day, too. Night, everyone." Jake said as he stands up and leaves. "Hey...I'm wiped out. Are you guys ready for bed, yet?" Daniel asked us. "I am." I replied then I look over at Sean. "What about you?" I asked him. "Yep, I'm ready to crash, too." Sean said. "Let's go." Daniel said and the three of us start to stand up, Sean helps me up to my feet. 


"What?! Noooo! You're gonna miss our makeover skills!" Cassidy pleads to Sean. "I'll fall asleep and then you'll trim my ear off...." Sean chuckles. "Aw, get outta here." Finn said as we start to walk away and say goodnight to them.


"You didn't have to with me, you know...(y/n) was here with me." Daniel said to Sean. "I know..." Sean said and Daniel crawls into the tent and Sean gestures for me to go in as well. I get inside and lay down next to Daniel's right side and Sean comes in and lays down next to Daniel's left side. "Hey, can we talk about what happened on the lake?" Sean asked Daniel. "Yeah?" He said.


"It kinda bummed me out when you said that you weren't a kid anymore...I mean, I know you're not. But...I'm gonna miss it...." Sean said. "I can't help it, Sean. Things are so different now. I miss my friends, my room, my Playbox....everything. It all seems so far away now. I know I'm not always nice with you guys. But things aren't nice anymore." Daniel admits. 


"We know, munchkin. But don't let this change who you are." I said as I place my hand on his shoulder. "I just...wish I could have a normal life again...and stop being so angry all the time. I'm just so tired of all this crap." Daniel said. "I feel the same way, dude." Sean said. "Same here. It's okay." I chimed in. "Just...don't feed the beast, you know?" Sean said. "Yeah." Daniel said then he looks over at me and said. "Can you hand that to me?" He points to my side and I look over to see a watch on the ground.


I pick it up and hand it to him. He takes it then looks over at Sean. "You know...I still like it but...it's kinda tight on me now." He said as he holds up the watch. "Yeah...you're too big for it." Sean said. "I am?" Daniel asked and Sean nods, slightly. "But...I would like to hear about the Wolf Brothers and their Friend the Fox...if that's okay. Just...don't tell the others, okay?" He said as he looks between us and Sean and I chuckle a bit at this. "Promise." We said.


"Alright...get comfy..." Sean said and I lay down on my left side as Daniel sets the watch on the side and begins to lay down on his back. "Where were we....oh, yeah....the Wolf Brothers and the Fox friend joined a pack of hounds that roamed all over...finally...the brothers and the fox had found new friends. But the little wolf wasn't so sure about the new pack. He didn't want his brother to run away with them...and so the little wolf, with the fox, would howl and prowl, not knowing what was going on...But he didn't know that nothing could ever separate the trio from each other....ever." Sean said just as I look down and see Daniel had fallen asleep and had curled up to me.


I smiled, warmly, down at him then kissed Daniel's forehead. "Goodnight, little cub." I whispered then I look up at Sean and we smile at each other. "Goodnight, wolf boy." I said. "Goodnight, vixen." He said and both of us laid down and start to fall asleep.

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