Chapter 9 - Since When Are You A Tree Climber?

After getting back to the car, Carson wrapped her hands and ankle with a gauze she'd found in the first aid kit and helped Bradley and Caleb move the backseat forward so they would have enough room to sleep in the trunk.

The three kids were sitting in the back when Elliot came around.

"Look what I found," he said. He gave the kids a jacket and a blanket. "I couldn't find another coat so Caleb and Bradley share the blanket, leave the coat to Carson."

The boys nodded and Elliot walked back out of the car, leaving the teens alone yet again.

"Here," Carson said, handing Caleb the jacket.

The boy gave her a weird look and Carson gave him a small smile. "I'm used to sleeping in the cold, and I remember you two saying you weren't fans of sleeping in the same bed. Bradley can get the blanket, you get the jacket. I'll be fine."

The boys gave her an incredulous look. The girl who had just spent nearly an hour in the freezing cold, had gotten caught in a hunting trap and that had bled half to death, was going to sleep without something warm.

"Just sleep with Bradley," Caleb blurted out.

The older boy gave his brother wide eyes, his cheeks turning red.

Carson turned to look at him and smirked. "You're blushing." She could tell even though it was dark.

Bradley looked at her, turning an even darker shade of red. "N– no I'm not."

"You're blushing even more now," the girl said, he grin widening.

"Stop it. I'm not blushing."

Carson shrugged. "Ok then." She made her way out of her original position, making her way to him. Once she was at his side she raised the blanket, getting under it herself, and placed her head on Bradley's chest, closing her eyes. He slowly wrapped his arm around her shoulders, rubbing it a bit. She didn't even have to look at him for her next comment.

"You're definitely blushing now."

"Would you cut it out?" The boy said, looking down at her, even though she couldn't see him.

"I think I'm gonna call you Blushy Boy."

"Carson."

"Yeah, that sounds like a good nickname."

"Goodnight."

"I'm sorry, am I getting on your nerves?"

"Go. To. Sleep."

"Alright then that's great."

"Carson," Bradley said, louder than the first time.

The girl snuggled into his chest before whispering. "Goodnight."

And everything went silent.

◇

"Stop snoring."

"Stop moving," Bradley shot back.

He heard the boy move around and his eyebrows furrowed. "What are you doing?" He asked.

The younger Baker didn't answer. Instead, he hit his brother.

"Will you quit it?" Bradley said, turning around. "What?" He asked when he noticed his brother's expression. He looked around, and noticed that their father was gone. Bradley let out a sigh. "Where did he go," he said, speaking his thoughts. "I'm so cold." The older boy reached over the seats, and turning the key. "Oh, shit, come on, please, come on," he mumbled, but the car didn't start, leaving the two kids freezing.

Caleb looked around again, noticing not only his dad was missing. "Hey, where's Carson?"

The older Baker turned around, returning to his seat. He shrugged like it was no big deal, but he was worried about the girl. Her ankle wasn't in the condition to walk for too long, and it definitely hadn't healed during the night.

"They just went to get help, right?" Caleb said, sounding like he was trying to convince himself more than his brother.

"I– I don't know, maybe."

At that moment, a scraping noise came to outside, followed by a horrible impression of a bear.

The back of the car opened to reveal a laughing Elliot.

"Oh, funny," Bradley mumbled.

"Who'd you think it was?" Elliot asked, a smile still on his face.

"Bradley thought you were Bigfoot," Caleb said, a smile playing on his lips.

"Where have you been?" Bradley asked his dad while not-so-subtly looking around for a certain blonde.

"I went for a hike, to scout things out," Elliot said while the boys climbed out of the car.

"Did you find help?" Caleb asked hopefully.

"No, but a couple years ago, we were set up on the other side of this valley. And we went hunting one weekend, and there's a cabin down there. I think that's out best bet, so grab all the stu–"

"Wait, how is that our best bet? We've gotta go back to the highway and try and find help from there," Bradley said, noticing something odd about his dad's behavior.

"No, no. Hey," he said, turning to Caleb, "grab the stuff back there. No," he added, turning to Bradley. "No, we're too far from the road. We can't be out in the cold for that long, and this truck isn't gonna warm us up."

"What about food? I'm starving," Caleb said.

"Yeah, we'll just find something there. Just grab what you can carry, essentials only. We gotta keep it light, it's gonna be slow going in the snow."

Bradley looked around once more before finally asking the question that had been nagging at him since he'd woken up.

"Where's Carson?"

Elliot stopped his actions, looking between his sons. "I thought she was with you," the man said, furrowing his eyebrows.

Caleb shook his head, looking at his dad.

"Carson?" Bradley called, walking away from the car.

"Carson!"

"WHAT!"

All three Bakers stopped their actions, looking in different directions for the source of the girl's voice.

"Carson?" Elliot called again.

"Up here!"

Bradley's head snapped towards the direction. He scanned his surroundings until his eyes landed on a certain blonde standing about 30 feet above the ground.

"What the hell are you doing up there!" The boy called, gaining the other two Baker's attention.

"What does it look like I'm doing? I'm trying to get service!"

Caleb was the first to react. The boy busted out laughing, hugging his stomach. Next came Bradley, who stared up at the girl with a grin on his face.

"How did you even get up there?" Caleb asked, still laughing.

"Oh, you know, climbed a few branches," Carson answered, laughing along with the boy. "By the way, Bradley, your phone's dead, so..."

Bradley rolled his eyes, momentarily forgetting about the fact that they were stranded in the middle of nowhere and that his phone might've been their only chance to call someone if they ever got service.

"Come on, Carson, get down. You're gonna get hurt," Elliot said, ruining the fun atmosphere.

"Actually, there's a pretty nice view up here," Carson called down.

Bradley smirked, staring at Carson up and down from below. "The view is pretty good from down here too."

Carson's eyes widened and she thanked the sky that she was so high up so he couldn't see her crimson cheeks. They blonde started making her way down, sometimes wincing due to a sudden pain in her ankle from the wound. Once she was on the ground she headed towards the car, slightly limping, her eyes switching between all their faces.

"What?" She asked when she got to them.

Caleb was the first to speak. "Since when are you a tree climber?"

Carson let out a laugh and shook her head. "I'm not. Took me nearly an hour to get up there. Going up is a lot harder than coming down." She moved her gaze to Bradley, who was staring down at the snow. "Hey."

The second he looked up, Carson raised her hand and smacked it across his face. It wasn't exactly a hard slap, but the surprise made Bradley yelp.

"Why did you do that?!" He asked while the girl walked towards the front of the car.

"You know why!" She called without looking back.

Caleb and Elliot both looked at Bradley for a second before walking away, trying to hold in their laughter.

Bradley, who had a grin on his face, stared at Carson as she grabbed some things from the car. He only had one thought roaming his mind.

This girl...