6. Camping

Freen sat on her bed, she texted Nam asking who had invited Victor, then quickly learned that no one had; Victor had invited himself after overhearing their conversation. They had all tried to deter him, but he didn't seem to care that no one wanted him there.

She wasn't looking forward to the next day. She expected the strange looks and invasive questions from students after the entire school witnessed Becky Armstrong's sudden interest in her. They were all intrigued about the girl who finally managed to melt the icy cold exterior of the resident beauty. Freen managed to avoid the entire school, but she knew she wouldn't be able to do the same with her friends. So when she sat down at lunch, she steeled herself for the inevitable onslaught of questions.

"So, what did Becky Armstrong want yesterday?" Nam asked, tapping her fingers on the table, her excitement barely contained. Freen felt her cheeks flush involuntarily.

"I don't really know," Freen answered truthfully, avoiding Nam's gaze. "I'm not sure she ever got to the point."

"You know, I've never seen her sit with anyone but her family before. That was weird," Heng added, still animated, though Freen wasn't sure what exactly he was excited about.

"Weird," Freen agreed, still trying to process the fact that Becky had sought her out.

"So, are you two friends now?" Love asked, her tone a mix of curiosity and enthusiasm.

Freen was still getting used to her friends' energy, and the addition of Milk and Love—who were a cute couple she'd met during English—had only added to the odd mix of emotions bubbling up in her. They were friendly and welcoming, and Freen had warmed up to them in no time.

"I guess." Freen answered, trailing off. Were they friends? Did she want them to be? Or maybe something more? The questions seemed to get more confusing the longer she spent around Becky.

The worst part about Friday was that, even though Freen knew Becky wouldn't be there, she still hoped. When she walked into the cafeteria, Freen couldn't stop herself from glancing at her table. Her stomach sank when she realized Becky wasn't there. She couldn't shake the gloom that clouded her mood, and she didn't know how long she'd have to wait before seeing Becky again.

Everyone already had plans for their trip the next day. Heng was animated, putting great trust in the local weatherman who promised the sun. Freen didn't share his optimism, but she kept her thoughts to herself.

That night at dinner, her mother seemed enthusiastic about the camping trip. She was ecstatic about Freen making friends. She approved of Freen's friend choices, and Freen was grateful for that, even though she couldn't bring herself to share her plans to ride to California with Becky Armstrong. She kept the thought locked away, unsure how her mom would react.

The next morning, an unusual brightness woke her up. She hurried to the window to check; sure enough, there it was—the sun. She lingered there for a moment, soaking in the sunlight, feeling blissful as warmth spread through her.

Despite not wanting Victor to be there, he had seemingly wormed his way into their plans. She pulled up to the group, seeing them gathered but clearly divided between Freen's friends and Victor's. Freen stepped out of the truck.

"You came!" Heng cheered, running over to give Freen a hug. She was still getting used to their affectionate greetings. "I told you it would be sunny today, didn't I?"

"I told you I was coming," she laughed, shaking her head. Heng waved it off, still delighted.

"We're just waiting for Milk and Love... unless you invited someone?" Heng added, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.

Freen shoved him lightly, careful not to knock him over. "Nope," she lied, her smile turning slightly forced. Despite her lie, Freen couldn't help but hope for a miracle—that maybe Becky would appear. Heng just shook his head, chastising Freen for not inviting Becky.

Once everyone arrived, it was only a short drive to the woods, with the gorgeous green forests surrounding the road most of the way.

Freen had the foresight to pack her own tent. She loved her friends, but she wanted to get some sleep, and their constant chatter wouldn't allow that.

After sightseeing and rock skipping, they gathered around the campfire for some spooky stories. A bit of underage booze was involved after Freen promised she wouldn't tattle to her mom. Everyone was pleasantly buzzed when the conversation shifted to local legends. Gemini piped up eagerly. Despite being friends with Victor, he seemed like a nice guy.

"Oh, Freen, you'll love this one. It's about your precious Armstrong family."

Freen pretended to be annoyed, but she couldn't deny that her curiosity was piqued.

"The Armstrongs... apparently, they're not supposed to come onto this land," Gemini said, gesturing around, which left Freen confused.

"Why not?" she asked.

Gemini raised an eyebrow, his cheek dimpling as he smiled sardonic. "Do you like scary stories?"

"I love them," Freen lied, cringing internally. She wasn't a fan of scary stories at all.

"This land here belongs to a group of indigenous people. Do you know any of the old stories about where they came from?"

"Not really," Freen admitted, flushing in embarrassment. "Honestly, I didn't know about the tribe until I moved here."

"Well, there are a lot of legends, some dating back centuries," Gemini said, shaking his head at the thought. "One claims that the tribe descended from wolves—yeah, wolves that walk like men."

Freen blinked, not sure where this was going.

"And then there are the stories of the cold ones." Gemini's voice dropped lower, his earlier enthusiasm fading as a frown settled on his face.

"The cold ones?" Freen asked, her curiosity piqued, shifting in her seat slightly.

"Yeah. Some of the stories about them go as far back as the wolf legends, and some are more recent. The cold ones are forbidden from this land." He rolled his eyes. "You see, the cold ones are natural enemies to the wolves—well, not the wolves exactly, but the wolves that turn into men, like the tribe's ancestors."

Freen was even more confused. "Werewolves have enemies?"

Gemini shrugged. "Only one. The cold ones. But a pack of them came to this territory. They claimed to be different. They didn't hunt like the others of their kind, so the tribe made a truce with them. If the cold ones agreed to stay off this land, they promised to keep their secret." He gestured to the area around them. "They wouldn't expose them."

"If they weren't dangerous, then why...?" Freen asked, struggling not to let the story sink in too deeply.

"There's always a risk. Even if they're 'civilized,' humans can't really trust them. You never know when hunger might get the best of them." Gemini frowned again.

"What do you mean, 'civilized'?"

"They claimed they didn't hunt humans. They supposedly hunted animals instead."

Freen struggled to keep her voice casual. "So how does this fit in with the Armstrongs? Are they like the cold ones in your story?"

"Yes." Gemini paused dramatically, then smiled darkly. "They are the cold ones."

Freen stared into the fire, her thoughts racing, unsure what her face was giving away.

"You look worried," Gemini teased, but Freen could barely respond. The story had made too much sense.

"Do you think they're a bunch of superstitious natives, or what?" Milk asked in a playful tone.

"Every culture has its myths and legends," Gemini shrugged, leaving it at that.

As Heng started telling his own ghost story, Freen tuned him out, her mind too caught up in the implications of Gemini's tale. She needed to figure out what was going on. What was the truth about the Armstrongs?

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