to a spot at the top of the map. âHere. This is where we are.â
Scarlett shrugged. âOkay. Iâll buy that. Weâre clearly way up high and the campsite is way down low.â
âI want to snap a picture of us to post on Instagram!â Bria said, digging her phone out of her pocket.
âGreat. Take a picture before weâre eaten alive by wild animals,â Anya said.
âDonât say that!â Bria hushed her. âSeriously! The wild animals might hear you. Donât give them any ideas!â
Liberty struck a pose. âOkay, everyone behind me and say cheese.â
Rochelle frowned. âBehind you? Why do you get to be front and center?â She gave her teammate a shove so she could stand next to her. âScarlett, over here next to me.â
Bria rested her phone on a rock and set the auto-timer. âOkay, everyone get in. On the count of three, say âDIVAS!â ONE TWO THREE â¦â
The flash went off before they could open their mouths.
Bria looked at the picture. The only person you could see was Gracie. Everyone else was cut off at the shoulders.
âI guess we have to scooch down to Gracieâs height,â Bria suggested.
âScooch? You want me to scooch in my designer jeans?â Liberty groaned. âI am not getting all filthy so you can get a photo.â
âAw, come on,â Rochelle taunted her. âYouâre not afraid of a little dirt, are ya?â She took a handful of soil and rubbed it into Libertyâs studded leather jacket. âOops! Looks like youâll have to send this to the dry cleaners!â
Libertyâs face got bright red. âDo you have any idea how expensive this jacket is?â she screamed.
âNope, but Iâm sure youâre gonna tell me,â Rochelle replied.
âItâs one-of-a-kind! It was a gift from Gaga!â
âGaga gave you a jacket?â Bria gasped.
âNo. She gave it to my mom and I kind of borrowed it from her closet ⦠Sheâs gonna kill me!â
Anya giggled. âItâs a Gaga-tastrophe.â
âIt isnât funny,â Liberty said, trying desperately to rub the stains out. âNone of you are funny.â
âIâm funny,â Gracie piped up. âYou wanna hear a joke?â She didnât wait for Libertyâs answer. âWhy did the lion lose at Monopoly? Because he was playing with a cheetah!â She cracked herself up. âGet it? A cheet-ah?â
âI still need a photo for Instagram,â Bria reminded them. âCan we all just maybe sit over there on those rocks?â She pointed to a spot a few feet away. âLook, thereâs even a pretty backdrop.â
Rochelle looked over. âPretty backdrop? All I see are trees, trees, and more trees.â
âExactly,â Bria said, pushing her into position. âItâs very rustic.â
âTHREE TWO ONE ⦠SAY âDIVA!â â
This time when the camera flashed, they were all in the photoâbut none of them were smiling and Gracie blinked.
âI give up,â Bria said, sighing.
âThis isnât a photo shoot. Itâs a do-or-die challenge,â Anya reminded her.
âI think we should stop posing and get moving,â Scarlett said, taking the map up again. âThereâll be plenty of time for pics once we make our way down.â
âToniâs totally enjoying torturing us,â Liberty grumped. She could barely walk with the backpack over her shoulders and the bulky sleeping bag duffel in her arms.
Scarlett led the way, clutching the map, and tentatively making her way down the steep path. âThis map has so many trails. I donât know which one to choose,â she said.
Liberty peered over her shoulder. âChoose a short one. One that goes straight down and gets us out of here.â
âThere arenât any straight ones.â Scarlett sighed.âAnd they all
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