#jh86

By the second morning of the camping trip, everyone had settled into their own routines.

Cindy was outside with a mug of coffee, chatting with Denise while Mike and Steve argued over whether the camp stove was actually broken or if Steve just refused to read directions.

Luke and Austin had driven into town to pick up ice, breakfast sandwiches, and the groceries everyone had forgotten on yesterday's trip and for the first time all weekend the campground was almost peaceful.

Which, in your experience, usually meant something was about to go wrong.

-------

Jack slept hard.

Camping knocked him out more than he'd ever admit, and after staying up until nearly two in the morning around the fire telling stories and roasting marshmallows, he'd been impossible to wake.

You, on the other hand, had been awake since six thanks to a family of birds that had decided the tree above the camper was prime real estate.

After spending the last hour wandering around the campground with a cup of hot chocolate, you came back with an idea.

Not a good one, but an entertaining one.

Jack was stretched out in one of the folding camp chairs under the awning, a baseball cap pulled over his eyes, one leg bouncing lazily despite the fact that he was clearly half asleep.

You stopped in front of him.

He didn't move.

You nudged the toe of his sneaker with yours. "Jack."

A sleepy grunt.

You smiled to yourself. Perfect. You leaned down just enough that he could hear you clearly. "Oh good. You're awake. Now we can panic together."

Then you turned and started walking toward the road that ran through the campground.

Behind you, there was about three seconds of silence.

"What?"

You kept walking.

The folding chair scraped loudly against the gravel. "Hey!"

You bit the inside of your cheek to keep from laughing.

"You cannot just say that and walk away!"

You looked back over your shoulder innocently.

"Well, I was expecting you to follow me!"

Jack groaned, ran both hands down his face, and hurried after you in flip-flops. "What happened?"

You didn't answer.

"Seriously."

Still nothing.

"Is Luke okay?"

You shook your head.

"Your parents?"

"No."

"Did Austin do something?"

"Not this time."

Jack frowned. "Then why are we panicking?"

You stopped walking near the edge of the campground road and looked around dramatically. "I think we've been compromised."

Jack stared. "By who?"

You pointed toward a patch of grass near the neighboring campsite. "There."

Jack followed your finger.

A large Canadian goose was slowly pecking at the ground near a picnic table. It looked... completely normal.

He looked back at you. "It's a goose."

"I know."

"Okay?"

"I've been watching him all morning."

"Him?"

"He has an attitude."

Jack laughed once. "No, he doesn't."

"He does. I mean, look at him!"

As if the bird had heard the conversation, it lifted its head.

It looked directly at the two of you, then it started walking toward your campsite.

Jack's smile faded a little. "Okay, I don't love that it's walking over here."

"I told you."

"I'm not saying you're right."

"You kind of are."

"I'm saying I don't like how it’s looking at us."

The goose continued making its way across the grass, weaving between two empty campsites, but neither of you moved.

"You know," you said quietly, "those things can be mean; they chase people."

"I know."

"They have teeth."

"They don't have—"

"They have teeth."

The goose gave a low hiss, and both of you instinctively took one step backward.

The goose kept coming it got just close enough to make both of you mildly uncomfortable.

Jack folded his arms. "Alright."

"Alright what?"

"What's the plan?"

You thought for a second. "We slowly back away, and if it follows us..."

“Alright.” Jack nodded. "Go on."

"We sacrifice Quinn."

Jack laughed. "I don't think that's how this works."

"He'd understand."

"He would not."

"Fine." You looked back at the goose. "Maybe we distract it with food? I've got half a granola bar."

Jack shook his head. "Nope."

"What?"

"We're not feeding it."

"Why not?"

"Because then it'll keep coming back."

"...That's actually a good point." You sighed dramatically. "So, what do we do?"

Jack rubbed his chin like he was genuinely considering the situation. "We could just," He gestured vaguely toward the camper. "Go inside."

You looked offended. "That's boring."

"It's also practical."

"No."

"You have another idea?"

You grinned. "I do."

Jack narrowed his eyes. "I don't like that smile."

"We get one of the kayak paddles."

"Why?"

"Long reach."

"For what?"

"I don't know."

"You don't know?"

"I'll figure that part out when we get there."

Jack stared at you for a long moment before letting out a laugh that echoed through the campground. "That is the worst plan I've ever heard, and I'm in."

Before either of you could move, Luke's truck rolled back into the campsite. He and Austin climbed out carrying bags of ice and grocery bags.

Luke noticed the two of you standing thirty feet away from the camper, staring at a goose like it had personally insulted your families. "Why are you both just standing there?"

You pointed. "Goose."

Luke looked at the goose, then back at the two of you. "Okay?"

"It hissed at us," Jack said.

Luke looked at the bird again. The goose wasn't even paying attention anymore. It had wandered over to a patch of clover and resumed pecking at the ground.

Luke looked back at you. "So a goose is holding you two hostage?"

"It was threatening!"

Luke laughed at your outburst.

“Lukey,” you whined, “don’t laugh at me!”

"It looked at us weird!" Jack added.

Austin started laughing before Luke could answer.

"I leave for twenty minutes," Luke muttered, shaking his head as he grabbed the cooler, "and the two of you end up in a standoff with a goddamn goose."

Jack shrugged. "In fairness," He pointed at you. "She woke me up for this"

Luke looked at you with a smile he was clearly trying to hide. "You know–" He slung an arm around your shoulders as he walked toward the camper. "I always worry about leaving you alone with Jack."

"Why?"

"Because every time I come back, you and Jack have somehow created a problem that didn't exist before."

Jack threw his hands in the air. "We didn't create the goose."

"No," Luke said with a laugh. "But I'm pretty sure you both would’ve done something stupid if we didn’t pull in just now."

You glanced back over your shoulder. "It wasn't gonna be stupid..."

“Bug.”