The Camping Trip

[AtlantaG1912]

Chapter 11

"Ok fine you can do that in your own time when no else is around. Now if you don't mind can we sort what's happening with the surf boards and other stuff?" Oscar asked as he seemed to be the only one thinking about something other than Kyle and phoebe making out.

"You know Oscar; you remind me of someone." Xavier said to him

"Really? Who?"

"Marilyn! The both of you are as bad as each other always fussing about everything being sorted. I mean this morning she had a checklist written to tick off once she checked me and April had everything."

"Aww come on Xav. She just wanted to make sure we were prepared she's just being a responsible adult." April chipped in.

"Yeah Xavier, she just wants to make sure you had everything and I want to make sure we know what's happening, ok?"

"Fine." agreeing with Oscar eventually.

With that they started to sort out everything properly. They made sure that they all had everything they needed. The Sleeping arrangements where easy as they had two large tents and one medium sized tent, they decided that the girls would have one of the large tents and the guys would take the other. The medium tent was going to be to store all their stuff so they wouldn't have to go back to the cars to get stuff (as they were parked in the car park next to Nelson's Noose which is where they were going to leave the surf boards inside of Josh's camper van so they didn't have to keep carrying them from the campsite to the beach). Also it is where they could put the food and drinks. Evie said they could find a shop to get a padlocks and keys so they could keep all the tents locked that way if they all went off to do something together they would know everything was safe and protected from other people (who might also be camping in the National Park from stealing their stuff and it would stop the animals from getting the food as well) they all agreed that would be a good idea as well considering they are bound to pass little convenience stores and also the mall that had just opened as well.

"Now that we've sorted the stuff with the tents, I've got an idea." Evie said as the others looked at her.

"What?" Maddy asked her before anyone else had the chance.

"Well why don't we put all the surf boards on top of the camper van now and then when we get there we can put them inside. Also why doesn't Oscar go with Casey and Kyle that way we can put stuff like the tents, sleeping bags and also the chairs and the majority of the food and the drinks in the camper van, that way everything heavy is all together and when it comes to the food we know no one is going to eat it before we get there?"

"That's a really good idea Evie. Oscar you can come with us and we can take the drink coolers of the back seats of the car and put them in there so we no they are safe." Kyle agreed with Evie as she tends to come up with good ideas when she's given the chance too.

"Ok. Cool, well we better do that quick so we can hit the road as I don't think we should delay leaving any longer as I fear we could get stuck in the traffic what with people going to work and stuff." Sasha exclaimed because she knew what it was like last time they all got stuck un that traffic they were stuck there for about three hours and she didn't feel like doing that again.

After everything was packed into the camper van and the boards were secured to the top. They all said goodbye too each other and headed to the cars and left the Surf Club car park for a couple of days not realising they were being watched…

Ray watched quietly as they moved everything around, wishing they would hurry up as the smell of the mouldy pizza was starting to make him feel sick and he felt like his boss wouldn't be so understanding if he mucked up any part of his plan for Kyle.

Eventually he saw them get in the cars and pull out of the car park. Quickly making sure not to injure himself he got up feeling stiff from being knelt in the same position for about forty-five minutes, he walked which turned into a run to his car. He got in started the engine and hurried out of the car park with the National Park programmed into his SatNav in case he lost the teens at any point.

[AtlantaG1912]

Chapter 12

It was two hours into the seven hour journey to the National Park and the teens where enjoying the road trip when a one phone in all the cars started ringing.

Ring Ring

"Hey guys, fancy checking out the new mall as we go past? As Aden wants to get some gas and I think we should stop and get lunch anyway." Belle told the others who had their phones on speaker.

"Why not, I've been wanting to have a look at the new mall since it opened three weeks ago." Maddy replied.

"Yes but Maddy, you always have to go to a mall whether it's new or not. Actually scrape that you just have to go anywhere that sells clothes." Casey laughed down the phone.

"Oi! That's my girlfriend your picking on Casey. Don't worry Maddy it just who you are and I love that about you." Oscar jumped in to the conversation to defend his girlfriend.

"Aww thank you Oscar. That's why I love you, because you always say such sweet things." Maddy told boyfriend.

"Hey! You all complained when me and Pheebs were being all lovey dovey as Sasha calls it but when Maddy and Oscar do it then you all stay quiet. Why is that?" Kyle asked seeming angry about it.

"He's right. Why is it they allowed to do it but not us?" Phoebe asks the others.

"Probably because that don't constantly do it when all of us are around unlike you two, who practically end up making out." April replied to their friend's questions.

Feeling like they were being attacked Kyle and Phoebe shouted at the same time "WE DO NOT!"

"YES YOU DO!" The others all shouted back which turned into all of them including Kyle and Phoebe laughing down the phones.

With that they all hung up after agreeing to go and get gas and food, they even said Maddy could have a look around as they knew she would be angry and upset with them all for the rest of the trip if they said no.

Ray who wasn't that far behind them noticed that they were taking the turn off towards the mall and realising he needed gas as well and that he had literally no stuff to going camping with, he followed them instead of going straight to the National Park and waiting for them to arrive.

Once at the mall the teens including Ray (who was making sure that there was a couple of other cars in between him and them) headed straight to the gas station and filled the cars up and headed over to the mall's multi-storey car park. Once parked after about ten minutes of trying to find spaces on the same floor, they all walked into the mall and straight for the food court.

"TACOS!" Matt shouted suddenly as he saw the stand selling Tacos.

Sasha first to respond "Well I guess we know what Matt will be getting for Lunch. There's so much to chose from, I don't know what to get."

While the other stood thinking about what to get, Matt joined the queue for Tacos. Not noticing that one of the teens was in the queue Ray accidently knocked Matt.

"Watch it!" exclaimed Matt who didn't appreciate being knocked by a stranger.

"Sorry son. I didn't mean to." Ray apologised just as Matt walked up to the till to order he though to himself. Crap the boss is going to kill me I interacted with one of them and he told me not to. I guess I could say I didn't realise he was in the queue and that I accidently fell into him. There again I don't have to tell him its not like he can find out. Sorted I'm not going to tell him.

"Next!" shouted the woman at the till breaking Ray's train of thought who noticed that Matt had gone.

Matt had rejoined the others who had gone to get a table while Casey, Kyle, Phoebe and Tamara went to get their food considering Matt had been selfish and went got his own food.

The four teens came back over carrying between them four trays containing buckets of different types of chicken. As they felt getting the buckets would be cheaper so they could save their money to buy other stuff and they all wanted chicken anyway.

"So how's the tacos mate?"

"They are the best tacos I've ever had! However, they aren't as good as mine considering they don't seem to contain my secret ingredient."

"Matt, your secret ingredient is coriander. Which I do agree make them nicer but it isn't really a secret."

"Well now it isn't Sash, considering you just told everyone what it is!"

"Oh calm down Matthew they already knew considering you decided to get drunk at a party once and told them yourself."

"What I don't remember that!"

"You seriously don't remember how we had to carry you home all the way from the beach and Leah was up waiting for you to get and when she saw the state of you, she grounded you for two weeks."

"No, I don't remember you carrying me all the way home Aden. Although I do remember Leah saying I was grounded for two weeks when I was sitting with me head down the toilet, throwing up!"

That had all the teens in laughing while Matt's turned as red as a tomato. Once they had all finished laughing at one Matt's embarrassing moments they went back to eating and chatting away not realising that the guy they had all seen bump into Matt, was watching them.

As soon as they had finished eating they all agreed to go and have a look in the shops. Everyone (Including Ray who had left the food court before the teens to go and get food to eat while he was camping) but Phoebe, Maddy and Tamara headed for the outdoor activity shop while the three girls headed for the joke shop to see what the could get to help with the pranks they were going to play on the guys. They had agreed to meet back at the cars in thirty minutes and no later.

At the joke shop, the girls were amazed by all the different joke stuff they had as the one in Yabbe Creek had hardly anything.

"Hello. May I help you?" The overexcited shop assistant asked them as soon they walked into the shop.

"Yes, you can. You see we are going camping and we would like some stuff to prank our friends." Phoebe replied.

"No problem we should be able to find something here. Firstly, I need to know where you camping so that we can find something that would probably be in the area."

"Well we are camping in the National Park beside Nelson's Noose."

"I used to love camping there when I was little it was the best place as you had the bushes to camp in and the beach was only a walk away. I know just the thing that would help."

With that the shop assistant led the girls over to where the rubber snakes were supplied. She told them that this was the best prank to play on someone because they always assume it real especially with them being in a snake's natural habitat. The girls agreed that they should buy one and they could ask the other girls for ideas when the boys weren't around.

Over at the outdoors activity shop, the other eleven teens were deciding what else to get, as they already had water guns in the trolley along with a boomerang, a beach ball (as Xavier already had a football in the car).

"Why don't we get a net and we can play volleyball as there's fourteen of us so we'd have two even teams." Evelyn suggested to her friends.

"Yeah let's do that and if we want anything else we can go to the activity centre in the park itself." Kyle agreed with Evelyn knowing they needed to hurry and start heading back to the cars before the other three leave without them.

With that they headed to the till to pay for the items not noticing that the guy who bumped into Matt was now stood at the checkout beside them.

Ten Minutes later

"Look Casey and Kyle actually managed to get somewhere on time." Maddy laughed as she saw the others approaching the cars with bags of stuff to keep them entertained for the next five days.

"The only reason these two are here on time Maddy is because they weren't on their own they had us with them to make sure they got here when we said." Belle replied to her friend "Did you find any nice shops? We got a load of stuff to do and Kyle suggested we could go to the activity centre in the National Park if we wanted to do something else."

"There were some great shops. We should come back one day to have a girls shopping trip. We literally had to drag Maddy away from the shoe shop. Cool, that's a great idea Kyle we could hire some rock climbing stuff and canoes if we wanted to like last time." Tamara answered Belle while trying not to laugh.

Once everything was packed in the cars, the teens said goodbye to civilisation and headed for their destination, ready to enjoy making more memories.

[AtlantaG1912]

Chapter 13

After what felt like a life time the teens eventually made it to the National Park after having to stop another four times after leaving the mall due to people needing the toilet and others just wanting to stretch their legs.

Casey who practically lives for surfing said "Look at the surf. It looks amazing."

"God, you're right it does look amazing, I can't wait to get out there." Aden agreed "Maybe we should go out now before we set up camp?"

Belle turned to her boyfriend "No one is going surfing until we have set up camp!"

"Why not?"

"Yeah Belle. Why not?" Josh and Matt said together.

"If we let you all go surfing now you won't get out and that means we wouldn't get the tents up till it is pitch black and I don't about you but I personally don't fancy doing that." Sasha replied to the guys who were turning into whiny children with all the complaining.

"Fine but as soon as we are finished setting up we are hitting the beach before dinner." Casey told them not being too happy about having to wait before he hits the surf.

With that they teens started unloading everything. They all agreed that while they were taking the stuff to camp, one person would stay at the car park with all the stuff that the others couldn't carry and then once they had got the camp, one person would stay there why the others went back to the cars.

The person who was elected to stay with the cars was Kyle and the person who would stay at the camp would be Phoebe as the other teens thought that this meant they couldn't start making out again when they were meant to be helping. With that sorted the teens grabbed what they could and walked off in the direction of 'base camp' (as Oscar had decided to call it), leaving Kyle to his own devices.

Not long after the other teens had left Kyle, Ray turned the corner to see all the cars parked and that Kyle was stood on his own. Stopping the car, Ray watched to see what his own personal TV show was up to and though himself.

I can't believe for the first time since I started following the kid, he's actually alone. Maybe I should just go grab him now and stuff him in the boot of the car and go meet the boss man. Although I don't know where the rest of those brats are and I can't risk that kid from the food court seeing me again and thinking that I'm following them. Which I know I am but I don't need them to know that, do I? No I will wait don't fancy getting in trouble with the boss when he's paying me a lot of money to follow Kyle and God knows I need that money I have two children to feed and clothe.

Suddenly Ray was pulled from his thoughts when he saw the other brats appear from no where.

"Hey Kyle! We got a good spot." April said as she walked over to her friend.

"Oh cool, where?" Kyle answered her back

"You know that lake we discovered last time we were here?"

"Yeah, we didn't find it till the last day and we were all disappointed as we could have gone swimming in the lake if we had known how close it was to the campsite."

"Well we've set up camp halfway between the lake and obviously here so we didn't have to far to walk."

"That's actually a pretty good idea April."

"Aww thank you Kyle. I thought it was too. Anyway let's grab everything else as I think between the thirteen of us we can carry the rest of the stuff back to camp. Don't you agree?"

"Totally agree with you on that front. Josh we should get all the boards inside your camper van." Kyle shouted to Josh as he saw him appear from behind the bushes.

"Yeah ok then that's get the other stuff out of it first I think we can pretty much leave the volleyball set here as well." Josh replied.

"Yeah let's leave that here."

The guys started unloading the camper van by putting the food and drinks boxes on the floor while the others started collecting the remaining items from the cars. Once the camper van was empty, carefully Kyle, Josh, Casey and Aden took the surf boards of the top and handed them to Matt and Oscar who was waiting to put them in the van.

"Be careful Oscar!" Casey shouted as he saw Oscar nearly drop his side of the surfboard.

"Sorry it slipped." Oscar replied.

Finally, all the boards had been taken off the top of the camper van and carefully placed inside (without Oscar nearly dropping anything else) and the volleyball set was put back inside as well. Kyle picked up his guitar, swung his backpack on to his shoulders and followed his mates towards 'base camp'.

Eventually after what felt like ages to Kyle, they arrived to see Phoebe had already put one tent up and was starting on the next one.

"Wow!" All the teens said together.

"What? If you think I was just going to wait until you all got here, before I started then you should have thought again." Phoebe replied shocked that her friends though she would just wait for them to get back.

"Well, why don't we help you now or would you rather we just left you to it Pheebs?" Casey asked her hoping she would say that she didn't need any help and they could head back to the car park and beach.

"Ehh, I know what your up to Casey Braxton."

"What is that Pheebs?"

"You just want me to do this so you can go surfing., but guess what?"

"What?"

"You are not going anywhere until we have finished here, so you better put that stuff down and make a start on the rest of the tents and somebody should go and collect enough wood for the fire."

Knowing that they weren't going anywhere anytime soon the teens all set about setting up the two big tents while some people went to collect firewood.

About forty-five minutes later the camp was all finished and they even put hung the battery powered fairy lights around the camp so they always had light at night (as they all agreed that they could just turn them off during the day so they didn't waste the battery life).

"Can we hit the beach now?" Xavier asked the girls.

The first to respond was Maddy "Yes you guys can hit the beach now, considering everything is done here and while you are all at the beach we can cook Kyle's birthday meal."

"Eventually come on guys lets go, before they change their minds and make us stay here as well." Josh told the other six guys as he dropped his phone in the guy's tent and grabbed his car keys and started to walk off in the direction of the beach.

Quickly the other guys did the same and followed him ignoring the girls call to come back and get at least one phone.

[AtlantaG1912]

Just want to say thank you for all the lovely reviews so far and i'm glad you are all enjoying my first ever fanfic.

Chapter 14

Totally oblivious to what was going on with the teens, Ray was at his selected camping spot which was far enough away from the teens so that they wouldn't accidentally stumble across him, but not too far away to the point where he couldn't keep watching Kyle.

At this very moment in time Ray was battling with his tent trying which he just couldn't seem to get to stay up. While figuring out how to get the tent to stay upright the phone rings breaking the peaceful silence of nature.

Ring Ring.

"Hello. Oh hi boss, what's up? What do mean your going to be another couple of days getting here boss? Oh I see, so basically you still want me to stay here and watch him instead of going home to my wife and kids! Sorry boss I didn't mean to shout its just I'm missing my family that's all. Yes, I know that your paying a hell of a lot of cash to watch the kid and I'm grateful as it will help me look after my family but I haven't seen them or talked to them in days' boss. Ok I promise I won't let it affect the job boss."

Once his boss hung up, Ray went back to setting up the tent as he just like the girls didn't want to spend time in the dog struggling to put something up that he already was struggling up with.

2 Hours later…

After spending so long setting up his tent and getting interrupted by his boss, Ray was finished setting up his own base camp. Thinking to himself.

God, they don't make this stuff as easy as it is on the TV do they? I hope the kids are ok and Jessica, I wish I was at home with them instead if in the middle of God knows where. What time is? I think I should and try and find the kid again can't let him slip through my fingers the boss would ring my neck if he found out that I'd lost his most prized asset. Where could he be though? Oh I know from where I was parked I could see they had surfboards therefore they must be aching to get in the water. I'll try there first.

With that Ray took off in the direction of the sound of the beach knowing that if they weren't there when he got there, that they wouldn't be far behind after all he knew what it was like to long to go surfing but not be allowed to.

Arriving at the beach, Ray couldn't make out a group of lads messing on in the surf and realised that Kyle was down there on a surfboard. I thought the boss man had said the kid couldn't surf. Ok maybe he was right. That looked like it hurt, not much I can do about it cause boss said to stay well clear. Even though the kid doesn't know who I am it shouldn't really matter, there again saying that there's that guy from the queue.

Ray sat crouched in between the bushes that were growing beside the sand watching as Kyle continued to get up on the board and fall straight back off again.

5 hours later…

What can this kid have done so much to the boss that makes him want to get him so much? Why can't he just leave him alone? He looks harmless, doesn't he? Ray stop feeling sorry for the brat it won't help you in the long run worrying about it! I can't help it the kid was young when the boss killed his mum, so I highly doubt that he would remember what actually remember who did let alone what happened and why. He looks so happy like he doesn't have a care in the world, which aside from normal everyday stuff he shouldn't. However, if you look at the other side of the equation, Kyle might remember everything but hasn't told anyone because the boss said he had threatened Kyle that if he told anyone he would do more than break his arm. Maybe that's why boss wants him so badly but perhaps he does remember but hasn't and won't tell anyone because he buried so far in his mind and doesn't want to relive the pain again but boss might want him dead in case the day come when the kid decides to go to the cop shop and tell them everything.

Ray was suddenly broken from his thoughts when he a car door slam shut and someone saying he feels like they were being watched and then someone else saying it was probably a wild animal. Ray being careful to not move or be heard, held his breathe until he knew that they were gone.

"That was to close for comfort. I think though I might have to be a bit more careful considering the brat's brother thinks they are being watched. I'm happy that they did come camping here like the other kid said wild animals are all around here." Ray said quietly to himself.

Deciding that it was to close for comfort, Ray got up and headed back in the direction of his camp thinking about dinner.

[AtlantaG1912]

Chapter 15

While the guys where making their way to the beach where Ray was waiting to watch Kyle (like he was paid to do) the girls stayed at the campsite so they could sort Kyle's birthday meal.

"Do we have everything to go on the hotdogs or not?" Phoebe asked knowing that they had to have all the toppings for the hotdogs otherwise people would start complaining.

"Yes Phoebe, we have everything so stop stressing over it will you." Evie told her friend knowing that she was only like this because she wanted Kyle's birthday to be perfect.

"Good, because you know how everything has to be perfect for Kyle," Phoebe replied to her friend "I think I should stop stressing and tell you four what myself, Maddy and Tam came up with to make this trip funny."

"What will make this trip funny?" Sasha asked with a curious look on her face.

"Pranks!" the three girls screamed together.

"Hang on you want to prank people?" April quickly asked "Who?"

"Yes April, we want to prank people but not any people the guys." Tamara told them

"Why do we need to prank the boys?"

"Well Belle, it's time the guys got a taste of their own medicine. As I don't know about you lot but us three want to prank the guys before they have a chance to prank us." Phoebe answered her friends.

"Oh I see, kind of like payback for everything they've done to us over the years."

"Exactly and we already have a couple of ideas. So if you shut up we will tell."

With that the other four girls shut up and listened carefully as the three girls told how it would spice up the camping trip a bit more and give them a laugh at the same time.

Sasha interrupted as Maddy was about to tell them what the exact ideas they had come up with "Hang on does this have anything to do with you three going off on your own while we were all at the mall?"

"Yes it does!" Tamara exclaimed excitingly

"Can I continue now or is everyone going to interrupt me?" Maddy asked and looked around at the all nodding heads "Good we came up with three different ideas but we don't have to do them if you don't want to. The first one is too set all the alarms on the boys' phones considering they've left them here…"

"Set the alarms for when and why?" Belle looked at her friend inquisitively.

"…As I was going to say we can set the alarms on all the guys phone to go off every hour during the night one after the other. For example, one could go off exactly on the hour another one and then another 6 time throughout the hour but spreading them out and then it would start all over again as soon as the next hour hit." Maddy told them all.

"That's a great idea none of the guys would get any sleep and we all know how they like to sleep more than us girls. What's the second idea?" April asked

The first person to speak up was Phoebe "Well we thought we could steal all the guys stuff so that when they all go to get washed at the lake they would have to put their smelly, dirty clothes back on and then when they come back to camp we can complain about the smell and stuff."

"Well that doesn't seem that bad but I suppose it would annoy them because we could tell they would have to wait until we were all finished getting ready and stuff." Evie told them

Tamara got up from where she had been sitting to go and check on the hotdogs but while she did that she told them the third and final idea "The final idea is to use the fake snake we bought from the mall and stick it in the boy's tent so that way when they guys go looking for their missing clothes they will see the snake and scream and run away from the tent. Like the girls we know they are." As she said that they all laughed knowing that when the guys scream they all sounds like a group of girls which was always so funny.

"They all seem like good ideas. So I agree that we should do it as it would be good to get one up on the guys for a change." Sasha said trying to contain the laughter.

With that they all stopped talking and went about cooking the rest of dinner while one of the girls did all the alarms on the seven mobile phones that were currently lying inside of the guys' tent.

[AtlantaG1912]

Chapter 16

While the girls were talking about pranks and dinner, the guys were down on the beach enjoy their time in the water.

"Come on Kyle! I promise you won't get hurt." Casey told his brother.

"Yeah Kyle, we are all here to help if something happens," Matt said then noticed Casey facial expression "Not like anything is going to happen to you. I mean you're a Braxton, surfing is in your blood mate."

"Ok, fine but if I injure myself I'm blaming you all when the girls start complaining. Got it?" Kyle told his friends who all nodded.

With that the guys headed back into the water after teaching Kyle the basics of surfing while they had stood on the sand. Xavier hung back on the beach knowing full well that if he went in the water, he would want to take his surfboard off Kyle and use it himself to catch some waves.

In the water

"Kyle, just remember that when you're ready, turn your board around and start paddling forward. Then will probably catch a wave. So when you do, make sure you put your hands on the board and then lift your body up onto your feet. Start off crouching low and then slowly stand up with your arms out for balance. Then stay like that until you get to shore or you fall off." Casey shouted to him.

As soon as Casey was finished Kyle put what he learned to practice. At first he missed the wave as he didn't get up on time but the second time he tried he got up and started to ride the wave…

"Kyle!" Shouted the guys all the same time.

"Kyle!" Casey shouted again hoping Kyle was ok.

Suddenly he saw a head pop up from under the water, he quickly realised it was Kyle and he started to swim over to where he had just seen his brother's head.

"Kyle! Come on mate, where are you?" Casey shouted as his brother disappeared again.

As soon as the words left his mouth, Kyle's popped up again coughing and spluttering everywhere. By this point all the guys had gathered in the one spot to lead a hand, even Xavier who had seen everything from where he sat on the beach.

Eventually they all got back to the shore and were helping Kyle, who had instantly gone pale as soon as they got out of the water.

"Are you ok?" Casey asked panicking, thinking about how he was going to explain this to the girls.

"Yeah, I'm fine Casey." Kyle told his brother as he looked at worry in his face.

"Mate, you've gone all pale. Are you sure you are ok? Its alright if you're not considering you just got eaten alive by the waves." Oscar asked him.

"Honestly I'm fine. You lot are worse than Brax, the girls and my foster parents put together." Kyle replied then suddenly he realised what he said.

Crap! There goes not telling anyone about the fact I was in care. What am I going to do now? I made sure not to let anything slip, how could I be so careless? I can't cover up what I just said because from the look on their faces they heard me perfectly. I guess I just have to hope they don't ask me anything or to repeat myself for that matter. 

"What did you just say?" Josh asked his friend as they all stared at Kyle with a look of curiosity.

"I said I'm fine and that you all as bad as the girls and Brax."

"Yeah and you said 'foster parents'." Casey told his brother as he wondered why he didn't tell them all he had been in care.

"No I didn't!"

"Yeah you did, mate!"

"No I didn't. I swear!"

"Come on Kyle! We all heard you clearly."

"Ok fine! I said foster parents it's not a big deal got it?" Kyle told his friends as they continued to stare at him "Can we get back in the water now please, because you promised you'd teach me to surf Casey for my birthday present and I really want to master it so I can join you, Heath and Brax when you all go surfing."

Quickly getting to his feet, Kyle picked up the surfboard and headed back into the water wanting to avoid the question that usually follow when people find out you were a foster kid.

Why didn't he tell us? I can understand not telling the others but he could still have told me. I thought we were brothers? Hang on, does Phoebe know? Surely she knows as she known Kyle longer than the rest of us. He always tells her everything, there again Kyle does seem a bit like a closed book. WE his family don't know anything about his life before Brax and Heath brought him back to the bay to help me out. I feel hurt by this.

Broken from his thoughts the other guys asked him if he knew that Kyle was in foster care.

"I swear guys. I don't know anything, Kyle never told us about his life before he saw our dad. Now I know why." Casey told them.

The first to respond, Aden said "I wonder why he didn't tell you and your brothers? After all you are his family."

"Maybe he was worried that one of would take the mick. He already gets annoyed when Heath calls him 'Kylie' and I mean he gets annoyed the last time he called Kyle that, he threw a plate at Heath's head." Casey told them "Anyway I think we should get back out there to keep an eye on him incase he falls off again and actually injures himself this time."

As soon as he had finished talking, Casey took off in the direction of his younger brother to make sure he didn't get into more trouble. The other guys who were all still confused by what had just slipped out of Kyle's mouth followed after the two brothers.

30 minutes later…

"Yes Kyle." They all shouted as Kyle eventually stood up and surfed all the way back to shore.

Running out of the water the guys all congratulated Kyle and eventually mastering one of the most important skills a guy could have. Once they had finished cheering, they stood the surfboards up in the sand and headed back into the water, where they all continued to mess around by pushing each over and just being typical lads. Still none the wiser to the impending danger that would soon descend upon them and the national park.

[AtlantaG1912]

Thank you again for lovely comments and I'm happy you are enjoying the story.

Chapter 17

2 hours later…

After messing around in the water and just enjoying the time away from their girlfriends, the guys started to feel hungry.

As usual Matt was the first one to speak when it comes to food "Can we head back now? I'm starving and the girls are probably wondering where we are."

"He's right! I'm hungry now too and I agree that the girls will probably be wondering where we are, so let's head back and stuff our faces with hotdogs and the triple chocolate mud cake that we got from the Diner." Casey agreed.

All the boys agreed that they were now hungry, so they picked up the surfboards and towels and headed towards the car park. Storing the boards inside of Josh's camper van, the guys walked into the bushes and trees to get back to 'base camp'.

Somewhere in the bushes…

"Are you sure you didn't hear that?" Casey asked his friends as he stopped to try and figure out where the noise came from.

"Hear what?" Kyle asked his brother.

"Someone sneezing."

"No one sneezed Case, its probably your imagination going into overdrive again."

Hiding behind a bush, Ray was trying his best to block the next sneeze he felt coming on. Stupid nature! It would be the person sent with hay fever to keep an eye on the kid. This bush with it's lethal flowers isn't helping me stay hidden and quiet. Suddenly Ray sneezed again!

"There it was again! You can't seriously tell me that you didn't hear it that time."

"Sorry Mate. No one heard it."

"Well I know I heard it and I ain't just imagining it!" Casey shouted starting to become frustrated that no one else can hear the sneezing coming from somewhere behind them.

"Ok Casey! Calm down if you heard then we believe you. Don't we guys?" Aden said to his friend encouraging the other to help him.

"Yeah mate we believe you." All the guys said in unison except for Kyle who said "bro" instead of mate.

The guys started walking towards the camp again when Casey heard the sneezing again.

"There it goes again." Casey said

"He's right even I heard it that time." Oscar told the others.

"See! I wasn't imagining it. Oscar heard it that time."

"Maybe Oscar is trying to make you feel better by saying he heard it?" Josh questioned as he looked at Oscar.

"Actually Josh, I wasn't I did definitely hear someone sneeze from somewhere in that direction." Oscar told them as he pointed towards a group of bushes that all had red flowers growing on them.

"You know what guys. This is just adding to my gut feeling since that plant pot smashed last night."

"What plant pot?" The others asked.

"Not this again! Casey that plant pot falling off the table was probably due to the wind, Ricky seven said so." Kyle told his brother knowing it wouldn't make a difference.

"Yeah I know she did but there was no wind last night Kyle at all."

"So what do you think this gut feeling is then?" Aden asked wondering what his friend was thinking.

"Well Aden, I think no I feel like we are being watched." Casey replied.

"We aren't so drop it and let's get back to the girls."

"But what about noise though?"

Matt decided to end this conversation quickly "it was probably a wild animal mate considering we are in the national park, where they all live so just forget about it and don' say anything to the girls. Got it?"

"Fine but I still think we are being watched."

With that they guys headed off back to camp in silence, with Casey still feeling like they were being watched by someone and not a wild animal.

[AtlantaG1912]

Chapter 18

At the Campsite…

"Eventually! How long does it take for you all to go in the water then come back?" Asked Tamara as soon as she saw the boys appear.

Casey answered his girlfriend "Sorry babe. I was teaching Kyle to surf and the guys decided to help."

"XAVIER!" April shouted as soon as she saw him.

"What have I done now?" He asked his girlfriend with a look of confusion.

"What have you done now? What have you done now? Is that all you can say to me?"

"Yeah, cause I honestly don't know what I've done."

"You helped the guys teach Kyle to surf after you told me you wouldn't!"

"I helped Kyle to learn the basics on the sand. I swear to you that I did not teach to surf once he was in the water."

"Then why the hell are you soaking wet?!"

"Oh right. Look after Kyle managed to surf all the way back to the shore, the guys left the boards on the beach and we went in the water with the beach ball and started messing around. So stop worrying would you?"

"Is that true?" April asked her friends who had been with Xavier.

"Yes" they all said.

"Yes April, all he did was stay on the sand, even when Kyle fell off the board and we couldn't find him until he popped his head up again. Well he stayed on the sand until we got to shore that is and he helped carry him up the beach…" Matt stopped talking as soon as he caught the look on Kyle's face.

"WHAT?!" Phoebe said as soon as the words had left Matt's mouth.

"Thanks mate. Thanks a lot." Kyle said glaring at his friend "Nothing happened Phoebe alright?"

Phoebe not taking 'Nothing Happened' for an answer "Nothing Happened seriously? If nothing happened like you said Kyle, why did Xavier have to help carry you out of the water?"

"Matt is messing around Pheebs. He's trying do wind you up. I promise nothing happened to Kyle." Casey jumped to his younger brother's defence.

"Well it worked. I wish you would all stop trying to wind us girls up," Phoebe said while checking Kyle was ok with her eyes "Anyway food is ready, so let's eat before it gets cold."

Happy with Phoebe believing Casey that nothing happened everyone gathered around the campfire to eat.

25 minutes later…

Sasha went to get the cake from where it was stashed in the spare tent and proceeded to light the candles. While she was doing that the others went to collect Kyle's birthday presents while phoebe blindfolded him, so they could bring the cake over and pile his presents in front of him.

"Hey Casey." Tamara said.

"Yeah." He replied to his girlfriend.

"Can we talk please? It's important." She told him

"Can it wait a bit longer until say everyone has gone to bed?"

"Yeah what's a couple more hours anyway."

"Thanks babe." Casey said as he turned and walked to his tent to get his phone.

Everyone gathered back round the campfire just as Sasha walked over with the cake.

Taking the blindfold off, everyone started to sing "Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to Kyle, Happy Birthday to you."

"Come on Kyle blow the candles out and don't forget to make a wish." Evie reminded him.

Kyle quickly blew out the candles with one blow and looked up to see the pile of presents sat in front of him, "Aww guys, you know you didn't have to get me anything. Just us all being here together on my birthday and you all saying happy birthday to me is all I wanted."

"You were right Pheebs." Maddy told her friend remembering the conversation this morning when Roo had give them a card for Kyle.

"What were you right about?" Kyle asked his girlfriend.

"Just that people saying happy birthday to you was all you wanted," She replied to him "Now hurry up and open the presents while I cut the cake."

Phoebe stood up and took the cake of Kyle and walked over to the table so she could divide the cake between the fourteen of them. While Kyle made a start on his presents.

Phoebe was handing out the cake slices to everyone when Kyle got to his last present. "This one must be from you then Sash."

Replying to her friend "You'll never know until you open it."

Ripping the paper off, Kyle's face started to light up when he saw what she had got him. "Sasha this is amazing! It must have taken you ages to make."

"Not as long as you think considering everyone helped me. Well sort of."

"Oh My God! Where did you get that picture from?" Kyle asked her as he say an old picture of him and phoebe from when they first met years ago.

"Phoebe give me it. I thought it was about time you had something that showed you how much we all love you and how we feel like we've know you for ever."

"Well I love you all as well. You're the best group of friends anyone could ever ask for and trust me when I say I never had any friends that are as nice you lot are." He told them all.

Seeing how happy Kyle was made them all start to think that what Ricky had told Sasha was true and it was even more evident from what he had just said. Once Phoebe walked back over with her piece cake they all started to eat again.

1 hour later…

After agreeing that the cake was the best one yet and how they would never eat any other cake again, they started to clear up while Kyle had a proper look through the photo album.

I guess I really am lucky. No one has ever made me something this thoughtful before. Maybe for what is probably the first time since I got put into foster care that I have actually had friends who cared about me. Hell I even have a girlfriend who loves me so much. I never want this to change!

"Kyle! Hey Kyle!" Came the voice of his girlfriend pulling him from his thoughts.

"What?" he asked her.

"Why don't me and you had down to the lake for some alone time without the others telling us off?"

"Go on then."

With that he stood up took all his presents over to the spare tent (making sure he gave Evie the key so she could lock it) grabbed his stuff then followed Phoebe in the direction of the lake leaving the others to do what they wanted.

[AtlantaG1912]

Chapter 19

At the Campsite…

"Casey we need to talk to you without Kyle around and for that matter Phoebe as well." Belle said to him once she was sure Kyle and Phoebe had gone.

Wondering why she had to talk without the his brother and Phoebe around, Casey asked "Why do you need to talk to me without them around?"

"Well for starters we don't want Kyle to hear any of this conversation and secondly Phoebe would just complain that we are meddling into Kyle's live before the Bay."

"Is this about what he told us guys while we were at the beach?"

"What did he say when you were at the beach?"

"That he was in foster care. If it is then I don't know anything about it because he didn't even tell me and you all know how close the two of us are."

"Well I guess you already know part of it then."

"Part of it? There's something else you want to discuss about Kyle?"

"Yeah there is. So come and sit down and we can talk."

Casey now even more intrigued to know what was going on stopped what he was doing and walked over to join the others at the campfire.

On the walk to the lake…

Kyle and Phoebe walked hand in hand to the lake completely unaware of 1) the conversation that was going on about Kyle back at the campsite between their friends and 2) the fact that they were being followed by Ray who after nearly being caught by the guys on the way back to their camp had decided to lay low and wait to see what was going on before following them again.

"This is nice." Phoebe said to her boyfriend as they walked through the trees.

"It's lovely. Plus, spending it with you and the others is great." Kyle said still beaming from opening his presents.

"So you had a good birthday then?"

"Of course I did you know how I don't really like celebrating my birthday as much as most people do but this was different Pheebs."

"What do you mean by this was different?"

"I feel like for the first time since my mam died like I actually belong."

"Kyle, why haven't you felt like you belonged before now? I mean you have been in the bay for three years and that's one more than me and I felt like I belonged from the moment I met everyone."

"I don't know I think it's because I've never stayed in one place for long before getting packed off to the next place and I guess I've just been waiting for Brax to send me to another family because he didn't want me anymore."

"Brax wouldn't do that after all as he keeps telling you 'You're Family' so doesn't that make you think that your staying here in the bay for good?"

"Yeah I know but that's what my foster parents over the years always said and just as I would settle down and think that maybe I was going to be staying for good, a social worker would show up and take me away."

Phoebe stopped walking and turned to look at Kyle, she noticed his smile had disappeared "Kyle, trust me when I say Brax is not going to ship you off to somewhere else. He really cares about you Kyle look at when you were getting bullied at school because you're how shall I put this, a swot."

"Cheers Pheebs!"

"It's the truth but I love you for it don't I? Anyway the truth is Brax cares about, heck we all care about you Kyle and we never want to lose you. Got it?"

Looking up at his girlfriend, "Got it. I never knew that was what you loved about me" Kyle laughed.

"There's a lot I love about you."

With that the two lovebirds continued on their journey to the lake laughing and talking about music, while Ray quickly followed in pursuit.

Back at the Campsite…

After filling Casey in on everything that Ricky had told Sasha, they all sat in silence until Casey spoke "I don't get I mean we all knew he got bullied but that was because he was being his usual geeky self and that new guy didn't like but I don't understand why Kyle never told me any of this. I thought me and him were meant to be brothers. And before you say it I know that technically he's Brax and Heath's brother and no relation to me but we always said that blood didn't make someone family."

"We know but the truth is Casey, I personally think he didn't want any of us to know after all he never mentioned that his mum died or he was in foster care. Has he?" Maddy said trying to make Casey understand that wasn't just him that Kyle didn't tell.

"I know that Maddy but I thought his mum was still alive he's always talking to someone on the phone and he calls her mum."

"Are you sure because Phoebe told Ricky who then told me that his mum had died?"

"Yeah I'm sure actually it was only last week that I heard him on the phone talking about his birthday and how he wished and I quote 'I wish you and Callie where going to be here mum as I would love you both to meet my brothers and friends.' So she can't be dead."

"Hang on who the hell is Callie?" Aden asked releasing there had to be more to this than what they were all being told.

"I assumed she must be his sister if he was talking to his mum."

Thinking of the most logical reason for Kyle calling someone mum April spoke up "Yeah but if Kyle was in foster care like he said to you all on the beach and like Ricky told Sasha then perhaps the person he called mum was his foster mum from Melbourne and therefore Callie is probably his foster sister."

"Yeah but that doesn't explain why he called her mum does it April?"

"OH! Don't talk to my girlfriend like she's stupid!" Xavier shouted loud enough for the whole National Park to have heard.

"He's not talking to me like I stupid Xav. I think what Casey was trying to say is why would he call her mum if she wasn't."

"Exactly. I'm sorry Xavier and I'm sorry April if that's how it sounded, I'm just trying to make sense of this whole situation."

Ring Ring

Ring Ring

Just as Oscar was about to say something that could maybe help him make sense of the situation he was interrupted from someone's phone ringing.

"Whose phone is it? Whose family are checking in to make sure they are ok?" Matt asked as everyone got up to go and check their phones.

Finding the source of the ringing which was coming from the inside of the boy's tent Casey said "It's mine and it's Brax checking that we got here ok and that Kyle is having a great end to his birthday."

Xavier responded to Casey "And here's me expecting Marilyn to be the first person to text to make sure we are all ok. Not Brax!"

As soon as the words left Xavier's mouth the others all burst out laughing nodding in agreement with what he had said.

[AtlantaG1912]

Chapter 20

At the Lake…

Eventually after what felt like forever (for not only Kyle and Phoebe but Ray as well) they made it to lake without getting lost and only the torches as a way of lighting the path.

Kyle and Phoebe walked down on the little pier type thing that was beside the lake and hung their towels up (also taking off the clothes they didn't want to get wet) and jumped into the lake.

"Did you see that?" Phoebe asked Kyle.

"See what?" Kyle asked her pretending to not have a clue what she was on about.

"The shooting star."

"No, but maybe for good luck we could make a wish?"

"That's a great idea but lets not tell each what we wished for as it might ruin it."

Kyle already knew what Phoebe was going to wish for so he closed his eyes and thought about what he should wish for when her heard Phoebe say something.

"What did you just say Pheebs?" Kyle asked her "I was making my wish so I didn't hear you properly."

"It's so beautiful here." Phoebe said as the moonlight glistened across the calm and peaceful lake.

"it sure is beautiful here. We should tell Belle." Kyle told her.

"Why do we need to tell Belle about how beautiful at night this place is?"

"Well she has brought her camera and you know how she is for her photography. She's like us but instead of music it's Photography."

"True. She would probably kill us if we didn't say something and she missed out on a great photo opportunity."

"Exactly and maybe she could take one of me and you here at the lake with the moon shining."

"That would look nice in your photo album of Sasha and also on my bedside cabinet."

"That's what I thought too."

After agreeing that it was best to tell Belle about the place and see if she could take a pic of the two of them together, Kyle and Phoebe decided to use the chance to continue where they left off in the Surf Club car park.

Somewhere in the bushes surrounding the lake…

Why do they insist on constantly being joined at the face? It's disgusting! I mean no one wants to watch that all the time and it's in a public place so anyone can see them snogging each other's face off. There again saying that this place isn't that public considering it's in the middle of no where and they don't really no that I'm here so to them it's like they are completely alone.

Ray was broken from his thought by the scream of a girl coming from the lake, saying to himself quietly "Was that the brat or the girl?"

Back in the Lake…

Phoebe let out a scream as soon as the water had come into contact with her face.

"Why are you screaming?" Kyle asked his girlfriend not totally sure of why she had screamed.

"Well Kyle, you just splashed me with water and I only had my hair done yesterday." Phoebe replied to her boyfriend who hadn't realised that there was something different with her hair.

"Oh sorry babe I didn't realise."

"Of course you didn't. Your male, you guys never do notice when us girls get our hair done."

"Well Pheebs it's lovely as always."

"Aww Kyle your so sweet. I mean after all is only a couple of highlights that Roo paid for me to get in my hair."

"Roo paid for them?"

"Yeah, I told her I would just use my wages from working at the restaurant but Mr Stewart said they would pay and that I should save my hard earned cash for something else."

"I tell you something Pheebs living at the Caravan Park has made you less of a snob and more like the rest of us."

"Excuse me! I am definitely not a snob."

"Well not anymore you aren't"

"Ok, maybe I used to be a bit of snob but what can I say my parents had me in an all girls boarding school until I was twelve when they kicked me out for not behaving correctly like a young lady should."

Laughing Kyle was about to say something when he was instantly hit with water in his face.

"That makes us even now."

"Ok Phoebe you can have that because like you say that makes us totally even. However next time I might not be so understanding and will have to plot revenge."

"Whatever you say Kyle! Whatever you…"

Phoebe stopped what she was saying and looked to the other side of lake, which just so happens to be where Ray is hiding.

"What is it?" Kyle asked his girlfriend as she started moving her head quickly from side to side.

"I heard something that sounded like someone stood on a twig and snapped it in half."

"What do you mean you heard something that sounded like a twig being snapped in half?"

"Just what I said Kyle."

"There it is again." Phoebe said to Kyle who could tell she was getting scared.

"Maybe I should go and have a look and you can stay here."

"No you will not go and have look and just leave me here Kyle. It could be a murder for all you know."

"Yeah or it's an animal."

Suddenly the noise started to get louder and close which caused both Kyle and Phoebe to scream and start to panic when Sasha and Evie appeared out of no where, to tell them that it's getting really late and they noticed that neither of them had took their phones so they were chosen to tell them to come back to camp so they could all go to sleep.

"Ok we are coming now." Phoebe shouted from the lake to the pier "Come on Kyle let's get out of hear I'm scared now because that noise was definitely coming from somewhere else."

With that Kyle followed Phoebe as she swam back to the little pier and thought to himself. So now both Casey and Phoebe have heard something. Maybe we aren't alone in this part of the National Park like we thought we were.