I slept surprisingly well and woke up first. Logan is sleeping with his back to me, under my unzipped sleeping bag. I get out of the tent trying not to disturb the girls.

It's early in the morning. And no one is around. I glance at our tent where I left my backpack - my toothbrush and towel are in it. So I make my way to the tent and peek inside.

By the stench, I can say they finished that bottle... They are sleeping and... what the...? My backpack is ravished... things are in disarray. And the bag is wet...

I take out my things one by one, along with my backpack. Cursing and swearing, I go down to the lake and throw my backpack into the water. I rinse it with such fury as if I'm trying to drown it. Logan finds me doing this. But now his company only annoys me. Those are his goddamn friends! I know that it's my own fault, and I should have chosen my own group, and now I am in a trap!

Logan seems to sense my anger and doesn't say anything. He steps closer to the water but never says a word. And then he steps back and returns to the camp, leaving me alone with my irritation.

Whatever it was, I washed the backpack clean. I sit brooding on a stump near my things lying in a heap. My backpack is hanging on a branch. I look at the water and rub my aching shoulder from time to time. Maybe I should just go back home. I can say that I feel unwell, I'm sure Caulter will send me back. It's not like I really wanted to go camping... but... it's just unfair... why can't I just enjoy my time? I feel miserable...

Maybe shining could make me feel better.

Yeah right... that's why I wanted to get rid of it so badly! Because it made me feel better! I peek inside my t-shirt. A small pinkish ball of light is still glowing in my chest. I try to feel something from it, but... no... And irritation is replaced with grim sadness.

"Come on." Logan's voice reaches my ears. I turn my head and see him standing nearby. How long has he been there? "Caulter's gathering everyone for breakfast."

I glance at my wet backpack, then at my things, then at Logan. Now I notice that he has my sleeping bag rolled under his armpit. He unfurls it and holds it as an open sack. And though I'm still irritated, I have to admit that it's actually a good idea. I get up and put my things in the sleeping bag.

I take my backpack as well, I think it'll dry faster near the fire. So we come back to the camp. Teachers give away breakfast. Mitch and Mike are standing further away, and I don't really want to confront them. I mean... I'd like to say a word or two, but it's pointless and likely will cost me. So I just try not to look at them.

After breakfast, Mr. Caulter leads us to the lake and gives us another lecture, this time it's about the fish and vegetation around the lake.

"Now," he says after having finished the main part. "If you paid attention yesterday, it won't be hard for you to find trillium."

"And it's not a competition again?" shouts Mitch.

"No, now it's actually a competition!" smiles Mr. Caulter. "It grows here in the area. Don't go further than the trees painted with red crosses, no need to go so far in the woods. Okay? And don't pick it up. Leave it where it is. Just take a photo with it and come back."

Mr. Caulter lets everyone go. Some of the students return to the tents, and some go to the forest. I stand still for a while, watching the people around me and trying to decide how interested I am in looking for a flower in the forest. But... I dart a glance at the tent. Mitch, Mike, and a couple of other guys are standing there and talking about something. I head to the forest.

Moss, fallen pine needles, and dry knots rustle pleasantly underfoot. I can hear birds singing, somewhere farther away, the voices of other guys busy searching. But I, as usual, chose to be away from everyone. I feel like I'm doing something wrong.

I take a deep breath. Actually. I kinda like it here... it's so peaceful. Lonely a bit, but peaceful. I can spend hours here reading a book, for example. Hmm... I think that is what I'm gonna do! This is how I can enjoy my time. And no one will ruin it.

I hear a loud crack behind me and, startled, look around sharply.

"What are you doing here?" I ask, seeing Logan approaching me.

"Searching for... trimum... trillum"

"Trillium."

"Yeah, what the fuck is that?"

"Google it."

"My phone is not working here."

"It's a flower."

"Romantic as fuck," snorts Logan.

I chuckle. "How are you searching for it, if you don't know what it is?"

"What are you doing here?" He asks instead of answering.

"...same," I say after a pause.

For a while we walk in silence, moving away from the camp deeper into the forest. Voices of others die down, and now it's only the sound of our feet on the forest bed. Occasionally there's a bird chirping or a crack of a dry branch.

My tongue is itching from a burning question. Why did you come with me? Why didn't you stay with your friends, Logan? Or do I have to say "Dag"?

And it's silly of me. It's not the right question. He's here because of shining. And the question I need to ask is why it bothers me. And I don't even know what answer will satisfy me. I'm confused. I thought shining was confusing. But now I don't understand anything at all. Myself included.

"Is that a snake?" Logan suddenly says, a tremble in his voice.

"There are no snakes here..." I reply. "Oh wait... there are snakes but they are not poisonous... I think..."

"I hate forests!" snaps Logan. "This is so dumb - bugs, nothing fun, and freaking snakes everywhere!"

I chuckle at his outburst.

"Why did you come then?" I ask, and in the next second, I regret I said that. Apparently, Logan didn't want to stay with his father at home... and because of shining, he needs to be close to me. It wasn't much of his choice. "I mean you could stay in the camp," I add, trying to sound casual.

Logan snorts at this.

"Yeah right. What if you get lost? Or a bear will snatch you? You know your way into trouble," grins Logan.

"First of all, there are no bears in the area. Second, you'd be not much of a help if they were. And the last one, ..."

"You're such a douche..." Logan breaks me, smiling.

"Yeah, you've already said that," I sneer.

"What can I say? There's nothing else to do."

"Ok, so find trillium! Be a winner!" I grin and then add more seriously, "You actually have good eyes. My phone you spotted in the most unexpected place!"

Logan looks at me like he's trying to guess if I mock him. I take out my phone, the signal is weak. So it's unlikely I can google the picture.

"It's a white flower or maroon. And it looks like two triangles merged." I try to show it with my fingers. "Like this." I look around. "There is a clearing, I think we'll find it there."

Logan speeds up and reaches the clearing first. He squints and looks around.

"There it is?" he points to the other side of the clearing. Damn, he does have sharp eyes! Logan gets to the bush with maroon flowers.
 
"Yeah, it's trillium," I say and see Logan's face splits into an ecstatic smile. Never seen a person so happy over a flower. "Ok, let's take a picture of you and your treasure."

"You should come closer then," he says.

"I think you will be enough."

"Ok." Logan averts his eyes and shrugs. I take a picture, and we head back.

"So... was it fun?" I ask walking side by side with Logan. He smirks.

"No," a wry smile crosses his face.

"What did you think a camping would be like?"

"I... I don't know..." Logan purses his lips and looks aside. "Last time I went camping I was like... eight or ten... And actually, it wasn't real camping. It was a tent in my friend's backyard... So you can say I never went camping for real."

"Me neither."

"What did you think it would be like?"

I smile and shrug.

"Exhausting and boring. And so far this trip was living up to my expectations," I chuckle. Logan smiles too.

We come back to the camp and go straight to Caulter.

"Logan's found trillium." I show Mr. Caulter a picture on my phone.

"We found it," Logan corrects me.

"You spotted it," I turn to him.

"You said where to look," he throws back.

"Good!" says Mr. Caulter smiling. "Teamwork! It's very good. That's your additional points and this!" He gives me a bag of marshmallows.

"Thanks," I say stupidly.

"Don't miss the dinner, and tonight we'll be watching stars!"

"Alright..."

We watch as Mr. Caulter walks away humming a song.

Logan snorts, "He's sure in a good mood."

"Does he think we are like... 12?" I raise the bag with marshmallows and look at them perplexedly, Logan smiles at this.

Next Mrs. Bailey gives us a lecture about first aid in the forest. And Mr. Smith shows us how to fish. After dinner, we get some free time, and I use it to check on my backpack. It dried, so I put my things back in it. From the corner of my eye, I see Logan talking with Mitch and Mike, Laticia and Sandy are there too. It looks like Logan and Mike are arguing again. I don't know what kind of friends they were before, but now it seems they are falling apart. Well, maybe they always argue and it's not a big deal? But after the talk, they split. Logan goes away from them and sits not far from me. He's pouting, clenching his teeth. Well, maybe it's a big deal after all.

After dinner, it's getting dark fast. The sky is clear to Mr. Caulter's pleasure. He and the other teachers set the three telescopes ready. Then he gives a brief lecture on what we can see in every telescope.

"The last one shows you a comet Hale, and it's a spectacular thing!" says Caulter with anticipation. We form a line to watch. And when there is my turn, I see the dazzling view... The comet impresses me the most. Just to think that somewhere in space, in this endless blackness a huge piece of rock and ice is flying at crazy speed hell knows where, and we can actually see it. It gives me goosebumps. We are so small...

"I could never understand what's interesting about flying rock in space," says Logan when we are away from the line and sit in front of the fire. "But when you see it... it somehow seems interesting," he grins. I glance at him.

"Yeah..." I say. We look at the fire for some time, and then Logan prods me with a thin stick on the elbow. I turn to look at him, and he hands me the stick and then takes out the bag of marshmallows. Logan rips it open and offers it to me. Smiling, I take one and put it on the end of the stick. Logan does too. I hold a marshmallow over the fire, it's getting bronzed and crispy.

"Are your friends going to get together again tonight?" I ask. Logan frowns and shrugs. "Maybe someone will trade places with me?" I say thinking aloud. Logan seems tensed. "Or maybe Caulter has another tent?" I get up, Logan remains in place. Teachers are still busy at the telescopes, and I decide to use the bathroom first. So I move away from the camp to the outhouse.

When finished, I zip my fly and...  

Total darkness.