“Oh my gosh! There’s a bat in your hair!” Addie shrieked.
Tia kept swatting at it, but she missed every time. I grabbed a long and skinny stick. I pushed the bat out of her hair, which was now a complete mess. Tia stopped jumping and screaming. Noah stifled his last laughs, while Addie bit her lip to stop the starting giggles.
“Ready to go?” asked Noah.
We nodded and he went on. My stomach growled and I eyed Noah angrily.
“Was that a raindrop?” asked Addie.
“I felt it too,” Tia said.
I shrugged my shoulders, but I felt it, too. Rain was coming down steadily. I saw something in the trees. It was large, box like and . . . “Is that a tree house?”
Tia smiled and ran forward, not bothering to reply. Addie and I followed. As we climbed the withering, sodden rope, I hung on for dear life. We entered the tree house to find it completely empty. The walls were bare; the ceiling was caving in, not by much, though. I walked forward, looking around slowly.
“Claire! Watch the hole!” Addie screamed.
I stopped, and looked down. A hole with spiky splinters of wood running through it stared back at me. One more step and I would’ve fallen through it. I stood, frozen and fear stricken. Addie and Tia called my name and I stumbled back to the safety of the wall.
“At least we’re dry,” Tia said, sliding down into a sitting position.
“Guys, come on!” Noah called from below us.
“No, we’re staying here until the rain stops,” I called back.
“Fine, but I’m going,” Noah yelled back.
I heard his footsteps dwindle down as he got farther and farther away. Tia walked around the tree house, avoiding the hole.
“What if something happens to him?” Addie asked nervously.
“Nothing will,” I said, hoping it was true.
“What if he falls in the lake?” she asked.
“He’s not going to,” I said.
“What if he gets bitten by a bat?” Addie asked, biting her nails.
“He’ll turn into a vampire,” Tia said, laughing.
I started to laugh and Addie joined in. Addie stopped abruptly and said, “What if he trips and breaks a bone?”
I stopped myself from saying he won’t because Noah was a clutz. Addie saw my hesitation and her face paled.
“He is a little clumsy,” Tia said, not helping my fears.
One glance at the pouring rain was all it took to send us all down the ladder and out into the freezing woods.
“Go!” I screamed as a spider crawled onto my arm.
We ran until we came to a dead end. The trees were too thick to push through. After wandering around the trees aimlessly I found an opening.
“Guys, look!” I exclaimed.
Tia and Addie came over and held the branches back for me. A loose branch clawed at my face.
“Ow,” I mumbled.
“What?” Addie’s voice said behind me.
I was about to answer her when I stumbled out of the trees. I looked back, but I couldn’t see either of them.
“Guys, come on,” I said, loudly.
Addie came barreling through, practically falling on me. Tia came through, not once loosing her footing. Addie eyed me for a minute before saying, “What happened to your cheek?”
“A branch got me,” I explained.
We walked for a few minutes, coming to a small hill when I realized where we were.
“Guys, I know where we are!” I said, jubilantly.
They both stared at me, having no clue whatsoever.
I sighed and shook my head. “The fort!”
Their eyes met mine in confusion and then understanding. We all ran forward, racing over the wall and into the fort itself.
I turned and saw the opening in the trees where had come in an hour or so ago. Past the opening I saw the lake, glistening in the rain. I pushed my soaked hair behind my ears.
“We still need to find Noah,” Addie said.
“Yeah, we can’t just leave him,” Tia said accusingly.
“I know,” I replied.
I walked around the fort slowly, thinking of what to do. I stumbled past the net covered cave. I stopped and glanced back in a minute later.
My shriek filled the night and extended into the next morning. I fell backwards and started laughing hysterically.
“Oh my gosh! You scared me!” I said as Noah helped me up.
Noah shook his head as Addie and Tia came over, both giggling. Noah took off towards the exit, saying, “Let’s get out of here.”
We followed, exchanging smiling glances the whole way. As we came out of the woods, the rain pelted my back. Wrapping my jacket around, I avoided puddles. We came to the park entrance.
Noah mumbled something about going home. After dropping him off, Tia, Addie and I ran to my house. Shaking off our shoes and jackets, we flew up the steps into my bedroom. I closed the door quickly and we all sat down on my bed.
“How much fun was that?” Tia asked as we all started laughing.
“Something I’ll remember forever,” Addie said.

“I’m definitely done following Noah,” I said.

As we dissolved into giggles, I realized what could’ve happened tonight. My heart plunged. Live every moment to its fullest extent was no more, now I was going to play it safe.