As they began driving back toward camp, everyone expected a calm road ahead.
The forest road stretched quietly in front of them, sunlight flickering between the trees as the cars rolled along the asphalt.
Then Ray suddenly heard a loud hoot.
He turned his head slightly.
On the left side, the other car had pulled up next to them.
Jake leaned out of the window, the wind pushing his hair back as he grinned like an idiot.
"Let's race!" he shouted. "Whoever loses has to swim naked in the lake tonight!"
Inside the car, Kate's eyes immediately moved to Ray.
She saw that look on his face.
That stupid, competitive look.
"Don't," she said, staring straight at him.
Ray glanced at her.
A cocky smile slowly spread across his face.
"Bring it on."
Both cars dropped into third gear almost at the same moment.
The engines roared louder as the race began.
Ray tightened his grip on the steering wheel while Jake's car stayed right beside them, the two vehicles speeding down the forest road side by side.
The wind rushed past the windows as the trees blurred slightly along the roadside.
In the passenger seat, Kate grabbed the handle above the door.
She glanced at Ray.
He looked completely focused now.
And very, very competitive.
Their windows were open, the rushing wind filling the car.
Jake leaned halfway out of his window in the other car, screaming over the noise of the engines.
"LET'S GO, JUNIOR!"
Ray shifted into fourth gear and pressed the accelerator harder.
The car surged forward, gaining even more speed as they raced down the road.
The cars roared down the narrow road, engines growling as both drivers pushed harder.
Wind rushed violently through the open windows, whipping strands of Kate's hair across her face.
She grabbed the handle above the door tightly now.
This wasn't fun anymore.
It was fast.
Too fast.
"RAY!" she shouted, her voice almost swallowed by the wind. "SLOW DOWN!"
Ray didn't even look at her.
His eyes were locked on the road ahead, a wide grin stretched across his face.
He looked like he was having the time of his life.
In the other car, Jake was half hanging out the window again, waving his arm wildly.
"You drive like my grandma!" he yelled.
Ray laughed loudly.
"At least my grandma knows how to stay in her lane!" he shouted back.
The two cars stayed almost perfectly side by side, tires humming loudly against the asphalt.
Kate's stomach twisted as the trees blurred past them faster and faster.
She dared a quick glance at the speedometer.
Her eyes widened.
"Oh my God… Ray!"
But Ray only leaned forward slightly, gripping the steering wheel tighter as the road curved gently ahead.
His grin only grew wider.
Across from them, Jake slammed his hand against the side of his own car in excitement.
"COME ON!" he shouted.
Ray glanced sideways at him for a split second.
Then he pushed the accelerator down just a little more.
The car surged forward again.
Kate's heart jumped into her throat.
Meanwhile Ray looked like the happiest man alive.
At the end of the long straight road, Jake's car slowly started pulling ahead.
Just a little.
But enough.
"YEEEEEEEEEEES!" Jake screamed from his window, pumping his fist in the air.
Both drivers eased off the gas as the road ahead curved toward the small turn that led to the camp entrance.
Ray slowed the car quickly, bringing it back under control before the turn.
Beside him, Kate was still gripping the handle above the door like her life depended on it.
Her knuckles had gone pale.
Her heart was still pounding violently in her chest.
She hadn't even realized she had been holding her breath.
"Are you insane?" she finally said, her voice shaky.
Ray glanced at her.
She looked genuinely scared.
Her hair was a mess from the wind, her eyes wide as she tried to calm herself down.
Meanwhile, Ray was still smiling like a kid who had just won at an arcade.
Ray glanced at her for a moment, still breathing a little faster from the adrenaline.
"Kinda like Joker and Harley, huh?" he said.
His heart was still beating hard in his chest.
Kate looked at him.
For a second she tried to stay serious.
Then she couldn't help herself.
She laughed.
Even if she would never admit it out loud, this was the first time in her life she had felt something like this.
Alive.
Ray glanced into the rearview mirror.
Emma was sitting stiffly in her seat, her eyes wide, looking absolutely terrified.
Next to her, Nia didn't look much better, still holding the seat in front of her like she had been bracing for impact.
And then there was Dylan.
He leaned forward between the seats with a huge grin on his face.
"Fuck, man," he said. "That was amazing!"
Ray grinned at him.
A few seconds later both cars rolled slowly into the camp parking area and came to a stop.
Waiting there was the counselor.
Julia stood near the entrance with her arms crossed, clearly waiting for them.
She looked furious.
As Ray and Jake stepped out of their cars, she walked straight toward them.
"You think I can't recognize my engine?" she said sharply. "We heard you from miles away!"
Ray and Jake exchanged a quick glance.
But then, suddenly, Julia's expression changed.
A slow smile spread across her face.
"I hope you boys had fun."
They both blinked in confusion.
"You think I didn't know you'd probably race?" she continued. "They're sports cars for a reason."
She casually held out her hand.
Ray and Jake handed over the keys.
At the same moment, two other counselors walked over as Finn's car pulled into the parking lot behind them.
They took his keys as well.
Both of them were women too.
Ray glanced between the three of them.
Three hot milfs.
Fucking hell…
Before he could keep staring, Kate smacked the back of his head lightly.
"Focus," she muttered.
As the second group got into the cars with the counselors and drove off toward town, Ray and Jake watched them leave.
Then the two of them slowly looked at each other.
For a second, neither said anything.
Then at the same time they both shouted,
"This summer is gonna be awesome!"
Their hands met in a loud high five.
Behind them, the girls rolled their eyes in perfect sync.
As everyone grabbed the things they had bought from the trunk and the ground nearby, they carried the bags toward the camp entrance.
The gravel crunched under their shoes as they passed through the wooden gate.
Ray ended up taking most of the bags, leaving Kate with only one.
She rolled her eyes.
He needs to show how manly he is.
But despite herself, a small smirk appeared on her face.
It didn't take them long before they reached their cabin.
Ray opened the door and stepped inside first.
He walked straight into the small kitchen area connected to the living room and placed the grocery bags on the counter.
Kate followed a moment later, carrying the last bag.
She set it down beside the others.
But as she stepped toward the kitchen, she suddenly tripped.
The bag slipped from her hands and fell to the floor.
Everything inside spilled out.
Ray's eyes immediately landed on one thing.
The condoms.
His face went pale.
Kate reacted instantly, crouching down and grabbing them before he could even say anything.
She stood up quickly, looking straight at him.
"My mom gave me those before I left for this trip," she said quickly. "She told me that if I ever do anything, I need to protect myself."
She tried her best to make the lie sound believable.
Ray smirked.
For some reason, he believed her.
Maybe it was the cute face she was making.
Maybe it was because he simply didn't think too deeply about it.
Or maybe he just chose to ignore the obvious fact that she had sneaked off to the pharmacy earlier.
Either way, he just smiled.
"Relax," he said simply.
Kate immediately turned back to the counter and started taking the groceries out of the bags.
There was silence between them, but it wasn't really awkward.
Ray kept giving her teasing looks from time to time, and every time he did, Kate felt her cheeks turning red again.
Soon they finished unpacking the groceries.
Since it was only around one in the afternoon, Ray grabbed a beer from one of the packs and opened it.
He leaned slightly against the counter and took a sip.
I could stay here forever.