STORY 42: MY BROTHER, MY FRIEND, AND I (I)

Chapter 1 Lily's Pov "Lily, you and Temmy are sharing with Jake. The big tent’s for me and your dad, and there’s no room in the others with all the gear," Mom said, her voice sharp over the crackle of the campfire, as she zipped up her jacket against the chilly night air. The family camping trip was already a mess, too many bags, and not enough space, and everyone snapping at each other after hours of setting up in the dark forest. I stood by the pile of sleeping bags, my arms crossed, feeling the cold bite my bare legs under my shorts. "Are you serious? That tent’s tiny, Mom, we’re not thin notanymore," I said, glancing at Jake, my stepbrother, who was tossing another log onto the fire, his broad shoulders flexing under his flannel shirt. Temmy, my best friend since high school, stood next to me, her ponytail swinging as she raised an eyebrow, clearly just as annoyed. Jake looked up, catching my eye for a split second, and I swear there was a flicker of something, amusement, maybe, or