Oops Wrong Girl to Bully (Angelina) by Xena Kessler novel Chapter 102

Chapter 102 *

Angelina’s POV

How long is the hike? Mia asked.

Like 4 miles up. Should take us three or four hours with breaks.”

“Is it steep?”

“Some parts. But nothing crazy. We’ll make it before dark.”

One of the guys in the back spoke up. I think his name was Tyler. “Why is it called Thunder Peak?”

Apparently there are crazy thunderstorms up there in spring, Silas said. But we’re good right now.”

Mia was still looking worried. “I’ve never done overnight camping before.

“Really? Silas grinned. “It’s the best! Stars are amazing up there. No light pollution.”

“But what about bathrooms?*

“Nature is your bathroom.”

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Mia’s face went pale. “Oh my god, you’re kidding.”

“There’s a pit toilet at the summit campground. It’s not that bad.”

Mia made a disgusted face. “This is gonna be rough.”

I glanced in the rearview mirror. The other two vehicles were still following. Through the pickup truck’s windshield, I could see Kai driving. His new girlfriend Zoey was in the passenger seat, taking selfies.

The drive took about an hour and a half. We turned off the highway onto a smaller road that wound up into the mountains. The trees got

thicker. The air got colder.

Finally, we reached the entrance to Thunder Peak State Park.

There was a small ranger station and a gate. A sign said parking was ten dollars per vehicle. I pulled up to the window and handed over a thirty

for both the Jeep and the truck behind us.

The ranger was an older guy, maybe fifty. He looked at the line of cars behind me.

“You folks here for day hiking or camping?”

“Camping, Silas called from the back seat. “Overnight at the summit.”

The ranger’s expression didn’t change. “Alright. Be careful up there. Gets cold at night this time of year.”

“We know, Silas said. “We’re prepared.”

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Chapter 102*

The ranger nodded and handed me my change. “Have a good trip.”

I drove through the gate into the parking lot. It was almost empty. Just two or three other cars scattered across the asphalt.

I parked near the trailhead. The other two vehicles pulled in next to us.

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As soon as I turned off the engine, the temperature difference hit me. It was cold. Really cold. I could see my breath when I opened the door.

Mia stepped out and immediately wrapped her arms around herself. “Holy rap, it’s cold!”

Silas jumped out, looking excited. “It’ll warm up once we start hiking. Trus me.”

Everyone started unloading their gear. Backpacks, sleeping bags, tents. The ground had a thin layer of frost on it in the shaded areas.

I grabbed my backpack from the trunk. Across the parking lot, I heard Zoe’s voice.

“Babe, I’m already cold. Are you sure we can’t just go back?”

Kai was pulling gear out of his truck bed. “We just got here. Come on, it’ll be fun.”

“But I’m freezing.”

“You’ll warm up when we start walking.”

I slung my backpack over one shoulder and walked toward the small building near the parking lot. It was a combination gas station, convenience store, and camping supply shop. The kind of place you only find in rural areas.

Silas jogged up beside me. “I need to grab that tent.”

We walked inside.

The store was small and cramped. Shelves lined with snacks, drinks, basic camping equipment. The walls had mounted deer heads and fishing photos. A radio was playing country music somewhere in the back.

Behind the counter stood a man in his sixties. White beard, flannel shirt, weathered face. He looked up when we entered.

“Afternoon,” he said.

“Hey,” Silas walked up to the counter. “Do you guys have any tents?”

“Got a couple. What size you need?”

“Uh, something for two or three people?”

The old man disappeared into a back room and returned with a tent box. This one’s a hundred and eighty dollars. Coleman. Keeps you warm.”

Silas winced but pulled out his wallet. “Yeah, okay. I’ll take it.”

While Silas paid, other people from our group filtered into the store. Mia went straight for a display of hand warmers.

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Chapter 102 *

“I’m buying like ten of these,’ she said. ‘I’m not freezing to death up ther

Tyler was looking at beef jerky. Another girl was getting water bottles.

I walked over to the drinks section and grabbed a bottle of water. Not because I needed it, but because standing around doing nothing looked

suspicious.

The old man finished ringing up Silas’s tent. Then he looked at all of us teenagers crowding his small store.

“You kids heading up to camp overnight?” he asked.

Silas nodded enthusiastically. “Yeah, at the summit campground.”

The old man’s expression changed. His friendly demeanor shifted to something more serious.

“You sure about that? This time of year?”

Silas stopped smiling. “Why? What’s wrong?”

The old man set his hands on the counter. “Well, first off, it gets real cold up there at night. We’re talking below freezing.”

“We have good sleeping bags,” Silas said.

“That’s good. But that’s not the main issue.”

The store went quiet. Everyone was listening now.

The old man continued. “About two months back, there was an incident at wildlife rehabilitation center about twenty miles from here. Some animals got loose. Mountain lions. Maybe some wolves, nobody knows exactly.”

My attention sharpened. Mountain lions and wolves. That was different.

“Rangers have been tracking them,” the old man said. “But they haven’t caught them all yet. Few days ago, some hunters got attacked up near Thunder Peak. One guy got mauled pretty bad. Had to airlift him out.”

Mia made a small sound. Someone else whispered “oh my god.”

“State Parks put out an advisory,” the old man continued. “Daytime hiking is fine, but they strongly recommend not camping overnight until they catch those animals.”

Silas looked pale. “Wait, seriously?”

The old man’s face was completely serious. “I’m not trying to scare you kids. Just giving you the facts. It’s a big mountain. Chances are you won’t see anything. But mountain lions hunt at night. And if they’re hungry…”

He shook his head.

“I’ve lived here my whole life. Never seen anything like this before. Whatever you decide, just be careful up there.”

Nobody said anything for a moment.

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Chapter 102 *

Then Silas cleared his throat. “Uh, thanks for letting us know.”

We paid for our stuff and walked back outside.

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