...

"WHY ARE YOU SO late?" Levi frowned.

"Clarkson was a bit hard to persuade," Ella said, throwing the bags with their breakfast at their feet.

"I'm impressed," Alex said with raised eyebrows," I have to admit I hadn't expected you to succeed."

"Nice, El!" Will said as he jumped up.

She smiled at them as they sat in a circle, eating the sandwiches Clarkson had given them.

"Clarkson just held you up?" Levi said as he looked at her, ignoring Alex and Will's conversation about what kind of flower they would be.

"Is that worry I detect?" Ella teased, although she said it more to get him off her back than anything else.

He looked at her for a moment, his brown eyes so clear they almost pryed the truth out of her. She had to force herself to not avert his gaze. Eventually he looked away, his bored eyes following the river's waves.

"Levi, listen to this," Alex said as he slapped Levi on the shoulder," Will is saying I'm not a rose. I am, aren't I?"

"I don't care," Levi said.

"I find you more a tulip guy," Ella said.

"Et tu, Brute?" Alex said as he placed a hand in front of his heart in mock hurt.

"Will is obviously a sunflower," she said, not looking up at Alex' dramatic behavior.

Will beamed at her and she smiled back.

"What about Levi?" Alex said as he looked at his friend," I can't think of a flower that suits you, man. I find you more the tree kind of guy."

"What does that even mean?" Levi frowned.

Ella couldn't suppress a smile as she leaned back and watched them talk, the conversation flowing easily. Even though she had heard numerous rumors about them, it all seemed exaggerated when they were talking so carefree like this. But then again, they had fought almost twelve times already and it was only the second day.

"These activities are horrible," Alex complained," I don't think Clarkson has any inspiration."

"He's letting us do random stuff," Will nodded," but this is great group bonding, isn't it?"

"I've felt the need to kill all of you numerous times the past twenty-four hours," Levi said.

"I don't think that feeling is limited to camp when it's with you," Ella said.

"It isn't," Alex said," you should really loosen up sometimes, man. Go get yourself a girl."

"What?" Ella said," don't tell me girls don't love this angry, violent attitude you have here."

Levi scowled at her. "I don't need distractions."

"From what?" Ella said," being grumpy all the time?"

He bared his teeth at her and she stuck out her tongue. It was childish, but seeing as she couldn't hit him right now, it was the only thing she could think of.

"Girls do like his looks," Alex said," it's the harsh coldness that scares them away."

"Don't worry," Ella said as she tilted her head back, her face basking in the morning sun," you're my type, so there are surely other girls who like this whole violent thing you have going on."

The chatter died down immediately and Ella looked back at them, her eyes questioning.

"What?" she said.

"I'm not your type?" Alex said, looking far more stunned than she had thought possible with his playful attitude.

"Don't like flirts," Ella said.

"What about me?" Will said," I don't stand a chance either?"

"You're actually great, Will," she said," but I always fall for the same guys, unfortunately."

Levi had remained quiet, his eyes unreadable.

"What?" Ella said," nothing? I had at least expected three angry comments by now." When he didn't reply immediately, she rolled her eyes. "Don't worry," she said," I don't like you. Besides, I've decided to go for a different type this time. My previous boyfriends were terrible."

She had expected Levi to look relieved by her revelation, but somehow he looked annoyed instead. She could really not get a hang of that guy's thoughts.

"So," Alex said," what's the new type you're going for?"

"I don't know yet," Ella said," but he has to be stronger than my brother at least."

She quickly closed her mouth, the words having escaped her before she even had noticed.

"Is your brother strong?" Will questioned curiously.

"I guess," she said.

"So," Will said as he propped himself up on his elbows, his honey eyes mesmerizing," do you think I'm stronger than your brother?"

"Are you flirting with our Ella now, Will?" Alex teased.

"What?" Will stammered, his ears turning red," no, I didn't mean it like that -"

"I don't know," Ella answered," I haven't seen you fight."

"I could take him out," Levi said suddenly.

Ella tilted her head to the right, mischief gleaming in her eyes. "You want to bet?"

Levi leaned forward, his now familiar cologne blended with pine and the sea. His voice was a whisper, but she still heard him loud and clear.

"I never lose," he said.

"Maybe your arrogance alone will get you through that fight," Ella said," but I doubt it."

His eyes flickered to the sweater she was wearing and something undecipherable flashed in them.

"You shouldn't doubt me," he said.

"Why do you care?" Ella said," it's not like you'll end up fighting with my brother anyway."

"You said he was strong," Levi said after a pause," I want to see just how strong."

"You need to stop feeling the urge to fight everything and anything that moves," Ella chastised him, although she guessed she was no better.

Well, at least she hadn't hit something this past day. That was an accomplishment she was quite proud of.

"For someone who isn't violent," Will said," I have to admit you actually make a surprising amount of threats too, El."

Perhaps she hadn't been that good at hiding it.

"I'm almost glad you can't fight," Alex said," you would probably smack Levi and us down whatever chance you got. What a bloodbath that would be."

"I would never," Ella said weakly.

"We're just joking, El," Will smiled," we know you wouldn't."

"Yeah," Alex said," I mean, it's not like you fight for real."

"Yeah, of course," Ella said," the thought alone horrifies me."

"If not for that," Will said," I would actually have found you and Levi quite compatible."

"Now you're talking about it," Alex said," Levi always liked his women violent. That never worked out whenever he broke up with them though, now did it Levi?"

"You dated Ava," Levi growled," that girl once ordered two guys beaten up just because they were annoying her too much."

"You know she mostly just makes them cry," Alex protested," and besides, you do the same."

"No," Levi said as he cockily tilted his head to the right," I do it myself."

"It's good I'm not violent then," Ella said as she playfully nudged Levi," or else you wouldn't be able to resist me, huh?"

Levi glared at her, but it seemed to have lost it's edge. She didn't bother thinking about it, because he was exactly her type and some part of her couldn't resist him. But then again, relationships with these types of guys never ended well. And she couldn't afford that right now, not with her mother on her back. Besides, it wasn't like they actually liked each other. It was just moving from dislike to barely tolerating the other, although she had to admit she teased him just to get a rise out of him. His reactions were hilarious.

"What's our next activity?" Ella asked.

"I thought we were going to build a raft," Will said," I was looking forward to this one."

"You have weird things you look forward to," Alex chuckled.

But Ella didn't pay them any mind as she turned her gaze to Levi, a promise of violence gleaming in her eyes. Although she couldn't release her pent up energy by hitting something, now she had finally gotten the chance to get rid of it. Levi eyed her suspiciously and she started to smile.

All the wonderful possibilities when they were sitting on a wooden, makeshift raft -

She was going to sink him.