There’s an episode where they get stuck in a tree house they built because they forgot to cut the door out before they screwed the walls together. It’s one of the best ones.
“Yeah, well, at least they had working cell phones,” Jesse mutters, and then grabs another screwdriver to help Cody.
I cross my arms. “Actually, they didn’t have their phones on them,” I correct him.
Jesse and Cody glare at me, unimpressed. As if my epiphany related to a fictional Nickelodeon TV show isn’t really ideal. I shut up and let them work. I know they’ll figure it out; they always do. I’m not worried.
While they curse and carry on with each other, I pull my phone out to see if maybeIhave service. Sometimes it’s spotty down here, but it’s worth a shot.
I text the family group chat, hoping that between my parents, Mason, and Ella, someone sees it. I also send a text to my boyfriend, Brantley, and Wesley, our neighbor. I figure the more who know, the better.
I was in the middle of helping Mom make a huge batch of zucchini bread to freeze before I came out here. She’ll definitely be the first to notice something’s wrong when I’m not back in the next ten minutes.
“Why are you so uptight? You know someone will come looking for us.” Cody looks at Jesse.
“Yeah? When? Tomorrow?” Jesse’s tone is tight, the sweat beading down the back of his sunburnt neck.
“No,tonight, dumbass! Everyone knew this is what we’d be doing all day!” Cody argues, his tone now matching Jesse’s.
I step back and lean against the wooden, unfinished wall. I don’t want spit and sweat getting on me with all their bickering in such a small space.
“You’re the one who broke the damn door!” Jesse points his finger at Cody’s chest.
“Well, you’re the one who insisted we didn’t fix it right away!”
“I didn’t anticipate it breaking even more and then locking us in!”
“Well,Ididn’t anticipate it being one hundred degrees the day we did this!” Cody’s volume rises even more.
“When’d you wanna do it?! Midseason?!”
Cody snaps, “No! We could’ve—”
“You guys! Shut up!” I yell as sweat starts to build under my arms and chest. It’s already hot in here and all this tension isn’t helping.
They look at me like they’ve never heard such a thing come out of my mouth. Their chests deflate as both start to calm down. Jesse takes a lap around the six-by-six room, and Cody hangs his head out the window for fresh air.
“You guys needs to take a breath and—”
Cody pulls his head back in, cutting me off. “You wanna sleep out here tonight? Get abducted by Bigfoot?”
I roll my eyes. I used to be terrified of Bigfoot when I was little and they would taunt me over it. Sometimes still do, as you can see.
I cross my arms. “Least he’d get the door open for us first,” I tease with a smart grin.
Jesse snickers and the slightest smile appears on his face before he lets out a sigh and sits down.
Cody huffs, shaking his head before studying the door again. Jesse and I watch him try to pry it open another few times before he gives up, throwing the screwdriver in the pile of tools and sitting down with us.
I decide to pick it up and give it a try, realizing quickly it’s too big to fit between the door and the jamb. I look through the rest of the tools and try the end of a tape measure, but that doesn’t work. The lip isn’t long enough.
“So, what game did Drake and Josh play when they were stuck?” Cody asks.
I laugh. “I think it was where you—”
“We’re not playing a game,” Jesse cutsin.
My eyes flicks to his. “What is your problem?”
