Charlie and Nolan's camping trips had become an expected part of summer. When they happened, that tended to be up in the air, but they always made it work. This time, it was just a couple weeks before their Big Move to Seattle, so there was a lot of nervous energy in the air. Charlie can handle that, though.

She turns to look at Nolan, wanting to ask him where they should set up the campfire, but the scissors she'd been using to open a new first aid kit (haha irony or some shit) sipped and got her damn good across her palm.

Oh, this was a million levels of Not Good. As close as she and Nolan were, Charlie had never been sure how to handle telling him she wasn't exactly human. What if she scared him off? The phoenix doesn't just throw their loyalty around like it's nothing, so if he were to run off on her and never speak to her again...it'd break her.

"It's fine! It's fine..." Stop lying to your best friend, Charlie. He can smell it a mile away. "God. Just...I'm good. Stay where you are. I'm.."

And that's about when small sparks dance across the cut on her hand, skin knitting back together quickly. There's...really no hiding that, is there.