The first outing of the Adventure Club was held about three weeks later. The name was changed because people kept joining the Find Friends Club to make friends, but fewer people joined when it was an 'adventure club' because many people were lazy.

In the Embercrest Mountains, 23 teenagers and their chaperone arrived at Embercrest Lodge during spring break. They were there for the hot springs, historical sites, and beautiful scenery.

Nothing nefarious.

Never.

Seraphina, as the treasurer helped raise money for the trip and keep track of club funds. She rented out two gigantic rooms next to each other, one for the boys, the other for the girls. Everyone raced for a bed closest to the window or a bottom bunk the moment they arrived at their rooms. After spending months in the barracks no one wanted to get the short end of the stick again.

Max did not care for the window view, and took the closest bed next to the door, with Eric's older brother, Pheonix on top. While unpacking his things, Max shrieked in fright because Pheonix's head came into view from above and he gave an upside-down grin.

"You okay there Max," Pheonix asked.

Max nodded yes.

"You've been awfully quiet today."

Max nodded yes again.

"C'mon man, you gotta be loud. You're their boss now," Pheonix told him.

"Aren't you the chaperone," Max replied.

"We both know this is just an excuse for me to have a cool vacation, and you needed someone at least 21 years old for the hotel security deposit," Pheonix said. "Also, I'm just here to make sure no one gets knocked up."

"Gross!"

Pheonix laughed, did a backward flip off the top bunk, and decided to be an actual adult. He was counting everyone in the room and paying special attention to troublemakers when Max decided to slink off outside the room. He put on a pair of boots, and a red jacket, then went looking around the hotel for the perfect spot.

It was getting late, and the hallway was empty, except for a few of the lodge staff. It made Max's mission much easier. He took the old elevator up to the top floor, then found a dim stairwell. He went to the top, and there was a door to the roof with a loose lock that didn't work. Max walked onto the roof into the brisk night at stared at the Three Sisters.

He walked across it carefully, so the ice wouldn't make him slip. The smell of candy was wafting in the air, and it was so out of place, that Max decided to follow it. When he turned a corner of a large radiator, he saw Tiffany, smoking on the roof.

"Oh, fuck."

Tiffany hid her vape in her pocket and Max laughed because it was too late. Tiffany coughed and tried to play it off but the more she tried the more ridiculous she looked.

"What are you doing out here? Pretty late, isn't it," Tiffany asked.

"I'm not being a delinquent like you," Max replied.

"Hey! I'm trying to quit, okay? I'm just stressed out. Eric didn't mind when he was here earlier..."

"Was he here to spend time with the moons too?"

"Uh, yeah. Do you feel it too? I'm on edge. I thought I was imagining it."

"Something bad is going to happen, but that feels weird saying out loud. We're probably just tired from midterms..."

Tiffany took her vape out of her pocket. It was red and white striped, like a candy cane, and she gave it to Max.

"You seem like you need it more than me," Tiffany said.

"I'm not going down a path of crime," Max replied.

"This isn't crime! I mean, a little bit. You haven't done anything bad? Ever?"

Max shook his head no, and gave the vape back to Tiffany, who just shrugged and smiled.

"Fine. You don't have to smoke but you should have no regrets," Tiffany said.

"How do you have no regrets? You don't regret things happening or not happening until it's too late," Max replied.

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"You make a good point," Tiffany laughed. "I guess I should follow my own advice right now."

She leaned in, stood on her toes, and kissed Max. Her warm cheeks and soft lips made his toes curl in confusion and excitement, but mostly surprise. When Tiffany stood back to look at Max, she had an intense gaze that made him look at her differently for the first time.

"I like you," Tiffany said.

"Oh...I...Oh..."

"What's wrong?"

"I've never kissed anyone before," Max said quietly.

TIffany's eyes went wide and she felt a weird mix of pride and guilt. The pride was more than the guilt, and it emboldened her to kiss Max again. Max took a step back and looked away.

"It's cold. Let's go inside," he said.

Tiffany thought he wasn't interested, but when they were in the stairwell again, protected by indoor heating, Max gave her a long hug and an awkward kiss. They were unsure what they were doing, or what was happening but they knew that they liked how it felt and that they didn't want to stop.

Soon the kissing felt less awkward once they knew what each other liked and learned what they liked, and they continued kissing in the stairwell until Phoenix had found them.

"Guys, what the heck," he said. "Get out of here!"

They separated from each other like one of them had burst into flames and the sudden movement made the vape fall out of Tiffany's pocket. Phoenix glared at Tiffany, and she smiled because she could not lie her way out of this.

"I'm not throwing it away," Phoenix said.

"Oh thank goodness," Tiffany said.

"It's got too much juice left in it to throw away, it's mine now."

"Hey!"

"Get back to bed...you two are making me feel old."

Tiffany and Max had a very strange walk of shame while Phoenix made sure Max went back to his room. When inside it he groaned and looked annoyed.

"I was joking about the 'keeping someone from getting knocked up thing'," Phoenix said. "But please, don't-"

"Shut up," Max said quietly. "We were just kissing."

Phoenix put his hands up and admitted defeat.

"Just one last thing. Just a little present," Phoenix said.

"Oh. Okay, what is it?"

Phoenix got out his wallet and told Max to close his eyes. Max was uncomfortable but did as he was told. Something was placed in his hand, and Phoenix instructed him to put it in his pocket for now, and hide it in his backpack later. Max opened his eyes and the small square plastic wrapping made him panic.

With impressive precision he threw it into the trash can several feet away, and several boys cheered in the room, not knowing what he threw away. A competition of who could throw trash from the farthest distance away began but most people missed and it just made the room dirtier than it was earlier.

Phoenix knew this would be a very long five days.