Be Not Far from Me

Ashley Hawkins and her friends Meredith and Kavita hike along a section of the Appalachian Trail to meet up with boys from their high school for a party. It’s the beginning of summer vacation for Ashley and her friends, all of whom will be seniors when school begins again. Ashley, an experienced hiker who is at home in the forest, leads the way and finds a deer skull along the way that fascinates her. She gets frustrated with Meredith’s complaints and lack of survival knowledge, but they soon make it to the party site. The boys arrived the day before and were supposed to set up camp, but when Ashley and her friends arrive, they find that the boys skipped fishing and setting up tents in favor of drinking beer and smoking pot. Ashley talks to her boyfriend, Duke, and learns that his ex-girlfriend, Natalie, is coming to the party with her friend Stephanie. Ashley is annoyed, she but knows that Duke’s reaction to Natalie’s presence will matter more than hers.

Ashley and Duke have been dating for three months, but they’ve known each other for years.