Just Breathe

Day 6

I was still quiet dazed from Saturday night when I woke up nice and early for camp. Usually I was pumped for camp every day, but today it was different I was neutral, not excited, not dreading it. So, I got took a shower, blow dried my hair a little, the rest would dry in the sun. Then, I applied cover-up to hide the bags under my eyes, with just mascara. I then pulled my hair into a high ponytail while I was walking down stairs to grab a waffle and head out. Today, Katie was getting a ride from someone else. So I decided to drive my car too, opposed to the only ten minute walk. I parked right next to where, Connor has been parking and went over to the swings. Eventually Greg showed up along with some moms who were waiting with their kid.

“Dude, we got a lot of helicopter mom’s this year.” Greg states.

“What the hell is a helicopter mom and besides do you see how many kids we have today? We have thirty freaking retards today.” I ask.

“Moms are called helicopter moms because all they do is hover.” I laugh at his response, which is just weird because who would think of that and because it is true and pretty clever. Next, to show up is Connor who just heads to the railing to lean on while texting. Sometimes Connor will never put down his phone, literally, it’s weird sometimes. Eventually I see a familiar silver BMW drive up, so I expect Shaun to come out, which he does, but then Katie steps out of the car too. Wow, and she couldn’t have told me earlier.

Once, Patty arrives, then helicopter moms leave, finally. We set up space for a game of marbles. For some reason the kids have really been into marbles lately its weird, but hey it keeps them entertained and that is all I ask for. I never actually played marbles so instead of playing with the kids like Shaun and Connor I sit next to Greg who is just watching. Greg being his random self says random things.

“You know two years ago Patty gave me a key to this place for when she came late?” He states.

“And you haven’t thrown a party?”

“Nah, I need to get the beer first. It sucks being twenty. I’m so close to twenty-one, but I still can’t go buy beer myself.”

“Yeah that must really suck. But this room once it’s empty would be great for a party.”

“Yeah, it would. It’s not even like Patty remembers I still have a key, so no one would know who threw it.” And that was the end of the conversation with Greg.

Katie eventually pulls up a chair and sit with Greg and me. Somehow we got Greg talking about how he used to have an afro.

“Dude, it used to be huge. Did you know when I got my driver’s license they had to zoom out the camera just to fit all my hair in the picture?” He says.

“No way, I don’t believe you.’ With my statement there he whips out his wallet and takes out his license to show us. Katie and I burst out laughing at this photo. I mean this is the biggest afro I have ever seen a white guy have.

“So what made you shave it off?” Katie asks sending him in story mode.

‘So, one day on my lunch break at work, I just thought it was getting out of control. I had to blow dry it each day and brush it for hours. So, I went and bought some clippers and shaved it off, took a shower, and went back to work. Everyone was like “What did you do?”. I just needed to change it and now it is so much easier to take care of.” He said, interesting life story of your hair there Greg.

“So you just shaved it randomly one day?” I ask him.

“Yeah, pretty much.” He responds.

“Can I get a camp consoler outside now please?” Patty demands. I see Katie get up so I go back to watching the marble game with Greg. Soon, it’s over and they start over so I decide why not play this round? One kid gets out of their spot, so I just drop down on the floor where they were, right next to Connor.

“So, how exactly do you play this game?” I ask him when he looks over to see who just sat down next to him.

“You never played marbles? You probably did before Saturday, but you got so wasted you don’t remember.” He tells me with a chuckle. Wait, what the hell was he at the party Saturday?

“No, Connor I haven’t played with these little balls before and just because I got hung-over I wouldn't forget my memories.” I say laughing at myself. “You were at the party Saturday?” I
ask shocked.

“Nah. Wait you don’t remember?” He asks.

“Remember what?”

“Well, I went to the party with Shaun and Katie after they called me up saying they need a
ride to pick up your trashed self at the party. So, I came and then I carried you to the car while you were mumbling to me.” He said laughing.

I covered my face with my hands, “What exactly did I mumble?”

“Oh, nothing major, you wanted more beer, you wanted to sleep with me, you told me I was buff, you know.”

“Oh my god, I’m so sorry and by the way thanks for taking me to Katie’s.”

“No problem, I always will help a friend in need.” He said as he started to explain the game to me. I couldn’t exactly shoot the marble right so he put his hand over mine to help guide me which actually helped out really well.

“So, I guess I’m very slowly piecing together my Saturday night. I just need to find out who I was with and why they didn’t take me home.” I said really to just myself.

“Jack, did, he took you to the party. He apparently stormed from the party, but called Katie to take you home. So, when I got to Katie’s I handed you off to Jack and left.” He said the last part with a bit of coldness in his tone. Oh boy, please tell me Jack didn’t do anything stupid. And that is when I pieced it together. I was going to do a body shot with Jack until he saw my tattoo and then he stormed off after we had a great night.

“Oh my gosh!” I said.

Connor must have heard the shock in my voice because he question me what I was talking about.

“He stormed off because he saw my tattoo.” I responded.

“Wait you have a tattoo and what is it of that he would storm off because of?” He asks.

“Yeah, well not really, it’s just a henna and well I’m not saying what it is.”

“Why not?”

“Because.”

“Because why?”

“Because I said so.”

“Well, where is the tattoo anyway?”

“On my stomach.”

“Nice.” He said. I found out I was horrible at marbles, but hey I tried. I saw Shaun leave and
go outside. Hmmm..makes me wonder if anything is going to happen outside with Katie.

Katie’s P.O.V.

I was getting pretty bored just sitting inside doing nothing, so I decided that I was going to take the soccer ball outside and see if any of the kids wanted to pass around with me. I went in the closet and grabbed the ball, when I got outside, I started to dribble toward the swings, but I failed to remember the ledge the let up to the swings. I went down, slamming my knee on the ledge and then sliding a little. Ow. I heard gasps come from the kids, who were in complete shock when I looked up at them. “I am all good.” I reassured them. “Just a little clumsy.” I followed with a smile. I got up and sat on the ledge. Wow, my knee was killing me now, but they can’t know. Great, there is blood. I thought, noticing practically a waterfall coming from my knee. “Oh my gosh! Are you ok?” I heard a familiar voice say. I looked up, just who I thought. “Yeah Shaun, I am fine. Just a little scratch.” He laughed. “That is defiantly not a little scratch. Stay here. I will be right back.” He said, running back inside and grabbing the first aid kit, and a few paper towel, some with water and some dry. He came back over and sat down right next to me. “How are you not like crying right now?” He asked, causing me to laugh, while he started to wipe up the blood. “I guess it’s because I get hurt so often and I just learned to take it like a pro from my brothers? Well maybe not Jack.” I added with a chuckle. Now he was patting it dry. “Where did you learn to be such a great nurse?” I smiled. “That I couldn’t come up with a good reason for.” He said, causing me to laugh a little. All the kids were still standing there like stone. I found it kind of creepy. “This might hurt a little, but I don’t think you will care.” He smiled, referring to the hydrogen peroxide. As soon as it touched my knee, I pretended like it really hurt, which scared him at first, and then he realized I was joking around and just smiled. He put on the final touch, a huge boring band-aid. “I think that this band-aid calls for some decorating. Are you in to help me Nurse Shaun?” I laughed. “Of course!” He said, helping me up. As soon as I went to walk, I almost collapsed, but luckily Shaun caught me. I looked up into his eyes and blushed, before gaining balance again. “I think I might have done some pretty legit damage to my knee.” I laughed. “Well then I think I can escort you inside.” He said, but before I could react I was bridal style in Shaun arms. When we walked inside, and Patty noticed, I don’t think she knew how to reply because she just looked away. He set me down in a chair and then made me put my leg up on his so that he could decorate my bleh band-aid. All I could do was replay the moments that I spent in Shaun’s arms in my head. I probably looked like a retard with a weirdo smile on my face, but I couldn’t care less.

Lacey's P.O.V.

The rest of the day goes by pretty smooth. There wasn’t that much chaos thank god. I honestly don’t know how I was going to handle these thirty kids. So, I’m glad I got my one day free of havoc with these thirty kids because tomorrow will definitely be different. The end of the day routine starts, we play a game, the moms come. We clean up with our same things we each do, it’s like that one thing is our chore that’s why we do it every day and nothing different unless we have to stack up the chairs and tables, then we all do that.
So, then Patty says, “It’s looking good, let’s head out.” So once again we head out to our cars and go our separate ways. Katie is going home with me today, but right before I get into my Jeep next to Connor’s car he tells me something.

“Lacey, just for the record I will see your tattoo one day soon.”

“Well don’t you sound confident, Connor.”

“It’s because I know I’m right. No one can resist my charm.” He states right as he is about to get in his car so I don’t even have a chance to respond.

“Katie you have some talking to do about you and Shaun, and do you see what your simple harmless henna tattoo has done to me?” I say as I pull out of the parking lot trying to find something sane that I understand in my life right now, and I can’t even think of one thing.