Camp Redwood
sebastian.
"Good morning, campers," I said through the megaphone during breakfast. I stood in the courtyard and everyone ignored me, but I continued. "It's Saturday and you know what that means: Movie Day!"
Everyone groaned in unison. I could understand why, it was hot and humid, and everyone was tired from all the drama that had happened in the last couple days. Aubrey had told me everything. We've been at camp for three weeks now, and like I expected after getting to know all the campers, some odd love triangles were created.
"Love the enthusiasm," I said sarcastically. "After you're done eating, please make your way to the buses."
Every camper dropped their trays and Kalliope ran up to me, panting. "Aubrey is in our cabin right now," she said, looking at both me and Dr. P, who stood by my side. "I'm no doctor, but I think she might have food poisoning."
"Uh, is she okay?" I asked suddenly, trying to not come across as too obvious.
She smiled knowingly, standing up straight. "Yeah, she's just been hurling all day, you know?"
I was touched that Kalliope cared at enough about her to tell us. It was a side of her that I never knew she had. "We can't just leave her her," I said, turning to Dr. P. She looked a bit frazzled, like she didn't know what to do under a circumstance like this.
I wanted to stay.
Although it would be difficult to persuade Dr. P in letting me, but I was her favorite - so I had a slight chance. I was a boy, anyway, and I wasn't the only camp counselor.
"Um, maybe I should take care of her while you're gone." Dr. P suggested, as I lowered the megaphone in my hand."You go with the campers to the movies."
"But you have to be there."
She raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me?"
"I... Uh, I'm not feeling too well either," I managed to stutter. Kalliope smiled. "I mean, I wasn't feeling good all morning and-"
Dr. P raised a hand in front of my face. "I will stay, " she said, and I frowned internally.
Kalliope grabbed her hand, "No, Dr. P. You can't stay, I wanted you to sit next to me in the theatre!"
Dr. P flipped her black hair to her back, clearly flattered. Kalliope was such a good liar, I almost believed her.
"Sebastian," Dr. P said, fanning herself with her hand. "You can stay." A feeling of relief washed through me and Kalliope shot a "you owe me" face in my direction before strutting off to the buses with Dr. P on her left arm.
"Thanks for the meal!" Aubrey exclaimed brightly, slurping the last remnants of the black bean soup I made in the Home Ec. kitchen. It was nighttime, and the campers wouldn't be back until late. Aubrey and I sat together on the bunk bed she shared with Kalliope. "It's one of the only things you can make." She said offhandedly, not thinking I heard.
"Hey," I said, defensive of my cooking. "I can make a mean grilled cheese sandwich."
She smiled. I loved it when I made her smile.
"Can I ask you something?"
"Yeah, anything."
She leaned close, like it was a secret. Her blonde hair fell to the sides of her face, unruly and tangled from laying in bed all day. I think she still looked pretty.
"Are you a..." She inhaled a quick breath. "A virgin?"
I chuckled. "Um," I tried to answer, but didn't want to say the wrong thing. "If you want me to be."
She sat up straight. "Well, I'm not." I didn't know if she could tell, but I didn't believe her one bit.
I wrinkled my nose. "You're lying."
She giggled. "How'd you know?"
"I can tell."
"So..." she said, putting her chin in her hand. "Are you going to tell me the truth, or what?"
I sighed, wondering why this even mattered. I just didnt want to tell her because... Okay, so sue me. I wasn't a virgin. I mean, I'm not like St. Sebastian or anything (that's a saint, right?) and when a girl throws herself at me, who am I to object? You only live once.
And if that was the case, I definitely lived in high school.
I shrugged.
"That's not an answer!" She pouted. When I said nothing she attempted again. "Okay then, let's do this: Cross my heart," She did just that and continued, "Noting you say ever leaves this room, alright? Same thing goes for you."
I crossed my heart lamely.
"So tell me."
I sighed. "No, I'm not anymore." I laughed to myself. "Actually, haven't been for a while."
I hoped she didn't think I was a bad person. It was the truth. I mean- half of it, at least.
"Wow!" She exclaimed, moving closer. She was in my face now. "What was it like?"
Was she implying something?
"I'm not talking about this," I said, willing the blush in my cheeks to go away. She frowned, finally backing up.
Her head tilted to the side. "What were you addicted to?" she asked. It caught me off guard and I was actually surprised that the topic never came up earlier. And honestly, I was glad it hadn't.
"Nothing," I said, looking to the side. "It was nothing."
Her hand rested on my arm and I flinched, peeling it off gently. "Come on, Sebastian," she said, "It couldn't have been horrible. You're still a good person."
I shook my head, deciding it wasn't a good idea to tell her. At least not yet. I frowned. "Not today," I replied.
She sighed, getting up from the bed. Thank God, she let it go, I thought. If she knew, she would never look at me the same. I stood up too, getting ready leave to my own cabin.
"Hey!" she exclaimed. "Guess what me and Keegan did today."
I rolled my eyes. Please not him again. "I don't know, Aubrey." I sighed, the envy now sneaking in. "What did you do?"
"He taught me how to swim!" She smiled, and I found it so hard to be mad because she was just such a beauty.
After much contemplation I responded, "I know you like him."
She crossed her arms. "Who told you that?"
No one, Aubrey - I wanted to respond. I can see it. Everything, everything is about Keegan. You have to go because of Keegan, you need to talk to Keegan, you want to sit by Keegan. It's like your world revolves around him and you don't even realize it.
"No one."
Her lips formed a pout and I couldn't help but melt. "I..." she sighed. "I don't know, Sebastian."
"I don't know either."
She giggled, her mood totally changing, as always. "You would tell me though, if you liked me, right?"
I shrugged. No, I probably wouldn't.
She continued before I could answer. "Because I really, really like you." She smiled. "So you can tell me. It'll be between us. I mean, even if you don't think I'm girlfriend material we can still be friends, right?"
"Right."
She took a step closer. "So, just tell me," she breathed.
I know that she didn't know for sure what I felt, and that she just wanted me to tell her so she'd be aware if she was wasting her time or not. I understood that but- I just couldn't. I honestly don't know what I feel.
She reached for my hand and her fingers were freezing. "Cross my heart, Sebastian."
I closed my eyes. Maybe if I couldn't see her expression, it would be easier.
"I like you. A lot," I blurted out softly. "Sometimes I even think I love you because you're so nice and pretty and you want to get along with everyone. I don't know when I started to realized that I loved you, maybe never at one exact moment. It built up. Yeah, it happened over the longest time, and I've been afraid of it since I realized those feelings were there; what people would think, who was watching. But I don't care anymore." I said, maybe a little too loud. "I love the way you look at me like we're equal, I love the way you make me not care about anything, and I-"
She laughed, interrupting my greatest, most secret, confession.
She just laughed.
I took a deep breath. "And I even love the way you laugh whenever I'm trying not to be funny."
Then before I could process what was happening, she stood on the tips of her toes and pulled me down for a long, warm kiss. I felt her eyelashes close against my cheekbones and her lips were chapped but it was okay.
"I love you, too," she whispered after pulling away, her breath floating over my skin. It smelt like candy and I smiled, finally glad that she knew how I felt.
She fell on the bed, and I followed her. We laid there for hours, watching tv and talking and kissing and I wasn't sure if the day could get any better. It was cold in the room, the blankets pulled over our bodies, and her head rested on my chest.
I wondered why it took me so long, telling her exactly what I felt, and now I realized that all of the jealousy and hatred I felt towards Keegan... was all for nothing.
Everyone groaned in unison. I could understand why, it was hot and humid, and everyone was tired from all the drama that had happened in the last couple days. Aubrey had told me everything. We've been at camp for three weeks now, and like I expected after getting to know all the campers, some odd love triangles were created.
"Love the enthusiasm," I said sarcastically. "After you're done eating, please make your way to the buses."
Every camper dropped their trays and Kalliope ran up to me, panting. "Aubrey is in our cabin right now," she said, looking at both me and Dr. P, who stood by my side. "I'm no doctor, but I think she might have food poisoning."
"Uh, is she okay?" I asked suddenly, trying to not come across as too obvious.
She smiled knowingly, standing up straight. "Yeah, she's just been hurling all day, you know?"
I was touched that Kalliope cared at enough about her to tell us. It was a side of her that I never knew she had. "We can't just leave her her," I said, turning to Dr. P. She looked a bit frazzled, like she didn't know what to do under a circumstance like this.
I wanted to stay.
Although it would be difficult to persuade Dr. P in letting me, but I was her favorite - so I had a slight chance. I was a boy, anyway, and I wasn't the only camp counselor.
"Um, maybe I should take care of her while you're gone." Dr. P suggested, as I lowered the megaphone in my hand."You go with the campers to the movies."
"But you have to be there."
She raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me?"
"I... Uh, I'm not feeling too well either," I managed to stutter. Kalliope smiled. "I mean, I wasn't feeling good all morning and-"
Dr. P raised a hand in front of my face. "I will stay, " she said, and I frowned internally.
Kalliope grabbed her hand, "No, Dr. P. You can't stay, I wanted you to sit next to me in the theatre!"
Dr. P flipped her black hair to her back, clearly flattered. Kalliope was such a good liar, I almost believed her.
"Sebastian," Dr. P said, fanning herself with her hand. "You can stay." A feeling of relief washed through me and Kalliope shot a "you owe me" face in my direction before strutting off to the buses with Dr. P on her left arm.
+
"Thanks for the meal!" Aubrey exclaimed brightly, slurping the last remnants of the black bean soup I made in the Home Ec. kitchen. It was nighttime, and the campers wouldn't be back until late. Aubrey and I sat together on the bunk bed she shared with Kalliope. "It's one of the only things you can make." She said offhandedly, not thinking I heard.
"Hey," I said, defensive of my cooking. "I can make a mean grilled cheese sandwich."
She smiled. I loved it when I made her smile.
"Can I ask you something?"
"Yeah, anything."
She leaned close, like it was a secret. Her blonde hair fell to the sides of her face, unruly and tangled from laying in bed all day. I think she still looked pretty.
"Are you a..." She inhaled a quick breath. "A virgin?"
I chuckled. "Um," I tried to answer, but didn't want to say the wrong thing. "If you want me to be."
She sat up straight. "Well, I'm not." I didn't know if she could tell, but I didn't believe her one bit.
I wrinkled my nose. "You're lying."
She giggled. "How'd you know?"
"I can tell."
"So..." she said, putting her chin in her hand. "Are you going to tell me the truth, or what?"
I sighed, wondering why this even mattered. I just didnt want to tell her because... Okay, so sue me. I wasn't a virgin. I mean, I'm not like St. Sebastian or anything (that's a saint, right?) and when a girl throws herself at me, who am I to object? You only live once.
And if that was the case, I definitely lived in high school.
I shrugged.
"That's not an answer!" She pouted. When I said nothing she attempted again. "Okay then, let's do this: Cross my heart," She did just that and continued, "Noting you say ever leaves this room, alright? Same thing goes for you."
I crossed my heart lamely.
"So tell me."
I sighed. "No, I'm not anymore." I laughed to myself. "Actually, haven't been for a while."
I hoped she didn't think I was a bad person. It was the truth. I mean- half of it, at least.
"Wow!" She exclaimed, moving closer. She was in my face now. "What was it like?"
Was she implying something?
"I'm not talking about this," I said, willing the blush in my cheeks to go away. She frowned, finally backing up.
Her head tilted to the side. "What were you addicted to?" she asked. It caught me off guard and I was actually surprised that the topic never came up earlier. And honestly, I was glad it hadn't.
"Nothing," I said, looking to the side. "It was nothing."
Her hand rested on my arm and I flinched, peeling it off gently. "Come on, Sebastian," she said, "It couldn't have been horrible. You're still a good person."
I shook my head, deciding it wasn't a good idea to tell her. At least not yet. I frowned. "Not today," I replied.
She sighed, getting up from the bed. Thank God, she let it go, I thought. If she knew, she would never look at me the same. I stood up too, getting ready leave to my own cabin.
"Hey!" she exclaimed. "Guess what me and Keegan did today."
I rolled my eyes. Please not him again. "I don't know, Aubrey." I sighed, the envy now sneaking in. "What did you do?"
"He taught me how to swim!" She smiled, and I found it so hard to be mad because she was just such a beauty.
After much contemplation I responded, "I know you like him."
She crossed her arms. "Who told you that?"
No one, Aubrey - I wanted to respond. I can see it. Everything, everything is about Keegan. You have to go because of Keegan, you need to talk to Keegan, you want to sit by Keegan. It's like your world revolves around him and you don't even realize it.
"No one."
Her lips formed a pout and I couldn't help but melt. "I..." she sighed. "I don't know, Sebastian."
"I don't know either."
She giggled, her mood totally changing, as always. "You would tell me though, if you liked me, right?"
I shrugged. No, I probably wouldn't.
She continued before I could answer. "Because I really, really like you." She smiled. "So you can tell me. It'll be between us. I mean, even if you don't think I'm girlfriend material we can still be friends, right?"
"Right."
She took a step closer. "So, just tell me," she breathed.
I know that she didn't know for sure what I felt, and that she just wanted me to tell her so she'd be aware if she was wasting her time or not. I understood that but- I just couldn't. I honestly don't know what I feel.
She reached for my hand and her fingers were freezing. "Cross my heart, Sebastian."
I closed my eyes. Maybe if I couldn't see her expression, it would be easier.
"I like you. A lot," I blurted out softly. "Sometimes I even think I love you because you're so nice and pretty and you want to get along with everyone. I don't know when I started to realized that I loved you, maybe never at one exact moment. It built up. Yeah, it happened over the longest time, and I've been afraid of it since I realized those feelings were there; what people would think, who was watching. But I don't care anymore." I said, maybe a little too loud. "I love the way you look at me like we're equal, I love the way you make me not care about anything, and I-"
She laughed, interrupting my greatest, most secret, confession.
She just laughed.
I took a deep breath. "And I even love the way you laugh whenever I'm trying not to be funny."
Then before I could process what was happening, she stood on the tips of her toes and pulled me down for a long, warm kiss. I felt her eyelashes close against my cheekbones and her lips were chapped but it was okay.
"I love you, too," she whispered after pulling away, her breath floating over my skin. It smelt like candy and I smiled, finally glad that she knew how I felt.
She fell on the bed, and I followed her. We laid there for hours, watching tv and talking and kissing and I wasn't sure if the day could get any better. It was cold in the room, the blankets pulled over our bodies, and her head rested on my chest.
I wondered why it took me so long, telling her exactly what I felt, and now I realized that all of the jealousy and hatred I felt towards Keegan... was all for nothing.
♠ ♠ ♠
your ship?ahoy maties!