Ah...Sleep-Away Camp...What Could Go Wrong?

"Aiden?" Cassie asked as she looked up at the boy.

"No, it's the Ghost of Christmas Past...yeah it's me," he laughed as he sat down next to her.

"You didn't tell me you were coming to this camp," she stated.

"I could say the same for you." This earned him a glare from Cassie before she sighed.

"Well at least we'll get to know each other now," she continued with her staring at the reflection on the water.

"Yeah. Um...can i ask why you're out at 1:15 in the morning?"

"My roommate was snoring," Cassie smirked as she thought of Rae half way off of the bed with her mouth hanging open. She didn't notice the expression that passed over Aiden's face.

"So what number cabin do you have?" he asked.

"Uh..." Cassie pulled the key out of her pocket and looked at the handle part, "9."

"That's a good one." he nodded slowly, thinking.

Well, this conversation sucks... Cassie glanced at Aiden. His hair was pushed back slightly because of the constant wind that came from the lake, he seemed deep in thought.

"What's your favorite color?" Cassie asked. That's an even better conversation...

"Navy blue. Yours?" He pulled his eyes off of the lake and looked at her. Cassie had not been expecting an answer, she had expected laughter. She quickly recovered though.

"Silver." she paused for a moment, "What about your favorite song?"

"Ooh. That's a hard one. 'Across the Universe.'" He looked at her expectantly.

"'Sunlight.'" Cassie began to smile. It's going good so far.

"Who performs that?"

"Natalie Imbruglia." The words were becoming easier to say. His presence just made her relax. She had never been like that with someone she barely knew anything about, she was always cautious.

"Favorite movie?" Aiden asked. Cassie mentally shook herself and responded.

"Peter Pan. Yours?" she smiled.

"I should have known. Mine is Mallrats."

"Oh! I haven't seen that is ages." Then together they quoted the movie,

"Haha. You dumb bastard, it's not a scooner, it's a sailboat." They burst out laughing and Cassie fell back on the sand trying to control her giggles.

"I like your laugh," he commented as he tried to keep his face straight.

"I like yours too," Cassie smiled. What the hell did I just say?! 'I like yours too.' What a dork...

She stopped giggling and immediately started to blush. Why was she being so straight forward with him? She always started to get knots on her stomach whenever she talked to guys. And at seventeen, without any previous experiences with a guy, she felt awkward when she was near someone she liked.

When she had tested out a piano in the middle of the mall she had been fine and laughed with her friend when she played Disney songs, but then her friend had told her a guy was checking her out. He was using the excuse he was looking at pianos. Dork. But once Cassie had glanced over and seen that the guy was hot, her hands began to shake and she couldn't play and songs with out messing up ten times in a row.

Why is he any different? Maybe because he didn't laugh when I was listening to Peter Pan or because he was obvious in his methods. That had to have been it. Boys had checked her out but they had never acted. Aiden had.

"So how does that 'Sunlight' song go?"

Cassie, once again, mentally shook herself. She had to stop zoning out. Like that'll ever happen...

She took a deep breath and began to sing,

"Today we don't know
who we are.
Ashamed, hiding behind the scars.
Too many times
we let the things we feel
get in the way of letting us
heal the wounds
That open in the dark.
Did you ever feel
sunlight on your face?
Did you ever taste clouds?
Did you ever touch space?
Did you ever feel
sunlight on your face?
Did you ever truly live?

So walk, in time
to life's refrain.
Relax, don't do it
to yourself again.
Decaying yourself with
All the love you won't give.
Killing yourself about the way
you don't live now.
'Cause you're not
gonna live forever

Did you ever feel
sunlight on your face?
Did you ever taste clouds?
Did you ever touch space?
Did you ever feel
sunlight on your face?
Did you ever just live?
Just live?

Did you ever feel
sunlight on your face?
Did you ever breathe hope?
Did you ever
dance with grace?
Did you ever feel
sunlight on your face?
Did you ever just live?

Did you ever touch sunlight?"

After Cassie was finished she looked over the lake, more aware of Aiden's silence.

"Holy shit you've got a good voice," he whispered. She looked over at him and saw his green eyes wide with amazement. "I didn't expect such a...big voice from you." Cassie laughed and pushed him.

"I don't sing that good." Aiden stared at her for a second.

"You pushed me..." he stated. Cassie allowed her eyes to get wide as she saw a grin go over Aiden's face. He better not be thinking of what I think he's thinking...wait, what did I just think? While Cassie was lost in her tangled thoughts, Aiden had scooped her into his arms and began to wade into the lake.

"Aiden what are you doing?"

"Getting even." he smiled.

"What?! I just tapped y--" she was cut off as Aiden dove under the water, with her still in his arms.

He emerged with her still in his arms and had a wide smile on his face. "I've always wanted to do that." he commented.

"Glad to be of assistance," Cassie huffed, letting Aiden set her down in the water but she immediately jumped onto his back.

"What's wrong?" he asked, amused.

"I can't reach the bottom," she mumbled, blushing. Aiden laughed and put his arms under her legs, trudging back to the shore. A guy just picked me up, dropped me in the water and is now giving me a piggyback ride to the shore...Let's see how many more firsts I can have tonight...morning...whatever.

He carefully set Cassie down when they had reached the sand and brushed her bangs out of her eyes.

"Cool." he whispered. Cassie tilted her head in question."Your eyes are my favorite color."

Cassie blushed furiously and became more aware of his hand on her cheek. She didn't know what to do. Great. We have a real smart one here...

He continued to stare into her eyes until she looked away. She heard him chuckle in his throat and she wanted to melt right then and there. He moved his hand under her chin and tilted her head to look up into his face.

"Can we continue this conversation tomorrow?" he inquired. It took all of Cassie's will power to not sigh in relief. She was so nervous but Cassie realized how much of a gentleman Aiden was.

He had noticed her uncomfortable state and saved her from embarrassment. Oh...how sweet! She was liking him more by the minute. And to think she only met him this morning, but then again they had talked non-stop during a four hour plane ride... Concentrate! She nodded and smiled. Then she shivered.

Of course. standing outside at 2 in the morning, in wet clothes, near a windy lake...why didn't she notice this before? Aiden smirked and picked up the jacket he had left on the sand. He placed it over her shoulders and she mumbled a thanks.

After he had walked her to the cabin and said 'See you tomorrow' she unlocked the door and slipped inside. Looking down at herself, she frowned. Awww....Eeyore you're all wet... Her brand-new pajamas were soaking with lake water.

Cassie sighed in defeat and dragged her tired butt up the stairs to take a shower.