EVERGREEN, elijah hewson

camping carnage

CHAPTER EIGHT
"camping carnage"

ANOTHER DAY, ANOTHER CAMPSITE.

Today, Eden was now associating two words with herself that just felt wrong: calm and collected. She'd grown a fond attachment to the cattle strolling carelessly through open fields and the pristine azure sky hanging above them. Words were no longer toppling out of her mouth and rambling had been some estranged figment of the past. The group
were settled around the stove, tents up, sun falling in the distance. Eden found it odd that her body wasn't jittering as it always did (usually she was incapabale of staying still). She was still. Too still.

Serene. She was bombarded by winds of serenity, carving away at her rigid, thick skin and unveiling the gentle nature within her. She tried to shrug these winds away but it was becoming impossible. She had to learn to accept it. Accept that a mere segment of her was enjoying this freedom, the openness and even the people. Friends she'd made for life. At first she believed the two boys in her group were just know-it-all with rich parents — which honestly, they were —but she'd realised that the truth was that they were funny lads who she enjoyed spending time with. They made her happy. Josh and Ryan too. Eden had always been drawn to Min-Hee, but now, with her birthday grin, Eden was so thankful that they were put together.

"Anyone want a cup of hot chocolate?" Elijah asked, each of his sun-tanned fingers wrapped around the stove's handle. Hot water had been boiling peacefully. Eyes flitting and torso shivering, Elijah made his way around the circle, pouring water into each cup. He then dunked some Cadbury's hot chocolate in, smiling as each person thanked him.

He paused beside Eden. He felt like a live wire beside her, or a transmission tower sending signals. Even the soft brush of wind couldn't distract him from devouring her whole with his beady eyes. Hawk-like, he watched her, poured the substance down into her dark green cup, the colour almost blending in with the grass. He liked to invade her personal space, just slightly pop the bubble fastened around her. She used to recoil. Now, she leaned forward and fixated on his every move.

"You're cold, aren't you?" Eden pointed to the hairs along his forearms. Goosebumps lined his skin. Freckles caught her attention as he scratched along his arm.

"Barely," he murmured. "I should've worn a jacket. English weather makes absolutely no sense. It was boiling today. Watch it rain tomorrow out of nowhere—"

"Don't manifest it." Eden shook her finger as a warning. "If it does rain, it'll be your fault." She then tapped Robert's shoulder, she had been eyeing his bluetooth speaker for the past few minutes. Thankfully, there were no teacher's in sight to give the boys a lecture about taking their phones. Eden then said, "Please put Girls and Boys by Blur on. I need to expand Eli's horizons."

Elijah was about to argue but the bass riff began to thrum from the speaker before he could say a word. He was cut off. Instead, he picked up his sleeping bag, snuggled up in the grass and judged the song Eden had selected.

Eden, Min-Hee and Belle stood up and started to dance. They didn't care about what the other groups at the campsite thought of them. Robert was soon to join in, after being forced by belle. He awkwardly shifted from side to side. Min-Hee's years of youth theatre came in handy because she busted out some box steps and grapevines. Ryan and Josh slow danced together (which really didn't match the mood of the song but oh well). And, last but not least, Elijah was awoken from his half-asleep state by a lively Eden who kept gently kicking his legs. He groaned and whispered an irritated, "Leave me alone."

"Elijah, you can have your beauty sleep later. You're the only one not joining in. It's pretty sad." Eden outstretched a hand, pulled the sleeping bag from his head to reveal drooped eyes and messy hair. "It'll warm you up. Eliiii... come onn.."