You're Already Mine

Chapter Eighteen

TW: ED, implied SH

July seventh is relatively mundane. On the eighth, however, at breakfast, everyone sings Happy Birthday.

"Sixteen today," I whisper in her ear, hugging her tight.

Clover smiles, and when I hand her a small box, her grin widens. She opens it and finds two silver rings.

"They're for you and I," I say.

She takes a ring for herself and puts it on her left ring finger, and then she gives me the other one. I put it on my right ring finger.

"Well, I see you two are having a little moment," Lucas mutters. The rest of our group looks confused and they start asking what he means. "No, nothing," he replies.

Anyway, after the morning announcements, we head off to our lessons. I have art with Clover, Cheyenne, and Kylie, and the instructor asks everyone to create a piece of art based on themselves. I spend the whole time thinking, but I don't actually write or draw anything.

At lunch, the group is sitting in a corner of the gym because it's raining outside. The room is loud, with the voices of all the other campers echoing everywhere. I notice that Cheyenne and Kylie keep giving each other looks, and at one point, I even see their hands touch. I'm not sure what this means.

"Happy birthday, Clover," Lucas says with a smile and a glance at me.

"Wait, how old are you today?" Cheyenne asks.

"Sixteen."

The rest of the group wishes her a happy birthday. I notice she brought double chocolate iced cupcakes, and everyone else has one, but she doesn't take one for herself.

After the birthday party, we have another campfire dinner. I sit with the group a little ways away from the rest of the campers, like last time. Clover barely picks at her plate, which contains only a plain hot dog with no toppings. She has a water bottle next to her that she's been drinking out of all day and refilling by the hour.

A new message appears on my phone.

Sernie: Hey, you ok? Haven't heard from you in awhile.

I smile and type a message back. Yeah, I'm fine! Everything's good 😊

The typing bubble keeps appearing and going away for the next minute.

"Cam?"

I look up from my phone. "Yeah?"

It's Lucas. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. Just messaging a friend."

Sernie: You sure??

I'm not sure how to respond to this. My thumbs float over the screen. Then I text back:

Are you available to call tonight around 11?

Sernie: Yeah, what's up?

Me: I'll tell you tonight <3

"Anyway, so we'll be having a party for Clover tonight in the cabin," Lucas proclaims.

"Oh, is that so?" Clover replies, a hint of mischief in her voice.

"Yes, indeed."

Lucas reaches out and spins the bottle. My cabin mates are spread out in the living room in a circle, and Ms. Kendra went to a meeting with the other counselors.

The glass bottle comes to a stop, the neck pointing at someone next to me.

"Clover! Truth or dare?" Lucas asks.

"Um.. Truth," she chooses.

"Have you kissed someone in this room?"

With a glance at me, she says, "Yes." Then she reaches out and gives the bottle a twirl. "Cheyenne, truth or dare?"

"Obviously dare."

"I dare you to chug that." She points to the bottle of water in Cheyenne's lap, and then Cheyenne unscrews the cap and happily gulps down the entire water bottle, tossing it aside as she reaches to spin the bottle.

The bottle chooses me, so I choose truth.

"Are you single?"

I remember that Clover isn't ready to come out yet, but saying no can't be that big of a deal. As long as they don't know who I'm with, our secret is safe.

"No."

Lucas and Clover both look uncomfortable as I spin the bottle, which chooses Kylie. She picks a dare, so I dare her to kiss the person she has a crush on. She crawls over to Cheyenne and gives her a quick peck on the lips, looking awkward as she slides back to her spot and spins the bottle.

Cheyenne gets dared to sing a song, and then Clover reveals that she doesn't have a crush. We go around and around until Ms. Kendra walks in and says it's time for bed, and then we all go off to our respective rooms except Cheyenne, who rebelliously sits on the couch on her phone.

When I walk into our room, Clover is sitting on her bed again, facing the wall. I ask if I can come up and she nods, so now I'm climbing up the ladder and sitting on the mattress facing her.

"Are you okay?" I ask softly. (She shakes her head.) "Wanna talk about it?" (She shrugs.) "What's up?"

"Everything," she replies quietly. "I'm not ready to come out yet, and everyone in the cabin was asking if we were single, and who we kissed, and.." Her voice rises into a panicked tone and a few tears drip from her eyes. She fiercely wipes her sleeve across her face.

"Hey," I say softly. "It's okay."

"It's not. It's really not."

We maneuver ourselves so we're both sitting up against the wall. She leans her head on my shoulder and cries for a little bit. I hold her hand and let her tears soak my shirt.

After a bit, Lucas comes in. "Are you guys okay?"

"We're fine," I whisper.

He looks between me and Clover for a few seconds, and then leaves, shutting the door behind him. We have approximately thirty seconds alone together before Cheyenne bursts into the room and jumps onto her bed. Kylie follows in pursuit and they talk animatedly for half an hour.

"What about you?" Kylie asks, looking at me from her bed, which is under Clover's.

"Sorry, what?"

She pouts and looks at Cheyenne.

"We were talking about our favorite movies," she explains.

"Oh! Well, then I might have to pick Nimona." I look at Clover and she nods. "Clover agrees."

"Ohh Chey-Chey, have you seen-"

I scrunch my eyebrows downward in a confused expression. "Chey-Chey?"

"Cheyenne," Kylie says. "It's my nickname for her." Then she goes back to animatedly talking with Chey-Chey about Pride and Prejudice.

Clover and I cuddle together and watch funny videos on my phone to cheer her up. By now, her tears have dried. I notice she still has her hoodie on, paired with sweatpants.

"Aren't you too hot in this hoodie?" I whisper.

"I'm fine," she whispers back.