According to Plan

Chapter 26

"It's Friday, boys! Get up!" Someone hollered from across the room. It sounded like Byron Bosniac or Jason Brent.

I twisted and turned in my bed, my scalp was burning underneath the wig and I muttered for them to keep quiet.

"Steve," a familiar voice rung into my ears and I yelped, "get your lazy lard butt outta bed, man. It's the last day of camp!"

My eyes swung open, he was right! I jumped out of bed, my feet skimming his face and I landed with a thump on the ground. I just felt like dancing, I felt like throwing my wig in the air and dancing like my life depended on it.

Cameron gave me a look, "dude, you almost kicked me in the face."

I smiled brilliantly, threw my arms around him, and rubbed his back. I took a nice whiff of his cologne and my eyes rolled to the back of my head in glee. I was so overwhelmed by the relief of this being the last day, that I guess my brain entered into some trance for a second there, some sort of dream land. But when I opened my eyes, I was in no dream land. I swallowed and my eyes widened.

The whole room went dead silent, except for Reese MacElvoy muttering something about cheesies in his sleep. Even Billy slapped a hand to his forehead.

Cameron froze, then in a rapid haze, shoved me away, too quick for me to catch my feet and sent me tumbling into Reese's bunk and almost landing on him.

"What was that?!" someone shouted.

Cameron was red-faced, mostly out of embarrassment.

Ok, so guys did hug, of course, but not the way I hugged him. Oh man... somebody please end this. Can I dissapear now?

"What did I say about hugging me?!.. or even touching me?!" Cameron shouted, trying to preserve whatever dignity he had left.

"I.. eh."

"Dude, " Jason stepped up and rocked his head to the side, brows raised, "so I guess you guys are..."

In blinding speed, Cameron rushed over to Jason, grabbed him by the collar and swung him close to his face.

"Don't even think about completing that sentence," he whispered in a deathly, chilling voice. The temperature must've dropped a hundred degrees.

"Dude, chill," Jason said, "all I was gonna say is that I guess you guys are pretty good friends now."

Cameron turned more red, making that handsome face of his glow. He released Jason, patted his back, then shot me a piercing look before retreating out the door.

Billy gave me a look, almost matching Cameron's. I felt like slumping down and hiding, but I'd probably get abused by the guys. Swiftly, I followed Cameron out the doors.

"Hey, where are you going?" I called after him, almost tripping over my froggy slippers that I'd been so ridiculed for.

"Somewhere you're not."

I followed him off the grounds and we walked in nothing but an open field of dirt and highway junk.

"Can you just wait a minute please?" I asked as I noticed we were getting further and further away from camp.

He turned around rapidly, and I almost crashed into him. His brows were folded as he gazed at me, "I don't know what it is about you that makes me not want to throw you a punch for the stupid things you do! It's like you're a..." he hesitated, trying to find the right word.

"I'm a what?!" I replied.

"Like a GIRL or something! I could never figure out what's up with you man! You're just weird!"

I swallowed, ain't that the truth... well the first part anyway.

"Okay, look, I'm sorry for hugging you," I deepened my voice, trying to convince him otherwise, "but can we please go back now?"

He shook his head and grinned, obviously getting over his little tantrum there, "I'm not going back."

I frowned, "what? It's the last day of camp. What do you mean you're not going back?"

He shrugged and kept on walking and I tried to keep a pace with him, half running, "I'm going home, man. I'm going to Portland."

"Right now? But you'll miss the end-of-camp party! C'mon, you don't even have your bags!"

"Had them all transferred last night."

"But why don't you just stay a little longer, man?" I pleaded, "what's the rush?"

He rubbed his neck and averted eye contact, "you'll think I'm a wuss... but my girl, she wants me home early. She says the sooner the better," he shrugged, "so I gotta keep her happy."

My blood pressure rose and I felt green envy ooze into my veins, "your girl."

He nodded, "that's right."

"You never told me her name."

He patted me on the back, hard. Almost sending me sprawling into the dirt. My poor little froggy slippers were already being mauled by the dust.

"I'll introduce you to her then. She's pretty chill."

"Yea," I muttered, feeling a giant bruise on my heart. I looked up, "where are you going anyway?"

"There's a gas station just right up there, the store clerk there usually calls me a cab to pick me up for the airport."

I could faintly make out a small petrol station. Man, wouldn't that have been nice to know when Billy and I first got here.

"Well, I guess I'll see you soon then," I bit down on my lip, still feeling that awful jealous rage in the depths of my stomach. Just him standing there made my heart race and affection pulse through me. And truthfully? That hug earlier had to have been the best second of my life.

He patted my back and pulled me into an awkward sort of half hug, keeping a safe distance so I don't go all "girly" on him again, I guess.

"Keep it real man, see you soon," he grinned and ruffled up my wig.

I waved and turned back towards camp to get my bags ready to leave.

"See you real soon, bud." I smiled.