Chapter 9

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Aurora's POV

After a while, Autumn and I leave the waterfall to go to the scheduled art activity before tonight's bonfire party. We get to a rec building where it's taking place and sit down at one of the numerous tables in the room. "I hope we're not painting or something, I'm awful at that sort of thing." Autumn grumbles to me. I shrug and say, "I actually enjoy painting. I started when I was about 9 when my mom bought me some acrylic paint. Although I'm not actually that great at it."

More people file into the room steadily and Sahara appears from a back room with a few other camp leaders, all carrying boxes of supplies. They start to pass out what looks like blocks of clay and pottery wheels and I notice Hope at a table near us with her usual clique. "Looks like your roomie- or tentie? Anyway, looks like she's here," Autumn leans over and whispers. "And it seems she's shooting daggers at you." she raises her eyebrows and sits back in her chair. I steal a glance in Hope's direction and see her staring intensely so I look directly at her, causing her to snap her head around and pretend to fiddle with her nails.

Sahara clears her throat loudly at the front of the room and everyone quiets down and waits for her to speak. "Hello, everyone! Today, as you've probably guessed, we're creating some pottery as one of the mementos you can take home at the end of your trip!" Sahara smiles widely, as if trying to convince us that making pottery was going to be extremely exciting.

She teaches the room about pottery basics and tells us that the camp leaders will be walking around in case we need any help. I step on the pedal of my pottery wheel and begin working the clay after wetting it and dipping my hands into water as well. As the clay spins and I attempt to form a small vase, Autumn chuckles beside me. "What?" I ask her. She just shakes her head at me and laughs more. "Seriously, what is it? Are you laughing at me?" I ask again, a little annoyed this time.

Autumn leans over next to my ear and whispers, "You're doing it wrong." She's so close that I feel shivers down my back and take a deep breath. Then she grabs my hands and starts to guide them on the clay, smoothing out some of the bumps on the sides. "See? Now it looks better. Maybe get your hands a little more wet too." She giggles at her last comment and removes her hands from mine. I take another deep breath as she sits back, causing the shivers on my skin to stop.

I smile and nod at her in thanks, taking her advice to dip my hands into the water more. After mindlessly running my hands over my sad attempt at a vase for a few minutes, I sigh and take my foot off the pedal. I look around the room and see some people concentrating hard on their clay and having more success than I, while some are also staring hopelessly at misshapen lumps of brown clay.

My eyes make their way to Hope's table and I see her with what looks like a mug with intricate and swirly designs around it. She's smiling as Sahara claps her hands, exclaiming, "Wonderful! That looks amazing! You must be a natural, Hope." Hope relaxes back in her seat and her eyes meet mine. Her smile fades and immediately she looks away from me, saying "Thanks" to Sahara and clearing her throat.

"Wow, so she's perfect at everything, huh?" Autumn scoffs next to me. "Can she do anything wrong?" Yeah, she kissed me and that seemed pretty wrong, I think sourly. I just shake my head and turn to Autumn. She's stopped working and on her pottery wheel she has a far better vase than mine. "Well you're not so bad yourself, Autumn. That vase looks damn good." I say while admiring her handiwork, giving her an impressed look.

She just chuckles and shakes her head at me saying, "Nah, I just took pottery lessons as a kid. My mom has a cabinet full of stuff that I've made for her, so it's just something that I grew up doing."  I smile at the thought of basically a trophy case of pottery. It's endearing in a way, like how my mom insists on hanging all the art I've painted for her.

After the pottery activity has ended and Sahara has ensured us that our 'mementos' will be returned to us after they're fired in a kiln, Autumn and I wander around near the eating area. "Want any snacks?" she asks me, pointing a thumb at the canteen. "Nah, I'm alright. I'll probably just wait until the bonfire to eat anything. Thank you though." I smile at her and continue walking. The bonfire is supposed to begin in about half an hour so my slightly grumbly stomach will manage until then.

"So, Aurora..." Autumn begins and clears her throat. "I noticed that Hope stopped sitting with you at breakfast and stuff, but you guys seemed to be able to chat it up normally before. Something happen?" I sigh and remember Hope kissing me. Then calling me foul. Calling it a mistake.

Scratching the back of my neck, I say, "No, I think she just missed all her goody-goody friends. When she ate with me, they all looked at her as if it was so sad that she had to sit at the same table as me." Autumn slows down and then stops walking entirely. She sighs and sounds frustrated, so I stop walking too and turn back to look at her.

She has a frown on her face and her arms are crossed across her chest. "I just don't get why everyone has to be an asshole. I thought friendliness was next to Godliness or something?" I shrug at her and roll my eyes. They've never been anywhere near friendly towards me. "You get used to it." I mutter.

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I suckkk at updating! Life is so busy since I have both work and school, so my writing is squeezed in and feels a little forced sometimes. I still love it though, and there's no way I'll stop. Also I reallllllyyyy appreciate the nice comments and everyone reading :) Anyhow, what do you guys think so far?

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