The Good Side Of You | Monty and Winston

Chapter 11: Senior Camping Trip

"Winston," Monty motioned to him with a lazy hand, "these are Diego, Charlie, and the blonde one you see trying to sneak food out of Kenneth's tent is Luke," he continued, saying names and pointing to the people the names belonged to until Winston was introduced to almost all the football team. Monty's voice was casual, but inside he was more nervous than he had ever remembered being before.

Now that they were together again, Monty had decided he couldn't keep ignoring Winston at school. Ignoring Winston made him feel terrible and it was the reason they had broken up in the first place. If they were going to be together, Monty would try as hard as he could, as hard as his own insecurities and fears would allow, to do right by Winston. He knew that introducing Winston to the guys as a friend was not quite enough, but it was a start. It was better than letting Winston eat his lunches alone or much worse, with Alex.

His father still concerned him, of course. And the times he let himself really think about it he grew overwhelmed and anxious. His father realizing he was hanging out with Winston at school seemed to him the worst thing that could ever happen, but he had no choice but to take the risk, and protect Winston to the best of his ability if it came down to it. He wasn't going to push Winston away again.

It was a clear, crisp morning in Burnham Woods, where they had just arrived for the senior camping trip. Monty didn't even know how Charlie had managed to convince Principal Bolan to let him come even though he wasn't a senior. But then again, athletes often got away with a lot of stuff.

"Hey, man. Nice to meet you," Diego was the first one to talk. Suddenly his expression changed to one of recognition, and he said, "weren't you at Bryce's funeral? I think I remember seeing you there. Were you friends with Bryce?"

Count on Diego to remember stuff like that, Monty thought, slightly panicking. Winston had gone to Bryce's funeral just to give Monty moral support, but Bryce and him had had no relationship at all beyond going to the same school and knowing each other's names.

Winston, however, looked perfectly at ease, and he replied, "Yeah, not really. We talked a few times at school, when we were both at Hillcrest," he lied, "I didn't know him very well but I still wanted to pay my respects."

Diego liked that, and he nodded, smiling at Winston. "You seem like a good guy."

Winston noticed that Charlie was looking at him curiously. He didn't know that Charlie had been the only one of them to see him running after Monty on the night of the Valentine's dance. He didn't know that Charlie suspected that there might be something going on between them. Winston cocked his head, confused, but before he had time to say something to Charlie, Luke addressed him.

"So, how do you know Monty?"

"Oh, I remembered having seen him with Bryce at a couple of Hillcrest parties last year, so I just introduced myself a few days ago," Winston lied again, "It's kind of lonely, being the new kid."

Monty's body was tensing and relaxing with each question the guys asked Winston and with each answer they got in return. Winston was handling all of this very well. It was as if he had been prepared for this moment for a long time.

"So, who's going to bunk with who?" Monty asked, more to stop the guys from asking Winston even more questions than anything else.

"Diego doesn't have anyone yet, but I'm with Charlie," said Luke, pointing to an apricot-colored tent with a grey porch that was nearby.

Before Diego could claim Monty as his bunk partner, Winston said, "Monty and I are bunking together."

It took all of Monty's strength to control his expression and not betray his shock, but he couldn't help throwing Winston a look. Monty had told him to be subtle, and bunking together was definitely not subtle at all.