Choosing how to love.

Camp Fire Confessions

HOLTON

Movement caught Holton's eye and he looked up to see someone running from his tent. Maddy. He jumped up and followed only to hear her vomiting.

"Hey, it's just Holton. Are you ok?" He called around the car she was behind. "NO." She was crying, and he did not even pause to think as he walked around and found her across the street, in the grass on her knees. She was wrapped in a blanket and was trying to keep her hair back.

"I got you." He grabbed hold of her hair and held it, trying to give her privacy. "I'm ok." She tried to waive him away. "You will be, just get it out." He told her and she cried harder, in between throwing up.

"Don't cry, it makes it worse." He squatted down beside her and realized he still had his Gatorade. He put it down and rubbed across her back, trying to soothe her as her body tried to force it all out.

"Slow deep breaths. You will be ok." He tried to calm her. "I'm sorry. This is humiliating." She groaned. "I have been around plenty of woman that did not hold their liquor well, I don't even notice." He tried and she laughed.

"Stop, it hurts to laugh." She pushed his arm and he smiled. "Don't laugh then." He looked at her and realized she was naked under that blanket as he could see the tops of her breasts and he looked away.

"Here. Small sips." He handed her the Gatorade when he thought she was done. "Thanks. And what are you still doing up?" "Couldn't sleep. Was just sitting under the stars." "Making wishes?" She looked up, and even in the dark, he could see her tear stained cheeks.

"Not tonight." "That's what I do. Out here there are always shooting stars. Just look up." She looked up and he followed, but then his eyes fell back on her.

The look of wonder on her face was beautiful, even with the glossed look of her eyes and red cheeks. "I have been coming out here since I was two. 24 years and it is still the same. The lake, the river, the stars." Her voice was soft and full of memories.

"That's a long time." "Yeah, we would spend a week or two twice a summer out here when we were kids. Then as we got older, we came out more often. My brothers and I mostly. We have not done it like this in a while though,"

"You did a good job putting this together. I think everyone had fun." "I hope so." "I did." He admitted. "You probably could have fun in a cardboard box." She giggled. "Just give me some crayons." He smiled back at her and he swore she blushed.

"You like to color?" She turned and stumbled, landing on her butt, but not making a fuss as she sat there. She pulled the blanket up around her, so he sat next to her on the edge of the road.

"Yes. Ok, my story time. When you said cardboard box, that was my favorite thing as a kid. My dad was an appliance repair man and he would save the huge boxes for us. My sister and I would color them and cut out windows and doors. We had the entire basement made into a city. That was what we did, every day. Mom would make curtains and we would find things to recycle to use. Dad even made us lights and built us a bench for our park."

"Wow. I would have loved that. My family did outdoor things. My brothers and I, ok, really Donnie and Roger, built us a tree house." "You are really close with them, aren't you." "Roger and I are the closest, then Donnie, but yes, I am close with all my brothers." She took another sip and Holton thought the worst was behind her now.

"I wish I had that." He looked at the ground. "You're not close with your sister?" "No. She was older. She left home when I was thirteen and she was eighteen. She went to England and met a guy, and she has been there ever since. I see her a few times a year, but we lost that closeness."