365 Days

358

358

The peace and quiet lasts about two seconds and now Alex is back with pick up line after pick up line. He won't shut up and they just keep getting worse and worse.

"I'm sorry, I lost my virginity. Can I have yours?"

"Are you my homework? Because I'm not doing you but I definitely should be."

"Are you an elevator? 'Cause I want to go down on you."

And the list goes on. Eventually Aidan gets sick of it and tells him to shut up which does the trick. It's a quiet walk back to camp.

When we get there it's only 2pm and the sun is coming out. It's getting warmer so Joshua suggests we go exploring along the beach. I can feel my stomach start to sting in the way that requires medicinal treatment so I stay behind. Beckett offers to stay with me.

Once everyone has left I go straight to my bag and find the medication that helps numb the pain. It will make me drowsy but I don't have another choice. I pop two tablets into my mouth and follow them down with water.

Beckett is sitting in one of the camp chairs around our unlit fire, a frown etched into his face.

"I'm not telling," I say, going back to our conversation from up at the blowholes.

"Why not?"

I take a seat on the grass beside him, crossing my legs and pulling my beanie over my ears. "I don't want them to pity me or constantly worry about me. Worry is of no use. I want to spend my time left happy, with my friends happy. It won't happen if they know how long I have left."

"They will start to notice something's up, Dakota. You can't not tell them."

Deep down I know that. It's just that, "I don't want people to treat me differently."

Beckett nods in understanding, pushing his glasses up. "Just consider it. You don't have to tell them right away, but at some stage I think you should."

My stomach begins to settle meaning the drugs are starting to work. I push myself to my feet and try to smile. "I will, but not now. I want to sleep now."

I walk to the girl's tent and maneuver onto my bed, making myself go to sleep so that no one has to suffer through the affects of the tablets on me and my brain.

*

A deep voice wakes me from my slumber. I sit up, groggy, rubbing the sleep from my eyes.

"How do I get Dakota to sleep with me?" It's Alex, of course.

"Why don't you try to form a relationship with her instead of just trying to screw her? Wouldn't that be a better idea?" I recognize the other voice as Luke's.

"You know I don't do the whole relationship thing," Alex responds. I can almost picture him rolling his eyes.

"No shit. I'm just saying the only way she will ever contemplate sleeping with you is if you're friends... Or more."

"So you're saying I have to get her to like me in order for her to sleep with me?"

No.

"Yes, pretty much. You know I don't approve of what you're doing, right?"

"I know. It doesn't mean I'm going to stop trying."

I sigh, wriggling out of my tangled mess of sleeping bags to stand up and step out of the tent. There's this atmosphere at a camping ground at twilight, as if the whole place is buzzing. You can hear people talking and laughing, the birds singing their songs, and the crackle of camp fires as they light up the night.