Kaitlyn Ka the Matchmaker | Rylan |

5

There was something off, it had to be. It seemed like everything was going normally. Kaitlyn had apparently gotten a little busy, but she was still there to chat with at school. She said she had a ton of homework all of a sudden from her other teachers, but she promised him that it would all be worth it.

Dylan was wondering what she meant by it being all worth it. Worth it to her?

He let Kaitlyn work on her homework and just carried on with what he was doing. His mom was back from her business trip, and he was happy to see her back home, so his home life was good.

Then there was school. School was just school. He made sure to never get anything lower than a C. Sure, he mostly got distracted during English but that was just because he shared that class with Ryan. After feeling bad for borrowing Abigail's notes, he made a better effort to listen to Mrs. Rice's lectures and not just stare at Ryan.

Something must have been off for Ryan. Mrs. Rice did not give assigned seats so anyone could sit anywhere. Ryan usually sat at the front of the class with Laura, for the past few days he had chosen to sit in the back with Laura.

There was something going on, but he did not have the guts to ask anyone, especially Ryan.

He tried to let it go as he exited the school building and waited for Kaitlyn to come out too.

"Hey Dylan." He was about to open his notebook when he heard his name. Specifically, by a handsome loner he had been pining for. Dylan turned around to see Ryan looking at him with confusion.

Dylan cleared his throat to not stutter. "Hi Ryan. Uhm, do you need something?"

"Yeah, I have to know." Ryan walked closer to him until he was just a foot from him. "Does Kaitlyn have a thing for me?"

Dylan dropped his notebook. He was not expecting that from Ryan. He bent down to get his notebook. "Uhm, she's never mentioned it before. . . Why would you think that?"

"Someone told me something and I've been kind of asked a few questions - and then Kaitlyn's name was brought up, so I thought maybe she is trying something. . ." Ryan explained.

"Well, we're friends and I feel like if she did feel something for you, she would've let me know." Dylan kind of felt a small sting. Is that why Kaitlyn has been a bit distant after school? Did this have to do with her homework?

"Y-yeah, you're probably right about that." Ryan decided with a small nod.

Dylan could remember the last time they had a conversation. They had said hi to each other since they returned to school and "see you at school" when they left Hackett's Quarry. Chris definitely kept them all working until the last day. It was the last night at the camp when Ryan was telling his ghost stories he told every night.

The last night he told the tale of the Hag of Hackett's Quarry.

Dylan remembered sitting with everyone as Ryan told it. Seeing all the kids huddle together in fear as Ryan told them of the hag that wandered the woods searching for her lost baby boy. Dylan had to reassure some of the kids that no one would let any hag take them on their last night of summer camp.

While the other counselors were taking the kids back to the cabins, Dylan was assisting Ryan by cleaning up the firepit. "You should be a professional ghost storyteller. You know how to send them into a cold sweat."

Ryan shook his head while grinning. "I don't think I'd go far as a ghost storyteller if the only people I can strike fear into kids."

"I don't know, man." Dylan disagreed, picking up the bag of marshmallows. "The alluring vibe you got going on can help you with making someone's blood run cold."