𝐒𝐔𝐌𝐌𝐄𝐑𝐓𝐈𝐌𝐄 𝐒𝐀𝐃𝐍𝐄𝐒𝐒 - 𝐡𝐬𝐦𝐭𝐦𝐭𝐬 (𝐢𝐢𝐢) | ✔

ten

     The redhead, eager to live the Newbie Night she had been told about, got up with a huge smile on her face and walked with her two friends towards the biggest tent, which had been set up for the counselors. Ricky was already waiting for them there, whereas Kourtney and Carlos were nowhere to be seen.

     Putting a finger to his lips, signalling for them to be quiet, Ricky lit up his lantern and pointed it to his face, attempting to scare E.J. with a yell as they all entered the tent. The senior, however, could not be bothered with them and continued highlighting his script.

     "Dude. This legend? I found, like, a shrine in the woods. Let's go."

     "I can't tonight. I have to finish this thing before..."

     "What thing in the woods?" Gina interrupted him. 

     "It's literally the spookiest thing I've ever seen. And I've seen Hereditary."

     "Oh yeah, and we had to keep the lights on the whole night," Juliette remembered with a smile, which she soon forced out of her face. "Come on, Eej. You're going to become cross-eyed if you keep like this."

     "Don't mind me," Ashlyn walked in as well. "Just having a teeny, tiny identity crisis. E.J., do you remember when I was born? I just need to know if it was 11:37 a.m., or 11:37 p.m."

     "Everyone, stop!" the boy snapped, tired of his friends already. "It was 11:37 a.m. I know that because my mom always tells me how you forever ruined the eggs Benedict. Remember? Eggs Benedict is a strictly morning dish. No, I can't come see the shrine tonight. I have to finish marking up the script before Corbin comes tomorrow. I have a lot on my plate, okay?"

     "Come on, guys," Gina told them, giving E.J. the solitude and tranquility he needed. 

     As they all walked out of that tent, Juliette felt herself wanting to cry. She would be lying if she said that, as much as she understood E.J., she felt deeply disappointed. They had to camp for a Wildcat Summer and, thanks to Corbin Bleu and his stupid documentary, she was having little to nothing of it.

     Ricky, seeing the change in her behaviour, offered her a twizzler, one of her favourite candy, and simply shrugged when she asked him where he had got that from. Handing the girl a flashlight, he told her to follow him.

     "It's quiet," he spoke, once they were in the woods already.

     "Yeah, maybe a little too quiet," Juliette agreed. 

     "Don't tell me you're scared," he mocked her, walking by her side and looking directly at her. "Will you need a night light today?"

     "You wish, Mr. 'I've seen Hereditary'".

     "Honestly, yeah. It'd make me feel a little bit less like a baby. Check this out. My heart's racing," he said, taking her hand and putting it to his chest.

     Juliette's heart skipped a beat at the sudden realization of their proximity, but she played it off the best she could, "chicken."

     "I haven't even told you, though. I heard it earlier, the whistle?"

     "Yeah, that was Ben. Oliver was in charge of the twigs snapping," she clarified, as Ricky stopped mid-step. "What?"

     "You're... um... hanging a lot with Oliver lately, huh?"

     "Is that bad?"

     "No, not at all. I just..." he began, unsure of what to say next and already regretting his comment. "I want to make sure that... he treats you how you deserve. How I wasn't able to."

     "He treats me just fine, we're friends. He's fun to be around but... I'm not... you know, ready for anything more at the moment," she confessed. "Hey, shouldn't we be heading back already?"

     "Who's the chicken now, huh?" Ricky chuckled, happy to change topics already. But, before they could continue, they heard a singing voice. Both of them stopped in their tracks, their hands quickly looking for one another, and looked at each other.

      "Is that... the Woman in the Woods?" Juliette whispered, her voice trembling. "Maddox said she ahd a voice like an angel. Angel voice."

     "We... follow the sound?"

     And, as much a bad idea as Juliette thought that was, she would rather stay with Ricky than walking back all alone, so she nodded. Their hands still intertwined, a gesture that felt as natural as breathing, they walked towards the singing voice, only to find that they had walked all the way to camp and that the sound came from the Barn. Luckily, there was no mad woman or crazy murderer, but it had been Ashlyn all along. accompanied by Gina. 

     Tired from all the walking, the four of them decided to stay there for some time, which was spent trying to help Ricky figure out how the horoscope worked. So far, they had got to Mercury retrograde and Juliette could feel Ricky's neurones slowly collapsing from all the information. 

     "It's okay, Ash," Gina hugged the girl, "you were bummed. You wanted an explanation."

     "Last semester, I didn't think I could be a leading lady. And tonight I found out I was born at brunch time. Guess there's always something new to learn."

     "Is that it, Ash?" Ricky asked after a couple of seconds of silence. 

     "This, um, Corbin Bleu TV show thing, I thought I was gonna be, like, my big break."

     "Hey, it still could be," Juliette hugged her sideways. "I can't wait for the world to see your beautiful face on their TVs."

     "Nah. But I think it could be yours, Anna," she turned towards Gina. "And you deserve it. Good night, cool kids. Leo Rising out."

     Gina, not wanting to leave Ashlyn alone in a night as hard as this one, decided to go back with her, leaving Ricky and Juliette in the Barn. The boy took a seat besides the redhead, quietly listening to her breathing. 

     "Ricky?" she interruped the silence.

     "Yeah?" the boy whispered, turning around to look at her. Juliette, in turn, sat cross-legged in front of him.

     "You treated me better than anyone, okay? Never doubt that," she confessed, going back to their earlier conversation.

     "Even when I didn't let you win at Fortnite?"

     "Even when you didn't let me win at Fortnite," she laughed. "You were the best first boyfriend I could ever ask for. And I'm glad we can be... almost friends now."

     "Almost friends?" 

     "Oh yeah, I will never forget how you tricked me into thinking there was a shrine only to spend time with me," she joked, trying to lighten the situation.

     "You were also the best redhead girlfriend with two crazy sisters I could ever ask for."