Summer Nightmares

Twenty-Three

Kai Young

"Miles, are you good there buddy?" I asked as I was packing my stuff. My parents had told Miguel they'd be picking me up in the evening. I still had some time left before that and all my friends were watching me very closely.

"Who taught you to pack your bags like that?" Sydney asked.

"I taught myself." I said closing the suitcase. "I mean- YouTube to be honest but it was still my decision to teach myself."

She laughed and said, "When me and Emily were coming here we packed at the last minute and didn't even find the way to the camp till the last minute. It was like the universe was against us or something."

"Well, I am a managed person."

"Will you seriously stop being so perfect?" Regina said, dramatically.

"I will, Ms. Spring, when you'll stop being so dramatic!" I replied mocking her tone.

"At least he talks back now!" Miles giggled. "He's got this from me." He continued praising himself proudly.

"Whatever." I grinned.

"I can't believe you're leaving so fast." Miles said, looking down at his feet.

"I wish I wasn't."

"At least I won't get anything spilled on my t-shirts now!"

"You're a jerk!" I said and threw the pillow on my bed at him.

"Ow. Hurts." He yelled.

We sat there talking for hours when I heard a knock on the door. Did my parents come to get me early? I sighed heavily and got up to open the cabin door to see Ashley with a girl.

Then I heard my friends saying, "Yup, that's our cue," and they left the cabin.

"What's happening?" I asked.

"You're getting to meet the prettiest girl ever- I'm sorry Regina, it's not personal, I swear- she is my bestie- Maitreyi!" Ashley said dramatically.

"I can't believe they won't open the cabin door until I confess." Maitreyi sighed. We had been locked in for 15 minutes now.

"Then, confess!" I said.

"I-it's weird. I wish I was in my math class doing trig."

"You're a nerd?" I asked.

"Excuse me?"

"I don't mean it like that. I-" I stopped when she hit me with the pillow and I heard Miles yell from outside the window, 'that's how it feels!'

"I'm not judging, I was just asking. I've never talked to a girl before. I mean except for the ones who're my friends or cousins but they're all damn ugly in front of you."

Why did I say that?

"So, do you like me?"

"I-I don't know you yet Maitreyi. And I'm not dumb like Regina to say yes in the first few minutes." I said.

"It's called love at first sight!" I heard Regina mumble angrily.

"I-" Maitreyi started when I stopped her in between, "I'm sorry. I really don't want to break your heart. I really am." I continued apologizing.

"But I'm not heartbroken," she said with a weak smile. "I understand. I think taking this too far would result in consequences and we should get to know each other first."

"So, you wanna be friends?" I asked happily.

"Of course, man-" she said, messing up my hair, "I swear it sounded better in my head."

We laughed and talked for hours when our other friends walked in with tears with Miguel.

"Your-uh- would you please stop crying?" He looked at Regina. "Your dad is here to take you home, Kai."

I froze in my steps.

"I'll-" my voice broke. I didn't wanna leave. Why was this happening so damn fast? "I'll be out in a minute please."

Miguel nodded and gave me a pat on my head saying, "Kid, I'll miss you!"

I gave him a little smile.

The cabin door closed. We didn't say much to each other. I didn't know anything about living without breaking the rules and having fun with friends and breaking more rules. My dad was going to kill me.

"We made you a little something, Kai." Sydney said, handing me a box. It was a shoe box with a blue satin ribbon. "We couldn't find much things to decorate it with so-"

"Also open it when you get home!" Miles warned.

I smiled and nodded. "Thank you guys!" Tears were in my eyes as I picked up my suitcase. I stopped at the door. I would've done anything to turn the time around. But I simply couldn't. I turned around and looked at my friends and said, "Can I also get a hug please?"

They laughed and hugged me. "I'm gonna miss you guys!"

And so we walked to the entrance of Camp Lakesville talking about random things. And then I saw my father who was standing there talking to Miguel. He saw me too and then, he did something I could've never imagined in a lifetime. He hugged me and told me that me staying away from him for 10 days taught him that there was no way he could live without me. And he didn't care if I didn't get into Stanford. I smiled at him telling him I loved him. And we got into the car.

I held onto the blue ribboned box all the way back home.