The Camping Trip

Connor in the Bathroom (not at a party)

~Notes~

HIYA READERS!!! I'M ACTUALLY SO HAPPY THAT THIS HAS ALMOST GOT 100 READS ARGHHH!!! Thank you so so so much for everyone who has followed along !!! Also, the different POVs of each character jump around so much and are pretty short which I'm really sorry about. This is also a really shitty chapter with so much dialogue because that seems to be about the only thing I can write decently at the moment. Anyways, hope you enjoy!!!!!! :P

Connor McKinley's POV

I couldn't go back into the cabin. There I'd just be questioned on what happened and get told that it was fine and that Kevin was never going to like a boy like me anyway. I mean, who would want to date some good-for-nothing gay boy who can't even handle when he has his heart broken? I'm not a real boy anyway, boys don't lock themselves into a bathroom stall and bawl their eyes out. Which is definitely not what I'm doing right now.

I just wish that I didn't get so attached to people so quickly without knowing if they even liked me in the first place. I just wish I could run away from all of my problems and just... leave this shitty place... leave my Mom and Dad and all of the kids from High School, leave Steve Blade and Sister Anne, leave Kevin Price so maybe I could stop fucking thinking about him. 

But of course, that was never going to happen. I knew I loved him since the day we had met. I knew that he was the one. I know I still love him.

Ben Schrader

I head back into the building, proud of what I have accomplished without a single person even glancing over at me. Most of the time I like being unnoticed; it gives me freedom to choose whatever I want to do without being judged but I do like some attention on the odd day... and this seemed to be one of those days.

"Hey Chris, have you seen Connor?" I ask so quietly that the wind from outside was louder than me.

"Uhm no.... Oh Heavenly Father, do you think somethings happened to him?" Chris asks as he begins pacing around the cabin.

"No I just saw him looking... lost and I didn't know if you had any idea where he went?"

There was a gleam of hope in Chris's eyes.

"Did he and Kevin go off together?"

I shook my head.

"I think you should watch this..."

I opened up my phone and selected the video. 

Chris Thomas

When I say that this is the most shocked I have been in my life, I really do mean it. I mean, that whole video was.... horrific... The way that Zach just kisses Kevin like that was horrible and the look on Connor's face... the worst part about it was that Connor didn't know that Kevin didn't feel the same way about him... 

"We have to find Connor..." I say quietly as Ben closed his phone.

"Let's send this to him so that he knows the full story and then go and look for him."

"Good Idea."

Ben airdrops the video over to me. I open my phone onto the lock screen of me and James at the beach together. I click onto WhatsApp and send the video over to Connor.

Without a single word, me and Ben begin pulling our coat and boots on.

"Hey where are you two going?" Arnold asks from his bunkbed, now switching his attention from the funny cat videos on screen to the situation that was playing out before him.

"Oh, um, were just going for a walk, buddy, we'll be back soon!" I say as I reach for the door handle.

"Is Kevin going with you? I haven't seen him for like.... twenty minutes?"

I think for a moment. Kevin isn't in the cabin... so where could he be?

"Just promise me you'll stay here Arn, ok? Just put on some more funny animal videos, or whatever... I'll message James asking if he can help out..."

And with that, me and Ben set out into the night, ready to hunt down two missing boys...

Kevin Price

I never really believed in fight or flight mode until today as it seemed to be something that I've never used. Although I did kind of have an instinct to run away from the general when one of the villagers was shot and punch Sister Anne today but I just thought those were things any person would do. So as soon as Zach had taken off, running out of the camp with his duffel bag almost tripping him up, I done the only thing any man would do. Go and cry in the camp's toilets.

I had taken no notice if anyone else was in there, all I done was march in, lock myself into a cubicle and let it all out. 

I'd never really cried before. I mean sure, I've felt like I've wanted to many times before but it never really seemed to... come out. Instead, it flowed out of me in anger which was taken out on Zach. Sure, it wasn't the best strategy out there, but boy's don't cry, right? 

However, this time there was no Zach, and I'm glad of it too. I hated the guy before, but I detested him even more now. I mean, how would that effect Connor's perspective of me if he did see? How would that change other's perspective of me if they saw a boy kiss me? Would they even want to still be around me anymore?

Ping!

A phone went off. I checked my home screen which was a picture of all of the District Nine Elder's to go up onto the 'Past Missions'  board in the hut. Connor kneeled down in the middle of us all, smiling and trying to flick a piece of flaming hair out of his eyes. That was a few hours after we had spoken in the kitchen that night. I hadn't slept so there were deep bags under my eyes. Connor had them too, but his were minimally noticed in comparison to the millions of small orange freckles that flocked his whole face. Even in this very moment after months have passed since that photo, he is still the prettiest boy in the whole universe.

You have no new notifications.

No new notifications? But that would mean that...

A familiar track began to play in the bathroom. I wasn't sure if I was just imagining things, or if it were deja vu but it was almost as if...

"I just... want to do this... "

Holy... Shit...

I heard a small sniff from the other end of the toilets.

Someone had a video... of that whole thing

"Uh-uhm Zach look- I'm so sorry I don't know if I sent any mixed signals but, I don't feel that way about you. I- I love another..."

"Holy... Shit..." I mumble placing my head against the stone tiled wall.

The video cut off. 

I need to get rid of that video.

Connor McKinley's POV

I had heard someone come into the bathroom but I couldn't care. I needed to watch the video, to see if Kevin really did love him or if it was all just an illusion between me and him. 

I saw my face appear in the background just as they began to kiss. I felt the pang of heartbreak once more inside of me. I walk away.

The video continues.

I knew I should've stopped there. I knew it would save so much grief and hatred for myself. But as they say, curiosity killed the cat.

"Uh-uhm Zach look- I'm so sorry I don't know if I sent any mixed signals but, I don't feel that way about you. I- I love another..."

The video ended with Zach walking out of the frame and Kevin running off into the distance.

"Holy... shit... " a familiar voice spoke. A voice that belonged to the person I loved most.

"Kevin?" I splutter, trying to not let the sadness be shown through my voice.

"Connor?"