London Fog | school hiatus

Ch. 11

We got back to the tent, soaking wet and tired. I grabbed a towel, some clothes, and my toiletries and headed toward the bathrooms, Jay in tow.

            I finished my shower quickly, drying off and dressing in my stall. The stereotypical nasty-campground bathroom situation was not present here, instead, the toilets were clean and the bathrooms as a whole were big, leaving plenty of space in each shower-stall. The mirrors were clean and even had plug-ins for hairdryers. I used mine, scooping my hair into a ponytail afterward.

            I walked out of the bathroom, bumping into Jay as he walked out of the men’s bathroom, his hair still damp and a towel around his neck. He smiled when he saw me, making me smile, despite my burning curiosity about Helen. He then surprised me by taking my hand in his, intertwining our fingers.

            “You look pretty,” he complimented.

            “Ditto,” I smiled back.

            He leaned over and kissed me on my cheek, taking me by surprise, my cheeks glowing bright red. What had gotten into him to make him so affectionate today?

            We walked for a while in silence, coming back to the campsite in no time.

            “Let’s take a nap,” he suggested. It sounded like a good idea to me. The car ride, swimming, and the shower had worn me out. “We can wake up when it’s dark and make s’mores.”

            “I like the sound of that, compadre,” I agreed.

            We stepped into the tent, laying out Jay’s sleeping bag as the pallet and mine as a blanket should we need it. Once we had lain down, Jay whispered to me, “I think we need to talk.”

            “About what?” I conceded.

            “What did Jen really tell you when she was helping you pack?” he asked, knowing his sister well.

            “She warned me to be careful with you because you quote-unquote, ‘use girls.’” I told him honestly. Really, if I hadn’t told him, he would have just found out another way.

            “You know I would never want to hurt you that way, right?”

            “Who’s Helen?” I ask without thinking.

            “Shit.” That can’t be a good sign. “How did you find out about her?” he asked in an exasperated tone.

            “Jen,” I state simply.

            “I need to put a muzzle on her,” he muttered to himself.

            “Who is she?” I ask, propping myself up on my elbows and facing him.

            “She,” he hesitated.

            “Spit it out,” I snapped impatiently.

            “She is a lady from work,” he said in a cool voice.

            “Okay,” I nodded. “Is that it…?”

            “Yes, that is it. There’s nothing to worry about.”

            “All right. I’ll believe you.”

            “Thanks for the vote of confidence,” he sulked, rolling over.

            “It’s not that I don’t trust you,” I lied, “I just don’t trust girls around you because you’re a total babe.”