"Um, why is there only two packets of sweets? I'm not sharing!" Natalia cries out, cradling the Haribo's to her chest.
"Because the little rug-rats took the rest to their outdoor movie with the senior counsellors." Vivian says, taking her glasses off and placing them on the floor next to her. Squinting slightly at first, she then lunges to grab the bag off Natalia.
"Hey!" Natalia screams, "Mine!"
"Cut the crap and pass us the sweets, Nat."
"You'll have to catch me, Brooke!" With that, Natalia's up on her feet running to the opposite side of my cabin, Brooklynn quick to run after her.
Four or five minutes' pass and a quarter of the other bag of Haribo's disappear. Brooklynn and Natalia far too distracted to notice Ashlynn and I munching on the heavenly goodies. Vivian spotting us doesn't cross our minds once; she's as blind as a bat. Might not have been the most accurate of sayings but that didn't change the fact that we're probably a blur to her.
Ten minutes' pass and nothing changes except the amount of Haribo's left, half already gone. On the eleventh minute, Natalia flops to the floor panting. "Can't a girl eat her treats in peace?"
"No!" we shout simultaneously.
"Go, away," she replies, sticking her tongue out in defeat.
"Ash, you and Lexi ate most of the other damn bag of fucking sweets!" Brooklynn whines, chucking all sense of flowery sentences to the side.
Brookie and Ash... I could never decide if I found Ashlynn's part in it sickening or cute considering that nickname's becoming nearly, twenty years old.
"What! I was going to eat those!"
"Nat, you're going to explode if you eat two, family size packs!" Vivian laughs, speaking in the direction of the wrong blur, hands out in front of her trying to locate her glasses. No one moves to help her because what are friends for, right?
"No, I won't, I'll go to the gym afterwards!"
"Nat, your figure is amazing and I'm not joking, but the last time you went to the gym you had a McDonald's afterwards..." I trail off, chucking Vivian her glasses at last.
"Nuh, uh! I went to the gym so I could have the McDonalds afterwards!" I shake my head to stop myself from laughing, Natalia is a special person.
"Whatever, let's just eat what's left of the sweets," Brooklynn grumbles.
"Oh, cheer up, Brooke." Pushing her shoulder teasingly, I laugh, my eyebrows wiggling. "Braden has been asking about you."
Brooklynn lets out a groan her whole body deflating in anguish. "When will that boy get the fucking hint?"
"Um, never?" I offer.
"Someone shoot me."
"I would've but then you tried to steal my sweets."
"Wouldn't that mean you would want to kill me?"
"Oh. Yeah! Okay, I'll shoot you." Natalia offers, still munching away.
"I think it's a shame, Braden's so nice and he becomes so awkwardly adorable around you. I think you should give him a chance," Ashlynn's voice floats through the air, ever so soft and elegant as always.
Brooklynn frowns, she's a softie on the inside... somewhere. "I know, it's just we're so different? How could we possibly work? He's trying too hard... although so far, he's not asked me out, only smiled and walked past me. Is he ignoring me?"
"Well, don't look all sad, that's what you wanted isn't it? Plus, we only spoke about you when I was teasing him, maybe he's over you?"
"I don't think he's ignoring Brooke, I think he's just come to the conclusion you'll never return his love and chosen to stay away instead of letting you stomp on his heart again, rip it in to tiny pieces and destroy it so much that he won't be able to mend it next time." Vivian says, popping a Tangtastic crocodile into her mouth.
"Um, harsh much?" Natalia mutters, stealing the bag of candy back.
"What? It's true?" Vivian asks, staring at us with confusion.
To this day, Vivian has never learnt how to have any empathy or understand that sometimes we should butter the truth. But at the same time, I agreed with what she had just said, Brooklynn needs a newsflash.
"Moving on and speaking about polar opposites or even disaster relationships – no offence Brookie – have you encountered Colton again?"
All eyes are on me and as much as I'm normally a spotlight whore – not – I can't be bothered today even though I really need their advice.
"Yeah, I ran into him after the lunch scenario a couple of metres away from my cabin and he 'apologised'. Then he proceeded to act shocked when I turned around to see the little devils vandalizing my cabin – no paint free space in sight. I was obviously annoyed and just asked him to leave with his boys but he blew up on me. It was so weird, almost... impulsive? I don't know, it just didn't seem like he was thinking anything through and so he then threatened a prank war despite the fact that it's currently two-nil to him. It's just all really weird..." My words linger in the air, the girl's processing what I'd just said.
"Let's make that score two-one then." Brooklynn rumbles.
"Brooke, retaliating might only spike things for Alexis, make it worse. Colton seems just as confused as she does. Impulsively saying things makes sense, he wouldn't apologise if he didn't mean it."
"Ash, he's lying! He set his group up to a prank."
"Do I get any say–"
"Sshh!" Both girls shush.
I turn to Vivian and Natalia grinning. I Shrug my shoulder's laughing, even though it's my problem, there's no point trying to interrupt their sibling squabble. They have my best intentions in mind anyway.
"Look, we don't know anything yet. Let's not rush and make things worse."
Brooklynn thinks for a minute, the clogs in her head turning. "Okay. Sure."
Surprised but content Ashlynn's lips twitch into a grin, nodding her head and ending the conversation.
The glorious smell of golden-waffles and streaky-bacon wafts across the yard, the sickly-sweet scent belonging today's special treat. Despite, a drizzle of rain during the night the sun is out and most definitely shining, the dewey grass swaying in the slight, morning breeze and the blue sky ever so vibrant. A mouthful, maybe more if I'm being honest, of bacon is in my mouth, each chew more delicious than the next.
Until it's not.
Choking furiously, I gape at the entrance to the outdoor eating area where three boys stand in only boxers briefs, each boy more chiselled than the next. Consecutively, Braden, Tanner and Colton stand clenching their fists. Spotting us they storm over and while I realisr it's probably not the right time, I can't help but laugh. For poor tanner has one more item on than the others, his socks.
The hall erupts in hoots and cheers, campers making fun of the older boys, shouting in laughter.
'Dollar, dollar bill y'all!'
'Daddy overload!"
'You're absolute lads!'
Braden stands behind Tanner (who just screams confusion) his lanky body almost folding in on himself refusing to meet Brooklynn's eyes. I feel for him, I really do.
"You!" Asher growls pointing at me from the front of the other Musketeers.
"Me?" I question, eyes wide and pointing too myself.
"Yes you. Who else would steal all my belongings that I hadn't unpacked yet?" Boys: ever so organised.
"I don't know–" I can't help but bursting out laughing midsentence because it's only then I realise that Colton is wearing spider-man briefs.
Colton looks down at himself with confusion before seeing my point of entertainment. A dark red blush overrules his normally olive skin – but it doesn't stop at his cheeks. It travels from his hair line where dark-brown, unruly curls flop over his forehead. Continuing down past his remarkably, chiselled chest and right to his toes. My did he have some glorious calf muscles though, my inner fetish is impressed.
However, Colton never seems to get embarrassed so it's only now that I'm learning he's a full-body blusher. Besides that, though, it felt unnatural to see him so out of his comfort zone.
"Where are my clothes?"
"I don't know!"
"Yes, you do. Don't lie," he growls.
"Colton, I honestly have no clue!"
"Tell me now before I do something I regret."
"Oh, calm your pants, they're in the Main Hall's Boy's Bathroom. And remember, don't mess with Lexi, capeesh?" Brooklynn smirks, crunching on her waffle slowly.
"No! Not capeesh! I'm standing in front of a crowd of people who think I'm a stripper!" he explodes, "this is not over. Watch your back, all of you, because my targets have expanded and you're all in for it."
He stalks off anger vibrating from his body, a less reluctant Braden and Tanner following. I turn to Brooklynn accusingly, no wonder she dropped it so easily last night.
"What did you do?" I utter each word carefully, dreading her answer.
"Nothing that concerns you." She winks.
"But it does because you've angered the bear!"
"I was trying to help you. You need to stick up for yourself."
"Ever heard of analysing? Slow and steady, wins the race? Patience is virtue?" I question, chewing on my bacon with harsh bites.
"What about, you have to be in the race to win it?" Brooklynn mutters, "Look, I'm sorry okay? I was trying to help you. I made a mistake, apparently, but only out of good intentions."
I breathe deeply, pondering for a moment or two. "It's fine. Just keep me in the loop next time?" But was it fine?
"I will."
"Wait, can I ask, what stealing their belongings was going to prove?" Vivian asks.
"Easy, it proves boys are dumbasses for not unpacking and two, it provided me with much needed entertainment–"
"Sexy entertainment!" Natalia interrupts, Ashlynn nodding furiously next to her.
I laugh, a smile springing to my face. My friends are idiots – ones aiding in my denouement at that – but they are my idiots.
i posted a new short story, check it out! it's only dialogue and is humour based! #ShamelessPromo !!
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Qotc: Dylan O'Brien or Shawn Mendes.
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check the amazing cover up top! again, during rewritting i have forgotten who it's by!
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anywhoo, till next time Friday my amazing friends!
xoxo
jessie.