this man owns my ENTIRE heart goodbye
✩︎
HANA
The first activity is one I'm looking forward to, Ella not so much; hiking.
We were meant to be kayaking, however, the air had cooled considerably, so the two were swapped. As aforementioned, Ella likes to run - as in sprint. Long distance marathon running is nowhere near the top of her favourite sports list, and hiking is even lower. If it weren't for the camp, she would be in no way up for climbing up a mountain.
The campers had been separated into groups of seven and assigned leaders. My silent excitement for the hike had soon been thoroughly dampened upon discovering our counsellor is no less than Jake, of course. Why couldn't we have the girl Ella was practically drooling over? At least then I could try and help her score - even though it's prohibited, Ella doesn't particularly seem to mind.
I learn that his name is in fact not Jake, but Harry, from his overly lengthy, rather pretentious speech, during which the other five girls in my group paid undoubted attention to the young man.
"The hike will be difficult, but as long as we stick together, we've got this," he reels off several stereotypical phrases. Relieved, I sigh as he finally turns around and begins the ascent up the hill.
Within minutes, Ella is heaving, claiming the air is too thin and there is too little oxygen, before being reminded that we're only about 30 feet above where we started. Harry clearly finds humour in the way a model-worthy girl in our group is desperately flirting with him the entire way. Regardless of his bemused reaction, I have a feeling if it weren't for the strictly no campers-counsellors rule, he would have his tongue down her throat by now.
"Finally!" Ella exclaims as we near the peak of the mountain. We've been climbing for two hours and each minute, she's complained at least twice; 'it's too hot', 'my shoes are dirty', 'she's looking at me funny'. Rage contorts her features as another small bump comes into view, the climb to the top continuing on, "I swear to God, if this isn't the top—"
"Shut up. We're here," I interrupt her, shifting her cheek towards the astonishing view.
"Woah."
"Was the view worth it?"
"Worth the walking? Fuck, no. Nothing would be a good enough reward for that shit." I roll my eyes at her aversion towards hiking, which I never could understand. For me, there's no better feeling in the world than when I've walked for hours, my legs burning and all I want is to sleep, and I can finally reach the peak and admire the incredible view.
"Come on, enjoy the view."
"Yeah, Ella, enjoy the view." A deep, British voice disrupts our conversation, both of us twisting to the source of the noise.
"I am, thank you very much for that, Jake."
"Jake? That's not—" his expression is one of bewilderment, his confusion only growing when Ella and I can't maintain our neutral expressions and share a stifled giggle. "C'mon," he shakes it off, his face flushed red.
After a while, people start to get bored with the view, whilst Ella claims that the air is now definitely too thin. Harry marches ahead, smiling smugly when two of the girls rush to keep his pace. The girl from before's long, pink nails dig into his bicep as she fakes a loud, girlish laugh at a joke that I know isn't that funny.
Two hours later, Ella and I are sat on her bed, painting our nails in weird patterns and colours, talking about Lily - the counsellor she has a little crush on - and our hair piled messily on top of our heads. That is, until she unsubtly switches the subject to something I'm not so keen on, or rather, someone - Harry. Jake. I think I might stick with Jake.
"He's definitely interested in you."
"No, he's not. Even if he was, I don't like him."
"Yes, he is. He could have any girl in this entire camp and you're the one he keeps staring at, because you're the hottest girl here, by the way. I'm gay, and even I know: he's fucking hot."
"That's not true," I scoff, "and he's not that hot." She shoots me a look of disapproval, implying are you kidding?, because, realistically, who am I kidding? He is hot - very hot. Regardless, I refuse to let some stupid boy seduce me at a summer camp just for us to never see each other again after six weeks. And I refuse to give Ella the satisfaction of my admission. "Okay, he's kinda cute, but not that much," I compromise, sighing tiredly when I'm met with a hard glare and pursed lips. "Fine, he's hot."
"Well, at least you can admit it."
"But he's a narcissistic asshole. So that makes him so much less attractive, so, no."
"No, it could be one of those romantic movie things where he's only good to you."
"This isn't a movie. And this isn't a romance book, Ella."
She begins to object, however, is interrupted by the high pitched beep, alerting us of a meeting.
'Everyone please make their way to the dining hall, it's time for dinner,' an electronic voice announces, presumably Carl over the crackly intercom.
I grab my black shoes, slipping them onto my feet, toenails freshly painted with a light pink, and brush my hair, running to the mirror to check my appearance, decently satisfied with the result.
"Trying to look good for anyone in particular?" Ella snickers, noticing me assessing my reflection.
"As if you're not going to be sticking your ass out for Lily," I retort, receiving an almost-slap round the head, which I skilfully dodge.
The dining hall is full when we arrive, tables full with chatter and excitement. Kimi and Penny are sat with the friends that they had already made, offering us a smile when we enter. I return it, reassuring them that it's fine to sit with someone else. Ella and I take a seat at a bench in the corner, pretty much the only available seat. A complacent grin plays on my lips as she does exactly as I had joked she would. She notices, and her slightly freckled cheeks flush, muttering quietly, "don't even start".
I send her to get food for both of us, narrowing my eyes when I see Harry walk suspiciously in the direction of my bench. A weary sigh leaves my chest as he sits across from me, swinging his legs round to face me.
The cocky smirk he wears makes me want to punch his stupid, ridiculously attractive face. However, I refrain, knowing that would most likely get me sent home, or at least earn me the camp equivalent of being grounded for a few days.
"You alright?" He asks, his accent clearer than before.
"I'm fine, or I was. But now you're sat here."
"Ouch. I'm offended."
"You should be. Ella's back now, you can go," I state as she begins walking towards us, a curious look on her face upon seeing the boy sat with me.
Instead of leaving, like I'd hoped he would, he stands, stealing a seat next to me and allowing Ella to resume her previous seat.
She places a sandwich, chips, and a snickers in front of me, an irked expression painted onto her features at Harry's presence.
"Um, why are you sat with us?" She inquires bluntly. I had learned she had no qualms of letting people know what she thought of them, positive or negative, a long time ago.
He dips a fry into a small pot of sauce, throwing it into his mouth and humming evenly at the taste, "that's a bit rude, don't you think?"
"It's a bit rude to talk whilst eating, don't you think?" Momentarily, he stops chewing to focus on her, smiling in defeat, and proceeding to swallow his fry.
"Can I not be a nice counsellor and sit with some campers that were lonely?"
"We weren't lonely - we were sat with each other."
"When I walked in, Hana was sitting by herself. I must have mistaken her lack of a dinner buddy, my bad."
I huff at his words, telling the butterflies in my stomach that appears when he says my name and brushes his thigh against mine to fuck off; no surprise, they don't listen.
"Fry?" He holds out a fry to Ella, then offering it to me when she denies it. I reach over and seize the bowl, stealing about five fries before he puts a halt to it, clutching the bowl to his chest with an offended expression. "I offered you a fry, and you take advantage and steal my food. I'm not an object, Hana, and neither are these fries. They have feelings that you've been completely ignorant of."
Ella and I share a glance at the expense of the increasingly weird boy beside us.
"Sorry," I mumble, returning to my own food.
"I think you owe me."
"And what do I owe you, exactly?"
He pauses for a moment, as if in thought, "your snickers. I want your snickers." Hungrily, he eyes the chocolate bar on the table, a shocked gasp parting my lips.
"You are absolutely not having my snickers."
"You stole, like... six fries. Give me the snickers."
"It was five actually, and no."
"Well, I want something else then." Ella's eyes widen, and she struggles to hold back an immature laugh; the humour is replaced with a pained groan when I kick her shin at her suggestiveness. "Not like that. For the next week, you do my laundry?"
"No."
"Clean my cabin?"
"Ew."
"Get me food from the vending machine whenever I want?"
"N—"
"I'll be providing the money."
"Deal," I shake his hand with a serious, business-like expression. The stupid butterflies only triple when he smiles warmly, sneakily stealing a chip from my packet and slipping away, his fingertips brushing against my shoulder as he does. His touch is so minuscule, I'm not even sure if the action was intentional or entirely accidental. "He's so odd."
"Aw, you're falling in love," she comments playfully, clasping her hands to her heart as if overcome with joy.
"Fuck off. Go talk to Lily." At the mention of her name, Lily's head shoots up towards us, who smiles awkwardly when she spots Ella. Panicked, Ella ducks down, trying to hide behind me.
"What did you do that for?"
"I'm helping you."
"You are most certainly not helping."
"Shut up and appreciate me."
Dinner ends, and everyone makes their way to a large circle of logs, a bright campfire lit in the middle. Ella and I sit purposely to avoid the smoke drifting in the light breeze, exclaiming gleefully when Carl produces many packets of marshmallows and Graham crackers. The sweet snacks are quickly distributed across the circle, and by no surprise, most of the marshmallows are gone within minutes.
By nine, everyone begins to get tired, eyes drooping shut, and a few of the younger campers heading to bed after the draining day. My eyes widen in surprise as Harry, who had been sat on the opposite side to us and often made purposeful eye contact with me throughout the meeting, brings out a guitar - it's deep purple, decorated with what appear to be stars splattered across the wood, and looks considerably expensive. He began to play, and whilst I don't particularly recognise the song, he's evidently skilled in the field.
He notices the group of hawk-eyed girls next to him practically fainting, and his cheeks develop a pink tinge, though he simply averts his gaze and stares at the ground whilst he continues to strum expertly.
He finishes the music; judging by the length of it, there's more of the story to tell, and somehow, I hope I can find out. Taking a s'more and his guitar with him, he stalks off in the direction of the cabins, arriving at one I hadn't noticed - his cabin, I presume. It's surrounded by trees, a much thicker section of forest on the left side of his building.
I turn away in embarrassment as he glances through the window by his door and spots me staring after him, a bright smile forming on his cherry tinted lips.
Finally, when it's time to go to bed, I flop down immediately, not bothering to remove my shoes or wash my face. I groan dramatically when I'm poked in the rib, opening my eyes narrowly to Ella. Her expression implies that she's more than ready to chide me for my laziness, as she frequently does.
"Yes, I'm getting up," I assert before she can speak, forcing myself to my feet and to the dresser where I'm storing my makeup wipes. I clean my face and change into pyjamas; shorts and a tank top, adorning a cartoon giraffe that I would absolutely die if anyone else except Ella saw, as she had bought it for me several years prior.
"Hey, it's still pretty early. Let's play truth or dare," she suggests, excitable sentiments of agreement sounding from the bunks above us.
We all relax on Ella's bed, wrapped up in soft, cuddly blankets as we play the game quietly, careful not to potentially disturb anyone nearby.
Kimi goes first, "Ella, truth or dare?"
"Truth."
"Boring," I tut, receiving a sarcastic glance.
"Have you... ooh, are you a virgin?"
"No," she laughs, cheeks turning slightly red. "Penny, truth or dare?"
"Truth."
"Have you ever smoked?"
"I got high at a party once," she admits sheepishly. "Hana, truth or dare?"
"Dare," I decide to be bold.
"Um, I dare you to... steal something from Harry's cabin."