Catching Fireflies

Twenty One

A

The next day was spent hanging around with the basketball team and looking around the resort. The guys messed around and goofed off while I stayed towards the back and stayed quiet. Isaac was with us and anytime I got close I was met with a glare and a threatening presence. The others saw it and raised their eyebrows at me and I only shrugged and stayed towards the back.

"Are you and Isaac okay? I've never seen you two like this." Damion slowed down next to me and walked with me as the rest of the guys went on ahead. I shrugged my shoulders.

"We've never really been 'okay'" I said while using my fingers to make floating quotation marks.

"Really? Weren't you guys friends at one point?" Damion asking all of those questions just made my brain spiral and remember back when we were all friends and having fun. I still couldn't understand or figure out what happened in the end and why suddenly they all hate me.

"I don't even have an answer as to why we aren't anymore, but yeah we were friends at one point." I scratched the back of my head then stuck my hands into the front pockets of my jeans. Damion nodded.

"Come to think of it, you used to hang out with his girlfriend and her best friend a lot too."

"You mean Maria and Cris? Yeah. Used too." I murmured the last part and Damion frowned.

"They dropped you just like that? That's awfully shitty. Especially since you and Cris were pretty close." Damion smirked and wiggled his eyebrows as he nudged my shoulder with his fist. I tried to hide my surprise.

"What's that supposed to mean?" I said trying to seem dumbfounded but Damion only laughed at me.

"Oh come on now," Damion slapped my back. "Everyone saw and knew about you and Cris."

"What are you implying?" If he had meant that everyone assumed that we were in a relationship at the time, they were unfortunately wrong. I always liked her and lost sleep over thinking about her but I never got the courage to tell her how I felt.

I supposed that ended up being a good thing.

"You mean, you guys weren't a thing?" I shook my head.

"We were just friends," I said. I frowned.

"In that case, I might have to scope her out if you won't-"

"Touch her and I'll fucking kill you." Without even thinking, I had grabbed Damion by the collar of his shirt and got up into his face. He quickly raised his hands up.

"I was only joking man, please put me down." I let go of his collar and Damion readjusted it. I flexed my hands and readjusted my shirt while clearing my throat.

"Sorry, I don't know what came over me," I said. Damion gave me an awkward glance as he stuck his hands into the pockets of his jacket.

"How about we just pretend that never happened."

"Deal."

We walked around all day and eventually, the group split up and went different directions. I split off with Damion and Mitch and we found a small area of grass. Mitch had a tennis ball with him and we spread out and played a game of catch.

"How you know so little about the camping trip, Ashley? Weren't you here last year?" Mitch asked as he tossed me the ball. I caught it and threw it to Damion.

"I skipped out on coming last year." Both of them faked a dramatic gasp.

"We would normally consider you crazy for not coming but since you were new we will cut you some slack." Mitch grinned and Damion shook his head.

"He was around enough to know not to miss out on the trip. We will have to go all out this time around to make up your lost time from last year." Damion said and threw the ball to Mitch.

"What makes it all that fun?" I asked.

"Think of it as an all-out party that the adults approve," Mitch said.

"And a giant sleepover party with almost everyone from school." Damion pitched in. I nodded, still not getting the excitement since this just seemed like another party they normally had back at home.

They noticed my nonexistent excitement and just continued on with the gane of catch with small talk. I tried to wrap my head around the concept of why everyone got so excited, but it wasn't until I thought of the added activities like campfires and smores with friends, a lake nearby to sneak off to and take a swim, and cabins with al of our friends just a few steps away.

I understood then. It was something someone wouldn't get into they got themselves involved in the festivities whether it be TAG or dumb campfire songs played by someone who only knows two chords on a guitar.

For everyone, it was a chance to act like kids. It was a harmless way to have fun and party without the use of alcohol or weed.

I got it now.

"I think they are getting to campfires started," I started smelling the scent of burning firewood and when I looked off into the distance, I saw resort workers getting various fire pits ready and setting up chairs. The guys looked along with me and we all walked over and claimed a firepit before anyone else did.

Mitch ran off back to his cabin to get a bag he brought that was supposedly filled with ingredients to make Smore's over the fire. Damion asked a worker to bring over spears and when the worker returned with them, Damion started burning the tips in the flame to sanitize them.

I took a seat by the fire and relaxed as I felt the heat hit my face as the cool air started to set in as the sun disappeared over the horizon. After minutes of waiting, Mitch returned with his bag of goodies and set them out. Damion stuck a marshmallow on a spear and handed it to me and I started roasting the poor marshmallow.

I saw everyone else coming out and gathering around the other campfires. Some were delighting themselves in singing The Campfire Song from SpongeBob off-key but it brought laughter.

I spotted Cris at a fire pit with Maria. Isaac soon appeared along with Faith. I watched them chat quietly amongst themselves. Cris showed a small smile here and there as they conversed, but I watched as they looked away from her and paid no attention. She frowned to herself and played with the grass with her fingers. She sat on a blanket while the others sat on chairs.

Among her friends, she still felt lonely and I could see it written all over her face.

At some point, Faith moved around and sat with her. Isaac and Maria walked off somewhere and it was just those two.

I smiled to myself knowing that at least Faith was there.

"Dude, your marshmallow is on fire."

"Shit!"