Circa. August 2014
With the camp coming to a end and school ready to start back up soon, Big Momma and the camp leaders proposed some kinda trip for the youth program. Since I was still eleven and so was Junior we technically weren't allowed to go. But big momma pulled a few strings and told Melo and Drew to make sure that we both were on our best behavior.
The trip was down to the lake, not the same one we went before but this time we would get to spend the night. Junior and I were bunkmates. Big Momma or the counselors didn't put this together but we just ended up being lucky. The boy, girl ratio for the Junior and senior counselors were uneven which was perfect for us. We'd have our own bunk just to ourselves, with our Junior counselor Sydney. We hadn't met her yet but Big Momma said she was nice.
"And then I was like, Dip...what is that? He replied back, ion know I thought it was you. I looked at him then he looked at me...then we both hit the dash." I busted out laughing at Juniors story. All the ball brothers must share this type of humor "I never ran so fast in my life. Melo and I woulda went gold in the olympics with that run." He shook his remembering the story
I imagined what it would look like two ball brothers running at full speed, in a forest. They must not watch scary movies, I thought. Night + forest + two little kids was only bound to mix into horror.
"Carmen and Junior sitting in a tree" a voice laughed at us, I shook my head down tired of the constant jokes. I could see Junior turn red, probably from anger too. "K-I-S-"
Drew stands up with his knees on the buses seat, his head high above so everyone could see. "Doing nothing!" Drew stares and the laughter immediately stops, "not doing a dang thing, so don't even try it"
Me and juniors head turn to each other as small giggles leave our lips. "You know what's cool? Since we're best friends Drew sticks up for you like he does me and Melo sticks up for me like he does you," I told him while our fingers stook out playing chopsticks. "I think it's pretty dope, don't you?"
"Well Melo sticks up for you more than he does me." He shrugged a bit
Because he likes me, duh. I wanted to say but I wasn't bold enough for that yet. Although I'm sure Junior could tell his brother liked me to. He'd probably known all along. Is that the reason he came to sit with us in the hallway? Why he was all cheesed up? He was probably so happy to help his brother keep my attention. I'd known that if I were Junior I'd help him too. Shoot Id probably help Drew I'd he asked but I never really knew any of Drew's crushes. I knew one but that was only because Mommy would bring it up all the time. She was the girl next door, she had braces in her mouth and soft dimples on her cheeks. She was extra nice, surprised that she was Drew's type. But mommy would always make sure to let Drew outside, regardless if he did his chores, if the girl was outside. She'd always tease him, your little girlfriends outside Drew...My future daughter in law is outside Drew.
"Nuh. Uhn" I shook my head at juniors comment.
His eyes move up from my fingers up to me, I follow his motion seeing him open his mouth to say something when the bus stopped.
Ms. Clark, the one counselor back from the camp stood up directing us to move out of the bus. We waited as the people in front grabbed their bags, stuffing some stuff back in. Eli somehow manages to crack open the exit door, after the nobodies complaining about how the girls in front were taking too long. The nobodies made their way out at the back of the bus while Melo and Drew just laughed at them. They didn't jump out of the back like the other boys but stood behind Junior, who stood behind me.
The large cabins have all the doors open, allowing the fresh smell of forest linger in them. The air smelled different out here, felt different out here, but I couldn't complain because it was a good thing.
