A Drop In The Lake

breaking a bit of the sentiment

Cameron

"So, what the hell is going on between you and Ale?" Demands Anthony the minute Peter and I settle onto a set of beanbags on the right side of Anthony's single dorm room.

"Yeah, when the hell were you gonna tell us you stuck your tongue down her throat?" Accuses Jack.

"Really Tony?" I gasp, throwing my hands into my hair.

"Yeah. I told him. He's our coxswain and a close friend, if I hadn't told him, the trust that our boat is built on would be ruined." Throws Anthony, plopping onto his bed.

After practice Peter asked if I would join him to hang out with our boat mates in Anthony's room, little did I know it would turn into an intervention concerning my relationship with Alessa.

"What the hell guys?" I demand.

"Look, we've seen the way rowing relationships turn out, I mean, look at Tony." Points Matt, our bow seat.

"Really?" Whines Anthony.

"You know what I mean. And besides, the history you two have just won't end well." Admits Matt.

"What do you mean 'the history we have won't end well'?" I point, anger rising through the bile in my throat.

"With all the partying and media surrounding you, I don't know if that will be a good thing for Alessa and all the shit she's trying to get over with killing Rhea."

That's it. Before I have a chance to process my thoughts and emotions, my body flies off of the beanbag chair and right to Matt.

"What the fuck did you just say?" I demand, gearing up my arm to throw a punch.

"You know what I mean. Your past is fucked, but her is worse, so I just don't want you getting mixed up with the wrong person." Matt clarifies.

Wrong answer.

"Cam—" warns Peter.

"You know what? I'll give you one more chance to rethink what you just said to me, but this time I'll give you a little hint; I know all about the situation with Alessa and her coxswain Rhea, I know it was absolutely not her fault, and I know that the tabloids tend to lie. So you wanna run by that statement one more time." I demand, squaring up with Matt, his baby-boy blue eyes quivering up to me.

"Come on Cam." Matt pleads, looking around at the haunted eyes of our fellow boat mates.

"You dug your own grave Matty. Don't kill the messenger." Surrenders Anthony.

"I wouldn't," warns Jack. "Just let him be," he continues.

My mind cools a bit at the sound of my boat mates' voices, reminding me that the way I react now will influence the way they view me from here on out. Calm down.

I take two steps back, cooling the burning environment and hardening it into a tense ice. I know my thoughts are terse, my body leading my mind, so I settle back into the beanbag chair.

"Look, I'm sorry I didn't tell you guys, but you have to understand, I've never known control, my whole life has been picked apart under the microscope of the public eye. I'm not trying to hide anything from you guys, per say, I just want to be able to figure shit out for myself. And I don't care how much animosity you may have for Alessa, but until you know for sure what happened, when, keep your mouth shut." I finish.

My boat mates share a careful glance before I question, "What?"

"Cam. I don't want to force an opinion onto you, but there's something I think you should know." Sighs Anthony, the original animosity leaving his tone.

"What?" I persist.

"Before Mid Atlantics, Alessa put a lot of pressure on Rhea, and, well, people think that's why Rhea had a stroke." Offers Anthony.

His words swivel around in my head for a moment, breaking a bit of the sentiment that Alessa and I shared on Friday night.

"We didn't bring you here to barrage you with reasons not to go after Alessa — even though it may feel like that — we're on your side. We want you to know everything, and I know Alessa is hesitant, I would be too, but because we didn't live it like she did, we're a bit more unfiltered about the whole situation." Adds Anthony, sympathetically.

"Thank you, really, I know I can be a bit difficult and —"

"Pretentious." Supplies Jack.

"Yes, pretentious. Anyways, I'm sorry. I'm working on it, and I really just don't want a relapse of my life in California, so taking control of my life is the first step to completing that. So let me know if I'm being a prick." I finish with a chuckle.

"No need to ask us that, we'd tell you even if you wanted us to stay quiet." Jack jokes.

We all go blissfully silent for a moment until Jack pipes up, "So enough of the chick chat, we gotta finalise our race plan for Sunday against Lovelady. I don't want to come home empty handed, again, this year."

Lovelady is one of Harvey Cedars biggest contenders. They're tall and strong, and the fact that they recruit only helps them more. Last year Harvey Cedars C boat lost to their C boat, but our B boat beat theirs, so it was up to our A boat. Our A boat crushed them in the first half of the race, but Lovelady is second half contender, so in the third five hundred they got even and then overtook them in the final five hundred. The idea is that because our A boat and their A boat graduated last year, the results would turn out to be similar to last year's B boat vs B boat race, but with an added bonus, me.

"I know you don't like to hear this Cam, but we're kinda counting on you to stir em' up a bit." Continues Jack.

"I got it. And with Tony's six fifteen two k. PR, I'm sure we'll get a bit of a leg up." I supply, trying to real myself back into Anthony's good graces.

Anthony gives me an appreciative smile, and with that, we're off. No other thought streams through our minds or passes our lips except those pertaining to our rowing plan.

By the time my head hits my pillow at twelve thirty, one thought nags me, "Can I win this, for them?"
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Hello, so I hope you liked this chapter (a lotta tea spilt). Anyways, I wanna get my mind off of packing for college for a moment, so today's question is what is one playlist you listen to on repeat? For me it's 100% Hamilton. That's my jam! Let me know? And have an amazing rest of your day!!!!