The Lifeguard Hates You (Completed)

August Chapter 18

Noooooooooooooooooooooooo!

I bolt up to a sitting position and turn my eyes to the living room table where Candy has her head in her hands.

I haven't gone back to my own cottage since having that argument with Jay. Oh I went there every now and then to get more clothes, but I was sleeping, eating, showering here at Candy and Shawn's place. They were very nicely letting me crash on the couch.

I said it was because Jay said he wanted space, but that's not true.

The fact of the matter is I can't be trusted around him.

I'm weak.

So weak.

He keeps giving me these lost little puppy dog eyes and I can feel myself caving. He's started walking around shirtless more often, which he says is because the August heat is getting to him now that he's working out more but that's a lie. He's doing it to torment me,

I keep reminding myself to be strong, to have some self-respect but Jay and his abs are like kryptonite to me.

So I just left the cottage all together.

I keep telling myself it's just going to be until I was strong enough but it has already been a week and I am not stronger. I was jonsing hard.

I wanted to kiss him, I wanted to hug him. I wanted to be in his arms. I missed the sex, and the familiar habits we had fallen into.

But he was never going to want to be in a relationship with me, he had been very clear, and I wanted a relationship. Not just with him, but in general. Though with him would be ideal.

I was never going to be able to move on and find myself someone with the same goals and ideals as me if I was forever hung up on Jay.

It would be easier in September when I went back to school. But I'm not at school right now, I'm still at Earth and Body, and Candy is freaking out about something. So I should probably be a good friend and ask what that's about.

"What's the matter?" I ask her. She's just sitting at the table groaning. I don't see anything at the table with her that would cause that other than her phone. "What did I miss?"

"I just called Muskoka Falls," she tells me and I quickly stand up. I might as well start making breakfast. Shawn loves it when I make breakfast for him.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

"And why are you upset? Did they up their prices again?"

"No. It's worse than that."

What could it be worse than that?

Well Candy was about to tell me.

"They got hit by a mudslide in the storm," she said. "Half the camp is wiped out. They don't have any available spots like... at all. None this month, none in September, they don't have an opening until November because that's when people stop camping."

Oh she's right. It is worse than rising prices.

Every year, at the end of the summer, there's an annual camping trip. The day the outdoor pool closes we all go away as a staff social and an end of summer farewell.

The tradition is so important that we actually close up the Indoor pool at 4pm that day and for the rest of the weekend. We tell the patrons it's for a deep cleaning, but really it's because we're up in woods camping and roasting marshmallows and having fun.

Though I'm told a cleaning is done. A company is hired and everything.

I'm pretty sure Jay has to call them to book them every year because Lacey never knew what to do.

Polished Elite does something similar but on a different weekend, because the one time we went the same weekend we got into a huge food fight, attracted an army of bears and almost got both our groups banned for life.

Needless to say opposite weekends were always a must. We got the first weekend in September, they got the last weekend in August.

It was usually me and Candy that booked the trip. And by that I mean I did all the planning and got everything organized and Candy talked to people. But I hadn't been around this summer

"Oh... that's not good," I say. "Well, we can look at other campsites, see if we can afford them. Do you want me to make you something for breakfast? Breakfast wrap maybe?"

"How can you be this calm when this is all your fault!" she shouts and I balk at that.

"My fault?" I echo.

"Yes! If you hadn't left me I would booked the site before this!" she cried, standing up. "And no! I don't want a breakfast wrap!"

She gets up and storms away and I just watch her with a sigh. I feel bad but it's not like it's actually my fault. Still the fact that she's blamed me for it still hurts.

I don't want to tell her that, despite what was going on with me, that shouldn't have stopped her from booking earlier in the summer, if she had really wanted to. Also, how was she to know a mudslide would take out half the camping ground?

I understood she was frustrated and blaming me was the easy way out, but still. Friends shouldn't do that to one another, and once she calmed down we could talk about that.

In the meantime I figured I could try and help. It couldn't hurt right?

I pull out my own phone and dial the number for Muskoka Falls and wait for someone to answer.

"Hi, my name is Marnie, I was wondering if you could confirm if my boyfriend, Bryce, booked the campsite for Polished Elite for the last weekend in August.... Oh he did? Two of them? Oh wonderful, thank you so much."

I hang up the phone already smiling. I have an idea already forming in my head. It may cause some friction, but if it could get us our campsite at a discounted price I think everyone would be grateful.

But I was going to have to do something I really don't want to do.

I'm going to have to go back to PolishedElite.