That North Carolina Summer (clean)

Sunset

The rest of the day flew by. I was exhausted, but excited for what was to come. I left the dining hall after dinner looking for Rylie and the rest of the group, but mostly Rylie. I see the twins near an empty table, and head in their direction.

It's 7:40, and I know we need to leave soon to meet up with Sam. Jeremy told us to leave in groups of two at most so we don't draw attention to ourselves. I'm wondering if Rylie has been planning on sticking with me, like I had thought.

God. I am so clingy! I need to chill. She wants to be friends, just friends. And I need to find a way to stop obsessing over this.

I'm lost in thought when I see Rylie across camp. She looks beautiful in her jean shorts, red flannel shirt, and messy bun. I pull my eyes away as she walks towards me, and I try not to stare.

Her looking this cute definitely won't help my situation. How am I supposed to stop these thoughts and feelings before they get even worse?

Rylie reaches our table, and smiles at me, asking if I'm ready to go. I nod, following her as she leads the way.

Maybe the only way to stop this, is to distance myself. Still be her friend, but nothing that will bring out these feelings. No touching shoulders, legs, hands... I can do that, right?

We walk to the edge of camp, and towards the street. Rylie looks both ways before sprinting across the road. I follow, breathing hard as we reach a red pickup truck. The rest of the group is there, plus two new girls I haven't seen before standing with who I assume is Sam. He is sitting on the tailgate of the truck with the taller blonde girl standing between his legs, and I can tell they're together.

The second girl is a little bit shorter, with dirty blonde hair. She is talking to Jeremy and it seems to be a very enthusiastic conversation. He seems really excited to see her. As everyone reaches the truck, Sam hops down and starts talking.

"Alright, it's about a 30 minute drive. I've got five seats in the cab. Ava drove as well, and can fit four. We don't need the bed this time!" He laughs. "Jeremy is headed with Ava, obviously, and I've got Emma for sure." He grabs her hand gently. "The rest of you can decide who you'd prefer to ride with."

Rylie grabs my arm, surprising me, and pulls me towards the red truck. Sam smiles at her as we approach.

"Hey Ry, long time no see! Is this another poor person y'all have tricked into being part of your group?" Sam teases Rylie with a twinkle in his eye. Rylie rolls her eyes before responding.

"Sam, meet Aspen, the sweetest person you'll ever meet, so be nice." Same shakes my hand, and I notice his eyes flick towards Rylie. They share a look full of something I can't read, but he clears his throat before I can understand.

"We'll talk later." He says to Rylie, with a gentle smile. I wonder what secret they seem to share but I don't want to pry.

"It was nice to meet you, Aspen. I look forward to having you come along more!" I smile at Sam, and follow Rylie into the truck. I choose the window seat in back, with Rylie beside me. Josh hops in beside her, and Derek takes the remaining front seat.

The others join Jeremy and Ava in the car, and we set off. It seems like everyone knows everyone, and they all start catching up on the last few months. I listen intently, only talking when I'm talked to, not wanting to interfere much with their reunion.

I stare out the window, letting their conversation fade to the background. I thought of ways I could rid myself of my growing feelings for Rylie. The only way to get rid of them for good is to just stop talking to her completely. But I didn't want to do that to her. Or to myself.