Suddenly Popular

Chapter 13

   As she headed back to her room, after saying 'goodbye' to Terry, she heard footsteps following her. It was already late and she did not dare turn around, with the fear of finding out what was behind her.

"Brianna," a voice whispered behind her.

She turned around and recognized Maverick's friend, who was standing right behind her. She frowned, curious as to why the dark blond-haired boy would want to talk to her.

"Can I talk to you?" he asked.

"You already are?" she laughed softly.

"Right. Can we go sit somewhere? I promise it won't take long."

Brianna nodded, following him as they walked on the fresh sand. The sun had already set and the waves had calmed down. The mild air brushed her face as they sat by the water.

Nobody spoke and Brianna closed her eyes, enjoying the silence to relax. When she opened them again, she saw a pair of brown eyes gazing in the distance, as if in doubt.

"What did you want to talk about?" she began. "Oh and I don't think you've introduced yourself to me but you seem to know me already."

"My bad. I'm Kaiden, Rowland's best friend, and let's say that he talks a lot about you, which is part of the reason why I'm here. I'm also talking to you because I saw you were close with Rick, or am I wrong?" he introduced himself.

"This makes a lot more sense. Rick and I met here so I don't know that much about him but I guess I can figure out why you're here. You want my help, don't you?"

"I also just met Rick but I already like him - a lot. The thing is that I don't know how he feels about me. He also seemed reserved about his sexuality."

"You're not wrong but he needs some time. Coming out is a big deal and what he needs most is your support. I'll talk to him and try to find out how he feels about you but I need to be certain of what your intentions are. He is my friend and I know that he has suffered a lot. This is why you've got to be genuine and honest with him."

"Of course, all I want is to help him."

"Great! You said that you wanted to talk about Rowland?"

"Yes, I noticed that you left right after your turn during the game, did it make you feel uncomfortable? Rowland wanted to come to check in on you but your friends said that you needed some space."

"Don't get me wrong, it's not that I don't like Rowland but I've always been used to being in the shadow, the unpopular girl and so being cheered on, kissing the popular guy of the camp and in front of everyone was a little overwhelming for me. I wish he would have been more careful but he could not have known."

"I agree, when we're here, at the camp, it's as if we're in a little bubble where everyone spreads good vibes. Rowland probably talked about his reputation but trust me, he changed and he is really interested in getting to know you."

"Thanks, Kaiden. I just don't want things to move fast, you know?"

"Of course! Well, thank you for letting me steal some of your sleep time," Kaiden laughed.

"Don't worry and I'll keep you updated on Rick!" Brianna winked.

She hurried to her room where everything was dark. She quickly brushed the sand off her feet and traded her cute outfit for something more comfortable before falling asleep.

***

"Good morning, sunshine!" a voice woke her up.

As she slowly opened her eyes, blinded by the rays of the sun flowing through the room and trying to adjust her sight to the brightness, she blinked multiple times. When she could finally see clearly, she saw Jasmine, Lei, and Cassandra standing right in front of her, smiling brightly.