The Special

Episode 19 - Relationships

I woke up late the next day, which was odd because Damian normally never let anyone sleep past 8 O' clock. The cabin was empty. I checked the nearest clock which read 10:37 am. I was over an hour and a half late for breakfast. Damian's gonna kill me, actually I'm surprised he hadn't already killed me.

I didn't know whether I should get up or not. Maybe it was best if I just stayed in the cabin for a while longer. Just then I heard footsteps approaching the cabin and the door soon swung open. It was only Ron.

"Good morning Sleeping Beauty!" He casually said as he strolled to his bed.

"Why did I sleep in?" I tried to rub the eternal tired out of my eyes.

"Because you were up late and you just love sleep." He said, half joking.

"Shouldn't I be dead now? Damian would normally have killed me by now for sleeping in." I was half joking as well.

"Well, apparently he hasn't yet today."

"Yeah, I know but why?" I asked dryly. Ron just shrugged.

"You'll have to ask him." After taking off his jacket and placing it on his bed Ron left. I quickly got changed and left the cabin soon after.

"Well, well, well, look who it is." Damian was leaning against a tree almost right in front of the cabin. I continued on past him without a word. He pushed off of the tree and followed close behind me.

"Can you please just leave me alone?" I didn't even look in his direction as I headed towards the beach.

"I'm sorry Hawkeye but you owed me and explanation, or at least someone." His frustrated tone added to my aggravation. I finally turned around.

"There's plenty of things you're not telling me, so don't even talk to me about owing YOU an explanation." I turned back towards the beach and trudged on.

"Hawkeye, there are just some things that are better if you don't know about them right now." I turned back around.

"Once again, I could say the same thing to you." I sat down, with a huff, on the log that was on the beach. Damian let out a deep breath and sat down beside me on the log. I let out a deep breath as I stared out at the lake that was gently lapping at the shore. Finally I spoke.

"I'm sorry but I just don't really feel comfortable with having to tell everything about myself to everyone here."

"And I understand that. Look, Hawkeye, I'm not saying you have to tell me everything. I'm just saying it's good to have someone to talk to. Someone that's not necessarily me." I nodded knowing that Jessie had been right. She did handle Damian. She calmed the beast. I went back to watching the lake.

The soft waves rolled and grew from small ripples to large masses of water that could carry a kayak around. They jumped up the shoreline then slid back down much like a small kid, jumping to reach the cookie jar but still unable to do so. The water made a calm whooshing sound as it brushed against the sand. It was quite relaxing.

"I'm sorry I freaked out at you so much. I shouldn't have yelled at you and suspected the worst of you." I turned back towards Damian at the sound of his voice.

"You should be able to open up to us and tell us anything and not to feel bad about it or be look down upon because of it. You should be able to be who you are, free of judgment and I had really failed you on that. And for that I am so sorry. I will honestly try to do better because that's what this camp is about; improving yourself and always trying to do better both physically and mentally."

"Well, since we're on the note of apologizing I want to say I'm sorry as well. I have been a real dick pretty much the whole time I've been here and I have all of your guys' lives so much more difficult." Just as I had finished saying that Damian smiled and nudged me with his elbow.

"I bet Jessie would disagree."

"What do you mean by that?" Jessie and I hadn't really gone 'public' with our feelings towards each other and we were still only friends, I think.

"It's not hard to tell the way you two feel about each other. You two are always the last ones to come in from campfire almost every night, you are always doing archery together, you always sit beside each other whenever possible, I rarely see you two away from each other during the day except for when you're mad at each other. Besides you both have that certain look in your eyes. I can see it clearly. Every time you so much as glance at each other." I'm must have been blushing pretty good at that moment because my cheeks were burning. Damian took notice and smiled even more at the fact that he was right.

"You mean that same look that you and Alice have?" I smiled the same smile back at Damian. His mouth drop half open and he let out a sharp breath.

"I don't really know what you're talking about."

"Don't bullshit me. I know there's something going on between you two." I laughed.

"Just like you and Jessie?" I was, then, silent. Unable to decide whether I wanted to admit that I liked her or not.

"Fine. Yeah. I like Jessie, okay. Now it's time for you to spill."

"Okay, Okay. I guess since you mentioned it I have to admit that my feelings towards Alice exceeds that of friendship." I couldn't help but laugh at the fact that I was right.

"Does she know that? Because I can tell she feels the same way." Damian said nothing. Instead, he just stared out towards the lake. We sat there in silence for a couple of minutes until it started to get dark out. Damian suddenly stood up and started walking towards to fire pit.

"I think it's time for campfire." That was all he said before yelling out 'campfire!' then heading to the pit.