Camp Paradis || Jean Kirstein

Are You Going To Introduce Your Friends

  It was Friday night, and my stomach twisted when the time came to where I couldn't avoid it any longer. I was starving, and it was time for dinner... it was time to swallow the embarrassment and face our friends- to face Jean. He texted me a few times throughout the day in between his classes. He had nothing to say, only asking me I would talk to him- he just wanted to talk. I didn't think I was ready for that yet.

  I dragged my feet down the hill and the closer I got to the mess hall the more I felt sick. I waited to see a familiar face, anyone, but the only faces around were the unfamiliar campers. I was a little thankful that I wouldn't see any of our friends yet, because what if they knew what had happened? I don't think I could take the embarrassment, or whatever pity they wanted to give me. Would Jean have even told them about our night out?

  I started up the stairs and froze, gripping onto the side railing when I heard the door to the art studio close behind me. I tried to get into the cafeteria before he noticed me, but I had failed.

  "Beck!" he called after me, sounding shocked to see me. I heard him run after me and when I pulled open the door, his large hand reached in front of my face and pushed it back closed.

  "Hey!" I turned around and pushed my arm into his chest to back him up away from me. He held onto my elbow to pull me with him off to the side of the porch, "I'm trying to get something to eat." he let go of my arm and I crossed them over my chest.

"You can't keep avoiding me." I rolled my eyes, and started to argue back, but he raised a finger to me, "Don't." I took a step back and raised my eyebrows at him, astounded by his courage to basically tell me to 'shut up.' He couldn't be serious, "Just listen to me."

I backed away from him and stepped around him, giving him a literal cold shoulder, "I don't want to. I just need some space." I snapped, stomping down the stairs. This was a mistake, I could ask Historia to bring me something back. I was going home.

I heard him follow me, "We need to talk about what happened eventually." I could hear him behind me, his tone begging me to stay with him, "I just want to explain myself."

I whipped around to face him, clenching my first at my sides, "There's nothing to explain, Jean. You're not interested, and that's fine. But you led me on, and I can't understand why!" I looked around us to make sure no one was outside, but I still lowered my voice, "Why the fuck wouldn't you just tell me that before I was on top of you? Why would you even try to kiss me?"

"It's not that simple, Beck."

I scrunched my nose, "It is that simple." I argued, "It's the one thing at this God forsaken camp that is simple! That was a shitty thing to do, and you know that."

"Are you going to let me tell you what happened, or are you going to keep yelling at me?" he kept calm while I was getting myself worked up.

"To be honest? I want to keep yelling at you!"

I watched the corner of his mouth twitch up into an impressed smile, and I grew angry all over again. Last night I learned that Jean and I knew each other in a different way than anyone else did, and tonight, I came to the realization that that also meant he knew the exact way to get under my skin, and how to push my buttons. But that tension was back again, and I knew he felt it too, because he took a step closer to me- and I didn't move.

"Go ahead." he encouraged, "Get it all out, and then we'll talk."

I blinked at him, unsure of what he was trying to do. Surely he wasn't going to just stand there and take it. Not Jean. But he looked at me expectantly, waiting for me to lay into him. Well shit, it wasn't as satisfying if he was just going to let me yell at him. Fuck. Fuck him. Fuck Jean.