Ghost Flowers

44. Field Trip

Savana's History class went on a field trip to the Clear Water County Natural History Museum. It was a warm, breezy day. The bus driver sped across the highway lanes. Savana imagined the bus crashing and killing everyone. She wondered if the school or the police would notify parents first.

Even on the bus, everyone was in their cliques. Popular kids were in the back, and non-popular ones were in the front. Behind the driver, Savana was in the front seat, next to Damon. She was the last on the bus, and it was the final spot to take.

Surprisingly, Cully and Faye sat beside each other behind Damon and Savana. She heard them snicker when she sat down next to him. She slowly turned to face them and glared. They both shut up.

It was Friday, the day before Savana's birthday. Traffic was insane, and it took longer to get there than usual. Savana couldn't wait to get the day over with. She was meeting up with Landon that night.

She was curious about what he had planned for her birthday and hoped it would turn out better than Valentine's Day. It would be the first night seeing each other in a week. It was also the last time they could see each other for two weeks. This weekend was Easter, and Savana would be with her family.

Once the class reached the museum, Mr. Fillens led everyone through the main lobby. They continued through smaller rooms and halls with pictures and displays. Savana wasn't paying attention. It didn't seem like Cully and Faye were either. The three of them were at the back of the group.

After around an hour, Mr. Fillens split up the group. A handful of students went with him, two other groups followed chaperones who volunteered for the trip, and the last group was led by Damon. Of course, Savana was in Damon's group. Cully and Faye were in separate groups.

Savana's group had only three other students. She had never talked to them before. The three of them were obviously close friends, though, and completely ignored Savana and Damon as they ventured outside to look at the dam.

A large river ran through most of the county. Savana had heard stories of people tubing down the river near the dam. People have died from drowning.

The sound of water crashing down the dam grew louder as Savana and Damon walked closer. There was a tall metal fence to prevent anyone from falling into the water. She leaned against the metal and sighed. The sound seemed peaceful to her.

"I wanted to let you know that you got an A on that quiz yesterday." Damon smiled at her as he put his hands into his grey coat pockets.

"Well, all thanks to you I guess." She smiled as she closed her eyes and pulled her hood up.

They stood there in silence a little longer before Damon started talking again.

"So, I realize you have been trying your best to avoid me. I just want to know why. I want to know if I did something wrong." He leaned on the fence next to her and studied her face.

She sighed again. She had long since forgiven Damon, especially with all the help he gave her. But she was still embarrassed to talk to him about it. Standing next to that dam wiped away her embarrassment and anxiety for some reason.

"I was mad at you for telling my dad to keep me away from Landon. I don't like it when people try to control me." She opened her eyes and looked at him.

Savana noticed how lighter his brown eyes looked. They twinkled and seemed to peer into her soul. She turned away from him.

"And I'm still embarrassed about what happened at that party." Her cheeks flushed as she looked down at her feet. "And what happened after the party." She mumbled.

Damon didn't know what to say about him talking to her dad about Landon. A smirk spread across his face as he remembered the last part she mentioned. "So, you do remember that. I assumed you were too drunk to recall anything."