Cabin Fever

3

After scrolling on my phone for a bit I decide to be social and leave the cabin. As I'm making my way over to Cordelia's cabin, I hear footsteps behind me. I turn around to see a blonde waking towards me. I smile softly and she returns it with a glint in her eye. As she gets closer she finally speaks.

"You're the new girl right... Alicia?" She says and I nod eagerly. "I'm Billie, cabin 4" she says motioning towards it. "Right! I'm cabin 5" I say, "of course we're neighbors. Gotta stick close to the best" she whispers the last sentence in my ear making me shiver a bit.

"Well I was just on my way to Cordelia's cabin" I say trying to get out of this. Something about her is making me slightly uneasy. "Right. Well I won't hold you... how old are you though?" She asks before I walk off, I look at her confused. "It's just that you seem very mature, we typically have counselors around 16 or 17 that have been here for a while" she says.

My face relaxes a bit, "19" I answer, "very well. You can go" she says smiling calmly and I nod before quickly, but hopefully not noticeably, making my way to Cordelia. I knock on her door and she yells for me to come in. I walk in quickly and shut the door behind me sighing to myself. "What's up?" She asks discarding her phone on the bed and standing up glancing between me and a window.

"Nothing" I shake my head realizing the awkward position I've put myself in after just exiting one. "Did you see someone?" she asks walking closer to me slowly. "Umm. I just met another counselor... Billie. I'm just not really good with social interactions so it was a bit weird" I confess.

"Oh it's fine. Billie tends to have the effect on people; she's a bit intimidating but she means well. I'd hate to see you when you meet Wilhemina" she jokes but my face turns to an even deeper expression of worry. "Oh I'm sorry, honey. I didn't mean to scare you" she says rubbing my arm as she's now very close to me.

All my worry fades at her simple touch as if her calm aura is wrapping around me protectively. I completely forget about the encounter from a few moments ago and all my worries in general. All I can focus on is this moment, and then the panic sets it. She's touching me, she's very close.

As if she can hear my thoughts her hand slowly moves away from my arm and I feel conflicted. I love her touch yet it makes me anxious, can I just get my thoughts in order for once?! "You wanna stay in here until the meeting?" she asks softly and I just nod. She smiles and gestures that I can sit on one of the beds.

I sit on the one closest to her and lay on my stomach facing her with my feet in the air, swinging subconsciously after a while. I open my phone and begin to write, being around her seems to inspire me. Maybe that's why that Lana lady comes here, she's like inspiration in physical form.

I look up to her to see her looking at me. I smile and she smiles back and blushes slightly before looking away to her phone. I see her typing and wonder what she's doing so I decide to just ask. "Whatcha doin?" I ask her, "texting my... friend" she says almost confused. Before I can ask she deflects and asks what I'm doing.

"Writing" I reply simply, "you're a writer?" She asks interested and I shake my head to which she looks confused. "It's a hobby. I don't think it's really any good" I explain, "I'm sure that's not true. I think your writing is lovely, I mean you seem like a creative person" she says looking into my eyes.

I can tell she means everything she says and it makes me look down embarrassed. "You only say that cause you haven't read it" I joke, "well let me read it" she says and I look up at her nervously. "If you're comfortable with that" she adds and for some reason I go looking for something for her to read.

I settle on a poem and go for the folder with all my poems in it. "Give me a sec" I say looking up and her and she nods going back on her phone. I search and search until I find one that's sort of suitable. All my poems are dark or love poems and I settle for a love poem because she doesn't need to read about my trauma.