So High School

Chapter Five

Taylor

Matteo's hoodie smells like pine and shampoo.

Cliché I know, but Dan's never smelled this good.

The hoodie in question sits hidden under my bed until I can return it to Matteo. But I really need to pack, and it's distracting me.

I got a lot of looks wearing the hoodie. And a lot of teasing from Charlotte and Evelyn. I didn't look at Dan.

The basics are packed- 21 pairs of underwear, a mix of 18 crops tops and bras, 18 pairs of socks- basically all that I own. There's a washing machine, but I'm not exactly taking any chances. Luckily I'm not supposed to get my period, but a few pairs of the undies are period-safe, and I have a pack of tampons just in case.

I also have three bikinis packed, all of which can be mis matched with each other to form new sets. A long shirt to wear to bed, toiletries, make up, shoes, hair stuff, hoodies. They're thrown in.

Now I'm stuck on outfits. I have 14 to plan. I start with the shorts, laying out every pair of denim and bummers I have. Then I add two shirts to each and cut down, ending up with eight shorts, and sixteen shirts, and a million combos.

No phones are allowed at the camp, but mine is hidden in the bottom of the suitcase, and I have a digital camera to take photos with. 

Then I grab a backpack and close the suitcase- without much difficulty.

The camp is called the Unity Retreat, and it's supposed to bring our year closer together. Even though it's arranged by the school, none of the teachers are allowed to come- we are supervised entirely by the staff at UR.

"Taylor! We're going!" Mum calls to me down stairs and I grab my suitcase. At the last minute, I grab Matteo's hoodie and shove it in the suitcase in case Charlotte sees it or something. At least that's what I tell myself.

I hug my dad goodbye, and we drive to school, where three buses wait. Then I hug goodbye to Mum and Charlotte, and roll my suitcase along behind me to find Evelyn.

"Homeroom 12A on the first bus, 12B on the second, 12C on the third. Store your suitcases under the bus and take your backpacks on board if you want them! Come one people, move, move! You leave in 20 minutes!"

It takes five minutes alone to find Evelyn. Then we have to line up at 12C's bus to put our stuff in. When that's done, we file onto the bus, get our names checked off by Miss Rell, and find a good seat.

Being Evelyn, and I guess me now, there are two seats right up the back of the bus saved for us. Leo is one of the others already there, as well as Isiah, and they call out to us when we get on to come sit. Isiah sits at the window, and I sit next to him. Evelyn sits next to me, then Leo beside her, and Kobe on the other window.

In front of us is Hayley and Siera , who are on the cheer squad, and would normally be sitting where Eve and I are, but apparently we're getting their spots. They don't seem to be too sad, as they are turned around in their seat, talking to Isiah as he hides his phone and hooks it up onto a speaker.

"You couldn't even wait until we started driving until you did that?" I ask, as RnB blares out of the speakers.
He smiles at me, "No way jose, and Miss Rell is cool anyway. But nice to see you can talk to me now."
My jaw drops as I realise this is the first time I've spoken to him. And most guys that I've spoken too in the last few days. Whenever I'm reminded of stuff like that it makes me glad for the break up with Dan. Then I remember Dan and I get upset again. Not like I used to. But it's a dampener on my mood.

I keep talking to Hayley, Siera and Isiah (who tells me I can use his nickname 'Ziah') as we pull out and he turns the music up louder. The seven of us share around snacks, and song requests for Ziah, which passes the drive quickly. Halfway through, Kobe calls over to us and smirks, "Can I request Fergalicious? I haven't stopped hearing about your performance from the soccer boys since Thursday."