Have We Been Here Before? 《Experimental Story》

Chapter Two.

It took about an hour and a half for the boat to get to the island, half of that time already done, and Thea was growing restless. She had read some of her book, messed around on her phone and annoyed Charlotte. Charlotte, however, was reading her own book and had no interest in talking at the moment. Jill had already run off to go find her friend that was supposed to be on the same boat, so annoying her least favourite person also wasn't an option.
  She huffed as she watched the water sway the boat slightly, feeling the pressure on her throat from the slight sea sickness. She knew that the front of the boat smelled slightly from a few people already barfing, but was thankfully far enough to not smell it, only hearing the complaints of people further up.
  “I’m gonna go on a walk.” she stood from her place on the bench, leaving her book bag in her place. Charlotte hummed in acknowledgement, not making any other sign she had heard.
   She dragged her feet along the rough painted wood of the boat, her sneakers somehow making little noise as she did. She went towards the back, the front out of the question and wandered closer to the point they had boarded on. There were close to no people around, just a few stragglers that had chosen to stand for a bit. She plopped down on the steps up onto the boat’s main area, humming as she did. She stared at the water, watching as it whipped and slashed at the boat as it sped through.
  “No, I got it! I’ll be back soon, Felicity!” A boy called, and Thea looked up to see. He was wearing a Red Hot Chili Peppers shirt, which is what caught Thea’s attention immediately. He was tall and gangly, but didn’t seem very awkward due to his very obvious confidence, which also drew Thea in a bit. He had plain black shorts and the white shoes that everyone seemed to have that Thea had never bothered to learn the name of. Just then, she was knocked out of her Reverie, because the boy had backed up too far and into her arm. She frowned at the sudden contact and the boy immediately looked down at her.
  “I’m so sorry!” He was quick to apologise, which again also interested Thea, since she thought teen boys were closer to bugs then people with how they acted.
  “It’s alright.” Thea hummed, before turning back to the water. He sat down, about a foot from her and rested his long arms on his knees. Thea looked at him out of the corner of her eye. There was enough room on the stairs to put three feet between them comfortably, why sit so close?
  “I- I’m Joey, by the way.” He said almost nervously, and Thea immediately tried to soften her expression because she knew she often ended up scowling. Thea looked at him and saw his light brown eyes studying her as she had done a moment earlier.
"I'm D0r-" her name rotted in her throat before she could say it, the oddness of calling herself that testing like cotton. Was she even Dorothy at all anymore? She was supposed to be a new person this summer, why shouldn’t use her new name? He looked at her weirdly, as she paused. "I'm Thea." she smiled and he did as well.
  “While it's very nice to meet you, Thea. Have you been to the island before?” He asked politely.
  “I have not, my sisters and I aren't really the camping type.” She said amused, and a part of her was confused at how easy she found it to talk to him after only a few words. He chuckled lightly, looking out at the calm water.
“I never really was either, I just enjoy being out here.”
  “Have you been coming to the camp for a while?” she asked, trying to seem friendly.
  “Yeah, almost four summers now.” He smiled, shifting his position to face her more.
  “Oh, so you're at least eighteen then? Wouldn’t this be your last year as a camper?” Thea hummed, guessing.
  “Yeah, I am, but I don’t know if I’ll come back.” he shrugged. “How old are you?”
  “Seventeen this summer.” she hummed again, this time with a smile.
  “Oh, so you’ll be celebrating your birthday here?”
  “Yep.” she looked back to the water.
  “While, good news,” she looked back at him as he said that. “Every time it’s someone's birthday on the island, the counsellors will pick up a cake from town and give it to the birthday person.”
  “They just give them a cake to do whatever they want? I would have thought they would do like cookies or something for everyone and sing and then call it a day.” she furrowed her brows as she thought aloud. Joey shrugged in response.
  “Cheaper I guess.” he said and Thea hummed as she moved on from it.
  “Do you celebrate your birthday at camp?”
  “No, uh, I was born in October.” he nodded and she smiled.
  “So you're a Halloween baby?” he chuckled at that.
  “Yeah, I guess.” he smiled and looked over at her. They looked at each other for a moment, before Thea broke eye contact. A fluttering in her stomach had caused heat to creep up on her neck, so she distracted herself with the water once more.
  “So, it’s your first time at camp, how are your parents with you and your sisters gone for a full month and a half?” Joey asked, trying to avoid any kind of awkward silence. She just wished his go to wasn’t to ask about her parents.
  “Oh, they actually wanted us to go, so pretty good.” She hummed, trying to keep any bitterness out of her voice. He looked interested in her answer.
“Really?” He encouraged her to go on. She looked at him, shifting to face him a little better and noticed that he seemed a little closer, which made her cheeks heat up. She looked back to the water, but it didn’t seem as interesting anymore.
  “Yeah, my oldest sister Jill, wanted to go because her friend was going and my parents thought we should all go.” She left out the part where her parents thought they should go because she was complaining about the kind of attention her mother brought in.
  “Jill? Sounds familiar…” she frowned slightly in confusion as he muttered.
   “Do you know her?” Thea asked.
   “Um.. I think my friend does..” He looked her in the eyes, making that same heat take over her face.
  “Oh.” was all she could manage, looking back to the water and was disappointed that it didn’t have the same comfort still. “Was- was she the one you were calling to? Felicity?” Thea asked and he seemed amused that she had remembered.
  “Yeah, she didn’t want to be left alone. Not that she would have been, her twin brother is with her, he’s just reading.” he shrugged, smiling like he had something funny. Her interest was piqued.
  “Reading?” she repeated.
  “Yeah! Who reads anymore?” he scoffed before laughing. Thea frowned.
  “I do. Like all the time.” Joey looked startled at that.
  “Oh! I’m sorry, it's just- I never see people reading anymore, I don’t mean anything by it.” he said hurriedly and she smiled at his panic.
  “It’s fine, Joey.” she bit her lip, trying to hold her smile a bit. He seemed extremely relieved that she wasn’t actually offended.
  “Would everyone please find a seat as we enter the dock? Please do not leave your spot until given further instruction.” a voice rang out over the boat and both teens looked up and around until they both spotted the speakers. Thea stood from her spot, going back up, as Joey followed.
  “Will I see you later at camp?” Thea paused and turned to him, seeing he had this charming smile as he said it. She was sure she looked like a blushing fool, but she smiled back anyways.
  “Come and find me?”
  “Definitely.” He grinned even wider and Thea had to turn so she could hide her dorky smile that was ruining her nice one. She shook her head slightly, like she was trying to rid him from it, and started her way back to Charlotte.