New Believers Of God

CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

Not much had changed by the time Thursday rolled around. None of the guys would lighten up and I was still banned from our lunch table. Despite this however, I still decided to attend Hangin' In.

"So," said Kenneth "I know you enjoyed Laurelville for those that went last fall."

There was no denying that.

"Well what if I told you that this summer, we've got another trip planned. Not just for a weekend either, but a whole five days."

Rightfully so, we all expressed our hype. An entire week away from home? That was basically Laurelville times two and a half. Not to mention in the summer too. What could have possibly been better than that?

"It's called Wildside." he continued "Take a look at this."

Much like the last trip, he proceeded to show us a video exhibiting everything it had to offer. Once again, it was nothing short of intriguing, pretty much being Hangin' In the summer camp. What made it stand out more in this case though is that there seemed to be an even wider variety of stuff to do. Laurelville was already an upgrade, but this was almost like an advanced upgrade.

However, while I was undoubtably interested, there was one small problem.

Earlier that week at CCD, Peter came to my class and presented us with a trip that GLOW would be going on that summer too.

"It's in Kentucky." he said "Kids from all over the country will be there, all to serve those in need. We'll build shelters, do a food drive, perform songs, whatever helps. It's a lot of hard work, yes. But at the same time, a great opportunity. Definitely something most of you aren't used to, and that's why I'd like you to come. There's some great stuff you can learn."

Once again, Holly and I discussed it afterward.

"So," she said "What do you think? Will you go?"

At that moment, I didn't see any reason to say no. Much like before, I never stopped to think that both youth groups would be doing a trip, and the guys were the last thing on my mind. With the way they had been treating me, I was happy to get away from them.

"Of course!" I said back with enthusiasm "It looks awesome!"

"Great!" she replied cheerfully "This is going to be so much fun! I can't wait!"

"Why?" I thought as I watched the video "Why is this happening to me again?"

I wouldn't have cared as much if it weren't for that. This seemed like the perfect chance to redeem myself and regain their trust. But if I went with Holly, it would only make things worse between us, and they were already bad enough. Making decisions like these was never easy for anyone, especially for a young kid.

After splitting up, Hunter also discussed it with us like before.

"Just imagine." he said, "One week. One whole week. You already know what to expect from it. How could you possibly pass it up?"

If only he knew.

As we waited outside for our parents, the guys continued to talk about it while I stood off to the side.

"Hey Cole." said Shane "Come here."

Doing so, I walked over and heard what he had to say.

"We've been thinking about what happened." he added "We're sorry about how we treated you."

That was surprising to hear. After nearly a week, I didn't think it would ever happen.

"Yeah Cole." said Ethan "We're Sorry."

"We overreacted." said Victor.

"We were wrong." said Daryl.

"It's okay." I said back "Thanks."

"I'll tell you what." Shane continued "Why don't you come to Wildside. Then we can put this all behind us. What do you say?"

"Oh no." I thought "It's happening."

Not only were my worries coming to life, but they were being forced upon me too. I simply couldn't catch a break. Why did coincidences like these always have to happen?

"Let me think about it." I told him.

"What's there to think about?" he asked "We apologized, now come on. Say yes."

Just then, my Dad arrived to pick me up. His timing couldn't have been any more perfect.

"I promise, I'll let you know." I answered, "See you tomorrow."

As I got in the car, I rushed my Dad to drive away.

"Is everything alright?" he asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine." I lied "I just want to go home."

That couldn't have been any farther from the truth. One problem had ended, and now an even bigger problem had taken its place.