You And I

Chapter 22: A Night to Remember

I woke up to find Mei once again asleep on my arm. My heart raced, unsure if I should wake her. I decided to let her stay as she was, not wanting to risk any awkwardness between us. I could feel her warmth as she pulled me closer. I decided to keep pretending to sleep, hoping Ryan would go outside and not catch me in this vulnerable state.

To my surprise, I felt a presence above me. I opened my eyes slightly and saw Ryan looking down, a grin on his face. "You're pretending, aren't you?" he said, clearly amused.

I couldn't help but smile. "Yeah, but it's not what you think. I just didn't want to wake her up. Things might get awkward again."

Ryan chuckled. "But you're clearly enjoying it."

I giggled a little and admitted, "Who wouldn't be?"

"Alright then, enjoy. I'm just going to get some fresh air," Ryan said as he walked out, still laughing.

I thought about how today was our last day, and how excited I was for the dance at the campfire. I looked back at Mei, who was still sleeping peacefully. As if on cue, she stirred, opening her eyes and meeting my gaze. We locked eyes for a moment before she smiled and quickly looked away, her face turning red as she pulled the blanket up to cover her.

"Good morning, Levi," she said softly.

"Good morning, Mei," I replied.

She mumbled, "I'm so sorry... again."

I reassured her, "It's completely okay. I'm just glad you had a good rest."

We both lay there on our futons in a comfortable silence. Mei broke it first. "This is the last day, huh?"

"Yeah," I replied, thinking about how the trip had flown by. "So, about the dance at the campfire-have you picked a partner?"

She shook her head. "Nope, not yet."

I hesitated, then asked, "What about the guy you liked? Have you seen him around?"

Mei paused for a moment before responding, "No, he's not here. I haven't seen him since day one."

"Oh," I said, a bit relieved. "Well, that's okay."

Mei looked at me with a shy smile and asked, "Well, can you be my partner?"

I was taken aback. "Wait, are you really okay with me?"

She giggled and said, "Of course, why wouldn't I be?"

I couldn't help but grin. "Okay, then. I'd love to."

I was excited at the thought of dancing with Mei, and it made the final day of the trip even more special.

We got up and put away our futons. Just as we were about to head out, Ryan burst through the door. "Oh, I was just about to call you guys. The teacher wants everyone downstairs for breakfast." He nudged Jane, Kris, and Yvonne awake. "Come on, sleepyheads, it's time to eat!"

We all headed downstairs and gathered at the table. As we dug into our food, the chatter picked up.

"So, have you guys picked your activities yet?" Jane asked, her eyes twinkling with curiosity.

Ryan immediately jumped in. "Yeah, I went with paddleboarding. Fishing and hiking sound boring. What about you, Levi?"

I shrugged, taking a bite of my toast. "Paddleboarding sounds fun. I'll join you."

Yvonne chimed in, grinning. "I chose fishing. It's a lot more relaxing, plus I want to catch something big."

Kris nodded, her excitement showing. "I'm going hiking. I love exploring trails. The view from the top is worth it."