Listen to Your Heart

Chapter 21

         Soon enough our food comes out of the kitchen and we start eating. "So are you excited for the campers to show up?" Walker asks me.

"I guess so. We still have so much of pre-camp left and Julia and I already finished setting up our bunk."

"Wow you guys are really far ahead."

"How much have you guys done?"

"I think we've unpacked like two of our campers and we have ten."

"Wow you guys have a lot to do."

"Yeah but we just need to finish the bunk and then we're done. Doesn't Julia have to set up her art room?"

  "Oh yeah I forgot about that. I guess I'll have to help her. At least I'll have something to do, besides rehearsals of course."

I try to stay focused on our conversation but my mind keeps wandering to Joey. His messy black hair, his light-brown eyes, and his stupidly cute messed-up jaw line. I start to smile just at the thought of him.

"So then I got locked out of my dorm room in only a pair of boxers and a pink towel with kittens on it," Walker says, and his strange story pulls me back into reality.

"Wow, that sucks."

"Yeah but it was fine, I got Darren to let me back in eventually."

"Okay."

"Lauren you're acting different tonight."

"No I'm not," I reply.

"Yes you are. You seem disinterested and distracted. I thought you liked me."

"I do."

"Lauren, don't lie to me. If you really like me, then great, but I don't want you to date me just out of obligation."

The mystery blackmailer just wants me to still prank Joey, but they didn't say that I have to date Walker. "I'm sorry," I say. It's all I can really say.

"It's fine, I understand."

"I really thought I liked you Joe, but I just don't feel that attraction anymore. Can we still be friends?"

"Yeah. And friends help friends get revenge on old rude bullies."

I smile and say, "Yeah, I'll still need help with that."

"So what are you going to tell Joey about us?"

"The truth. I'll tell him that we realized we're better off as friends, which is the truth Walker."

"Yeah, yeah, I know."

"Okay good," I say as the waitress walks over to collect our plates.

"Would you like a dessert menu?" she asks.

"No," I quickly reply.

"Hey! I wanted to get dessert," Walker says angrily.

"I know, there's this really good ice cream place on the way back to camp that I want to go to."

"Oh okay that's good," Walker says while taking out a credit card to pay for the meal. I start to take out mine to split the bill with him and he says, "let me pay for this."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, you can pay for ice cream."

"Okay that works for me," I say as we walk out of the restaurant.