A Scenic Connection (BoyxBoy)

CHAPTER SEVEN

As the afternoon turned to evening, it started to get cooler, and after checking things out and finding the lake and the outhouse that Zaiden had mentioned, I made my way back to the tent to get a hoodie. It was still light outside but the light was dim, and it was fairly dark inside the tent. Fumbling around for a flashlight I looked in my bag and found the hoodie I wanted and slipped it over my head. As I exited the tent Hadley came up to me.

"Hey! Where have you been? We're about to light the fire."

"Oh I was just exploring. I found the lake and it looks pretty cool, then I came back here for a hoodie," I explained. Hadley regarded me with a look on her face. "What?" I asked.

"Why are you avoiding everyone?" She said, putting her hands on her hips.

"I'm not!" I said defensively.

"Well it seems like it, and everyone thinks so," she said.

"They do? They said that?" I asked.

"Well no, but they probably all think you're being antisocial, and I don't want them to think that, so c'mon!" She motioned me with her hand. I fell in step beside her and we walked over towards the fire pit. The guys were laughing and trying to figure out how to start the fire while the girls sat and chatted amongst themselves.

"Tyce get the matches!" Sam was saying as he and Alex were arranging the wood in the pit. Tyce, doing as he was told, grabbed the box of matches off the picnic table and took one out, striking it on the side of the box. The match lit and he threw it in after Alex and Sam backed away. It burned out and none of the wood caught.

"You're doing it wrong," I blurted without thinking. Hadley turned her head and looked at me smugly while Alex and Sam looked over at me curious and Tyce looked embarrassed. "I mean, you have to light it carefully. Er, you guys probably know what you're doing. You guys know how right?" I stumbled over my words, making myself look completely dumb.

"I told you I haven't really done this stuff before," Tyce said shyly. Alex and Sam shrugged.

"We've never actually built one ourselves," said Sam. I nodded.

"Okay, well there has to be kindling on the bottom, stuff that's light and thin that catches fire easily, the big pieces of wood are to keep the fire going," I explained, bending down and inspecting the wood. "We need more kindling." Alex stood up and fetched some littler pieces of wood nearby and handed it to me. I nestled it underneath the wood and motioned to Tyce. "Hand me a match." He grabbed another one from the box and handed it to me. I lit the match and gently set it on the kindling, blowing slightly on it, it caught the kindling on fire and started to smoke.

"Nice!" Sam said. Alex nodded in agreement while the girls looked like they could care less. Hadley was smiling  looking at me from across the fire as it started to get bigger.

"Thanks for the help Griffin," Tyce said, looking at me as I stood up.

"No problem," I smiled back to him.

"Ah you guys got a fire started!" Zaiden said as he joined the group. "I should get the hot dogs out so that in a little while when there's some good coals we can roast em!"

"Sounds like a good idea! I think we're all getting hungry," Alex said.

"You're always hungry," Sam laughed, shaking his head.

"I'm a guy. It's like my job," Alex joked, causing the rest of us to chuckle a little. I rubbed my arms to warm myself up. I held my hands out to warm them from the ever growing flame.

"It's a nice fire," Paisley said from her spot on the bench. "Especially because there's a little chill in the air." I smiled a little and took in a big breath, careful not to choke on the smoke. I sure did love the smell of the campfire. It reminded me of when I was a kid and used to go on camping trips with my family.

"You inhaling the smoke?" Tyce asked, pulling a teasing face at me.

"No, but I like the smell," I replied, closing my eyes for a second.

"Really? Why?" He wondered. I shrugged.

"It reminds me of being a kid," I said.

"Ladies! Who wants a hot dog? I'll uh...I'll cook you one?" Sam said, wiggling his eyebrows. The girls giggled.

"Dude!" Jordan said, clapping him on the shoulder. "That was so lame!"

"We'd love one!" Hadley said, motioning to herself and Izzie. They had grins on their faces. I shook my head at them.

"C'mon. Help me cook one," Tyce said, nudging my shoulder. I looked at him in surprise. "What?" He said raising his shoulders a little. "I don't want mine to get burned. I've never cooked one this way." I smiled at him as we walked over to the picnic table. I handed him a stick and then he grabbed a hot dog. He slid it on the end and when I had done the same we returned to the fire.

"How are you not cold? It's kind of chilly," I said, shivering a little from being away from the warmth of the fire. He shrugged.

"I don't know, I just don't get cold too easily I guess. So.... do I just put it on the flame?" He asked, unsure of what to do.

"You can," I told him. "But I never do because that's how it gets burned," I chuckled. "I usually put it next to the coals, as close as I can get."

"Won't that take longer to cook it?" Tyce asked.

"Yeah, but it cooks better and doesn't make it black," I replied. He nodded agreement and then stuck his hot dog down next to where mine was.

After we finished cooking them and got them on buns, Tyce took his first bite.

"Mmm," he moaned.

"So I take it your first roasted hot dog was a success?" I asked him, laughing a little.

"Yeah! I like me a good wiener!" He said enthusiastically. I literally burst out laughing at that. I couldn't help it, but he laughed with me. I couldn't help but wonder if the double entendre was true..I mean, could Tyce be gay? He was gorgeous, and so far pretty funny and nice. Probably straight, I thought. Who cares though Griffin? A good friend is nice too.

"Thanks for cooking me one," Hadley was saying to Sam. Chloe and Paisley were cooking there own. Zaiden had two on his stick, probably cooking one for April as well as himself. I found myself looking over at Tyce who had just finished the last of his hot dog and was sitting quietly with his hands in his lap. He really was cute as hell. I looked away. Oh god.

"Who wants some beer?" Jordan asked. "I'm headed to the cooler." Pretty much everyone raised their hand except Sam, who was busy eating, and Chloe and Brooke. "Ah, okay. Hey Al? Give me a hand?" Alex and Jordan walked over into the darkness towards the cooler to get the drinks. Everyone was silent for a little bit sitting around the fire either eating or just watching the wood burn.

"So how old are you?" Tyce said to me. I didn't realize he was looking at me. I suddenly felt a little self conscious and wondered how long he had been looking.

"How old do you think I am?" I replied. He looked up and thought for a moment.

"I'd say....23ish?" I nodded.

"Close. I'm 22," I told him. He nodded in understanding.

"And let me guess, you're....like I don't know.....25?" I asked him. He laughed.

"Do I really look older?"

"So you aren't?" I said.

"I didn't say that. I'm actually 26," he explained, just as the others came back with the beers. They went around handing one to each person before settling on the log.

"Nice," I told Tyce, returning to our conversation.

"I'm so old!" He joked, "And you're such a baby!"

"Psh, I'm basically the same age as you!" I scoffed.

"Touché," he replied with a smile on his face. "Cheers!" He said, raising his bottle.

"To what?" I asked him.

"Friends," he said, taking a swig.

"Friends," I repeated, taking sip of my own.