How Immature

Chapter 3

My cries turned into gasps and it felt like anxiety was about to take over. I saw the door open and the pale boy came over to me.

He smoothed his hand down my arm to calm my nerves and patted my back slowly.

"It's going to be okay." He said calmly. My heart rate went down and I looked up at him.

"Don't leave ple-e-e-ease." I gasped between each e and my fingers shook slightly.

"Deep breaths." I heard him say in a gentle voice. It felt like I was broken glass

He was the glue. I wouldn't be perfect again, but it certainly helped.

After awhile I calmed down. My breathing got better.

"Th-Thanks." My fricken stutter. I probably look like a fool.

"Sorry." I mumbled. A habit of mine. To say sorry when I feel insecure or not good enough.

"You don't have to apologize, just close your eyes." I looked at him and smiled before I started crying again. He pulled me into his chest and I kept crying.

It felt good to cry. I haven't cried in a long, long time. All this pressure gets to a human. Sometimes certain pressure can make diamonds.

But it can also make dust.

It got quiet. The good silence. The comforting kind when you can talk, but there's no words in the air.

It's about time I introduce myself and quit crying.

"My name is Daniel James Howell." I looked up at him and his eyes widened a bit.

"I'm Phil." He laughed probably to prove how formal I was.

"What brings you here Danny?" I laughed at the nickname. Danny? Sounds like a Texan name or something.

When I smiled, I felt the corner of my eyes tighten and the tears that were left fell down my face as I looked down. He sure knew how to make someone smile.

"Well Philip, I had no intention in coming, my mother sent me." I tried to word this as formal as possible. As a joke of coarse.

"How come?" I looked up into his blue eyes. They were full of wonder, that's for sure.

"You first." I crossed my arms in a challenge. I would never tell him really why, but I'd never lie.

Not to a friend. I think.

"Well-" He started before the door creaked open and two pairs of eyes peeked in.

"Hate to bother you, but we just wanted to ask if we could join the conversation?" The one with brown eyes, I think it was Chris, spoke.

Phil looked at me as if to ask me. I did a small nod and he looked over at them.

"Sure!" Phil gestured them in and they sat on a bed across from us.

"I'm Pj and this is my best friend Chris!" Pj's eyes were a nice shade of green and Chris's eyes were a hazel color.

I waved my hand a little and moved back a little. It wasn't that they were scaring me, well yeah no that's why. I'm still not very comfortable with Phil and I don't know if I'll screw anything up.

"I'm Daniel." It was hard to even speak words to people so it was no surprise my voice was a whisper.

"Alright well, here's some things you'll need to know about camp. Firstly, the food here sucks ass unless it's Friday. Breakfast is pancakes, lunch is hamburgers, and dinner is the famous pizza. Other than that we sneak in at night to grab a bunch of snacks. You're not suppose to like boys here, obviously, so don't hug anyone unless instructed... or if they can't see you..." Chris shrugged laughing and I nodded along.

"It's really not that bad, I mean people get relationships here all the time behind the counselors' backs. Like Chris and I, Mark and Sean, Ethan and Tyler, yeah it goes on." Pj said nodding his head and nudging his boyfriend.

"God y'know you look really familiar..." Pj said slowly. Then a bell rang.

"That's the call for dinner, c'mon!" Chris urged, pulling Pj by the arm. I got up slowly, loosing a bit of balance.

"Lean on me, it'll help." I looked over at Phil when he said that.

What a guy.