Plot Twist

man with a difficult choice.

"How's the camera?"

"Oh, thanks for reminding me! I almost forgot," she replies, standing up to check on the camera for what must be the seventh or eighth time.

The moon is almost full, and it has risen over the mountains, providing perfect contrast for the falling meteors all around it.

I can just hear a party somewhere in the campground. Probably teenagers.

Wait. I am still a teenager, and that could have been what I'd been doing if I'd stayed in school, if I'd -

"Good thing I'm not using any of this sound," she says. "That party's ruining it all."

"They'll go to sleep soon. What time is it?"

"Just past two."

"Do you have one of those granola bars?"

"Oh, yeah - here." She hands me one and rips one open. "I'll take the wrapper if you want, 'cause -"

"Yeah, I know, no littering - I wasn't going to anyways." I grin at her. "I'll take them over to that garbage can, stretch my legs."

She hands it to me, and I walk away, down the hill. Taking a bite of my granola bar, my thoughts wander - what would happen if I just forgot about my book, forgot about the outline and told her I liked her?

I'd still know. I'd still know everything about her, everything in her past and everything I'd planned for her future. And I couldn't - I wouldn't be able to live with that secret.

I could tell her.

No, that would ruin everything. I can't tell her, but I can't not tell her.

Maybe the best thing to do is to leave it, say "It's been fun, have a nice life," and go our separate ways.

Either way, I've probably already messed up everything - you can't just erase memories and put things back to the way it was, when Elle was just a character, a figment of my own imagination.

But I don't think I'd like it to be that way. I can't deny it - this is the most fun I've had in a long time.

And the most love I've felt in forever.

I drop the wrappers in the can and jog back.

"Hey."

"Hi," I greet her. "What's going on?"

"Nothing." She yawns. "Sit."

I sit.

"What are you writing about?"

I cringe. "You really want to know?"

"Of course I do!"

"It's a book I've been planning for forever, and I've just started my first draft." How do I go about saying this? "It's about a girl whose father is recovering from cancer, and she has to decide between staying with him and letting opportunities go, or to pursue her passions. Staying with family and everything she's known, or branching out and chasing her dreams. Hard choices really," I trail off.

She's staring at me, chin tilted towards the lake ever so slightly. "Sounds like me," she murmurs.

"Really? How so?" I'd thought I hadn't made it that obvious, but obviously I had. I internally curse at myself, clenching my jaw in disgust.

"It just - is. My dad's recovering from cancer, too, and I had to leave him to come here, even though it's just for a week or so."

"Elle, I'm so sorry -" She cuts me off, and I'm glad for it because I'd been about to say "If only I'd known," but that would be another lie. Lies. I do know. I feel like I'm lying to her by keeping the truth from her, by playing dumb.

"It's okay, really. He's doing a lot better than he was."

"That's good. Must've been hard for your family - how old were you when he was diagnosed?"

"Twelve."

She stares out into the night, obviously thinking of him.

"What about your parents?"

I'm slightly taken aback, even though I should've seen it coming. Dark nights, deep questions. "My parents? My mom, well, she was an alcoholic. My dad was almost never around, but when he was, he treated me like I was the biggest disappointment to the family - I don't talk about them much."

"And they've never tried to contact you, make sure you're safe?"

"They don't care. I'm old enough now to realize that, and I'm old enough to take care of myself."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be - it's okay."

She half-smiles, the expression not quite reaching her eyes.

"I feel like we should talk about something else, something happier. What's your favourite colour?"

Without pausing to think, she says, "Green. Like not lime green, but forest green, mossy green, you know?"

"Mine's red, like deep, burgundy red."

She nods, and I'm falling, falling for her and I can't do anything about it.