Camp Jordan (Jordan maron/Captainsparklez)

Chapter 13

Chapter 13

I sat on a log as a few instructors setting up the campfire. It felt like those traditional campfires always pictured in cartoons. Sitting around the fire on logs, playing guitars, roasting marshmallows and singing campfire songs under the starry sky.

Bored, I flickered the torchlight on and off repeatedly. Clair leaned back beside me and stared up into the night sky. The others were heading towards here from the canteen now.

Diana appeared with Jake a few minutes later. They giggled amongst themselves as they found a spot to sit together.

"That... was strange." I said, observing them, "I thought Diana doesn't really talk to Jake often. Why are they together, giggling like little girls? It's like they are best friends again or some.... Ohhh."

Clair stopped looking up and focused on the both of them. "Something must have happened during dinner."

I nodded. Everyone had gathered now, except one person...

"Where's Jordan?" Clair said, voicing my thoughts. I shrugged.

The instructor tapped on a microphone which was connected to a speaker, "Testing one two three... Alright! It's time for the big moment! The campfire!" Everyone clapped enthusiastically. Some were whispering amongst themselves asking where was Jordan.

"Ahem. It looks like the big star of the campfire hasn't arrived yet... Oh look there he is!" He pointed.

Everyone turned, and there he was, Jordan, holding a guitar in one hand and running towards us, almost tripping once.

"Are you alright?" The instructor asked him as he neared the campfire. Jordan nodded and sat on the only empty spot left. That spot was beside me. I could feel the others, especially the girls, look at me in jealousy. I shrunk back in my log-seat.

Clair pouted, "No fair. Why di-"

"Okay, okay we can take turns." I calmed her down. It would be good, having to sit beside Jordan is nerve-wrecking, especially with all those jealous looks. She mouthed, "twenty minutes", tapping on her watch and she turned back to the instructor. Diana and Jake were looking in my direction, giggling again.

The instructor didn't seem to notice what was going on amongst the audience and continued, "We will now start the campfire!" More clapping.

The few instructors who were setting up just now lit a stick on fire and placed it on a stack of wood. The fire spread to the stack and grew bigger and crackled. Jordan sighed, and started tuning the guitar.

I asked, "Is that your surprise?"

Jordan nodded, "Yeah," He then struck a cord and placed the guitar down. "It's not just playing the guitar though."

"Are you going to sing?"

"Bingo!"

"What song?"

"That, you will have to guess."

There were some games, singing of some songs and other things. The further into the campfire, the more active we got. Every twenty minutes I would switch seats with Clair so that she could talk to Jordan too, both of us were happy with the arrangement.

There was a song we sang called "Wake Me Up". An instructor connected her iPod to the speaker and blasted the music. I was sitting beside Jordan and could hear him sing. It was quite soft, but still nice and audible.

"Feeling my way through the darkness,
Guided by a beating heart." he sang. I heard him sang this once, during a charity lifestream. But this time, it sounded sadder.

Soon, it got to the chorus. I always had this fear other people hearing me sing, but this time I managed to sing the chorus out.

"So wake me up when it's all over,
When I'm wiser and I'm older.
All this time I was finding myself
And I didn't know I was lost."

When the song was done, Jordan told me, "Nice singing."

A bag full of marshmallows was being passed down the row. I took the bag from Clair and took a few marshmallows.

"Thanks," I said, giving the bag to Jordan. "I don't sing often."

"Well you should." he took a marshmallow and passed the bag to a girl in front of him, who thanked him sweetly. He ate the marshmallow in one bite. I ate mine in small bites, savoring it.

"Fwitch pwases. It's bheen thewenty mhinutes." Clair said through the sticky marshmallow in her mouth. Fwitch pwases? Oh, it's Switch places. I nodded and switched places, satisfying her.

After a few more times of switching around it was near the end of the camp fire.

"We still have one last thing to go, the finale! Let's put our hands together for... Jordan!" This time the applause was louder than usual. Someone whistled as he stood up and grabbed the guitar.

"Good luck." I said. He nodded and went to the center. There was a chair placed there. He sat on it and placed the guitar on his lap.

"So urm, ahem," he coughed. Everyone quietened down and the speakers stopped playing background music. This was the first time it was so quiet.

He paused for a few moments, "I'm going to perform 'You're Beautiful'." I could see some girls already swooning, including Clair. Another priceless moment. An instructor offered him the microphone but he refused it.

I secretly and quickly took out my camera and turned it on. Clair noticed what I was doing and her eyes widened just a little, but she said nothing. I ignored it and managed to turn it to voice recording mode just in time for me to start recording the first few strums of the guitar.

"My life is brilliant." he started singing, putting a lot of emotion in it. It was beautiful.

"My life is brilliant.
My love is pure.
I saw an angel.
Of that I'm sure."

For the whole song everyone put their hands up and waved along. It felt so wonderful, it almost brought a few tears to my eyes.

"But it's time to face the truth,
I will never be with you." He struck the last chord and there was a huge round of applause. Actually, a standing ovation to be more exact. I stopped the recording and put the camera back into my bag.

"That was wonderful! Nice singing." I told him as he got back to his seat with the guitar.

"Thanks," he grinned, repeating what I had said earlier, "I don't sing often." Oh Jordan.

"Well you should." I grinned back.

At the end of the campfire, the instructors poured a bucket a water on the fire, now small. The fire extinguished with a whoosh.

"That was the best campfire," Jordan said, "The best one in my life."

AN: AHAHAHAHA THERE GOES ALL YOUR FEELS

ALL OF THEM