Reckless Abandonment Over Summer

Chapter Twelve: Smile is the best asset

Chapter Twelve: Smile is the best asset

I was present. For the first time.

Being here at the camp for a week now, I had experienced so many firsts in my life. I had the least bit idea of thanking my parents and teachers who sent me here. But not yet. I wanted to make sure that they were worth the thank I was going to give.

Gustav was not handling dirt bike this time. It was Mark, the previous counselor handler of paint ball.

"Alright. Everyone. Declan is going to show his new tricks (according to him) and he wants everyone to see it. So spread out in the track, make sure that you won't be hit, and watch Declan gets dirty," he said.

"Isn't he asking you out?" Alberta whispered beside me.

"He is. But I declined," I answered.

"You declined Declan? What? Juno now?" she asked.

"What?" I screeched, making the campers near us darted us with daggers.

"Juno? Juno, the hottie? Juno, the popular? Juno, the—"

"Alright. Alright. I know who he is, but he is not asking me out," I said with an emphasis on 'not'. "Not every guy would ask me out, okay? I'd rather stay low profile than being known for, you know... I don't exactly know the term."

"You sure about that?" It was Ellie who asked now.

My mouth gaped at her direction, unbelievably hearing that they were doubting my words. "Yes, I'm sure," I said.

She only raised her eyebrow, as if she won the 'argument'.

We watched Declan do his 'new trick'. I didn't understand any of what he's doing. All I could say was, he was trying to get himself to the clinic to be excused for the whole day.

When he's done, everyone clapped. Some cheered. I rolled my eyes. He was looking at my direction before he winked.

* * *

"Is it true?" Keith sat beside me when I got to paint ball.

My brows drew into a thin line. "What is?"

"That Juno asked you out?"

"Juno," I said, as if the name was someone I was trying to remember. I had to have a little talk with that guy after all the classes were over. It seemed like he, or someone else, was spreading out false news. "He isn't," was all I said.

* * *

Lunch break was the worst of all. Everyone came to me just to ask if Juno really asked me out.

The moment I set my eyes on that guy, I pulled him out of the cafeteria cabin and shoved him somewhere far from everyone else.

I crossed my arms over my chest. Raising an eyebrow, I asked, "What did you say to everybody?"

The way he looked at me made me think that maybe he wasn't the one who spread out the rumor.

"What are you saying?" he asked, confused.

I smiled irritably. "You're making such alibi. If you just help me out with that 'painting',"—I air-quoted the word painting—"just to... just to spread out some freaking news, it's not worth it, you know. I don't like that kind of approach. If you want to ask me out, ask that to my face. If you're afraid of rejections, then that's not my problem. But I feel so used that you just talked to me for something so selfish as that," I exclaimed.

He was gaping at me. Like a blow fish, his mouth just opened and closed. Unsure of what to say, he only uttered, "What?"

"Ahh!" I screamed at him and stomped my way out.