Camp Hazelbrooke

Chapter 8

I took a shaky deep breath and slowly began to walk over towards Hunter.

"Hey, Hunter," I called out, reaching the rock Hunter, Natalia, and Tyler.

"You alright?"

He looked over his shoulder and quickly stood up, knocking over towels, a water bottle, and Natalia in the process.

"Ah, shit!" he exclaimed, alarmed as he began to pick up the fallen objects.

Then, he realized Natalia was still on the ground so he dropped the few towels he managed to pick up and held out a hand for Natalia to grab.

Now, this might sound mean, but I was laughing my ass off the entire time.

Not "giggling" or anything that I could perhaps pretend was a cough.

No, Spencer doesn't do that.

I was full-blown cackling; clutching my sides with tears coming down my face.

By the time Natalia was standing again I was attempting to present myself in a manner that was somewhat... presentable.

Needless to say, that failed.

"Ar-are you alright?" I eventually choked out.

She simply scoffed and walked away, completely ignoring the confused looks Hunter was shooting her.

He raised his eyebrow at me and I shrugged it off.

"So," he said, walking up to me.

"So," I replied, mimicking him.

He rolled his eyes in a way that was all too cute for my teenage brain to handle.

I coughed lightly and he looked at me.

"Are you alright after, you know, that?"

He shrugged and without elaborating said, "Guess so."

Before I could come up with a reply he was already speaking.

"Spencer, don't worry about me. It was my fault we tipped over and I'm sorry I didn't wait to see if you were alright. Natalia and Tyler were already pulling me out of the lake and were paddling back to shore before I could mention getting you."

"So you just left me all-" I began to say before two muscular arms wrapped around my torso, stunning me to silence.

"I'm glad you're okay, Spencer. I really am," he whispered almost coldly as he hugged me tighter.

I froze.

Hunter's hug became rigid and unwelcome, whereas the one I received merely two minutes ago was became present once again.

I staggered backwards, my mouth gaping.

How did Hunter do that? Make me feel so welcome one minute but say something so cold and full of mockery the next.

I took a few steps back as his gaze met mine.

A knowing smirk appeared on his face.

"I, uh, got to go. See you around," I muttered before turning around and running as fast as I could in the direction I remember seeing Aaron leave in.

-

I found him a few minutes later, sitting beside Gwen in the pavilion, laughing at god knows what.

I ran up to them, breathless.

I was still trying to process what just happened when I finally sat down next to them that I barely was listening to the words they were rapidly saying.

"Spencer? Are you listening to me?" Gwen asked concerned, knitting her eyebrows together.

"Uh, what?" I muttered, embarrassed.

She chuckled half-heartedly. "Spence? Are you alright?"

I brushed her off, suddenly not wanting to talk about what just happened. "Yeah, yeah I'm fine."

"How'd it go with Hunter?" Aaron asked cautiously, almost afraid to hear my answer.

Should I lie? Probably not but since when do I think things through.

"It went fine and actually, it was pretty humorous to be honest."

Gwen raised an eyebrow, or attempted to anyway, while taking a sip of her drink which caused me to laugh and Aaron to relax a little.

"So I walked up behind them and I sort of, uh, startled them and Hunter jumped up to look at me and knocked Natalia headfirst into the sand."

Apparently I'm a funny story teller because instantly Gwen spit out the entire gulp of water she was about to swallow all over Aaron's face.

"Ah, shit sorry!" she exclaimed jumping up; knocking over her drink placed on the table in the process.

The liquid oozed out of the glass onto my lap leaving a stain that looked suspiciously like pee all over the crotch area of my recently acquired jean shorts.

"Gwen!" Aaron shouted, standing up soon after, nearly missing my head as he threw his arms out in an exasperated sigh attempting to make his point clear.

Not that it wasn't already.

"Aaron!" she mimicked as I stood up to stand next to him.

"Gwen," I said as Aaron looked over at me.