Camp It Up!

Chapter 4

"It just pisses me off-"

I interrupt her, "Language."

"It just really makes me mad when people insult something that they have little to no information on it." Poor Penny. She got really worked up about Jamie. I give her a hug, and cradle her head while she cries. When I'm hugging her, she says something that gets muffled in my shirt. "What did you say?"

I let go of her, and she sniffles, wiping her eyes on her long-sleeved Camp Takota shirt.

"What if all YouTubers are like this? What if Hannah Hart is a mean bitch instead of the beautiful person she is on YouTube? What if Tyler Oakley isn't actually sassy?" Hm.... Never heard of any of these people. I pause to think of an answer.

"Well, I'm sure Hannah Hart isn't a bitch. I bet she's amazing and beautiful! Tyler Oakley? I bet he is the King of Sass."

She smiles, and wipes her tears on her shirt. "He's the queen."

"Of course he is. Tyler Oakley is the queen of sass. Feeling better now?"

She laughs and says, "You don't even know who I'm talking about."

"Yep, I don't.... I might check them out later, though."

She laughs and gives me a playful shove, and I glare at her.

It's lunch, and we play the lunch call over the bugle.

We all sat at the same table, except I sat in between Jamie and Penny, while Eli was flirting with Elise, and Maxine was talking to someone on the phone about bills. "Ali... Ali? Are you listening?" Penny makes me snap out of my staring gaze at Elise. She follows my eyes and her expression is confused, until she realizes.

"Oh my god," she whispers softly in my ear. I give her a shut-up glare, which silences her for the moment.

After the slightly awkward dinner, which was delicious, if I do say so myself, Penny walks with me back to my cabin during free period.

"You like Elise."

I can feel my face heat up, and I deny it. "What? No!"

"You're in love with her, aren't you!" She practically yells, and I cover her mouth.

"Penny, keep your voice down!"

She wiggles out of my grasp and asks, "How long?"

Oh well, there's no turning back now. "Ever since we were in the first cabin together here, I've had feelings for her." I give up, that teenager has skills to make someone spill.

"Aw!" She says happily.

"She's getting married, though."

I walk up the steps to my cabin, but Penny steps in front of the door.

"That's it? You're not going to DO anything?" She stands her ground in front of my screen door.

"Well, yeah, there's nothing I can do."

She gives me this look, as if she isn't believing me.

"You can interfere, d'uh. I mean if Jam- a YouTuber I liked was getting married, I would try the best to my ability to win them over." She blushes as she corrects herself. She likes Jamie? She liked Jamie?

"You like J-"

"That's not important or the point I was making. My point is, you have to try."

"This isn't a rom com, Penny. Plus, she's happy, and that's all that matters. If she's happy, then I'll be."

"You tell yourself that. You can prove to her that you're the better man, erm, WOman." She corrects herself.

"I could do that.... No, Penny. She's happy. Get back to your cabin, Penny."

"But-"

"Get back to your cabin."

She sighs in exasperation and then says, "Before I go, I want you to watch this. It's a tape from the talent show from the last year you were here. Elise did two acts, one with you, and one with Eli. Maybe then you'll see who she's really happier with."

She places it on the top step, and then heads back to her cabin, running into the night.

As I slide the disc into my laptop, I try to prepare myself. So, this was 2013. Four years ago. When I turned on the laptop, I felt like I was pulled into the past.....

---------June 28th, 2013---------

"Ali, you okay?" Elise turns to me, her guitar in her hands. My hands are so sweaty, but she grabs one of mine and squeezes it anyways. "You'll be great! We're gonna kick butt!" She whispers in my ear, handing me the guitar. Putting the microphone up to my mouth I say, "Elise and I will be performing a classic song." The crowd of girls start groaning. "We like to call this..... Bubble Butt." I clear my voice, and I start strumming my guitar. A bright white spotlight goes on the two of us sitting on the steps of the stage. She clears her voice and says, "Bubble...... Butt. Oh yeah, bubble.... Butt."

Trying to keep my face serious, I sing, staring at her, and I sing, "Oh, bubbly bubbly, like some soda, butty butty butts like.... Well, butts." I receive a lot of laughter from that. "Thank god for all the bubbly butts in the world, thanks for giving bubble butts to the boys and the girls." By this point, I'm ignoring the song, and gazing into her big brown eyes. She looks so perfect, her hair, her smile....

--------------(present)---------------

Watching the video reminds me of that summer when Elise came back... Definitely one of the most stressful.

Now it's time to watch her and Eli's song. "This is dedicated to my special someone." Elise smiles as she announces it, but she's not looking at Eli the whole time they're singing "Love Story". Eli is looking at someone else in the crowd, and Elise is searching for something. I pause, and the freeze frame is Elise looking confused, and Eli looking the exact opposite way.

Maybe Penny was right.

Maybe they aren't as happy as I thought they were.

Maybe I'm going to stay up all night thinking about this.

The last one wasn't a maybe, it was a definitely.

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So, it's 1:32, and I finished this chapter finally! Yay!

Well, byeeeeeee!

-ninja.