"Time for dinner. Time for dinner." A loud voice announced over an inner network of speakers throughout the room. We all stood up and piled out of the door. A little confused, we managed to make our way to a little room with a lively bustle.
The girls and I assembled ourselves in a line at the buffet table and piled tons of food on our paper plates. Then, we all grabbed a seat at the end of one of the really long tables in the middle of the room. The other boys from our camp filed onto the end.
Somehow, I ended up sitting next to Julie and across from Lucas. She elbowed me and smiled while I glared back.
"So?" Lucas posed the two lettered word as a question, making me quirk an eyebrow at him. "How has it been so far?" He elaborated on his previous question.
"Umm, I guess it has been good so far. Not much has happened." I smiled, Julie leaned over my shoulder to talk.
"She had an amazing pep talk that really got us girls ready for this whole Army thing." Julie beamed at me. I blushed.
I shrugged her and the whole topic away. "Nah, it wasn't anything special." I attempted to shake the topic away, but Lucas was not inclined.
"I disagree with you, actually. I bet your pep talk was amazing. You should really talk to me sometime. I'm a bit nervous and scared with this whole Army thing. You girls aren't the only ones afraid." He smiled, though his eyes seemed a little sad. Maybe compassionate, understanding the pressure of being a leader and having to encourage an entire group of people.
I smirked. "Guys like you can't be afraid of anything. The only thing you all care about it sports." I laughed, remembering guys from my school back home. And Justin. Justin. Were we dating? Was he my boyfriend? I couldn't stop thinking of that moment in the closet. He told me I was beautiful and he kissed me and he wanted me to be his girlfriend and I could just feel the love radiating off of him. And then they dragged me away. And he didn't even say goodbye.
I shook my head to clear my thoughts and noticed Lucas looking at me. "Are you alright?"
"Yeah, I'm fine. Sorry. I was just thinking." I shrugged it off. Or attempted to.
"Do you want to go talk about it?" He gestured to the door and the garden outside. As much as I liked talking to him, I wouldn't know what to say and I didn't want Julie to get the wrong idea. But, he was so easy.
I shook my head. "I'll be fine."
"Are you sure?" He asked, an eyebrow raised at me.
"Well..."
YOU ARE READING
Upside Down Tendrils
General FictionEm has been struggling with her father's death for a long time. Her father always stood up for her. For the town. And now, he is gone. Em has turned into a rebel, but on one cool, autumn day that all changes. She is just an ordinary girl at an...
