Chapter 12
Meanwhile, I walked away from the entire scene. I walked all the way up the campgrounds until I reached a woody area. I needed the moment alone. When I had to go back, everyone would be all over me, asking me what went wrong.
I grabbed a random tree branch and started climbing up the tree. I had reached the middle and most sturdiest part of the tree. I settled myself in between two branches hidden by a tuft of leaves. This was the perfect spot. No one would ever find me here. The leaves rustled against the light breeze. I sighed. I felt even worse now that I'd isolated myself.
You're stupid. Way to go, self. You just PMS'ed the nicest guy in camp.
He was being an ass.
No, you were being an ass. It doesn't have to be so hard.
He kissed me just for the heat of the moment. It doesn't mean anything and now it's going to screw up everything.
I angrily ripped out a leaf and flung it down. When I looked down, I thought I saw someone under the tree. The leaf fell down and landed on Joel's head. He looked up and saw me. Our eyes met for that brief second.
Dammit. He found me.
"Taylor, what the hell are you doing up there?" he shouted.
"I like it up here. Now go away," I yelled back.
"Get down here!"
"Forget it. Just leave."
"Way to be mature."
"Yeah, I'm immature now!"
"That's not what I meant."
"I hate you. I hope you know that," I suddenly said. I didn't mean it, but at this point, I would say anything to make him go away.
"You hate me?" he asked not yelling anymore. I didn't say anything. "Well that's news to me... because I thought you loved me," he replied. I wasn't sure if he was being sarcastic or cocky.
"That's the stupid 'I'm-so-cool' attitude that I fuckin' hate!" I broke off a twig and threw it at him.
"Yes, let's all resort to sticks and stones," he said, dodging the twig. "I'm coming up," he suddenly said and started climbing up the tree.
"No! Stay away!" I snapped. He didn't stop, he just kept climbing up. I grabbed a branch above and started going further up into the tree.
"Taylor! What the fuck are you playing at?"
I grabbed yet another branch and hoisted myself up. I had almost reached the top. I knew that the branches were getting lighter, so I sat on a tough looking branch. Joel was pretty far down. He wasn't as coordinated as I was, partially because he was so tall.
But soon enough, it seemed that he did make his way up to me. He was only one branch below me. My feet were swaying down from where I was sitting and he could easily grab them from where he was.
"Why can't you just leave me alone?" I said in a huff.
"Because I want to talk to you!"
"I don't want to talk!"
He sighed. "You're so stubborn. I didn't even do anything."
I snorted. "Yeah, you're so innocent." He didn't say anything.
"Are you going to come down?" he asked me.
"No."
"Then I'm coming up."
"No!" I hissed, jumping a little with a start. Suddenly, I swayed forward, and to my horror, I fell over. I desperately tried to grab a branch or anything to prevent the fall. But I missed.
I closed my eyes and gave a little shriek, expecting to hit the ground hard. But I didn't. I was sure I had died from the fall. That's why it didn't hurt... because I was dead.
I opened my eyes. What I saw, wasn't heaven... or hell. What I saw was that I was still in the tree because Joel had caught me.
"I told you. You're falling for me," he smirked as he strained to hold me up.
I glared at him. "Let me go," I pushed him and wriggled violently in his arms.
"Stop! You're going to--"
Crash. We both fell over and hit the ground hard.
Joel groaned in pain. “Ow ow ow!”
"Look what you did! All I wanted was some time alone and you had to fuck that up too!" I whined, bruises and scratches decorating my arms.
"Yea I'm fine too, thanks for asking," he muttered icily, "Luckily, my head broke my fall."
"Good. Maybe the fall reduced your big-headedness."
"Yeah?! Well... you're sitting on me."
And I realized that I was comfortably sitting on his back. I quickly got off, pretending to brush off dirt from my clothes.
"Yeah, well I'm leaving," I declared and walked off leaving him lying on the ground.
