j o s i a h *
Our class is on our annual two-week trip. Every year, 9-12 a two-week trip somewhere; it's supposed to be like a 'bonding experience' or something. Every time, you're paired with someone and you're supposed to room with them and spend time together, although it's never guaranteed you'll be paired with someone from your grade/class. This year, we've come up to the mountains and are staying in a log cabin hotel. I've been paired with (a kid from my class, luckily) Corey Reynolds. I know him, although not well; we're not particularly 'best friends' but we're friends, I guess.
We have to be at school early this morning: 4:25; we're not told who we're rooming until the morning that we leave. Before we get onto the buses, we're told who we're rooming with and we sit with them on the bus. Everyone throws their suitcases or bags into a Uhaul truck that follows the buses and once we get there, everyone gets their things.
"Jackson Watson you are rooming with...Michael Warren!" The English teacher, Mrs. Declan, calls into the microphone. Across the gym, I hear people scooting and shuffling to let Jackson and Michael out so they can find their seats on their bus.
"Kiarra Jackson you are rooming with...Rylynn Farr!"
"Gracie Parsons you're rooming with...Hilary Davis!"
I tune out Mrs. Declan's voice until I hear my name.
"Josiah Miller you are rooming with Corey Reynolds!"
I breathe a sigh of relief: I'm rooming with someone from my grade! I stumble off of the bleachers and find Corey standing by the door. He smiles as I approach and we follow Mr. Newman to the bus we're supposed to be on. There are a few groups on the bus already, but Corey and I head for the very back where, surprisingly, both rows are open.
We get to the cabin around 10:30 or 11:00 AM. We all file into the lobby of the cabin and wait to grab our bags and hear our room assignments. I, again, tune out the teacher's voice until my name is called.
"Josiah Miller and Corey Reynolds, second floor, room 12."
Corey and I grab our things and then head for the stairs after grabbing the room key. Corey and I traipse up the stairs to our room.
"Which bed do you want?" I ask Corey once we've gotten inside.
"I don't care," he says. "I'll take this one,"
He puts his stuff on the bed closest to the wall, giving me the bed closest to the window. There are two beds, a little round table in the corner, close to the window, with two chairs, a dresser with some papers on it. There's no TV or computer in here, but I honestly don't watch that much TV. I pull back the curtain in front of the window to find that there's a small balcony. Looking up at the ceiling, I find a ceiling fan. There are lamps on the nightstands, and a floor lamp by the table. Right when you first walk in, to your right, is the bathroom which has a sink, toilet, and a walk-in shower. Corey and I both start unpacking our stuff and putting it in the drawers that are on our side.
For dinner that evening, we go downstairs expecting to get back on the buses and go to a restaurant, but find that we're not leaving the premises until it's time to go back home. The teachers tell us that there is no agenda, or plans, for the next two weeks, just to have fun and get to know one another. After that, we all file into a large room set up with tables and go through a line to get food, kind of like a school lunch thing, but better food.
***
We've been here for three days now, and it's a rainy day. Corey and I decide to stay in our room and play Uno at the round table. We play a few games and then head downstairs to eat lunch. After we've eaten lunch, we go back up to our room.
"What do you want to do now?" I ask him, turning to look at him.
He shrugs. "I don't know... I'm kinda tired of Uno right now,"
"Same... We could play Old Maid? Or Go Fish? Or both?"
"Sure, we can start with Old Maid,"
We play three rounds of Old Maid; I get her twice, and Corey gets her once. Then we move onto Go Fish where we play four rounds, both of us winning two games.
After we've exhausted card playing, I look up at him. "What now?" I ask.
Corey shrugs. "I don't know... we can't really do much else...it's raining outside, and because of that, lot's of people are going to be down in the lobby, so I don't want to go hang out down there... there's no TV in here, although I have my laptop with me..."
"I really don't care what we do, to be honest...whatever you'd like to do."
We stare at each other, neither of us knowing what to do. Eventually, we end up deciding just to go downstairs to the lobby to hang out.
That evening, after dinner--around 8 or so, I'm sitting on my bed, Corey on his. I look up at him, keeping my eyes on him. I've really gotten to know him over these past three days: he loves animals, his parents are divorced, he has three sisters and a brother, he has four dogs, three cats, and a bunny, he loves pasta, he loves to read and his favorites are the Harry Potter books, he thinks Tom Felton is absolutely adorable and completely hates when people say that Harry and Hermione should've ended up together because that would've ruined it, he doesn't know what he wants to go to college for and he absolutely, without a doubt, is terrible at and hates math. He looks up at me and sees me staring at him.
"What?" he asks me, a smile spreading across his cheeks.
I shrug, not knowing what to say and look away momentarily, but seconds later I'm back to staring at him; I just can't help myself. He's so sweet and kind... and adorable. It feels like a pile of bricks drops down onto me. I want to kiss his lips.
"What?" Corey asks me yet again, looking into my eyes.
This time I don't say anything; I don't shrug, instead, I get off of my bed and cross over to his, sitting at an angle to him, but facing him. He looks at me as I draw closer to him and press my lips to his. Immediately, he grabs my face and kisses me back, pulling me on top of him and closer. He scoots backward, leaning against the pillows of his bed. He breaks the kiss, only momentarily, to look into my eyes and smile softly, before he goes back and kisses me softly. I move my hands from his waist to his face, cupping it.
That night, instead of moving back to my own bed, I curl up in Corey's arms, our legs tangled together and our bodies pressed against each other's. I turn to look at him, finding him staring at me. I flash a small smile.
"Good night, Cor," I say softly.
"Good night, Jo," he replies, just as soft, if not softer, and presses his lips to my forehead lightly.
1/12/20
I went and saw 1917 tonight and it was SOOO good!!
