Camp // RM

chapter four is short but okay i guess

2018 // Ryan

After a while of waiting for Cassie, I decided to head over to the lodge for orientation. It wouldn't be the sweet, almost romantic reunion I had hoped for, but I knew there were several counselors that were returning were a bit invested in our relationship. So I guess it would be satisfying for them to see it too.

I was slightly unsure she'd be as excited to see me as I was to see her. With how we left things, it was all up in the air. I had forgiven her within mere hours of being away from her. The ache I felt from he possibility that I'd never see her again was too much for me to continue to be angry at her.

As I walked up to the path, I realized I was at the exact spot where I fell on my ass when we were 13. I rubbed my butt, getting weird ghost pains when I remembered how hard I had hit the ground. It's strange how everything at camp was the same, no matter how much things had changed when we left. The path from the lake back up to the lodge was still lined with rocks that past campers had painted. If you walked from the lodge to the lake, you'd see rocks with faded paint and unintelligible words and names turn into shiny new rocks from the year prior.

I search along the sides of the path until I get about fifty feet away from the lodge. I see a neon yellow rock next to a neon blue one. Both rocks have half of a heart on one side, so when you put them next to each other the way they were on the path, they formed a whole one. In big black writing on both rocks are the names "Cassie and Ryan." I smiled, taking out my phone to take a picture.

"RYAN?" I heard a girl's voice screech my name. I looked up and see Lottie and Hazel coming out of the lodge. Hazel's mouth is agape while Lottie's is filled with what looks like a Moon Pie. Lottie ran over to me, wrapping her arms around my neck. I hugged her back, happy to see her- and even happier to see that Tucker and Matt hadn't ruined the surprise.

"Hey, y'all," I said as Hazel hugged me as well.

"What are you doing here?" She asked coolly, while Lottie bounced up and down on the balls of her feet, clapping softly.

"I decided to come back and be a counselor!" I replied.

"But why didn't we see your name on any of the lists?" Lottie asked. I motioned for them to follow me to the side of the building. If Cassie walked out and saw me, the surprise would obviously be ruined.

"My name was there! My middle name. Elias." The two girls beamed at me.

"How did I not realize that?!" Hazel asked, putting her palm on her forehead.

"I never tell people my middle name," I replied. "So I guess you guys also didn't realize that Tucker and Matt's middle names were on there too?" Both girls shake their heads, huge smiles plastered on their faces.

"God, I had such a crush on Matt when I was a camper," Hazel said.

"Maybe you have a shot now," I replied with a laugh.

"I don't think my boyfriend would like that very much," she quipped back. We share a laugh and catch up before we hear Amber calling out.

"Lottie, why don't you go after Matt?" I dared to say to Lottie. Her big blue eyes narrowed, and to my shock and horror, filled with tears. She wiped them quickly on the inside of her collar, then put her hands in the pockets of her shorts.

"Yeah, maybe," she said dejectedly. "I'm gonna head in, I'll see you guys there." She turned to walk away. But instead of going towards the door to the lodge, she turned to the back of the building, where there was a secluded patio. I wanted to run after her to tell her not to let Cassie know I was there, but I figured she was too wrapped up in my unintended insult.

"What happened?" I asked, hoping I sounded concerned and not defensive.

"She's a little heartbroken at the moment," Hazel said, glancing towards Lottie, who was now walking down from the patio in the direction of the lake. "Her fiance kind of left her a week after he proposed to her."

Foot, meet mouth, I thought to myself as Hazel explained the woes of Lottie's breakup. I studied Hazel's face as she spoke- she had the same haircut for as long as he'd known her. It ended right above her shoulders, with straight, blunt bangs that poofed up in the humidity. She had bright green eyes that stood out among the redness she got when the pollen count was too high. She was wearing a very Hazel-esque outfit- a blue wide-strapped tank top with fancy lace down the middle, tucked into dark blue high-waisted jean shorts. She had a white cardigan draped over her shoulders. She looked as if she stepped out of a Country Club Outfitters catalogue. I hoped she was still fun to party with.

"So, yeah, she's in a bad place." She finished, putting her hands on her slender hips and looking down at her incredibly clean Sperry boat shoes. I stood silent for a moment while I tried to think of what to say.

"That sucks," was all I could come up with.

"Still not very articulate, are ya?" Hazel quipped, but smiled as she did so. I felt a blush creep up onto my cheeks. I needed to change the subject fast. I also needed to make sure Hazel didn't tell Cassie I was there.

"So, do me a favor, yeah? Don't tell Cassie I'm here."

"Duh," she replied with a smile.

"Okay, y'all, we're starting!" Amber had appeared from the lodge holding her clipboard. "Come on in!" She called from the door.

I felt my heartbeat quicken as it pounded in my throat. I was finally about to see her.