COUNTRY GIRL - The 7th summer

Chapter 20 - Tom

When Haz came back it was almost dinner time. He had that smug smile on his face and he let me know that Amelia got to "take a taste". Well, thanks for the news man! Especially when my girlfriend is miles away and I still have to wait for a week to see her!

For a moment, when I was sitting under a tree, out of sight from the pond, I considered sexting her like we did once during last school break. But I kept having flashes of Haz and Amelia doing-...what they were probably doing and it felt weird.

I mean i can't sext my girlfriend while thinking about another girl, can I? Not that I was thinking about Amy in that kind of way! Well maybe I was...No I was thinking about those two doing things I wish I could be doing with Elle. Yeah, that's what it was. Periode.

Anyway. Now Haz is back and we are playing our own new version of basketball. We pushed the basket near the trampoline and try to dunk in the most acrobatic ways. I'm winning of course, because I used to practice a lot on trampoline when I was training gymnastic for Billy Elliot and it's almost like riding a bike, you can't really forget it.

-- I was thinking, I start.

-- Oh man...!

-- Maybe we could pull up a little camping in the wild expedition, I continue ignoring him.

-- What is it with you and camping?!

-- It's fun! We get to make fire, eat grilled marshmallows and sleep under the stars!

Haz chuckles but he nods.

-- Yeah it could be fun. And no grownups to tell us not to stay up too late, he smirks.

-- Do you think Amelia would want to come with us?

He glares at me and says a bit harshly:

-- And what is it with you and Kitty?

-- What do you mean? You're the one who wanted us to be friends.

-- Friends yes.

-- What does that's suppose to mean?

-- You're trying really hard to make her like you...

I look at him dazzled.

-- Jeez! Are you jealous, I ask. Because last time I checked you were the one she was jumping at.

He stares back, not saying a word, and then he just takes the ball and go back to scoring. Typical Haz, right? I'm actually surprised we even got this far in the conversation.

-- I'll ask her if she wants to come, he says eventually.

The next afternoon, we gather on the terrasse of the Kerry's house and get ourselves ready for our little trip. Mrs Kerry gave us a map of the area with the hiking trails marked on it and she made us enough snack for us to last for a week.

Amelia joins us holding proudly an old radio talkie walkie thingy than belongs to the guy who drove us back that day we almost slept in the car.

-- This time we won't be troubled with finding signal, she says smugly.

She also have a whole bunch of food from her grand mother and we have to leave some behind because it won't fit in our backpacks!

And jeez, I see how she looks at Haz...and how Haz looks at her...and suddenly I feel like I'm going to play gooseberry for the hole trip! They better not plan on doing each other in the tent, 'cause I'm done sitting outside like an idiot waiting for them to finish their thing!

-- If we don't see you by noon we call off a rescue mission, says Mrs Kerry, half laughing half serious.

-- We won't go far, Haz says, don't worry.

When we are all packed up, we head down to the pond and from there we follow a path until we reach the main trail that is on Mrs Kerry's map. Haz and I are cracking jokes while we walk in the direction of the forest. Amelia is grinning like never as she picks up some flowers to stick in her braided hair.

At some point she starts singing that Birdy song I heard on her phone's playlist the other day. Mostly for herself but without any music to cover her voice, I can hear how lovely it is. I mean it's not perfect, but it's- ...well lovely. She's walking behind us so I can't see her. But I feel like singing too so I join her, which turns out being just humming because I don't really know the lyrics.

It's a nice moment but the magic breaks as soon as I turn around to smile at her. She looks away and I think she blushes a bit as she steps up next to Haz, putting him between us. One step forward, two steps backward...