The Kids Aren't Alright

Chapter 39: Jasper

Sometimes, I don't understand Giselle.

Strike that. I never understand Giselle!

She complained all the way to her cabin— about the rain, about the cold, about Finn, about Alaska... you name it, she probably complained about it. By the time we reached Eerie, I was exhausted, soaking wet, and more than happy to tell Giselle to just shove it. And then...

She kissed me.

Only on the cheek, and only for a split second. I couldn't tell if it was meant to be a sisterly kiss or something more, because then Giselle smiled and said, "Goodnight, Jasper. Thanks for walking me back to my cabin. It really means a lot."

And before I could think of something clever to say— or anything at all— she slipped through the cabin door and was gone.

Now, I'm back at my cabin, stripping off my soaking wet socks and hanging them on my bedposts to dry. The rest of my clothes are laying in a puddle on the floor. I tried squeezing the water out of the fabric, but then it splashed everywhere— there's still a pool near the front door from where I made my first attempt.

I know what you're wondering, and the answer is no. No, I didn't change in front of Levi. I never change my clothes in front of Levi. That would be an absolute nightmare— he'd never stop asking questions about my leg, and then he'd tell the entire camp about it the next day. It's hard to find privacy in our cramped cabin, so I get dressed in the small space between my bed and the wall instead.

Levi definitely thinks it's some weird quirk, and I'm fine with that. My roommate doesn't exactly hold me in the highest regard.

God, he threw such a fit when I returned to the cabin. The door was locked when I got back, so I had to knock to be let back in, but it turns out Levi was already asleep and didn't appreciate being woken up at two in the morning. He also didn't appreciate how I was kicking water all over the place like I'd just gotten back from a dip in the lake, and practically busted a vein when he saw all my muddy footprints on the floorboards. Twenty minutes later, after a fair amount of expletives and vigorous apologizing, he finally calmed down enough to speak with me.

He's back to scrubbing his glasses now, flashing me the occasional judgmental look to clarify that he's still pissed. (I swear, he's even worse than the counselors sometimes.) "I just don't get it," he says, for what might be the millionth time. "Are you trying to get us kitchen duty?"

"Of course not! I've already been on kitchen duty once. It wasn't an experience I want to repeat anytime soon."

"Really? Then why are you trying so hard to get in trouble again?"

I shrug, and he rolls his eyes at me.

"This camp is ruining you, Jasper Sostenuto. You'll be a lost cause by the end of the summer. Seriously, what the hell happened to you? It's like you've been corrupted."

Now it's my turn to roll my eyes. I'm so tired of trying to explain myself to people. It feels like everyone wants something from me— Matt Mernan wants to know why I won't smoke weed, Ronan wants to know why I saw him kissing James, and now Levi wants an explanation that I just can't give him. Sometimes, it feels like the entire human race expects something from me; but it's always something that I can't provide, and I always wind up feeling like the world's biggest loser.

How would I even explain what happened tonight, anyway? It all seems too far-fetched to be true. I can hear it in my head: Well, first I was at some weird late-night birthday celebration, but then it turned into a twisted game of Spin the Bottle and Giselle and I got booted out into the rain together and she kissed me...