affinity

38. late night thoughts

Stella's P.O.V

"LIGHTS OUT EVERYONE!!!!" Mr. Pento's voice booms over the megaphone as everyone starts to head back into their respected tents.

I groan as I open up my tent. It's such a struggle to get this thing up without constantly failing. I wish there was a more easier way to do it. Or better yet, get to have a bed in the infirmary cabin. After a few minutes,Stuart comes over to his tent and smiles at me.

Him smiling? At me? Is he okay?

"Hey."

"Why are you smiling?"

It comes out as more of a demand than a question.

"What? I can't smile or something?" He says, taken back by my statement.

"No but like...you never smiled when you look at me. It depends on what we're doing but are you okay or something?" I ask, giving him a weird look.

This wasn't one of his fake, teasing, menacing smiles. This wasn't the same smile he gave me whenever I annoyed the heck out of him. This smile was different. 

It was radiant on his face.

"Yeah. I just smiled. I don't know why you're making it a big deal." He says dryly as he starts to put some things in his tent. I watch the muscles in his back tighten as he grabs something from the ground and throws it inside his tent.

"Whatever."

"You didn't do anything to yourself right?" He asks suddenly as he looks at me with an almost, worried look.

"What do you mean?" I ask as I tilt my head to the side. He stops what he's doing to look carefully at me, his bottom lip hidden under his top lip.

"You didn't hurt yourself right?"

I shake my head and I see a relieved look on his face. "No. I was with Jordan."

"Oh you were?" He seems awfully surprised. "Uhh... Is he okay?"

"Yeah. He can go to the museum with us tomorrow. I'm so glad." I smile as I remember my day with him. He's such a sweet guy that it makes my heart flutter.

I can't help but smile at the staring contest we had. He's such a cheater.

"Wait what? Really?"

"Yes! He just needs to walk on crutches right now and his head is getting better. That's what Lori said. I'm so happy."

"Yeah. I haven't seen you like that for a while." He says almost in a whisper.

"You didn't do anything stupid while I was gone right?" I question as he gives me a confused look.

"What do you mean?"

"You didn't like say random things to Eric did you? He looked pretty pissed to me." 

"When did you see him?"

"At dinner. I wasn't sitting with him but he just looked mad. He didn't bother talking to me and I didn't either. I went to the creek and ate by myself."

He's changed so much. I wonder what would have happened if he didn't move. He's getting so caught up in other things except for his friends. But why should I talk to him when he's broken everything? Our friendship is crushed. It feels like someone shot me.

At least Jordan's there to fix me up.

"Where was Jennie?" He asks.

"Jennie says that she was going to go the cabins. She didn't feel like eating. I feel like something is wrong."