Crazy In Love (Crushing Hard Series Book 1)

Dear Diary (Still the same day, just a little later)

11:10 PM

Wow. What a whirlwind of nonsense. So much has happened—some thrilling, but mostly just teeth-grindingly annoying.

We arrived at the camp, and it’s your typical setup: our rooms overlook the river, with mountains nearby for abseiling, and a canteen for lunch and dinner. There’s even a fireplace. All the girls are sharing one room, and the guys have another, keeping in line with the spirit of team building and morale.

I ended up on the top bunk, right under Amy's bed. I insisted she take the bottom bunk, just in case there were any ghosts. I figured if anything spooky happened, it would start with her,  and I would be alerted by her screams which would give me plenty of time to escape.

I stashed a variety of junk food on my bed, determined not to share. We met our instructors—let's call them A and B—because they certainly earned a reputation for making our lives difficult. First, they led us on a perilous mountain trail with no return route to the campsite. The only way back was to zip line off a cliff, plunging into the river below and swimming to shore before returning to camp.

I am dead serious.

Our teachers seemed completely unfazed by the situation, which only added to my distress. I realized just how overwhelmed I was when even the sight of Scott James, strolling shirtless in front of me and stopping to help the ladies, failed to lift my spirits. To put it plainly, my top three fears are:

1. Snakes 
2. Heights 
3. Getting hit by a taxi 

I’ve never been a fan of heights; even in heels, I feel lightheaded. I’m meant to be close to the ground—after all, God made me short for a reason! Cassandra tried to lift my mood by encouraging me to gawk at Scott, but it didn’t quite work.

“Ooooh, check out those abs, Thandi! Don’t you just want to go wild?” Cassandra teased, linking her arm through mine.

I shrugged, noticing Scott’s lips curve downward in disappointment that I wasn’t frothing over him. Just then, Dean brought up the party at Charmaine's house, reminding everyone how I had freaked out at the sight of a snake and refused to go inside.

"... And then we were like,
Scott James is waiting for you,
and she was like, fuck Scott James. Dude, it was the funniest thing ever." Dean laughed with the others.

 Cassandra chatted with the other girls while I lagged behind, focusing on not tumbling to my death. Suddenly, Scott fell into step beside me.

He scanned me from head to toe, and I began to tremble like a leaf in July.

“So, fuck me, huh?” It wasn’t really a question or a statement; it felt more like a command. He said it in a low voice meant only for me, and I blushed deeply, unable to meet his gaze.

He left me trembling as he joined his girlfriend. What an asshole. Of course, Scott was the first to zip line down, looking effortlessly cool. His girlfriend followed right after, and they both swam to shore, making mud pies or whatever while they waited for the rest of us.

I was the first Black girl to go, and I felt tears welling up, begging Mr. Parker not to make me do this. Dean, who had returned for a second jump, edged closer, and I could feel him trying to push me.

“GET THE FUCK AWAY FROM ME!” I screeched, like a cornered animal.

In the end, since I couldn’t bring myself to let go, they had to push me off the cliff. Cheers to the Prefects of 2012!

We didn't even get a chance to rest. After lunch, A and B dragged us deep into another forest, where we had to build a bridge using just four logs to get everyone across a river. It was that or face a deadly fall.

They watched us struggle without offering any help, and I nearly fell and had to use Cameron's hair to steady myself. Once we finished, we walked back to the campsite. Mr. Parker laughed uproariously when I tripped and fell seemingly out of nowhere. When he finally caught his breath, he revealed that he had tied some grass together to trip someone. He told me this while clutching his sides in laughter. Everyone found it hilarious, but I was not amused. And he was supposed to be the adult?

After dinner, I thought I could finally rest. But no, we were dragged to a spot with a towering gate and no fencing around it. We had to build some sort of bridge to get everyone to the other side. I looked at A, thinking, "Is this a military camp? Are we training to be soldiers? We’re just prefects for crying out loud! Our job is to hand out detentions and keep people quiet in assembly. It’s not that serious!"

Then it started to rain, and I thought A might cancel the whole thing, but no—he was just fetching a raincoat for himself. By this point, people were crying, but A wouldn’t budge. Some of us had to be carried across. I was completely over Prefect Camp.

Afterward, we all showered, and I finally felt somewhat human. Already, people were pairing up, including guys who had girlfriends back home. But you know the saying: what happens at Prefect Camp stays at Prefect Camp.

Oh, sorry about that! The guys snuck into our room trying to scare us, and the only one who truly freaked out was Crystal. I just stared, feeling numb. Now, the guys are inviting us to smoke hubbly in their room. Ehh, why not?

Goodnight!

Lotsa Love