Perfect Timing: a tratie story

June // Chapter 8

Travis Stoll

"um sure" I say nodding along to my brother's plan, looking out the window where there is definitely not a certain person working in their garden. As Connor says something else, she adjusts her wide-brimmed hat and moves the hair out of her face, "sounds great," I reply

"you're not listening to me at all, are you?" Connor asks, rolling his eyes.

I shift my attention back to the papers laid out in front of us, "of course I am. We were talking about the chewing gum prank thing." I guess, knowing we were talking about that at one point. From the look on his face I can tell I'm wrong.

"um no. I suggested that we take all of the pranks we have planned for the summer and pull them on our own cabin," he stares me down, annoyed and waiting for me to admit I wasn't paying attention.

"And I said sounds great, as in, sounds like a great way to waste our supplies. cause it's such a terrible idea," I cringe at my own response.

"Can you please actually listen for once? It's like you don't even care about this stuff anymore," Connor grumbles.

I shake my head slightly, dismissing him. "Let's just get ready for what we planned tomorrow night," I suggest hopefully, turning the notebook in front of us a few pages forward. We had planned to prank cabin 9, but suddenly I feel like I've never heard a more boring idea in my life. "You know the Hephaestus cabin hardly even acknowledges when we prank them," I think aloud before I look up at Connor's face.

He rolls his eyes "Travis, I swear. If the whole point was the reaction we'd prank the Aphrodite cabin over and over. But if I suggest that you'll say their reaction is annoying. You keep doing this, and it's getting real freaking old."

I tighten my grip on the notebook, surprised, "doing what?"

"Don't act stupid, dude, all you ever want to do anymore is prank Katie. It would be fine if you just admit it, but you keep trying to cover it up like I don't see it." I can see his face start to turn red like mine does when I get mad.

"It's not like that, Connor, I just-"

"Do you think I wouldn't help you out if you wanted something? Or do you just not want to talk to your own brother anymore?" he asks, getting louder

"Oh, come on. You know that's not it. I don't even see why you're so upset, it's not like pulling some extra pranks is hurting anyone," I feel the spiral binding of the notebook stabbing into my palm as I grip it harder. "Seriously, what's your issue?"

"My issue isn't changing the plans. My issue is that you stopped telling me about your life. Is it so hard to imagine that I might miss you?" He exclaims.

I feel a pang if guilt, but I start arguing back before I can stop myself. "If you miss me so much why are you yelling at me? Why wouldn't you just say something?"

"You think I didn't try to? You're always too busy staring at Katie to care about anything I say," I open my mouth to respond, but he cuts me off, "Just forget it, Travis. I'm going to dinner." With that, he stalks out of the cabin and slams the door behind him.

I walk in a loop around my cabin, looking for a way to blow off steam. Finally, I decide I can't take it anymore and I leave, too. I shove my hands in my pockets and start walking. I'm not sure where I'm going, I just know it's the opposite direction of the stupid dining pavilion where I'm supposed to meet my cabin, and that's all that matters. The farther I walk, the guiltier I feel. This is all my fault. I didn't realize I had been brushing him off, I've just been distracted. I get it though, if I thought something was going on with Connor I'd want to know about it. I pull myself up to sit on Zeus's Fist and put my face in my hands, staring at my shoes. I don't remember purposely hiding my emotions from Connor, I guess I just felt stupid talking about them. Then again, I don't even know if I've figured out what they are.

I could've been sitting on that rock for minutes or hours when I'm finally pulled from my thoughts.

"Travis?"

Sorry this is kinda a rushed filler chapter but it is what it is. I'm so bored of staying home. I wish I didn't have writers block. also I want to make friends so feel free to talk to me. And vote and comment please