Reality

Chapter 18

"NO!!!" Melanie shrieks. She's right beneath Ethan and I, her mouth wide open in shock.

Ethan backs away, sighing.

I release my breath slowly. "What's wrong Mel?"

"Ethan is a boy!" She says.

Ethan runs his hands through his hair. "She knows, Mel."

I laugh lightly and nod.

"So that's nasty! They have cooties!" She says, wrinkling her nose.

Lily put her arm around Mel's shoulder. "Give it a few years, and the world will change."

Melanie shakes her head reluctantly and continues to play her game with Lily.

Ethan turns to me awkwardly.

"Uh.... Your turn?" I ask.

He takes the ball and we finish the game in silence.
***
"And you have your jacket?"

I roll my eyes.

"Yes mom," I say. I don't have my jacket yet, but I needed some space.

It's 5am and I'm a little frustrated because I hate packing.

"If you get lost, just call me, and-"

"Mom," I begin. "I'm not going alone, and I probably won't get any signal in the forest anyway."

My mom nods. "When does Carly get here?"

"In a few minutes, so I gotta hurry, and actually, Ethan is coming."

My mom's face morphs into worry. "Cathy, you have to promise you will...Behave."

Oh.

"Mom I really have to go now," I say, tying to avoid that conversation.

She nods and helps me out the door to my room. This is a three day field trip, so my backpack is a little heavy. I kiss Lily's sleeping face goodbye, and walk outside, where Ethan was already waiting for me.

I open the car door and set my bag down, then I walk to the trunk and drop my tent.

I walk back to the passenger seat and sit down.

It's been a really awkward week, ever since that almost kiss thing during basketball.

"Hey," he says, smiling.

"Hi," I respond, buckling my seatbelt.

That's about how long our conversation was the entire ride to school.

We sign in at the main office, then Ethan helps me load the stuff onto the bus.

"Cathy!!!" Liz runs over to me, suffocating me with a hug.

"Liz," I choke. "Can't breathe."

"Oh, of course, sorry," she laughs through her gum.

"Where's Matt?" I ask, looking around.

"Oh," she pushes her hair back. "He's saving us spots in the back of the bus."

There are 3 buses, and we will be on them for 6 hours on the ride to the camp site.

There are teachers everywhere checking backpacks for weapons or anything dangerous, with clipboards, furiously trying to take attendance.

"Okay, let's go then," Ethan nods towards the second bus, and we climb in.

Matthew, Angel, Leslie, Zack, Carly, Sam, Jace, and Diana are lounging in the back seats of the bus.

Liz sits next to Matthew, and I end up sitting next to Ethan.