Camp Charlie

Chapter 10

"Oh my God! It's from Rohan. It says that he had to leave because his mother was very sick." As Hannah said those the words, the atmosphere of the whole room changed. For the first time in twenty-four hours, all of them felt happy and angry at the same time.

"That idiot! I'm going to kill him the next time I see him. After scaring us all to death, he texts us to tell us that he's gone. Couldn't he leave after informing us?" Liam rambled, but he wanted to hug Rohan first and the killing part could be taken care of later.

"Call him and ask if his mother is alright," said Sarah.

"No network, again."

"At least he is safe. But how did he find his way back home?" questioned Sarah.

"There is a bus facility which connects this place to the city. He must have taken the 5'o clock bus in the morning," answered Alan.

"I'm hungry!" exclaimed Hannah. She hadn't eaten anything since morning and had survived the whole day with a cup of coffee which was made by Maya, who had been the only one in her senses.

"So am I. Even those tasteless cup noodles seem welcoming." For the first time in his life, Ethan found himself agreeing with something that Hannah had said.

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At the break of dawn, Liam woke up. Last night, he had decided that he would leave the next morning to go back to their town and check upon Rohan. Alan had insisted on going with him but he wanted him to stay here and enjoy. After a lot of convincing, he agreed to take Maya with him. Alan asked them to be on the trail so that they would be able to reach the highway where they would take the 5'o clock bus.

Seven of them had come and now, only four remained. Only four days had passed and many were to come.

That day, they went to see the lake. It wasn't very large but a beautiful place to spend the day. Alan and Hannah went to the other side to see the view from there. Ethan and Sarah were left alone. An awkward silence prevailed as both of them tried to make a conversation but failed miserably. After what seemed like an hour, she finally spoke.

"So, the girl you were talking about the other day. Do I know her?

"Maybe."

"Why don't you tell her?"

"She's very special to me but I am scared of ruining our friendship. I want to take my time."

"You should never wait. Who knows if she goes for someone else? Life is something you're never sure of." The pain in her words was obvious. Her heart burned with jealousy for that girl. Not because she had him but because she had his love.

"Really! Then maybe I should tell her right now."

"It's impossible to get a network here. You can tell her when we go back."

"I don't need a phone to talk to her."

"Why? Have you mastered communication by telepathy?"

"No. But because the girl that I like is right in front of me."

When Sarah heard those words, her heart raced a hundred miles an hour. Ethan's hand had found it's way to her's. She was left speechless and looked down towards their intertwined hands. Her cheeks were as red as a tomato.

"Your silence is killing me, Sarah. Say something."

But it seemed as if she had lost her voice. The only thing that she could manage, was a smile.

"Do I take that as a yes?"

She nodded her head in reply. He brought her hand to his mouth and kissed it. Both of them were flooded with emotions and sparks of electricity with each touch. As their lips met, the whole world faded and they could feel their hearts beating in a rhythm. The only thing that they wanted was more of each other.

Hannah, who saw this saga unfold in front of her own eyes, was reminded of the first time she had met Alan. Watching two of her friends, kissing by the lake, as the setting sun illuminated their faces, casting an everlasting glow, she was filled with happiness. She intertwined her hands with her lover who stood by her side, as both of them relived the past moments by watching the two new lovebirds.

*************

Hannah had spared Sarah some time alone with Ethan. But the moment they were apart, she pulled her into a corner to ask about all the details.

"How did this happen? When did it first start? Tell me everything."

But the only answer that Hannah received was a blush.

"Are you blushing? Oh my God! I never thought I'd live to see this day. Finally, you have something spicy to tell and you're going to be the one to do all the talking. So tell me. When did you realise that you had feelings for him?"

"Hannah, please..."

"What? Can I not ask my friend about the details of her first true love? When I met Alan, I told you everything in detail. Even the colour of the shirt he was wearing."

Sarah knew that Hannah wasn't letting go of her easily, so she succumbed to her demands.

"It happened when we were in junior high. He had recently started dating Emily. Whenever I used to see them together, my heart would shatter into a million pieces."

"Ughh... Emily. That bitch. She was on the cheerleading team with me. She made my life as a cheerleader like a hell. She was stuck to Ethan like chewing gum."

"Yeah. I remember that. On Ethan's birthday party, she insulted me in front of everyone because I showed up in jeans."

"Okay, I remember that part. Oh and after that Ethan spilt a drink on her face and broke up with her. I still remember the memes that flooded my Instagram that night."

"Yes. But that's not the only thing. I remember him telling her to stay away from me. He said that he would choose me over her, a thousand times, without a second thought. That day, I acknowledged my feelings for him."

"Awww! That's the cutest thing I've ever heard. Okay. Now tell me, how did he fall for you?"

"How would I know?"

"Hmm... That's true. I'll go and ask him myself."

Before Sarah could stop her, she had already left.

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