The Return to Summer Camp

Chapter Ten: Getting over it

"Oh shit." Was all Jared could say. He glanced at Connor, obviously this wasn't the right time to talk about their big news.

"What happened?" Connor asked, moving towards Evan. Jared sat down next to Evan on the bed, throwing an arm around the sobbing boy.

"Well at first it started with the prank Jared and I pulled and how we could've been thrown out of camp-"

Oh shit, that was Jared's fault, he had pressured Evan into doing that.

"-but then it spiraled into other arguments we've had in the past. The pep assembly argument, the meeting my mom argument, the alien hippo argument, you know."

Jared didn't bother to ask what exactly those arguments were.

"Then before I knew it, it was just over." Evan hung his head in his hands. "Oh god, I've made a mistake."

"Listen, Ev, it'll be okay." Jared tried to reassure, patting the boy on the back.

"No, it's not, this is the worst thing to ever happen to me." Evan said.

"Ah, come on, you've been through a break up before-"

Evan froze.

"-right?" Jared finished, now it was actually a question.

Evan shook his head.

"Zoe was your first girlfriend?" Connor asked, looking at Evan.

Jared could tell Evan's face was growing red, "Yeah."

"Well anyways, it'll get better dude, I promise." Jared told him.

"I don't want it to get better." Evan said miserably.

"Listen, it's dinner time, why don't we all go down to the cafeteria and get some food, maybe you'll feel better." Connor told him.

"Okay." Evan replied sadly.

    Zoe wasn't at dinner. Jared couldn't tell if that was good or bad. Evan sat at the other side of the table, looking dreadful. Jared had at least had the space to have a breakup, he couldn't imagine if him and Connor had broken up at summer camp.

    Jared looked over at Connor, who was telling Evan a story to cheer him up and he felt that warm and fuzzy feeling again, that things were exactly the way they were meant to be.

    Except, you know, for poor Evan, but Jared wasn't focusing on that right now.

    "How's Zoe taking this?" Jared whispered to Alana.

   "Well," Alana hesitated. "Not so good, she refused to come to dinner and has been kept up in her bunk."

    "-And then I told him that it wasn't a cat, but a plastic bag the whole time." Connor finished his wild story.

    Evan laughed, tears still in his eyes. A couple rolled down his cheek.

    Then, Evan had a realization, "Oh god! I was so kept up in everything that was happening I forgot my sunscreen in the canoe!" He turned to Connor. "Will you come with me to get it?"

    "Yeah, of course, dude." Connor agreed, standing up. He turned to Alana and Jared, "We'll catch up with you guys later."

    With that, Evan and Connor trotted away.

    "Well, Evan's single now." Alana nodded.

    "Yep." Jared agreed, eating a large spoonful of mashed potatoes.

     "You know that means you could go after him." Alana said, her eyes sparkling.

    Jared nearly choked on his mashed potatoes, "Okay, first of all, ew." He said, holding up one finger. "Second of all, isn't Evan straight?"

    "Zoe told me he thinks he's bi." Alana admitted.

    "Noted." Jared said. "And third of all, well, Connor and I are back together."

    Alana gasped, "Really? What happened?" She asked, leaning forward on the table.

    "Oh you know, canoe trips just have a way with us." Jared joked, finishing his food.

    "This is so exciting!" Alana squealed. "Oh, Jared! We have to get Zoe and Evan back together!"

    Jared laughed, "A moment ago you were saying I should get a jump on Evan."

    Alana shook her head, "Oh, you and Evan would've just been a fling and you know it."

    Jared grinned, "Yeah, okay." He chuckled.

    Alana and Jared took their trays up and headed out, not walking to any particular place, but walking just to walk.

    "I told you it'd work out." Alana said, lightly punching Jared's arm.

     Jared pretended to be hurt by the punch, grasping his arm and making a fake pain face, "Okay, fine, you got it right." He smiled. "Must be coincidence."

    "No coincidence here." Alana said proudly.

    "Just a little coincidence?" Jared replied.

    "None at all." Alana smiled back at him. "I knew Connor wasn't dating Miguel."

    "What?" Jared scrunched up his face.

    "You were too scared to do anything so I gave you the push you needed, and it worked." Alana said, swinging her arms happily as she walked.

     Before Jared had a chance to react, Zoe appeared out of forest ahead of them. Jared thought she looked just as rough as Evan did.

    "Hey!" Jared said, waving his hand.

    Zoe gave miserable reply, "Hi."

    "Here, I save you some food." Alana said, handing over a box of mashed potatoes and chicken that Jared hadn't previously noticed.

    "How are you feeling?" Jared asked as he and Alana started to walk with Zoe.

    "Not good." Zoe said, sighing. "And a little pissed."

    "Pissed?" Jared questioned. Alana shot him a look.

    "It's just that it was really selfish of Evan to pull that prank, knowing it could affect me and Alana because we will be prime suspects for cabin H."

    "Listen, it's really not Evan's fault-" Jared tried to argue.

    "Evan had a choice in the matter, and he made it." Zoe shrugged, clearly not wanting to talk about this subject anymore.

    So, Jared did what any unreasonable person would do, and bring it up.

    "Really, I made him, it's not his fault and he shouldn't take the blame for my stupid decision." Jared told her. He really didn't want to be the cause of Evan and Zoe's breakup.

    "Jared, it's okay, we didn't just breakup over that one thing, it's a couple things." Zoe sighed. "Don't blame yourself."

    Jared was quiet after that and the three continued walking. That was, until Connor and Evan appeared before them in the path. Zoe look at Evan, anger in her eyes.

    "Jared, I just want you to know that I am sorry for what I'm about to do." Zoe said.

    "Wha-" Before Jared could finish his question, Zoe pulled his by the collar of his shirt and kissed him.