Cabin Nine [[Revised Edition] Under FURTHER Revision]

Thirteen

sixteen years old

I wake up in the morning suspiciously comfortable.

The cabin is completely empty. I mean, not completely. Everyone's stuff is still here. Except Kieran's and Henry's. All of their stuff is gone, their beds cleaned off and luggage missing.

After the counselors interrogated us last night, we were sent back to bed. I couldn't sleep, so Jack sat with me. I guess we fell asleep, because we're tangled together like a piece of string you'd find under the couch.

When I move, Jack starts awake. He just about smacks me in the face before he falls right off the bed.

He pops back up and barely looks at me before he starts in on a rant. I have to listen for a while before my brain actually wakes up and hears what he's saying.

"I mean, I woke up and the three of you were gone. I just assumed it was a midnight raid on the kitchen, so I went outside and I saw them about to push you into the water and I just... I swear to God, I would've killed them if you hadn't been there. I just saw red. I'm going to kill them. I will. I'm gonna figure out where they're from and kill them. Are you okay? I mean, that must've been so traumatizing."

He's right. It was. I think the scariest thing about it is that I actually thought Jack might've killed them. I know he won't. He's just angry right now. But last night, he definitely would've.

"I'm alright," I tell him. He sighs and collapses back onto my bunk. "I think I was just in shock last night."

He takes my hand. "I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"I should've heard you guys leave. I should've handled it better. I don't know. I'm just sorry."

I don't reply. I just scoot a little closer and let him rest his head against my shoulder.

It's silent for a while, so I don't know why we don't hear Dominic until he walks in. Jack and I jump away from each other and it's clear that he notices, but he doesn't say anything about it for a minute. We just stare at each other.

"I... I see you two are awake now," he says awkwardly. "We didn't want to wake you guys up after everything that happened. It's almost lunch. You've just about missed the morning service."

Nobody says anything for an uncomfortable amount of time.

Dominic raises one eyebrow. "Got something to tell me?"

"No," Jack says too quickly.

Dominic laughs. "Guys, it's fine, really. I just need to know if I need to move one of you to a different cabin."

"Don't!" I say. Then I realize it was far too loud and that it was unnecessary because Jack was about to tell Dominic not to, probably more calmly.

They both chuckle. I feel my face burn.

"How'd you know it was me?" Jack asks Dominic.

Dominic shrugs. "Have you met you?"

"Rude."

"We should get to lunch," I interrupt. It'll look worse if we're not there again.

"Alright, let's go," Dominic replies. "How's your lip, Tyler? Gonna be hard to eat with- where are you going?"

I turn right around, past Jack and into the bathroom. I stare at myself in the mirror for at least a solid ten seconds. I look awful. My lip is split on the bottom right side and it's still a little bloody. I have a hazy memory of Jack dabbing at it with a damp cloth.

I don't remember getting hurt. Maybe it happened when they dropped me. Maybe when Jack and I fell. I don't know.

But Jack will be more worried if I tell him that, so I just go back out and act like I know how it happened.

Jack smiles at me and holds his hand out. I take it and help him up. He shifts his eyes from me to Dominic then back to me. A quick forehead kiss to make me blush furiously, and we're off to lunch. Dominic just smiles at us and doesn't mention it.

Everyone stares at us when we get to lunch. We're late and Jack and I look like crap. Dominic completely ignores it. He just sits down with us at our table and explains in a whisper that the whole thing was supposed to be a secret but the entire camp knows anyway. I guess that's why everyone is staring at me like I'm a freak. The girl from last night looks sad. I don't know why. We hold eye contact for an uncomfortably long time before I chicken out and look away.

Dominic says they don't know that any of it's true. They don't know I'm gay. At least, it's not confirmed. But isn't it obvious? Considering the fact that I run around in heels every Wacky Wednesday just to make Jack happy, you'd think they'd catch on. I would do anything for him.

Nobody says anything about what happened, though. They just ask if I'm okay. Some of the counselors won't even look at me. Grace sends Jack a pity smile and never turns toward us again. Hunter keeps glancing over but he doesn't talk to me. I don't know what to do with that. Does it mean that he still cares about me but he doesn't want to be around me because I'm gay? I never thought he was homophobic. I don't know. I don't know anything. Today is too maroon. It needs to be yellow and happy and normal. I can't even keep myself focused.

I somehow make it all the way to free time without losing my mind. I think it's mostly Jack keeping me going. He keeps me upright the whole walk back to the cabin. I think I got about three steps in before I pitched forward and just about broke my lip open again. I don't know why. Maybe it's my subconscious wanting me to touch Jack as much as possible.