Oh How Times Have Changed

XXXI

When I woke up in the morning, the tent was boiling hot. I felt like I was being roasted alive in an oven tucked inside a sauna. I kicked the sleeping bag off of me, pulling off the hoodie I was wearing. I had gone to bed wearing so many layers so now I felt like I had heat stroke. It's unbelievable how sweaty I am. 

I looked over and saw that Oli was still snoring in the corner of the tent, practically half-naked on top of his sleeping bag. He had the right idea; I must have been insane to go to sleep with that many layers. It was pretty nippy last night, though. 

I grabbed my rucksack and crawled out of the tent, slipping on my shoes quickly. The sun was high in the sky, but nobody was awake yet. I checked my phone and raised my eyebrows- it was already 11am. I noticed I had a few texts and made a mental note to check them. 

I headed towards the little camp bathroom block, feeling a bit grim. I hadn't slept fantastically and my neck was a bit sore, but I mostly just felt hot and sticky right now (as gross as that sounds). I felt like I had just woken up from a day nap- my mouth dry and dehydrated. 

I slipped into the male bathrooms, heading over to the sinks. I set my bag down and took a look in the mirror, grimacing at what I saw. Did I always look like the in the morning? I look rough. I pulled out my toothbrush and set to work scrubbing them. I finished up and headed to the shower, braving the icy cold water for the sake of hygiene. 

Maybe this whole camping thing isn't for me. 

I shook the water droplets from my hair, towel drying it to the best of my ability. I slipped on some shorts and a band tee, slipping out of the shower stall. I lazily checked myself in the mirror once again, shrugging at my damp hair. I wandered out the bathroom and towards the vending machine. 

There wasn't much to choose from, but all I wanted was a non-alcoholic beverage anyway (since there was a noticeable lack of them at our campsite). I collected my water, setting off on a stroll around the lake. I spotted a wooden log bench at the lake edge and wandered towards it, getting comfortable.

The air was incredibly humid, but it was tolerable since the lake looked so beautiful. I remembered the texts and pulled out my phone, unlocking it to see what they said. I had one from Daxx, asking if I was okay and one from Conor, telling me to ignore Daxx's obsessive worrying. He had always been overprotective of us; for as long as I could remember he had played the role of 'father'. He was the only one who remembered our dad and Connor had once told me he didn't want us ever feeling like he did- with no father figure growing up. 

The other text was from Jimmy and I felt a frown slip onto my face as I read it. It was mostly a string of incoherent nonsense, but from what I could make out, he wasn't doing great. I could make out something about his parents, liking men and a party. He had been placing all of his emotions on the back burner in order to focus on his exams and do well. Now that he no longer had a distraction to focus on, I guess he was turning to alcohol. 

I tried to ring him, but he didn't pick up. I shrugged- there isn't a lot I can do from out here. I sent a text to Daxx, asking him to check in on his client. I tucked my phone away, getting ready for another day of fun. I was concerned about Jimmy, but I know there's nothing I can do to help him through this (especially when I'm miles and miles away), so there's no point ruining my fun over it. I'll check on him when I get home. 

I spent a while longer watching the lake and finishing my drink before I headed back to camp. By now everyone was awake, although not quite alive. 

"Andy Pandy! I was wondering where you'd disappeared to." Felix greeted me with a smile, giving me a quick hug.  

Saint winced and buried his head in his hands. I chuckled- even Mike winced at Felix's volume. They had drank a hell of a lot last night and were clearly feeling the effects in the form of a hang over. Oli was the only one not effected, laying back in a hammock with his arms folded behind his head. He looked like the definition of chill.