Camp Echo Falls (Completed)

Chapter 29

Will keeps his head down so I can't see his face, as I take the seat. Only when I sit down does he tilt his head up in my direction. I feel his defeated eyes on me as I take a bite from my food and look over at Naomi, trying to join in the conversation.

Will sighs and looks away from me, murmuring something to Jax. I tune the group out for the rest of lunch and am thankful that the time goes by quickly. We all finish off our meals and just as I'm finishing the rest of my drink, I realise Leo isn't here.

As soon as I start to think about him, I look up at the door, to see him entering the hall. The second thing that I notice is that he's walking with his arm around a small blonde girl. She twirls a strand of her dyed hair around her finger, as she looks up at him with bright blue eyes.

He doesn't notice that she's staring at him though, as his eyes are looking around the room. Just as I'm about to look away from them his eyes meet mine, turning from his piercing green, to dark and now distant.

My stomach tightens as he whispers something in the blonde girls ear, never breaking eye contact with me. I bite down on the inside of my cheek as she gives a laugh that sounds way too rehearsed and batts her long eyelashes up at him.

They walk over to a table across the hall and she takes a seat. They join a large group of girls and boys our age, pulling him down to sit next to her. The table is placed so that Leo has a clear view of me, directly in between where Will and Eli are siting.

I internally groan as I feel his eyes on me as I try to ignore him. I'm distracted as a boy walks towards out table, his eyes on Naomi who doesn't notice him until he's standing next to the end of the bench.

As he reaches the end of the table I realise who he is, Harry Santiago. Santiago is one of Naomi's hookups from last year, they only got together twice and never dated, but Naomi talked about him for almost the who summer.

However, I'm pretty sure he never texted her after we left camp at the end of last summer for school. He leans down and whispers something in her ear, making her jumps slightly and then laughs, nodding her head at him flashing a flirty smile.

Santiago walks away and she turns back to the table her eyes wide in excitement, everyone now looking at her wanting to know what he said. "He says their group and a few others are hanging out at the benches behind the kitchens, after they finish up here." Her smile now beaming.

"Okay?" Jax says slyly, his black bandana covering his forehead which is raised slightly from confusion. He looks between the rest of us trying to figure out why Naomi has become so excited.

The group sits forward wanting to know what Harry's intentions were, but my eyes wonder back over to the table where Leo sits. He's looking away now, flashing a grin at one of the other girls on the table and I have to bite my lip to stop me from laughing out loud.

Player.

"Well, he said that he wants me to be there, so we can talk." She says clapping her hands together, her smile beaming across her face.

"Are we invited, or is it just you and lover boy over there?" Eli asks, his blonde eyebrows raised.

"He didn't say you couldn't so..." She answers smiling sweetly, tilting her head at Eli and he just sighs and rolls his eyes. "Please." She whines dragging the word out until it gets annoying.

"Fine, we'll go." Eli groans narrowing his eyes, I'm just thankful that he stopped her from talking.

"Okay let's go then." Naomi states, standing up from the table looking over at where Harry is sitting, she catches his eye and smiles. Swishing her pony tail over her shoulder, she walks away from the table and towards the door.

Allison and Eli get up from the table and follow her, Jax following after them. He runs up behind Alison and throws and arm over her shoulder, she jumps not expecting the guesture and throws his arm off. Her just pouts up at her, causing her to laugh and blush a bright pink.

I get up from the table and my eyes go back over to Leo, my stomach drops as I see his lips pressed against the blonde girls. His body turned towards her as she greedily opens her mouth so that he can put his tongue against hers.

A rush of jealousy takes over me and I feel the heat rushing to my cheeks. I turn towards the door, wanting to get away from them, but I stop as I feel a hand on my arm, I spin around to see who it is.

I gasp, the sight of his bruised face shocks me more than I thought it would. His dirty blonde hair falls over his the faint black eye appearing, his jaw littered with blue bruised.

On the bridge of his nose is another bruised and I wonder how it's not broken. He looks up at me with his sorry looking blue eyes, I take a deep breath, stopping me from crying right then and there, or jumping into his arms, or slapping him.

Self control Jade.

"Can we talk." He says warily, his tired voice sounds soothing to my ears and I feel bad for not coming to see if he was alright.

I look back at Leo, his face still getting sucked by the girl. I look back at his familiar blue eyes and they look so sad and tired. Suddenly all the jealousy drains from me, now replaced with guilt.

"Sure." I say and he drops his hand from my arm, he walks beside me as we leave the hall and walk down the wooden steps.

I can't make my eyes meet his, as we walk into the open space, the guilt making me feel sick. All I want is to forget about one certain boy and focus on this one.

I deserve to give him that at least.