summer {n.h.}

seven

"Hey guys! So, we were just playing a game about ourselves-" I start, trying to sound cheerful about the situation.

"That's so boring. Can't we go play?" Ty asks.

I sigh. "Sorry guys, but until Niall gets back, I have to have you all in the same room. So please, just sit down and-" They interrupt me again.

"No," Reed stomps his foot. "I wanna go outside!"

"So do I!"

"I wanna go!"

"No fair! If he goes outside, I am too!" One whines.

The cabin seems to be circling, the boys throwing fits and yelling and-

"HEY!" A slightly familiar voices erupts over the eight year olds. The yelling stops. I feel sanity being restored. In the doorway, stands Zayn, the dark-haired Brit.

"All of you sit down, Now. Do not leave this room and be quiet." He says sternly and gently takes my elbow, leading me onto the porch. "Hey, are you okay? Where's Niall?"

I'm still shaking and could feel the sting behind my eyes, prompting tears to come. It was just too much for one day. I could take on two kids easily, seven was hard, but thirteen was nearly impossible.

"Hey, hey. What's wrong?" Zayn's finger lifts up my chin, our eyes meeting and gives me a hug. "Andy, I know it's hard, with it being your first day here and all, but, you'll get used to it. It gets easier, I promise."

"Thanks, Zayn. Just a bit overwhelmed, that's all." I sniff.

"Seriously, no biggie. Okay, now, where is Niall?" He questions again,

"He said he had something to do and ditched the kids and handed them off to me." I say, wiping my nose with the sleeve of my hoodie. Real attractive Andy.

Zayn rolls his eyes. "Typical Niall. I'll make sure he gets back here in a few minutes-"

"Zayn, it's no problem. I just had to get my wits together, but I'm okay now." I explain, holding up my hands to stop him from telling Niall.

"You sure?" His eyes search my face.

"Positive." I smile and blow a curl out of my face.

"Okay then. I'll see you later?" He asked with a playful smirk on his face.

"Yeah. Sounds good." I wave and head back inside the cabin, watching my newfound friend jog off.

All thirteen of the campers are sitting on the floor in a circle. Their hopeful eyes look up at me. Sophia stands up and walks over to me.

"W-We did-dn't mean to m-make you cry. We're s-sorry." She says, her small glasses balancing on her nose. They all get up and give me a hug, apologizing for their crazy behavior.

"We're sorry." Piper whimpers.

I smile and bend down. "Thank you guys. I'm sure we'll get along fine, I'm just a bit overwhelmed."

"Hey, what's goin' on?" Niall's Irish voice rings through the room. He leans against the dresser, smirking. It was as though he appeared out of thin air.

"Let's go to dinner, guys." I ignore Niall and usher the kids out the door.

"C'mon Andy. I was gone for five minutes. You gotta learn responsibility sooner or later." Niall says and we turn into the cafeteria.

I crouch down to the kids height. "The foods up there, and when you're ready to eat, bring your food back our table. It'll have a big sign that has the number twelve on it, okay?" They all give me thumbs up and run off.

"Andy. Say something." Niall begs.

"Andy!" Zayn calls to me from across the dining hall. He gestures for me to come eat with him.

"Gimme five," I mouth and he nods with a smile.

"Oh, I get it. You and Zayn," Niall says. "I shoulda known." He rolls his eyes as if every girl is friends with Zayn.

I whip around. "You shoulda known what?"

"Nothing, nothing." Niall brushes it off and walks away. He leaves me questioning everything once again.

"Niall, what were you going to say?" I pester and follow him out of the large room. He really did bug me when he did this.

"Man, I missed this." He sighs and sits, putting his flip-flop covered feet in the lake.

"Niall. Tell me what you were going to say." I demand again.

"I shoulda known you would fall for Zayn's player ways." He says quietly. He said it so simply, like something so hurtful and rude wouldn't hurt my feelings.

"What?" I mumble, angry at him once again,

"I didn't come over earlier to chit chat with you two, I came over so you guys wouldn't be partners. Every summer, Zayn has been in a relationship and they've never lasted three days after camp ends. He flirts with every girl in a four-mile radius of him."

I scratched my neck. "I don't think so. He's really sweet." Niall has to be lying, he's one of those guys.

"You're so stupid." Niall stood up and brushed the dirt off his shorts.

"Excuse me? You ditched me and left me with thirteen eight year olds!" I shrieked and pushed him.

"Well, you're a stick in the mud who doesn't know how to have fun!" Niall said and shoved me.

My feet slipped on the mud around the lake. Within seconds, I felt ice water infiltrate every crevice of my body.

"Oh my god. Andy, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to push you that hard that you would fall in the water-" His tone totally changing.

"Don't talk to me." My voice was as cold as the water my body was still in. Mud was covered all over my back, staining my light blue tank top.

"Andy, are you okay?" Zayn rushed over to me, with a towel clutched in his hands.

I gritted my teeth and looked at Niall. "Not really, and thanks for the concern."

Sidney came seconds after, concern marking her care-worn face. "Alexandra, are you okay?"

"Please don't call me that." I grunt, ready to stop all the attention I was getting.

"Sorry, sorry. Let's get you out of the water and into some new clothes." She says.

Zayn gently helped me onto the grass and wrapped a towel around me. I shivered, both from the water and the feeling of Zayn's arms around me. I moved and felt pain up my foot and winced.

"I got a cut on my foot. Anyone got a bandaid?"

"At the lifeguard center, there's some bandaids. I have extra clothes there that you can use. C'mon, I'll carry you there. Everyone go enjoy lunch, I got her." He announced to my cabin and I smiled as he picked me up.

I looked over his shoulder and saw Niall, looking at me sadly. He deserved the embarrassment, he pushed me.

-Mia