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I didn’t have a problem with that. After all the hiking and excitement, I couldn’t wait until it was time to sleep.
It was Carla who taught us how to start off a bracelet. She didn’t make one herself but spent her time checking knots in strings, going over the hundreds of charm options and finding colors for people.
I stood a little, with a knee in my seat, bending over the supplies, looking for different colors. I was thinking of making a bracelet one of the guys when I felt my hair clip loosen and get plucked away.
I whipped around, at first getting hair in my face, but already grinning. “Hey,” I said.
Gabriel stood behind our seat in jeans and a neon orange sweater. He leaned forward to snap the clip at my face like teeth. “Worst camping buddy, ever,” he said, pinching the clip so it would ‘talk’ along with his words. He was frowning but his crystal eyes were lit up.
“Meanie,” I said. I tried to make a glare, but a smile spread across my lips at the sight of him. I missed him, too.
“Where have you been, Trouble?” He looked down at my clothes and then up to my face. “What the shit fuck...shoot…fudge...” He glanced over his shoulder and then at the girls. Then he leaned in to talk to me quietly. “God damn my mouth. But what happened to your clothes?”
“There was a cave,” I said, looking him over. There were a few paint drops on his rolled-up sleeves, making me wonder where he’d been. He didn’t have his hat on now, so the blond was hanging around his temples and the russet was brushed back.
Relief washed over me once again. The boys were here. I’d be fine.
“Aw fuck,” he said. “We told you about her and caves.”
I nodded. “You following me?”
“I’ve been here all morning,” he said and pointed across the way to where there was a group of people sitting at easels set up outside the picnic area. An elderly woman was directing a painting class. “I had the morning shift. But I’m off duty now.” He nudged me in the elbow. “Scoot your ass down. I’m tired of painting. I want to do something else.”
I scooted, sitting closer to Lake than I was comfortable with, but Carla moved down, allowing Lake to make room.
“Prin—Sang,” Victor’s voice called, but I didn’t see him until he was walking up behind the girls in front of us and waved to me. He had on a gray sweater and jeans, his hair a little messy. His fire eyes were curious, and his smile was small, fox-like. His cheeks flushed as if he’d been exerting himself. I had a feeling he had taken over for Luke and Nathan since we’d returned.
I was so happy to see him, too. I smiled and shared a look with him, wishing I could hug them both, but keeping my distance.
I quickly touched my finger to my lips, making sure he saw.
He quickly did the same and then dropped his hands. “Having fun?”
“Who are you?” one of the girls asked, turning to look up at him where he stood behind her.
One of the girls who had been in the pit with me leaned in to whisper to her but we all heard. “He’s not here,” she said. “Don’t tell anyone.”
I had a feeling despite saying not to tell the other girls, that all the girls knew about Nathan and Luke following us and how they had pulled us out of the pit.
Victor’s eyebrows went up and the fire ignited as he shot me silent questions. I giggled, unsure how to explain.
“I don’t think it matters right now,” Lake said.
The girls looked to me for confirmation and I shrugged. “It’s camp,” I said. “We’re supposed to meet new people and get to know others, right?”
“May I join you all?” Victor asked. He moved to the end close where I was sitting, across the table. The girls made room for him so he could sit across from Gabriel.
Once we were settled, Gabriel reached for a bucket of beads. “Aw yeah,” he said. “Bracelet-making. This is great.”
“You want an orange one?” I asked. “I’ll make you one.”
“I was going to make you one,” Gabriel said. He scanned through beads. “Pink and...something. Some color...”
“I’ll make her one,” Victor said.
I realized then that if I made one for Gabriel, I’d probably have to make one for everyone. “Gabriel,” I said. “We have to make nine.”
“I was thinking the same thing,” he said. He snapped his fingers and pointed to Victor. “I’ll make yours and Sang’s. You should make mine and Kota’s. Sang, you make...”
“I want to make Sang’s,” Victor said. “And I can make one for me.”
“Don’t make your own. Defeats the purpose.”
“There’s a purpose?”
The girls giggled. Their eyes were wide, watching the boys. Lake squinted a look at the guys but then continued with her bracelet-making.
Carla waved to the girls to get their attention. “Come on,” she said. “Make your bracelets. Ignore the boys.”
I wasn’t sure why she would say that. I knew the guys already, but it wasn’t supposed to be ‘us versus them.' Socializing was supposed to happen. They were supposed to get to know other team members and perhaps find their own team somewhere.
Gabriel waved a hand toward the girls over his head while he was focused on looking at a box of charms. “Yeah, yeah, pretend we’re not here.”
“Besides,” Carla said. “We have to sort out where everyone’s sleeping.”
I remembered April and Taylor and Emma their tent. It was big like my group’s tent, but they had plenty of room to spare since it was only the three of them. “Actually, I might have a solution. Gabriel, do you know where Taylor is? Or April or Emma?”
“Those girls? Uh...” His head shot up, and locks of blond hair fell in his face as he looked around. “I thought I saw one of them here earlier.”
Victor stood up, scanning the area. “I think I see one. Want me to grab her?”
“Yeah,” I said. “Bring her over so we can ask if we can fill in some girls in their tent.”
“Sure,” he said and started off, winding his way around tables and disappearing among the group.
If nine could easily fit into the boys’ tent, then there should be plenty of room for the other girls. That way, I could still spend the night with Kota in the spare tent.
“And then maybe we girls should make a bracelet together. Make ones for each other
,” Carla said. She looked at Gabriel. “If that’s how it works?”
Gabriel shrugged, picking out beads from a bucket. “It’s always better if you do things for other people.”
“I’ll make one for Sang!” one of the girls called out.
“I’ve got Lake’s,” another one said.
This started a chain until they had picked out who would make for who. I had Carla.
She spoke to Gabriel. “You boys can make your own for each other.”
I bit my lip, glancing at Gabriel. Carla didn’t seem to like Gabriel being there.
When Carla was busy directing the girls, Gabriel leaned into me. “Is she grumpy?”
I leaned into him to whisper. “No idea,” I said. I thought someone needed to talk to her, but I wasn’t sure I was the one to do it. Carla was older than me, probably eighteen from what I could guess, and had known of the Academy longer than I’d known about it.
But hadn’t she said it took two years for her to get invited? Maybe she didn’t know as much as she thought she did. I might be loyal to my team, but I wouldn’t make anyone feel excluded.
I was thinking about this and picking out beads for Carla’s bracelet, still intending to make nice ones for Gabriel and Victor, when Victor returned, trailed by Emma. She was wearing all black and with her dark hair, her blue eyes were very striking.
She was followed by Taylor.
“Hey, girl!” Taylor waved to me. Emma waved, too and to Gabriel as well. “Do I see a new girl group here? This is so cool. I almost wish it was my first year.”
“First year was a lot of fun,” Emma said. “But it’s still fun.”
Carla stood, wiping her hands on her sweater. “It’s great, but some of us were brought in and weren’t told it was camping. We don’t have supplies but Sang said you might have room?”
Both of the girls nodded enthusiastically. “Sure! You can camp out with us,” Taylor said. “We might need to ask around for more sleeping bags.”
“We’ve got some,” Victor said. “And extra air mattresses.”
“I guess that’ll be okay.” Carla seemed to be unsure as she looked toward Taylor. “Do you have room for everyone?”
