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“Nope,” Shannon responds. “Lennon had to kiss Jake Barnes.”
“Wait, what?” Tina gasps, and everyone looks at me. I shoot Shannon a dirty look.
“It was one dare, and I didn’t even do it,” I explain. “Not really.”
“It was amazing,” Shannon interjects. “You guys should have seen Madison Hebert’s face.”
Joe stumbling over saves me from having to field any more commentary. “Hey, look who it is!” He slings an arm around Andrew’s wiry shoulders. “Our esteemed editor…my favorite co-worker…” He nods to Julie. “And our star writer!” He grins at me. “Have you always been this hot, Lennon? Or is it just the vodka?”
Tina squeals. “You have vodka? I thought they searched everything?”
Joe smirks and pulls a flask out of his pocket. “All it takes is a little imagination.”
Pretty soon, I’m in the midst of a lot of drunk teenagers. Laughter and jokes fill the night air that’s tinged with the scent of the pine needles carpeting the forest floor. There’s a sense of community, of belonging, that I haven’t felt in a long time. Sometimes, getting lost in a crowd is nice.
I haven’t acted any differently. Nothing about my past or my popularity status has changed. But I came on this trip. I opened myself up a little, and I wonder if both Caleb and Cassie were right about me isolating myself. It’s a depressing thought, since we’re now only a few weeks away from graduation. My high school years are about to end, and I don’t feel like I have much to show for them.
“I’m going to head back to the cabin,” I tell Shannon, who’s sitting on the rock beside me. It’s been a couple of hours, and I’m struggling to keep my eyes open.
“Okay,” she replies. “Do you want me to walk back with you?”
I’m touched by the offer, but shake my head. “No, I’ll be fine. I remember the way.”
“’Kay. See you tomorrow,” Shannon says, turning to face Lee.
I stand up and head back toward the cabins. The glow of the campfire is easy to see from a distance. As I grow closer, the silhouettes surrounding it come into focus. There are fewer than before, but at least ten still. Caleb is one of them.
I have about twenty feet to decide if I’m going to say anything when I pass by.
My impulses regarding Caleb Winters have always been warped. I took comments I wouldn’t have thought twice about from anyone else like a personal attack. And now, I’m stuck with an uncomfortable, heavy lump in my throat that reminds me of this morning.
So, I stop.
“Can I talk to you?” I ask Caleb. My voice is clear. Confident. Impossible to ignore.
At first, he doesn’t say anything. Finally, he turns his head to look at me. “I’m busy,” he answers, then returns to looking at the fire. His voice drips like bored honey.
“Fine, we can talk here. I—”
With lightning-fast reflexes I’m not expecting, Caleb stands and yanks my hand, hauling me away. He obviously isn’t interested in an audience.
We don’t get very far, though.
“Hey! You two. Stop!” I turn to see Mr. Tanner, of all people, chasing after us, clearly on chaperone duty. An ineffective one, if the fifty kids drinking in the woods are any indication.
He comes to a panting stop in front of us. “Well, this is a surprise.” Mr. Tanner looks between us, and then down at our clasped hands.
My cheeks burn, knowing what assumptions he’s probably making right now. “I just need to talk to Caleb for five minutes,” I blurt.
“Is it related to your English project?” Mr. Tanner questions. I almost,almostthink I see a glimmer of a smile in his normally dour expression.
“Tangentially,” I respond. As in, I probably wouldn’t need to talk to Caleb if not for that project.
“Fine. Five minutes,” Mr. Tanner allows.
I’m not expecting his agreement, but I don’t hesitate to take advantage of it. “Thank you!”
“What do you want to talk about?” Caleb asks flatly when we stop about sixty feet later, just on the periphery of the woods.
