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“I rely on… you to….pay attention,” Ben protested between his bouts of laughter.
thirty
Aiden
Itookadeepbreath, trying to calm my racing heart as I caught sight of Jay across the athletic fields.They had obviously just returned from their hike, and the campers were dumping their backpacks in a pile, flopping over on the grass.Jay was talking animatedly with Parker.The jealousy that had been gnawing at me while he was gone threatened to consume me.
“Aiden,” Ben said softly, coming up behind me and placing a reassuring hand on my shoulder.“You need to chill out.They’re only talking.”
I knew he was right, but the irrational part of me still couldn’t help but worry.“It’s just… I’ve missed him so much.”
“I know,” Ben said, his voice firm.“But you and Jay have something special.A little time apart won’t change that.”
“Okay,” I sighed.“Maybe I’ll go say hi?”
“Uh, don’t freak out, but we’re due in the pottery shed ten minutes ago.So you don’t have time.”
“Fuck,” I muttered.“Stupid campers with all their needs and activities.”
“You know, I would have talked to you sooner if I knew you were basically a pouty toddler most of the time,” Ben said, grinning.
I stuck my tongue out at him, which probably proved his point, then frowned.“Wait, what did you think I was like?”
“I don’t know, cool or something.Intimidating.”
“Hey.I’m cool,” I protested.
“Nah, you’re more like an anxious ball of anxiety.”Ben grinned.
“Not always!”I insisted.“Okay, or not usually at camp.At camp, I’m normally chill.”
“So Jay brings this out in you?”
“Uncertainty brings it out in me, I guess,” I said as I opened the door to the pottery hut.Lewis, the pottery teacher, was inside, prepping clay by kneading it like bread dough.
“Life is uncertainty, bro,” Lewis said, shaking his head.Two of the campers nodded wisely.Ben reached for the book in his back pocket.“No books!I heard what happened in the arts and crafts cabin.You will be watching these campers like they’re holding your firstborn by the ankle over a cliff.”
I blinked and glanced at the campers.
“That’s dark, man.It was just some glitter,” Collin said.“Also, Aiden, you’re not cool.”
“Burn!”Ben said, cracking up.
I didn’t see Jay again until we were lining the campers up for dinner, where he broke formation and launched himself at me with a big squeal.
“Oh my god, I missed you!”he said, hugging me tightly.I wanted nothing more than to kiss him, or maybe fuck him, but there was no way to get some privacy, and I figured it was best to keep things PG.So I hugged him back, pressing my face against the crook of his neck and breathing in his shampoo scent.
“Missed you too,” I said, smiling.Why had I been worried he wouldn’t be happy to see me?
“Why do you smell like my shampoo?”he asked.
“Um, no reason.Must have grabbed your shower basket by mistake,” I lied.
“Sounds plausible,” Ben said, pushing past us to get to the food.As we dished up bowls of mac and cheese, Jay stayed close enough to me that we were touching at all times, talking cheerfully to the cook, then one of his campers, then to Ben and Parker.
We made our way to a table, where Jay glowed with excitement as he recounted his adventures from the trip.Listening to him talk with such enthusiasm, I couldn’t help but smile; it was hard to stay jealous when I saw how happy he was.
“…and then Parker caught this huge fish, like seriously, it was massive!”Jay exclaimed, his eyes sparkling with joy.“We cooked it up right there by the river.”
