Gen Four- Chapter Nineteen

It was at times like these where I wished more than ever for proper lighting. Tulip and I were in the middle of our intense foosball game that had my palms hurting and arms aching from the repeated reaching up and down the table. I put in all that effort, and it was the shadows doing me in. I kept losing sight of the ball.

     "Gah, seriously..." I complained as Tulip reset after scoring. I rubbed my eyes and pressed them closed hard for a few seconds trying to force them to adjust.

     "You gotta stop blaming the lack of light, girl. You're getting more of the sunlight coming in from your side. If anyone should be having trouble, it would be me. I'm just better though," Tulip taunted.

     "I really think I'm not seeing as well as I used to," I frowned.

Or the more likely answer, which I knew, was that I remained paranoid. I couldn't get what that jerk who attacked me said. Of how suddenly frightened of me he became. Someone staring at you like you were a monster didn't easily leave one's memory.

     "Are things fuzzy?" Tulip asked.

     "No. Nothing like that's changed, but..."

     "Well, just shout if you randomly go blind. People donate old eyeglasses for those who can't afford them, but besides that there's not much we can do." She smoothly scored another goal. "And if you're simply avoiding your miserable loss, I can help you even less."

I rolled my eyes, which nearly lost me another point as Tulip saw the distraction and restarted the game with unexpected speed. There was little reason for me to pout after that. No way was I winning. My tactic switched to learning what I could of Tulip's technique, and enough improvement came by the time Cinnamon and Ruby bounded up the stairs.

     "Tulip! Tulip!" Cinnamon called, excitement bouncing her hurried steps.
     "What?"
     "Ruby and I have had the most brilliant idea! We want to run it past you and Jess for approval and planning."
     "Shouldn't you ask Leo and Coral then?"
     "Nope! They said it was time they stopped doing that stuff. That you and Jess need the practice."

In the several weeks it'd taken for my bruising to fade, Leo and Coral announced to everyone else their impending departure.

     "Okay? What's this brilliant idea then?"
     Ruby boldly stepped forward. "We want to go camping."
     "...Camping? I fail to see why that idea is causing this commotion. Our lifestyle is already so close to that."
     "Ah, but you see, there's this campsite on the other side of the bridge. It's got cabins you can rent. Cabins with heating and electricity, a separate building with toilets and showers, and another building with a kitchen and small sitting room."
    "Most people camp to step back from the stresses of modern life. You want to go camping to step closer to modern life," I laughed.
     "The place won't be expensive at all if we each chip in. Ruby and I called their office earlier. Most of their days are booked for summer camps, but there's one night open later this week. They said they can hold it as long as tomorrow afternoon. Please can we go?" Cinnamon pleaded.
     "I'll look into it. As long as there's not a lot of paperwork that'll be problematic for us to fill out, I don't see an issue," Tulip said.
     "Yes!"

Cinnamon and Ruby high-fived.

The two wished for me to plan an itinerary with them, but I declined. Too much of the morning I'd spent lounging and goofing off. These weeks I hadn't worked had done a number on my clientele list. It wasn't that they didn't want me to work for them anymore, but with how I'd abruptly become unavailable they'd gone to other people in my absence. With a few more weeks, my schedule should return to normal now that everyone was free to rely on me once more. The extra time did mean my studying went well though. Pieter's house was where I headed. Mr. Clay tended to be home around this point in the day. However, that I found him where I did made me double-take.

     "What's this tree?" I asked. On the east side of the yard, Mr. Clay tended to the branches of this piece of nature that hadn't been here yesterday.
     "Good afternoon, Cinnamon." Pieter's dad greeted me properly every time now, although his voice remained soft. "I just...this kind of tree grows Pieter's favorite kind of apples. Well, if he still likes the same apples he liked when he was younger, anyway. I went to a tree farm last week, and they delivered it and helped me plant it today."
    "That's a wonderful idea. I don't know what kind of apple is Pieter's favorite either, but I've never seen him deny one before─ sweet or tart, soft or crisp."
     "I'm a fan of sweet and crisp," Mr. Clay smiled gently.
     "I like tart and crisp. We should bake some pies later for each," I beamed. "But, for now, I'm going to do some studying, if that's alright."
     "Help yourself like normal. You're always welcome here whenever you need."
     "Thanks, Mr. Clay."

I skipped into the house and up the stairs. Pieter and his dad hadn't made any progress, but that was because Pieter never came home unless I dragged him with me. I'd absorbed his role of checking on Mr. Clay over the years. Perhaps I needed to plan more consistent ways to convince Pieter to come along. He had liked cuddling together that night we slept here last. That sounded like a good tactic to win over a teenage boy.

     "Oh...wait, what?"

My thoughts slowed reality from sinking in. I stepped into the office instantly realizing I could see a lot more of the desk, but it took several slow seconds for me to understand that was because of the brand new computer. The computer wasn't just the latest top-of-the-line model either. It, the monitor, the keyboard, and the mouse were all pink with a brown mouse pad to complete the set.

With a little huff, I spun on my heel and went back down the stairs. I assumed Mr. Clay remained outside. He must have come in quickly after me, and that was how I was able to catch him doing something that made me laugh loud. His mouth opened wide to where my jaw would hurt if I did the same, and he chomped into the apple in his hand as if attempting to devour it in a single bite. It left his cheeks puffed like a chipmunk's. When that laughter of mine caught his attention, his eyes were then as a deer's in headlights.

     "Sorry," I giggled. "I don't meant to mock your eating habits."

Mr. Clay hurriedly shuffled the other direction, furiously crunched on his bite, and swallowed hard. I walked over more amused than ever.

     "I didn't know the tree has apples on it already."
     "It doesn't. This was one I bought from the grocery store."
     "Ah, I see. Well, speaking of things you bought..." I began, folding my arms.
    "The computer? You don't like it?" Mr. Clay's expression instantly dropped to match that of a sad puppy. It squeezed my heart with a hard wrench.
     "No, no. It's a wonderful computer. I...like, like I said though─ you didn't need to buy a new computer for me. I was fine with the one you had, and you do so much for me by letting me come here, eat your food, and even sleep in your bed. I'm not family. I don't have a right to ask for so much."
    "It was for more than just you that I bought it. Pieter telling me to do it was part of that. Then there was the fact that I hadn't used it in years myself. It frustrated me beyond belief when I did finally boot it up two weeks ago. So the new one is also for my benefit," Mr. Clay explained.
     "I guess I have no reason to complain then. Thank you," I accepted quietly.

I twitched when Mr. Clay put his hand on my shoulder. Not from dislike of his touch, mind you, but from the surprise he'd found the courage to be the one reaching out.

     "You have every right to come here, use whatever you want, and ask for what you need. You were the one who said you wished we could be a family of three, right? I think that sounds nice," Mr. Clay comforted, his voice a little louder.

The tickling of a blush rippling up my face squirmed me in embarrassment. I'd said that, and my actions had begun to make changes. Mr. Clay seemed more alive than ever before. If my plan did work, Pieter and I would live here for sure─ I was confident on that. Pieter might someday propose, and someday we could be married. Mr. Clay would be my father-in-law. To have someone to call 'Dad' again, to have that person before me hinting at that future, it worked on wishes and hopes long tossed to the ground. I didn't dislike it.

Anyway, Mr. Clay let me be. He went around prepping a nice sandwich while I booted up the computer. It working lightning fast made me certain I could never go back to that kind of molasses-slow dinosaur of a computer ever again. Unfortunately, my studying and preparation took as much time as it always did.

     "Sex ed. Sex ed."

I mumbled to myself over and over again. The topic couldn't be avoid any longer. While I'd had detailed and thorough classes on it at the Scarlet Dawn office, all that knowledge and the information easily found online didn't come together how I needed. All I could imagine was the others constantly bursting into fits and giggles as soon as the words 'penis' and 'vagina' came out. Seriously, I didn't get it. I must have been missing out on something for why the younger kids found it amusing and why those my age couldn't stop talking about it.

I compiled what I could for a lesson plan. Basically, there was a free packet used for normal classes I downloaded and tweaked to separate into my shorter lessons. It would see me through two weeks. Depending on how mature my class acted after getting out their giggles, I'd try to dive deeper with the topics. The good weather provided me my break when everything printed. My feet followed the path Pieter and I raced so long ago, and I stood on that same spot I claimed for my own. I smirked thinking back to that weird face Pieter made when I turned and smiled. Was that the moment he began to fall for me? When he said the view was beautiful, had it really been me he meant? I'd have to ask him sometime.

     "I wonder if we could buy a house around here eventually," I mumbled my musings to myself. "A house of our own. Imagine that..."

I scarcely could.

Mr. Clay found me a folder to put my lessons in. Unfortunately, he saw those pictures of genitalia and couldn't help but to raise a brow. He obviously already knew of the warehouse, and he didn't appear surprised in the slightest when I dared to explain that I lived there. Of course anyone would figure that out after years of context clues. I revealed the lesson topics forced upon me by my pupils, and he laughed and wished me best of luck. My walk home had me tightly clutching the folder to my chest afraid the wind would catch a paper and toss it away for someone less understanding to find. Reaching the warehouse safely relaxed my nerves. Better yet, Pieter sat at his desk slowly flipping through a book.

     "Hey, Pieterrrr?" I sang, approaching after hiding the folder in my bookshelf.
    "What?" Pieter replied. It came off with an unexpected bite that made me temporarily discard my plan to ask him those questions about that day he first brought me to his house.
     "Sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt your work if you were studying."
     "I was trying to." He closed the book with unnecessary force.
     "Is something the matter?"
     "It's nothing."

I bit my lip to stop myself from repeating the same words I said to him on that day as well.

     "Anything I can do for you? Even if you want me to go away, that's fine. We all need our space."
     "Mmm," Pieter grumbled noncommittally.
    "...Wait." I then noticed how off he looked. Sure enough, a quick test of his burning forehead and faster pulse where he quickly swatted my hands away gave me the answer. "You're sick, and you're hiding it again? Pieter, you have to stop doing this. It could lead to something really bad if─"
     "Lay off, will you?! I don't need you playing 'parent'! I know my own limitations!"

Silence stung the air. I took a step back, uncertain, and Pieter glared daggers into the desk. Then, incredibly slowly, he exhaled the tension in his chest right before I gathered the courage to walk away.

     "Sorry. That was terrible. You're right. It's just that...I went to the library. I took some tests online that measure where teens our age should be with our subjects. I...I failed most of them. While I thought I've been studying hard, I clearly haven't. Everything I'm trying to do is going to fall apart if I don't get myself in order. That's why I've been down here reading even though I feel awful."
     "Pieter, you do work so hard. You've come so far from saying you'll just regret it later, huh? Remember that? If you're worried you're not caught up enough, you and I can study together. Maybe you can help with the lessons. Teaching the material helps me understand it so much better. For now though, get some medicine and rest. You deserve to be healthy."
     "Yeah, thanks," Pieter grinned sheepishly. "I've heard of this camping trip we're supposedly going on too. Don't want to miss that, do I?"
     "Nope!"

Tulip and Jessamine were able to sort renting that cabin for a night no problem. Everyone cheered at the prospect of having a warmer, more comfortable spot to sleep in, electricity and plumbing, a working kitchen, and the freedom to run about. The lone issue presented itself with there not being enough bunks in the cabin for everyone, but Larkspur and Fennel leapt at the chance to sleep in one of the provided tents.

     "Let's roast marshmallows!" Fennel proposed merrily, dashing ahead with Larkspur.
     "You just ate lunch," Jessamine reminded her.

Fennel ignored this. She and Larkspur ran to the pit, inspected it with interest, and resumed running by starting a game of tag.

     "I wonder if they'll be the next pair," Pieter spoke softly to me.
     "Next pair?"
    "To continue on what we have going. There was the original two who started this unique family. Then it was Leo and Coral. It's going to be Jess and Tulip. I know a lot of eyes were looking our way to be next in line, but we've made it clear we're not leaning that direction. Maybe Lark and Fennel will be the future."
   "Perhaps. There's a lot of time between now and then. I worry if Fennel would be a good fit for all that responsibility too."
     "Right," Pieter chuckled. "She needs to learn how to not run blindly into the street still."

Jessamine put up her best denials, but she couldn't win over Fennel's insistence for marshmallows. She tossed some kindling in the pit to get the flames going. Before long, the welcoming scent of burning wood and fizzles and pops drew several of us over.

     "I can remember a little of the last time I went camping. It was with my parents when I was four, I believe. We had the best time. My dad wasn't too happy though when I sped around with the fishing pole he'd helped me catch a fish on. The sight of it wriggling freaked me out, but I didn't realize holding onto the pole meant it would keep chasing me," Cinnamon reminisced.
    "That's hilarious. I went camping a few times with school groups. Never fished though. I doubt I'd like it," Tulip said.
    "Grandpa took me to the river often enough that I got used to the fish. They still wig me out a bit though. We camped a lot, being in such a rural area," I explained.
     "How does this area compare to your home?" Cinnamon asked. I knew what she was getting at.
     "My house is still way more picturesque than here," I grinned.
     "I really want to see it one day!" she huffed determinedly.
     "Perhaps. If not, I'm sure there'll come a chance when we can find another truly beautiful spot like that out of the city."
     "Once we turn eighteen should work. We can have a proper vacation!"
     "Sounds good," I smiled.

I ignored the call of marshmallows by figuring where everyone else rushed off to. Pieter and Ruby were taking the smart route of claiming bunks.

     "I've never understood it. Why do people care so much in having the top bunk?" Ruby challenged Pieter. "The hassle is too much to override whatever novelty comes from sleeping a few extra feet in the air. You have to fuss with a tiny ladder each and every time you want to do one small thing, and you have nowhere to put any of your stuff. The bottom is best."
   "You're looking at it all wrong, my practical friend. You're thinking of the wrong kind of things. I can see everything in the room from this one spot. When I do come down, the room feels much more expansive. Plus, if you need something you just ask someone to get it for you."
     "Don't expect me to be your chore monkey."
     "Hey, Cinnamon? Want to be my bunk partner?" Pieter asked with bright eyes, noticing my arrival.
     "Sorry, hun. I'm on Ruby's side. Bottom bunk is best."

Ruby and I matched smirks as I picked the lower bunk to the left of hers─ the farthest away from Pieter's. He pouted.

Since there wasn't much to unpack or put away, I chose to depart the room for the moment instead of listening to Ruby and Pieter lightheartedly bicker over how Ruby had corrupted me away from him. Pieter dramatically called for my return. I closed the door. So did the other person coming out of the other cabin. Our backs collided, and in the narrow space we bumped into each other again flailing around for the source of the impact.

     "Oh, sor─"
     "My ba─"

We even smacked our apologies together too before laughing.

     "I'm Ginger," the boy introduced, offering his hand.
     "Cinnamon." I shook it.
     "You think they would put an extra foot between the buildings. This probably happens all the time."
     "But it's a memorable way to meet, huh?"
    "Fair enough," Ginger nodded, amused. "I just hope our meeting isn't too memorable. By that, I hope my family doesn't disturb you too much. They tend to get quite wild when, well, out in the wild."
     "There won't be problems then. My group is just as chaotic."
     "You here on an activity group trip?"
     "Nah. We're an odd bunch."

I glanced around to find the two youngest to start the introductions. While I did find them quickly, I paused seeing another with them.

    "Oh, there. That's Sphene, my younger sister. 'Sphene' is the gemstone name of Titanite. Remember that. You'll get big brownie points with her, because she always asks everyone if they know the origin of her name. Most people have no clue," Ginger explained.
     "That's like my boyfriend. His name is Pieter. Everyone is always unsure what it's based off."
     "Is it a foreign variation of Pewter?" Ginger guessed, puzzled.
     "No. It's from pietersite, which is a kind of quartz."
     "Ah, yup. Never heard of that."
    "Anyway, playing tag with her are Larkspur and Fennel." I went around pointing out the others. "Cinnamon and I do share a name. She's called 'Cinny' while I'm the full 'Cinnamon'. Like I said, we're an odd collection of friends, peers, and foster siblings. Tulip and Jessamine over there are in charge if any of them give you any problems. You can complain to them."
    "Got it. Complain to Dad with issues of your own. He's more sensible than mom. She's fine, but he's more liable to notice when we're being bothersome in these environments," Ginger laughed.

Pieter and Ruby walked out of the cabin, still bickering, to force Ginger and I into an even more cramped position. Curious about the new guy, the four of us found better space on the other side of the little pond where Cinnamon rushed over too.

     "Man, I always get people with that. Why'd you have to tell him?" Pieter whined when he tried to show off his unique name as usual.
    "Because she's probably tired of having you force a person to play 20 Questions with every new person you meet?" Cinnamon pointed out.
     "Sphene calls me a scatter-brain. I can conveniently forget if you want me to," Ginger offered merrily.
     "Nah. Thanks, but I'm good. It sounds more like I should have a showdown with your sister."
     "But you just got told the answer," Ruby said.
     "What's better than a competition where you're guaranteed to win?"
     "It'd rock her world, that's for sure. I say go for it. The secret vengeance will be great for me. She wouldn't stop blaring her tween boy pop on the way down. As if the long drive wasn't bad enough."
     "Not a local?" Cinnamon asked.
   "Nah. My granddad's one set of parents lives in this state. Neither are doing too well, so we're staying the summer to spend time with them since we don't know if it'll be our last chance. They live an hour west, but my parents took Sphene and I here for a night for an extra vacation to our vacation. The original drive was about five hours."
     "One set of parents?" Ruby picked out from that.
     "It's a long story. Better told at another time," Ginger dismissed it for the moment.

Which was fine. We were just getting to know one another, and all of us warehouse kids learned quickly not to dig too deeply into other people's stories. They usually wished for us to reciprocate our own. Us being out here together in a vaguely described clump of 'friends, peers, and foster siblings' meant our story was easily tipped in the wrong direction or brought up too many contradictions. So, yeah, better not to press our luck. The conversation got interrupted anyway by two adults coming over.

     "My parents," Ginger explained the obvious.
     "A pleasure to meet you. You're part of the group staying in the other cabin?" Ginger's dad said.
     "Yes. I'm Ruby." Ruby went first, and the three of us took our turns following that.
    "You all live around here?" Ginger's mom wondered. We nodded. "Any restaurant recommendations? We're going to head out tomorrow afternoon, but we want to stop at a nice place for lunch before we do."
    "Red Sails Kitchen!" Ruby instantly piped up. "They have the best local seafood, but they don't go crazy with their prices."
   "No, no. They should go to the Crave Lodge. They have all the classics there, but they also have their 'Adventure' menu full of bizarre sounding but delicious food combinations. The peanut butter burgers are my favorite!" Cinnamon challenged.
     "Seafood sounds good," Ginger contemplated.
     "For me too," his mom nodded.
     "But Sphene won't eat anything from there. We'd be better off going to this Crave Lodge," his dad pointed out.
    "Why do we always have to cave to her refusal to try anything new? Her pickiness shouldn't be the deciding factor every single time," Ginger complained.
     "But I want to try this peanut butter burger. It sounds interesting," his dad grinned.
     "Bah!" Ginger threw his hands in the air.
     "They sound like Leo and Coral trying to figure out where they want to eat," Pieter whispered in my ear.

I simply nodded. Pieter accepted that as a reply, not noticing that my lack of words wasn't from a choice of being subtle. I'd been standing there feeling just fine. Talking to Ginger, a fresh face, was nice. Being here at this campsite helped me feel like our strange family was like any other. However, something for some reason changed within me. Maybe it was Ginger's parents coming over and him interacting with them that set me off. It was a real family right in front of me showing me, no, my family wasn't right.

I volunteered to get ice from the fridge to steal a moment for myself. The fire's presence quickly gathered everyone together and stirred previously quiet appetites. Several deep breaths calmed an aching heart threatening to overflow. Or so I thought. Ginger's dad walked in the corner of my vision to get to the fire pit. Seeing him squeezed my chest with all the ferocity that jerk had constricted my throat. Worse, the emotions building up weren't what I had thought. I saw real families all the time. Babysitting children with loving parents and watching them be together while I returned to an cold, abandoned building was my norm.

Abandoning the ice, I snuck to the side of the building. A toilet stall probably provided better privacy, but there was no way I could make it there without someone noticing the tears madly pooling down my cheeks. My chest burned and hitched as I constantly sucked down air to keep myself from sobbing for the world to hear. A few minutes. I just needed a few minutes to regain control. That's what I told myself. It didn't happen. The tears barely slowed when Cinnamon's voice calling mine came from around the corner. My legs betrayed me, proving weak and floppy in my one chance to shuffle completely to the back of the building. I'd barely moved an inch when Cinnamon's head poked within my line of sight.

     "Cinnamon! What's wrong?" She rushed over, tenderly stroking stray strands of hair from my face. "Are you hurt?"
     "No." My voice croaked as I spoke. "I-I just...I don't know! All of a sudden I feel so...so sad."
     "Sad?" Cinnamon tilted her head. "Hmm. From seeing Ginger and Sphene with their parents?"
    "No. That's what I thought at first, but I see parents and their kids together all in the time. This is...is like I'm mourning."
     "Mourning?"
    "I don't...I don't...." I scoffed. "Ugh! I don't know how to explain it. Something about seeing Ginger's parents makes me feel like someone has died. Or, no, it's like I'm the one who's died. I'm a ghost, and I want to go to them so badly. But I can't."
    "Because you're a ghost attached by longing. It's impossible though because you're on one side of the veil and they're on the other," Cinnamon did her best to understand.
     "I guess. So, yeah, the pain of mourning is the best I can describe."
     "Do you know them somehow?"
     "Not in the slightest! That's why I don't get what's going on."
     "Well, let me run the ice to the others. Then we can stay here until you feel better, kay?"

I nodded again, miserable.

Cinnamon returned with lightning speed. She offered the idea of telling Jessamine or Tulip as I just could not stop the crying even after several more minutes, but I clung onto her arm with an iron grip. Her seeing me like this was humiliating enough. The last thing I wanted to do was give my weird explanation again, cast a somber mood on everyone else's fun, or have to leave myself. Leo and Coral were staying at the warehouse. What would they think when I suddenly showed up?

     "Cinny?"

Pieter came looking when nearly fifteen minutes had passed. I don't know what explanation Cinnamon gave as for why we were staying out of sight, but it clearly hadn't been effective enough. Cinnamon and I had at least shuffled to the back of the building. She was able to step around the corner and stop Pieter from seeing me.

     "What's going on? Jess said Cinnamon needed a moment to herself, but you two have been here for a bit. Is everything alright?"
     "Everything will be fine. Cinnamon's day just hit a somber note, and she needs some time to let the emotions settle. Leave her to me. We'll be back and jumping in the fun soon."
     "But I can help."

Pieter must have tried to take a step forward, for I caught sight of Cinnamon raising her arms to motion him back.

     "Thanks, Pieter, but it's not help she needs. She just needs some quiet time without people fussing over her. I'm sure she didn't even want me here, but I stumbled upon her before she could stop it."
     "I'm not people. I'm her boyfriend!" Pieter grew irate.
    "Then, as her boyfriend, you should know Cinnamon well enough to understand the solution to some of her problems isn't going to be your presence," Cinnamon folded her arms.
     "This is ridiculous! Cinnamon?"

He tried to move forward again, and my friend had to physically press on him this time to prevent his approach.

     "Move," Pieter demanded coldly.
     "Pieter!" I groaned. "Can't you give me a minute, please? Cinny's right. I just want some peace and privacy."

There was silence, but only for a brief moment. Pieter inhaled sharply.

     "Fine! Guess I should have expected this, what with you refusing to bunk underneath me and walking away when I was looking for support!"
    "Wha─?" Cinnamon rebuked. "I was close enough to hear you through the window. You guys were just messing around, Pieter. Don't make that into some petty accusation!"

Pieter was already walking away. He stomped that hard on the ground that he might as well have been walking on metal. Cinnamon gasped in frustration at this behavior, and kicked at a tuft of grass.

     "Ass! What's his problem? He's been fine all day. Heaven forbid your whole life not revolve around him."
     "I'll talk to him later. Maybe there's something else going on we don't know about," I mumbled.

My heavy head rest against my arms, but Cinnamon stuck her hand in my face. She pulled me to my feet and into the trees. The campsite was hardly removed from the rest of Aspen Harbor. Five minutes of walking and we reached a road and houses.

     "I wonder if the camp is haunted."
     "What?" I stared unblinking at my companion.
     "You talked about being a ghost. What if there are actual ghosts lurking around? It could be why you feel that sadness and why Pieter's attitude suddenly changed. Possession makes absolute sense."
     "Does it now?" I couldn't help but to laugh.
     "Yes," Cinnamon affirmed with a goofy grin. "Aren't you feeling better now that we're getting farther away?"
     "That is true," I spoke dramatically, playing along.
     "There we go."

We went until the inclining road flattened into an open space marking the edge of this piece of mountain. My somberness vanished almost entirely when Cinnamon got on the topic of Ginger. Ruby had asked if he had a girlfriend, which he didn't. She and Cinnamon were now going to try and see which one of them they could get him to lean towards before he departed tomorrow. Ruby had much more experience flirting, but Cinnamon had a lot of natural charm. I wished her best of luck.

While a little nervous, the feelings from before didn't assault me once we returned to camp. What did happen, however, was that the route Cinnamon and I took ran us right into Pieter as we came around the cabins. Cinnamon quickly let us be. Unfortunately, Pieter wore an expression of extreme displeasure.

     "Pieter, I'm sorry I made you worry and made you feel like I was pushing you away, but that wasn't what I meant. I really just needed some space. Cinny was right. I didn't want her there either, but she wiggled her way into the situation."
     "So what was the problem?" Pieter asked too tartly for my liking.
    "I don't want to say," I mumbled. I took a deep breath to maintain composure when Pieter's glare narrowed. "It's embarrassing, okay? And rather silly. I'm not telling you for any reason because of you, but simply so I can maintain some dignity."
     "It's just me. You can tell me anything," Pieter pressed.
     "I appreciate that. I do. But...just because I can tell you everything, it doesn't mean I have to or want to tell you everything," I pointed out.
     "You think it's fine we lie to each other then?"
     "That's not what I'm saying at all!" I frowned. "C'mon, Pieter. You know what I mean. Don't spin it like that."
     "I'm merely speaking plainly what you're hiding in your words."
     "Pieter!"
     "What?" he shrugged.
    "What's up with you? You were fine when we got here. You acted perfectly normal up until I went to get the ice. Is this situation really so upsetting that it's having you be this mean?"
     "Well, as my girlfriend, you should know me well enough to understand that," Pieter taunted.
     "Oh go away if you're going to be like this!" I snapped.
     "Sure."

Pieter turned and nonchalantly meandered over to everyone else. Deep, angry breaths escaped my lips as I clutched the hem of my dress to control my shaking hands. Cinnamon had to be right. Pieter better be possessed by a ghost, because he was jumping into hot water otherwise.