Make it Through the Night

CHAPTER 2

CHAPTER 2

"I said don't do anything that could get you killed!" I burst out as soon as Darius finished his story about his late-night escapade to the raptor paddock. "I wasn't planning on it!" he yelled back. We both looked at each other for a moment before I burst out laughing.  "At least it's a really good story, and now we know that Kenji really is just a massive idiot." I smiled as we walked towards the truck.

Roxie informed us that Kenji and Darius were tasked with the unpleasant job of shoveling Dino poo while the rest of us got to go to the genetics lab. I couldn't help but feel sorry for them as we drove away, Darius looked so sad. I knew he was bummed out about not getting to see where the dinosaurs were actually made. 

But my attention was soon turned to Ben who was humming joyfully as he applied an excessive amount of what I assumed was sanitizer from the smell. I looked at Yaz who was looking at him like he was crazy, and then back at him with the same look. He quickly noticed that both of us were staring at him and paused his process.

 "Sanitizer. Who knows what kind of creepy dino goo is at that lab," he said picking up the bottle and applying more. "Got to be ready for anything. The world is a grab bag of gross, and we're all just along for the moist, sticky roller coaster we call life," he explained. I looked at Yaz shaking my head as she picked up the sanitizer and applied some before passing the bottle to me, which I took, and used.

***

The genetics lab was fairly interesting, but I got bored quickly. That was until Dave called us over to watch a baby dino hatch, it almost rolled off the incubator, but Ben managed to catch it. It was the cutest thing I had ever seen, and the way Ben got attached to it was even cuter. I shook my head and turned around to see Dr. Wu dragging Brooklynn out of what looked like his office. He told Roxie and Dave that we needed to leave before he took the dinosaur which Ben had named Bumpy out of Ben's hand. "Okay let's go, we are not wanted here," Dave said giving Dr. Wu a dirty look on the way out.

 Ben turned to look at Bumpy one last time, he almost looked like he was going to cry. I couldn't understand how he could get so emotionally attached to something so quickly, but I still felt bad for him. "Come on Ben," I said putting my hand on his shoulder, he gave me a pitiful look that made my heart skip a beat before we walked out and got back in the truck.

***

When we got back to where Darius and Kenji were, I noticed the two boys were extremely out of breath, "Why are you two so out of breath?" Roxie asked suspiciously. "Just doing the job we were told," Darius replied, but I could tell he was lying. "So how was the field trip," he asked changing the subject. "Well Ben fell in love with a Dinosaur, and Superstar got us booted from the lab," Yaz explained. "That is not what happened," Brooklynn protested. "It's exactly what happened." I replied, "how did poop patrol go?" I asked with a smirk, causing the boys to proceed with an extensive explanation of their day's events. 

***

Later that night we all gathered on the deck and sat around a fire, Darius told us all a story of the original Jurassic Park, I had heard it before, but it was still fun.

As the story continued Ben began clinging to Kenji which I found hilarious, but Brooklynn kept interrupting the story. "Maybe I should just start over," Darius said the second time he was interrupted. "No! In fact, you can just stop," Ben exclaimed. "Dude chill, he's not even telling the story right now. And how is your grip this strong?" Kenji said trying to pull away from him.

"Shouldn't we call Yaz over, I bet she'd love this story," Sammy said interrupting Darius for the third time, this time he just sighed and flopped down on the bench. "Maybe she wants to be by herself." Brooklynn said, "I don't understand?" Sammy said looking confused.

"You know how sometimes some people just want to be left alone," Kenji said side eyeing Ben which made me snicker. "Kenji you're hilarious." Sammy chuckled. "I think she's just shy and doesn't know how to make camp friends." she continued. "Or she just doesn't want to make camp friends," I said, but before Sammy could reply thunder struck startling all of us, and a few seconds later, raindrops began to fall.

"Maybe we should go inside!" Sammy yelled, "Way ahead of you!" Ben yelled back as he darted for the door, and I was right behind him. I might have acted like I wasn't afraid of anything, and that's because I wasn't, except thunderstorms, I was terrified of thunderstorms.

We all walked into the cabin everyone started saying how Darius's story wasn't that good. "I thought it was a good story." I said walking next to Darius, "Thanks Lilly," he said with a smile. I nodded and walked to the rest of the group, we all stood around and talked for a while I listened intently to everyone trying to keep my mind off the storm outside.

Eventually, everyone went and sat down on the couches, and I made my way to my bunk I didn't feel like sitting on the top bunk, so I grabbed my headphones and began blasting music as I sat down on Ben's bunk and tucked my legs under me. I closed my eyes and focused on the music, which mostly covered the sound of the thunder.

A few minutes later I felt a tap on my shoulder. I opened my eyes to see Ben standing in front of me. "Hey, my music is up really loud," I said awkwardly taking off my headphones and standing up, but I flinched as soon as the sound of thunder filled the room. 

"You're afraid of thunder, aren't you?" Ben said with a frown, I looked down and let out a sigh not wanting to answer his question, but another roar of thunder rang out causing me to flinch again, giving Ben his answer. "And here I thought you weren't afraid of anything," he said and sat down and patted the bed. I sat down crisscrossed, and he adjusted himself, so he was sitting across from me. "Here," he stuttered and took the headphones that were around my neck and put them back over my ears.

Bens POV

My hands were shaking as I placed Lilly's headphones back on her head, but when I did a huge smile spread across her face.

I watched her for a moment she looked at me her head swaying to the music. I pulled a book out of my bag and started to read, occasionally looking up to look and make sure Lilly was okay. She looked so pretty, her red hair falling softly around her face, I quickly shook that thought out of my head, even if I did like her, which I don't, she would never like a dork like me.

After a while I realized the thunder and stopped so I reached out and grabbed Lilly's hand to get her attention, her eyes shot open. She looked down to see my hand holding hers, I quickly pulled away, but I felt a blush spreading across my face. "Sorry, I just wanted to tell you the thunder stopped," I said quietly when she pulled off her headphones. "Oh, thanks," she said softly.

We just stared at each other for a bit. "Time for bed!" I heard Kenji yell and then everyone burst through the door and headed for their bunks. "I should head to my own bunk," I said with a smile. "Good night." I said, "Good night, Ben." she replied with a smile.

Eventually, everyone got settled and all the lights were off, I stared at the bottom of Lilly's bunk for a long time, it was so hard for me to sleep here, I hated it. But thinking about Lilly made it easier. Slowly I drifted off, maybe I have a little crush on her I thought before I fell asleep.