Attention Runner-Up

Chapter 2

Aphrodite and I have a history, no doubt about it. When I saw her again for the first time in nearly five years memories of that history flooded into my head. I was blinded, overwhelmed, all I could think about was the last time we saw each other.

We met when I was only five years old. My parents are notorious for taking off at the drop of a hat and flying to some exotic place just cause. When they had me that sort of had to stop. To find a solution to their new problem they decided that every summer, starting when I was five they would send me off to summer camp just so they could go explore the world with each other.

I hated it at first. I wanted to be with my parents, not at a camp full of strangers. My cabin was full of campers just like me whose rich parents dumped them off to go do grown-up things and not have to deal with their children. That is how I met Aphrodite. She was my bunkmate and in my cabin.

I didn't like her at first because she was very mean when we met. One of those girls who act older than they are and commands the room with her presence. We butted heads badly. We were always fighting and getting into trouble. Then one day the camp counselors had enough and they stuck the two of us in a room and said we couldn't come out until we made nice.

As five-year-olds, it went about as well as anyone expected meaning lots of shouting and crying was involved. But when no adult came to our rescue we realized we were really stuck in the room until who knows when. Something changed between us. We went from hating each other to comforting each other because we were both scared and wanted to get out. Being a five-year-old you think everything is the end of the world until it isn't. We thought we were never going to get out of there. So that is how our friendship started.

We were only in the room for about three hours and they let us out for lunch but I swear to us it felt like forever. We were never the same. After that Aphrodite and I were best friends. We did everything together. By the time summer camp ended and we had to say our goodbyes we both cried and begged not to be forgotten.

Then the next summer we were reunited.

This went on until I was about 11. Then Aphrodite's dad decided to actually move into our area, now we didn't have to wait until the summer to see each other again. We didn't go to the same school, because Aphrodite's dad made her go to a private school. He was the one who convinced my parents to send me to private school.

Every summer at summer camp we would always share a bunk and be in the same cabin.

When I was thirteen, the last summer we had together, although I didn't know it would be our last at the time. We had snuck out of our cabin and sat by the lake late at night. Just looking up at the stars.

"I saw Monty checking you out earlier," I teased Aphrodite.

"He was not." She laughed.

"Was too! He nearly fell off his canoe trying to get a look at you." I playfully nudged her shoulder.

"Well, I didn't notice." She flipped her hair.

I giggled.

"You think Monty's cute?" she asked me.

"I don't know, the other girls do." I shrugged.

"But do you?"

I thought about it, at the time I had no clue I was gay or even grasped the concept of what a lesbian was. I was just barely starting to go through puberty. I was awkwardly taller than my peers. My chest was starting to fill out but not really there yet. I just looked awkward such as every kid does when they start going through puberty.

"Not really," I admitted.

"Me either." She stared at the stars.

"Well, who do you like then?" I smirked.