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24.3. Camp Prom, Part 3

[EJ: I'm not sure how to feel right now. I just feel sort of drained- and the one person that I want to talk to- who'd make everything better- I think I blew it with her. I know she'll be understanding, but I also know that understanding won't stop her from leaving. And I'm not sure what to do if she leaves.]

"How was your night?" Ricky asked, taking off his jacket.

"Confusing," EJ replied.

"Oh?" he asked, now in the process of unbuttoning his cuffs. "What did you do?" he accused.

"Nothing." EJ sighed, "Maybe Avni and I were better off as friends."

"What? No, you weren't."

"Don't get me wrong. I'd prefer to be her boyfriend, always. But it feels like this whole mess could've been so easily avoided."

"What happened?"

"We're falling apart. Or maybe I am. We just don't have that common string anymore, tying us together." When Ricky looked confused, EJ said, "School. Rehearsal. The showmance is over. And reality sucks," he whispered.

"Is she worth it?"

"Absolutely."

"Then what are you doing? Fight for her!"

"I am fighting! Everyone!" He yelled, and then sighed. "I'm sorry," he shook his head.

"Just let her know what she means to you. Helped me with Gina," he said.

"Oh gosh, there you guys are!" came Seb's voice. "I've been looking everywhere for you. How many angles is this place?"

"One?" EJ asked, confused.

"It's about Carlos. He wants to do it," Seb said.

♡♡♡♡♡

"Hey," EJ said.

She turned around, eyebrows raised, but they softened when she saw it was him. "Hi," she smiled. She'd taken out her earrings and her hair was down over her shoulders. "I see you've done the ice-water," she said, her eyes lingering over his torso.

He looked down too, discovered that a couple of his shirt's buttons were undone. He smiled to himself.

"I see Kourtney climbed the wall," he replied.

"Yeah," she smiled. "It was pretty brave of her."

"Yeah," EJ agreed. "Do you- uh- have a moment or do you have plans?" It felt weird to be this hesitant with her, but EJ knew he was treading delicate waters.

"No plans," she said. "Why?"

"C'mon," EJ grinned, pulling her along.

"Where are we going?" she laughed as they raced across camp.

EJ pulled her into a shack. "The storage shack?" she asked, confused.

"No- I'm just picking up- there they are." He pulled out two torches, handing one to Avni.

"C'mon," he said again, gripping her hand and leading into the woods.

She stuck closer and closer to him the deeper they went, and EJ held in a laugh- pretending not to notice it.

They stopped at an all-too- familiar clearing. EJ set down the two torches to illuminate as much of the space as he could. Then he pulled out his phone (how?) - and cued his slow dance mix.

"Georgia, wrap me up in all your- I want you in my arms."

He extended his hand, "Can I have this dance?" he asked, turning on all of his charms.

She laughed, "Yeah."

He wound an arm around her waist, pulling her close as he could, while still giving her space to dance. Her face was mere centimetres from his, their noses almost touching. In the faint light from the torches, he could see the hurt in her eyes, could see that she was just as torn as he was. He knew she was thinking about what would happen tomorrow.

"Don't," he said. "Don't think about that. I just wanna have a moment with you, okay? No distractions."

She nodded, placing her head on his shoulder, swaying to the rhythm.

"I would never fall in love again until I found her. I said, I would never fall unless it's you I fall into."

"Do you remember my camp initiation?" EJ asked her.

She grinned. "Can't stop thinking about it now that I'm back here." She raised her head to look at him, "That was such a mean prank."

"I thought it was pretty cool."

"No, you would. But I'd never been afraid of the dark before that. I couldn't sleep for the whole summer." And then- "Who came up with the name Night Light anyway?"

"Oh, it was Gadget."

"Was it?"

"Maybe it was Crash-"

"EJ!"

"Okay fine, it was me. It was on accident though. Gadget told us how you were sleeping with the night light on- and when you came in, I was like 'here comes night light'- and it stuck."

Avni shook her head at him, "I guess it grew on me later."

He spun her around, and when she came back, he said, "I suppose I did too."

"I suppose you did," she agreed.

"I was lost within the darkness, but then I found her- I found you."

It didn't surprise EJ in the least- how much his affection for Avni had grown in the past few weeks. She'd always been a significant part of his life, always been one of his best friends, but as his girlfriend, she meant so much more. But it didn't surprise him- he'd seen it coming. She had always been the person who EJ could always love more.

"I was here for everyone else's initiation this summer, as CIT," he said. "I had work to do, but it could've waited. I just couldn't have a night in the woods without you." He paused, "And you were here tonight, and I-"

"EJ-"

"I blew it."

"It's fine- I told you this already."

"I know, I just-" He sighed, "I really want us to work out."

She touched his cheek, "I do too. So much."

"At least we'll always have that."

She smiled sadly. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him sweetly, trying to communicate all her emotions, and receiving so many in return.

"But I can't fall in love without you. Please don't fall in love without me."

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A/n

An EJ POV! I love writing these.

Ricky giving EJ relationship advice is just sending me- let's just say the summer's really transformed Ricky :)

The first song is Until I Found You, by Stephen Sanchez. The second (the last line) is I Can't Fall in Love Without You by Zara Larsson- which makes no sense for the scene (it's a breakup song) but I love that one line so it's here, don't think too much into it please.

FINAL CHAPTER UP TOMORROW!