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▋## cruel summer .ᐟ // chapter vii. truth or dare, blair? ♡
JULY 7TH, 1986. DAY THREE OF CAMP. 7:44PM.
"YOU'RE STILL GOING LATER, RIGHT?" Alaska asked Lia as they walked through the middle of the camp towards the cabins.
"Yeah, obviously. Anything to make this day just a little better," Lia replied, kicking at a stone with her slightly-scuffed white Converses. "Will, um, Hyun-soo be going?" she asked, her words coming out a little more hesitant than she would've liked.
"Obviously. He's the person who ties us all together, anyway. I mean, without him, I think I would've stopped talking to you all a long,long time ago. No offence," Alaska elaborated, her voice light. Abruptly, her lips spread into a sly smile. "Wait, why're you asking?"
A small laugh escaped Lia's own lips. "No offence taken."
"You're dodging my question!" Alaska gave her a playful nudge in the arm. "I always thought you two were cute together."
Lia tilted her head, trying her hardest to hide her flustered expression behind an unamused one. "No way. I was just wondering. Can I not wonder anymore? You're probably hoping. . .Chiara or someone is gonna show up."
"What? I do not like Chiara. I mean, I do, she's great, but not like that. ." her words came out in a quick tumble. "Now, fess up. You like Hyun-soo, right?"
"Okay, your time trying to play matchmaker is most definitely up."
"I'm suddenly considering pursuing it as a career."
The sound of soft footsteps against the hard gravel began to grow closer, causing both Alaska and Lia to stop to find the source of the noise. Coco.
She had a beaming smile across her face as she smoothed out her teal and pink coloured striped tank top. "Hi, guys. I was looking all over for you!" she said, her lively eyes flicking between the other two girls. "It's really hot out. I was thinking we should all go swimming?"
Lia dropped her eyes to the ground. "I didn't think you'd want to go swimming after last year," she muttered, regretting the words as soon as they came out of her mouth.
Coco just rolled her eyes somewhat playfully. "Oh, that? That was just a stupid thing that happened, no big deal. I'm over it now," she claimed, offering Lia a smile as if just that was going to suddenly fix the broken pieces of their friendship.
Seemed like it was a big deal at the time, Lia thought to herself, narrowing her eyes at Coco while the memories flooded back to her. She was reminded of how Coco sobbed her way through that night, feeling as if her 'near-death experience' (her own words, not Lia's) had ruined her life. Of course, it wasn't the end of the world - it just gave Coco another reason to resent the people around her.
