Camp Red Lake

Chapter 20. "Friends"

"Woah!" we all gasped in unison as Ms. Saunders led the way downstairs.

"I didn't know this place had a basement!" Myra exclaimed as we reached the bottom.

"Not many people do. Aside from the warden, myself and you kids, no one's really been down here in a while." She affirmed as she walked over to a portable wardrobe and unzipped it. "Some of these cabins were built during the war, that's why this one has a basement. I guess they built it as a precaution, but now I mainly use it for storage." She said as she rummaged through the closet.

"I have a few old costumes in here, but they require some repairs. This one has a tear on one of the pant legs" She informed as she took out a hot pink jumpsuit.

"I'll take that one! I can make it look like a genie costume!" Allison exclaimed as she held out her hands. Ms. Saunders handed her the costume, then went back to the garments. "I think this would work really well with the fabric I gave you the other day." Ms. Saunders enthused as she handed Myra a white corset. Her face lit up immediately.

"I know exactly what to do with this, thank you Miss!" Myra exclaimed. "And for you..." She muttered as she rummaged through the wardrobe some more. "I think this would look lovely on you." She concluded and handed me a navy ball gown.

"It's beautiful!" Myra gasped as she ran her fingers over the fabric. It was satin, the skirt encrusted with rhinestones. "It has a small tear along the hem of the dress, but it shouldn't be hard to fix. Especially for someone as talented in the art of sewing as Myra."
My friend blushed at the compliment. "This one also comes with a mask." She said before handing it to me.

"For your costume Allison, I think I have some pink fabric that would go nicely with your genie idea." Allison shook her head. "No thank you teacher,
"I'm going to paint my mask on instead!" Ms. Saunders nodded.

"In that case, follow me upstairs and I'll give you some quality face paint." We followed our teacher back to upstairs. Once we were done, she escorted us out of the classroom. "Sorry this was all I could offer; I hope these costumes serve your purposes." Myra nodded. "They're perfect Miss, thank you so much."

Later that afternoon, as Myra and Allison worked on their costumes, I decided to go for a walk. The sky had already darkened. One of the only things I disliked about winter was the shorter days. I used to love the cold, but since arriving here.my preferences unwillingly shifted. No one likes taking cold showers in freezing weather.

I walked through the empty field, my head in the clouds. I was happy that we found costumes, but I was still unsure about going. After awhile I stopped and looked up at the twilight sky. 'I wonder what my mom is doing right now...' I asked myself just before a hand grasped my shoulder.

My heart sank. I screamed and reflexively rammed my elbow backwards; striking my assailant.
"Ow!" A familiar voice hissed in pain.
"Croy!?" My eyes widened when I turned to find him standing behind me, doubled over with his arms wrapped around his torso. "What are you doing here!?" I asked wearily. He narrowed his eyes at me.

"Well I saw you wandering around so I came to see if you wanted some company, but apparently an elbow to the entrails is what I get for being considerate!" He wheezed. I rolled my eyes. "Come on, it didn't hurt that much you big weenie!" I teased before crossing my arms. He placed his hand on his forehead.

"Oh no, I see a light! The world is spinning!" He huffed before swaying on his feet. "Grammy? Is that you?" He exclaimed dramatically, pretending to faint. My eyes widened as he grabbed my arm on the way down and pulled me with him. We rolled down the hill unceremoniously and landed at the bottom with a hard thud.

Croy groaned when I landed on top of him; effectively knocking the wind out of his lungs. "Well that backfired." He huffed before laughing at himself.
"You butt! I'm accident prone remember? I could've broken an arm or something!" I scolded before rolling off him.

"Yeah, but you didn't. So all is well." He said with a smile. I sat up and focused my gaze on the sky, the stars were beginning to peek through the navy backdrop. "The stars are beautiful, aren't they?" I asked, more to myself than anything. Croy didn't answer. After a few seconds, I looked at him.

He was laying comfortably on the grass, his eyes closed and his hands behind his head. After another set of minutes, the first curfew bell rang.
"I guess it's time to go back." I muttered as I glanced back towards the cabin. He didn't answer.

"Croy?" I called again as I studied him. His breathing was soft and rhythmic. 'Did he fall asleep?' I asked myself as I leaned in to get a closer look. My pulse sped up as I studied his features. His skin looked so soft beneath the camp's field lights.

The freckles that adorned his nose and cheeks gave him an air of innocence. 'How is he so perfect?' My mind raced as I leaned in even closer without thinking, my eyes landing on his full lips.
"Why are you so close?" He asked, his eyes opening suddenly.

"Ah! I—I was checking to see if you were awake!" I stammered as I jumped back, my face crimson. He took in a deep breath then sat up.
"Yeah, we should get going." He reaffirmed before tousling his own hair. I was about to stand, but he caught my wrist before I could. "Wait, you've got something in your hair." He informed as he leaned in to get a closer look. Our proximity made my heart beat quicker.

'What's wrong with me?' I scolded myself as he reached out and pulled a twig off my locks.
"There it is." He said with a smile and showed it to me. "Ookie dokey then, let's go." I urged as I tried to get up again.

"What's wrong with you? Why are you acting so nervous?" He asked, still holding onto my wrist. I avoided his gaze. "Nothing's wrong, can we please go now?" I begged, my voice soft. I could feel my heart drumming loudly against my chest plate.

"Not until you tell me what's bothering you." He insisted. "Your face is red..." I swallowed anxiously when he reached out and placed the back of his hand on my forehead. "Hmm. I don't think you have a fever." He muttered as he lowered his hand and touched the back of my neck. Goosebumps prickled my skin at the contact.

"Nope, definitely not a fever. Are you sure you're okay?" He asked, resting his hand on my cheek. I nodded, my body near boiling point.
"Yeah let's just go." I urged, embarrassment coursing through me.

"Okay." Croy agreed but didn't budge. A dazed look had settled in his sapphire eyes as he ran his thumb over my chin. My breathing hitched as he pulled my face towards his. "You promise you're not lying to me?" He asked, his eyes half-lidded.

"I promise..." I managed to utter as I stared at his mouth. 'so close...' Entranced by the moment, we both continued leaning in. A small, shudder escaped my parted lips as his nose nudged mine. His minty breath washed over my face, causing my mouth to water. "You're a terrible liar..." He chuckled softly before closing the distance between us.

(RING!)

The second curfew bell made us both jump back, breaking whatever spell we'd been under. "I'm going back!" I shouted, shuffling to my feet before he could react and bolting towards my cabin. In my hurry, I failed to notice the large smile that had spread across his face as he watched me disappear over the hill.

(A/N: I dedicate this chapter to my number one fan and a person who motivates me to write every day. thank you for all your comments and votes dude. You're the real MVP. And a big thanks to all my readers as well, you guys rock!)