My Worst Summer ||Ponyboy Curtis||

T W E L V E

I don't need to remind you that I've never been to a sleep away camp because you can probably tell by now.

Olivia's POV:

"I... I don't know why I did that," Ponyboy mumbles to himself. We were basically in the middle of making up from our "fight" when he grabbed my arm, turning me around and kissing me. Maybe I should have put up a fight with that line, maybe even been a little offended, but instead I smiled.

"Well, I didn't mind too much," I admit instead. And I wouldn't mind if you did it again. I don't say that part out loud. A smile appears on his face, like he could read my mind and had heard the thought.

"Yeah. N-neither did I," he stutters. I intertwine my fingers with him, and we walk out of the woods. He lights up a cigarette, and offers me one, probably forgetting that I don't smoke. I take it out of politeness, and he lights it for me. I don't try it, just hold it, my hand shaking a bit.

"Olivia," Ponyboy said to me once we got close to my cabin.

"Yeah?" I stopped, looking him in the eye. I throw my cig out and crush it under the weight of my shoe.

"Please don't take what Amelia said to heart. I know it's a lot to hear when we basically just met, but that baby.... It wasn't Sodapop's. She cheated on him. He's the only one that she told, she didn't want her family to hate her anymore. And anyways, even if my brother did do something like that, I never would. Especially to you. I care about you, Olivia. Even if we just met a week ago, I like you a lot..." He stops for a minute, trying to collect his thoughts. "And right now, I couldn't imagine my life without you. A few weeks ago, I was... I was a mess, and I don't know if it's from knowing you or being here or what, but I feel better," he told me. I felt my heart beat faster and faster, but I gave him a smile. It was like he just confessed his love to me. Or... His like, anyways. But it still meant just as much.

"I like you too," I tell him, standing on my tiptoes to kiss his cheek. He puts his cigarette back in his mouth, taking a drag to calm my nerves. After that, we don't say very much. He walks me back to my cabin without another word other than, "See you soon."

I get lucky, the counselors hadn't even noticed that I had left. That is, until they came out and asked who smelled like smoke. Everyone was silent, except for that sweet Amelia, who immediately ratted me out. Madyline looked angry as she walked up to me.

"Olivia, it's the second week of camp! Why are you already breaking rules? Trying to get kicked out?" She yells at me. I shake my head, looking down at my feet.

"You know very well that cigarettes aren't allowed here. Gosh, we've gone over that at least three times in the last week!" She says.

But... I don't smoke! Is what I would say, but then I remember that I'll get caught for going out and end up getting Pony and I both in trouble.

"I'm not going to tell the director this time, but next time, Olivia, you're in deep trouble. You shouldn't even be out of the cabin during after lunch rest. Do we need to start putting a guard by our door?" She yells. I'm speechless, so Claire steps in.

"She was only on the patio, she didn't go any further. She wasn't feeling well again and needed to calm her nerves." Gwendoline, who hadn't yet said a word, sighs.

"Olivia, you need to understand that that's not okay. The first time this happened we were worried, but now we're angry and a little bit disappointed. I know you haven't been here before, but you're 14 years old for crying out loud!" Gwendoline says, in a more calm voice than her Senior counselor.

"I'm sorry," I tell them quietly, blinking tears away. Gwendoline gives me a small smile, probably to signal that she doesn't hate me. Weakly, I give one back to her.

"Can I have your cigarettes, Olivia? I have to confiscate them, but I won't turn 'em in unless this happens again," she explains. Desperately, I look to Claire again.

"She used her last one a few minutes ago," she says.

"How convenient," Madyline says, then goes back into the counselor room, whispering with Gwen.

When the break time ends, we finally get to pick our electives. There isn't much to choose from, and we have to pick one academic and one sports.

For academics, all we really had were things for the play we're apparently performing at the end of the year. There was writing, where you help picked which play we're going to do and help write it, fashion, where they make the costumes, and acting, where they (obviously) act in the roles.

For sports, we could choose between basketball, soccer, baseball, football, and nature/hiking. None of these are of any interest to me, but I still have to pick one.

"Which one are you doing?" I ask Claire when we hear about what all of them entail.

"Fashion and soccer, probably. Oh, but I wish I could do writing. But I love fashion. I don't know... It's the first year we've done electives here, and this is the last year we can be campers, so it's a pretty decision for me," she explains.

"Audrey and Alana are definitely doing writing, they're behind the scenes girls, but Sabrina is totally gonna audition... What are you going to do? Maybe that'll help me decide," Claire rambles.

"Well, definitely fashion... But I'm not sure about the sports. I don't like running or anything... And I'm not very naturey," I say, laughing.

"Well, you like animals, right?" She asks. I nod.

"Nature is like hiking. Hiking is in the woods. You might get a little dirty, but you'll see lots of birds and deers and bunnies. I bet you'd like that," she tells me.

"Bunnies?" I exclaim. She nods.

"I'll do it," I say. Bunnies are my favorites. Claire laughs at me.

"I'd do if with you if I didn't love soccer so much," she says. I smile.

"At least we have fashion!" Is my response.

"Yeah. I wonder if anyone will be doing nature with you," she says. I shrug, but before I can say anything, Amelia runs up to us. God, I wish she would just move to another bunk or something. Hasn't she caused enough trouble?

"Not to worry, Olivia. I'll be in it too. Maybe we can be partners for the walks... Oh wait, I forgot. Ponyboy and I are doing it together," she says.

"What?" I ask.

"Yeah. He and I decided it as soon as the boys picked their electives," she says, smiling at me.

"What?" I say again. She smiles at me. You can tell it's fake. She doesn't say a word.

"Last week you told me that you hated him. For what his brother did to your cousin?" I tell her, utterly confused.

"No one ever said I wasn't going to get my revenge for Sandy... Not that he knows that," she says, then walks off.

"What just happened?" I ask Claire. She shrugs.

"I have no idea... But why would Ponyboy wouldn't talk to you first?" She asks. I shrug.

"I have no clue..." I frown, confused.

"Well, don't worry about it, Olivia. That girl is all talk," Claire tries to reassure me. I give her a small smile, wanting to change the subject but not yet ready to tell her about what happened on the date.

A/N: Hi I just got home from spending three months in China, so the past few weeks have been very busy and that's why I haven't updated, but I'm back! I might actually update regularly now. -Katy