The Burnt S'more (Camp NaNoWriMo July 2016)

3. A Trip into Town or a Trip into a Never Ending Hell?

I could not sleep for the life of me last night. I do not know if it was the sound of the crickets keeping me up, the wind that could be clearly heard through the cabin walls, or my intense jealously growing within me. To only exaggerate and further accentuate my point, I find it only fitting to note that I was awake and dressed before eleven o'clock – yes, make up and all.

Georgina and Addison have been texting me non-stop, but I refuse to respond to any of their messages. While they were out doing who knows what, I had the worst night of my life. Getting a guy has never been a problem for me, but that is sort of a difficult task with the addition of "he has a girlfriend, who happens to be your new friend" layer. I shouldn't even feel anything for Zach, anyways. The guy probably had no sense of decency or diplomacy. After all, he is from Hayesville.

On the other hand, I could not stop thinking about that charming smile he wore when he first looked at me.

Of course, leave it to me to have a difficult camp life.

Only one other thing bothered me, though. Whenever someone mentioned that I'm a Manhattan native, they all choked up on laughter. What is that supposed to mean? Manhattan is where people dream about visiting, not for making a joke of.

I crossed my legs as I took another sip from the coffee I made, as I accompany my thoughts alone in the kitchen. My parents had ventured out for a morning hike, but I faked ill. They probably thought I was just being a buzzkill about this whole camp thing, but in actuality, my mind is as confused as can be. What is even going on with me?

"Alicia!" A knock on the front door and a familiar voice. It could only be one person.

I opened up the door and found Blake standing there in all her beautiful glory. A pinstriped tee and dark washed overalls. Country, but it worked. I envied her for a mere moment. Perhaps my high class look is too much for Zach, but then again, it could not have been if he came to sit next to me right away at the fire last night.

"Hi," I mumbled, walking back into the kitchen.

"Enthusiastic," Blake muttered sarcastically. "Are you always so negative about things?"

"Sorry, I just didn't sleep well last night," I said, offering a faux-friendly smile. She may not know it, but she and I are at war right now. A deep, bloody, long war.

Blake nodded and took a seat across from me at the kitchen table. "The country air must be different from Manhattan. Understandable."

I gave her a silent motion as an acknowledgement to her words, but I said nothing. I simply stirred my coffee with the peppermint stick that I had placed in it, not bothering to look up into her eyes. I have no idea where she and Zach even stand. Are they really in love, or are they just in love? Could she see right through me?

"Alicia, you're being quiet. Everything okay?" Blake stared at me with her mouth curled in concern.

I simply shrugged it off. Whether she knew or not, I did not feel like giving her a reason to hate me. "I'm just really tired, hence the coffee. I seriously need something to wake me up?"

"Sugar?" she suggested.

I closed my eyes and felt the taste of a sugar-filled latte from Starbucks creep across my taste buds. I craved the sensation flavor. "Absolutely."

"Well, everyone is going out to the café right now, and I wanted to know if you'd want to come along, too," she offered with a tiny smile, as if she were really trying to make me feel better. Break up with your boyfriend, and then we can talk, I mentally yelled at her.