The Lonely People

Chapter 3

"Hey!"
Courtney blinked awake,"Hm?"
Joe was shaking her shoulder. She had fallen asleep on the grass. Anthony was sitting up next to her, rubbing his eyes tiredly.
"I am very disappointed in you, young lady," Joe joked," Sneaking out with a boy...Go to your room!"
"Holy crap. What time is it?!" Courtney jumped to her feet as Joe chuckled.
"Relax. It's only 7:30 and you two are very lucky I'm the first one up."
Courtney groaned, realizing her makeup was probably smeared all over her face,"I need to go get ready."
"Yeah, me too," Anthony said, gazing at Courtney. She looked at him happily.
Joe noticed he was the third wheel,"...Um, I'll leave you too love bugs alone."
Anthony didn't speak until Joe was gone,"Courtney, um-"
"Don't. Let's just...enjoy the week, ok? Let's face the really world when we go back to it."
He nodded, leaving a soft kiss ok her hairline before walking away.

Mari was already doing her hair when Courtney got to the cabin. Olivia and Sarah were still snoring lightly.
"Hey you," Mari said,"Where have you been?" She asked as Courtney pulled on a new tank top and shorts.
"Just walking around, taking it all."
"Uh huh," Mari answered absent-mindedly.
Courtney rolled her eyes and moved into the bathroom to do her makeup. Something inside of her wanted to try harder, to look better as if to impress Anthony. She quickly shook the thought away, refusing to act like a school girl any more than she already had.

All of the boys were still sleeping when Anthony returned, so he carefully laid in his bunk below Ian's and tried to get a few more minutes of sleep. His neck hurt from sleeping on the ground, and his mind was stuck on Courtney.
He was too nervous to even sit next to her at breakfast. He watched longfully   as she chatted with Flitz and Joven.
Lasercorn slapped his shoulder,"How you doin', Anthony?"
"Fine, thanks."
"Really? Nothing new on your mind?"
"From when I saw you last eight hours ago? No, I don't think so." Anthony picked at his food, wanting to glance at Courtney again.
Lasercorn stifled a giddy laugh,"You seem a bit distracted."
Anthony closed his eyes and groaned,"Oh my god," he rubbed his hand over his face,"You know?"
"Yeah!"
"Knows what?" Mari asked as she sat next to Anthony.
"Nothing," Lasercorn giggled.
"Weirdo," she muttered,"Are you ok, Anthony? You look tired."
"I'm just worn out, I guess," was the best lie he could conjure. The truth was that all he wanted was to be with Courtney.
But she didn't want him.

Courtney tried hard to distract herself, but it didn't work. She eventually had to excuse herself from her conversation with Flitz and Joven. She rushed outside, wanting fresh air and room to think.
Joe poked her shoulder,"Are you ok, kid?"
"...Nope."
"Did anything happen with Anthony?"
Mari and Sohinki nearly lost their jobs when they started dating. Courtney couldn't risk doing that to him.
"No, we just talked and fell asleep."
"...Uh huh," Joe carefully studied the younger woman, "You know," he sighed,"I'm asking as your friend, not your boss."
"I...I need to go," Courtney brushes past him, ignoring him calling her name.
All she wanted was to breath.