The Return to Summer Camp

Chapter Eight: Prnks fr th Mmrs

The rest of the day went by in a blur for Jared.

Connor was seeing someone.

He couldn't shake that awful, gut-retching feeling even as he was dragged through the streets of a town he was so enthusiastic to be in just an hour earlier.

Jared hardly remembered walking back through the tunnel, let alone dinner. He couldn't bring himself to look at Connor. He'd never felt so foolish in his life.

Had he really thought him and Connor would get back together? After all they've been through?

Yes. He had. Despite the fact that the two had been through rough times, there had still been a glimmer of hope that the boy Jared had met last summer was still there.

    Miguel was why Connor had been so happy lately, he was why Connor had agreed to be friends with Jared again. Jared was being replaced.

Before Jared even realized it, he was in bed, staring up at the ceiling, sleepless. He was too busy thinking to sleep, yet too tired to be thinking.

He could hear Connor's soft breathing from across the room.

Miguel.

Jared couldn't take it anymore. He couldn't sit in his bed and think, he'd wind up driving himself insane. He sat up in bed and threw himself off the top bunk, landing on the floor with a graceful thud. Evan turned, squinting in the darkness.

"What are you doing, Jared?" Evan asked.

"Get up, we're going to go prank cabin H." Jared said, throwing on the some clothes.

"What?" Evan sat up. "Why?"

"Because they've been pranking Alana and Zoe, I think it's about time they got their fair share." Jared opened his bottom drawer, which was full of his very epic pranking supplies.

"But, we would get in trouble." Evan protested.

"Not if we don't get caught." Jared stood up straight, now holding a jar of honey and a can of shaving cream. "You coming or not."

Evan sighed, "Fine. Aren't we going to wake Connor?"

Jared looked over at the sleeping boy, "Nah." He said softly. "Just you and me."

Evan smiled at him.

Jared got Evan equipped and prepared and the two headed out to cabin H. They snuck through the woods quietly, making their way down.

"So what's your plan?" Evan whispered, almost dropping a jar of honey.

"Well you see, young grasshopper-"

"No."

"-we are going to sneak into their cabin and spread this here honey into their hair. After that, we're going to stab these cans of shaving cream, throw them into the cabin, and run like hell."

"Why? What does the shaving cream do?" Evan looked worried.

    "Relax, it's not like a bomb or anything." Jared rolled his eyes. "It explodes and shaving cream goes everywhere."

    "Sounds a bit like a bomb to me." Evan said.

    The two boys neared cabin H. Jared squatted down once they got close.

    "Is anyone awake?" Jared said, peering to see.

    "Doesn't look like it." Evan replied. "You know, maybe this is a bad idea, it's not too late turn-"

    "Don't be a chicken, let's go." Jared moves towards the door, Evan on his heels. Carefully, Jared opened up the door to the cabin, taking a peek in.

    Jared and Evan then proceeded to spread honey on every boy's hair.

    "Ah I got it all over myself." Evan said, his hands covered in honey.

    "Shh." Jared told him, moving silently to grab the cans of shaving cream. Jared ushered Evan to the door and promptly popped the can with a nail, throwing the can into the cabin.

    "Run!" Jared whisper-shouted. The two boys bolted back into the woods. Behind him, he could hear the commotion of cabin H.

    The next morning Jared was sitting at the cafeteria table, feeling pretty proud of himself. Across the cafeteria he could see cabin H looking exhausted and cranky, some still even looked a bit sticky.

    "You here what happened with cabin H last night?" Alana whispered to Jared.

    Jared grinned, "Uh, Ev and I were actually the ones who did it." He whispered back.

    "You did?" Zoe turned to Evan, looking upset.

    Greg came up to the front of the group, looking out of sorts, he held his itinerary in front of his face, "As you might of heard, we have had a bit of an incident last night with someone pranking cabin H." He paused and looked at the crowd of kids.

    Alana raised an eyebrow at Jared.

    "We want you to know we take these incidents very seriously here. If anyone has any information regarding this, we urge them to come forward. If these incidents continue we will have no choice but to send home whoever is up to this."

    Evan went pale.

    "I'm other news," Greg looked happier again. "Today is our annual canoe trip!"

     Zoe and Evan automatically paired themselves together. Jared looked at Alana.

    "Canoe partners?" He asked.

    "Sorry." Alana frowned. "I already promised Greg I would canoe with him."

     "What?" Alana really was going to choose Greg over him? That meant he was left with-

    "Guess we're partners." Connor said.

    Jared looked over, "Heh, yeah, I guess."

    Could Jared survive a three hour canoe ride with Connor? After all, last year the canoe trip had been when they had gotten together in the first place.

   "The trip will begin this afternoon, so you have the morning to prepare." Greg told them. "Enjoy your breakfast!"

    "I'm so excited for this trip." Alana said. "Canoeing is really relaxing."

    Zoe didn't say anything from across the table. She still seemed annoyed with Evan.

   "Yeah, I wish we could've picked partners outside of our group." Connor said.

    Jared felt his face turn red and looked down. Of course Connor would want to pair up with Miguel.

    After breakfast Jared walked with Alana to the cabin. Ahead of them, Jared could see Evan and Zoe arguing.

    "That's a reckless thing to do Evan, you could get kicked out of the camp-"

    "Sounds pretty bad up there." Jared said, fiddling with his shirt.

    "Well, to be fair, it was pretty dumb of the two of you." Alana shrugged. "You didn't need to go that extreme for us."

    "Just wanted to help." Jared replied, which was a lie. He had just wanted to get his mind off of things, to goof off.

    "Is it Connor that has you off?" Alana asked quietly.

    Jared was silent for a minute, "Yeah."

    Alana threw her arm around Jared's neck, "Listen, learn to love him as a friend, sometimes the friendships that start from love are the strongest." Alana winked at him.

    Jared laughed, "I'll try."