Seven Days a Week

Day Three (cont.)

Missy bawled her eyes out after the bonfire. She didn't want to talk to me. That I could understand. She probably hates me already. I walked out of the cabin and found a place where I could get signal and call my mom to ask her if I could be transferred to another cabin. She asked me why, I told her it was complicated, emphasizing that once I'm asleep, my roommates might tie my hair at the posts of my bed.

She gasped at this, not asking me to elaborate, because she was the mom. She probably understood. She told me to wait for her phone call. I stayed on my spot, waiting. Apparently, there was limited light in that spot, so I got suddenly nervous and almost shouted when I heard footsteps behind me.

"Hi. Sorry about a while ago. I didn't know she was your first friend."

"It's fine. It's not like we're already best of friends."

We didn't speak for several minutes. The awkwardness already piling up one by one. I didn't know what to say. We just met a while ago, and because of that, I just earned haters. I won't be surprised if they already destroyed my things. It was already almost about half an hour, and William wasn't making a move of going back to his cabin.

"Okay, look. Maybe this is a little weird, but ever since I saw you get out of your car, I knew that you were approachable, but you're not used to mingling you know? The newbie thing? I was joking about that. I don't get excited about newbies. To be honest, I never wanted to be here. I was only here, because my step-father wanted me here. I owed my step-father a lot when my mom was left homeless, because of the man I couldn't call my father. He took her in and raised me as his own.

When I saw you for the first time, I couldn't avert my eyes elsewhere, like it was already glued to you. I don't know why exactly. Maybe it's because you felt like you were forced to be here. Like you owed someone, that's why you're here."

I was speechless. It was like he could read my mind. He hit it right on the bull's eye. I came here, because I knew what my parents would feel like if not one youth from the state they are leading came here. They were my parents, they did everything for me. At least, going here, that I could do for them.

I looked at William. He was looking at me intently, staring right into my eyes. I got lost in those two sparkling orbs under the moon. I felt him leaning into me. I couldn't move like he casted a paralyzing spell on me. I closed my eyes, feeling his breath nearer. Our lips were about to touch when we both jolt up from the sound of a car horn.

My eyes opened wide, making me stand up immediately. Ethan stood in front us with his arms crossed. Behind him was another guy who looked to be in his mid-twenties. I walked towards Ethan and was about to ask him why he was here, but I received a slap instead.

I touched my left cheek, feeling the sting throughout my face. My eyes were already burning, and I felt the warmth of a tear roll down my stinging cheek.

"Dude, what was that for?" I heard William say and was about to punch Ethan when I stopped him from further ruining the whole situation.

"Claire, go get your things. We're going home," Ethan said as he walked back to the car and opened the passenger seat. The other guy just looked at me and went inside, too.

I looked at William, who was as dumbstruck as I was. I didn't know why Ethan acted that way. William was about to touch my left cheek, but I slapped his hand away and walked towards my cabin to obey Ethan's orders with the will of not making this worse.

"What the heck, Claire? Was he your boyfriend?"

I heard William shout behind me, but I didn't answer as I tried to stop the next series of tears threatening to go out.