Camp Alpha (BoyxBoy)

{23}

Brody saw them from across the gardens. He walked quickly through the tree’s and around the people who were scattered throughout the grassy area, probably celebrating the end of exams with their friends like Brody had planned to. The sun shone bright from above them, Brody was thankful for his choice of shorts and a shirt today instead of his usual jeans. The very slight breeze ran through Brody’s hair as he strode towards his friends.

Kayden looked up from the table, seeing Brody walking over to them. He sent Brody a wave, which he gladly returned.

Brody was glad for Kayden’s friendship in the recent weeks, the four of them had spent practically every day together, and Brody didn’t even want to think about how much he knew that he would miss Kayden and Lucy when they had to leave the camp.

Nate must have seen the action as he turned around from the picnic table, sending Brody one of those all too perfect smiles that warmed Brody’s heart.

‘How was your last exam?’ Lucy called out when he was close enough.

‘He probably got one hundred and ten percent,’ Nate smiled affectionately.

‘Shut up, you’re just jealous of me,’ Brody laughed, sitting down next to Nate. They both turned to look at Kayden and Lucy who were sitting on the other side of the picnic table.

‘Do you guys want to come back to my room after this?’ Lucy asked, ‘I’ve invited some of my friends to come play poker, it’s sure to be a great time,’ she smiled.

‘Strip poker?’ Kayden offered hopefully, but Lucy just laughed.

‘Yeah, you wish,’ she laughed, flicking her hair off of her shoulder. ‘What do you two say, are you up for it?’

Brody shook his head, ‘I have a lot of reading to do, and we only have another five days of camp,’ he told them. The small amount of time was looming over him.

Nate nudged his mate with his shoulder playfully, ‘Come on Brody, you’ve been reading in your free time for weeks. I’m sure you can take a few hours off.’

Brody knew that it was a harmless statement, but it hit him hard. Did Nate not understand how much this meant to him? Guilt hit Brody as he realised that maybe Nate didn’t understand because he didn’t know the whole truth, and that was Brody’s fault. Yet, even then, Brody had made it pretty clear that preparing to go back to his pack was really important to him.

‘No, I can’t,’ Brody shook his head again, this time with more resolve.

Kayden seemed confused, ‘It’s only one afternoon, why don’t you come for an hour or two?’

Brody huffed, ‘I’m going back to my room,’ he said as he stood up from the table. A voice in the back of his head told Brody that he was being insolent but he didn’t listen to it, too worked up. 

‘We were going to have lunch?’ Lucy reminded him.

‘I’m not hungry anymore,’ Brody told her simply.

In the corner of his eye he saw Nate had gathered his things to come with him, but Brody looked down at his mate, ‘I’ll see you later,’ he told him in a way that conveyed that it wasn’t a suggestion.

Nate looked up at him with a confused expression, ‘Can’t I come with you?’ he asked in surprise.

Brody understood his reaction, they had been joined at the hip for weeks, wherever one went, the other followed. Brody hadn’t ever asked for space from Nate, he had never needed it, but right now he felt as if being alone was all that he wanted.