So when I wake up the following morning with fresh air filling my lungs, a ginormous weight off my shoulders and Madge Undersees full, perky boobs in my hands, it's safe to say good morning.

I decide not to wake her, I'm not ready to talk about where we might stand after last night.

"Morning Hawthrone" Darius nods at me as I take a seat in the camping chair beside his

"Are you seriously drinking already?"

"Hair of the dog" he mutters, lifting the bottle to his lips

"Breakfast won't be long, bacon and pancakes alright Gale?" I nod at Mellark, he's too damn nice but I'm in a good mood

"Sounds great" his answering smile is nauseating

"How was it?" Darius mutters and I almost jump out of my skin

"How was what?"

"Sharing your tent"

"She doesn't snore" I tell him matter of factly

"Sounds magical" he teases and I hide my smirk with my coffee mug, if only he knew.

One by one my friends emerge from their tents, every time I hear a zip I freeze. What do I say to her? Do I say anything?

She makes the decision for me, closing the tent before greeting everyone at once and taking a seat as far away from me as possible

"How did everyone sleep?" she asks, producing a little box of tea bags and sugar sachets "would anyone prefer tea? Darius?" she laughs, eyeing his beer bottle. As conversation stirs I watch her, waiting for some sign of how I should proceed. She avoids looking at me completely so I force her hand

"Undersee" I call "you got any sugar left in the bag of yours?"

"Sure" she hands me a handful of sachets, not reacting in any way to the touch of our skin and goes back to what she was doing. Well fuck her, if that's how she wants it, fine.

Only I don't get to ignore her and act like nothing happened. I did not sign up for this bullshit, though I should have seen it coming. Of course, all the couples pair off and Madge and I are stuck in the same canoe, of course she's wearing tiny wripped denim shorts.

"I can paddle too if you'd like?" she calls from the back of the canoe as we follow the others out on to the lake "we could have one oar each and paddle opposite sides?"

"It wouldn't be equal, I'd rather just do it myself"

"If you're sure?"

"I'm sure" I don't turn around when I hear her fidgeting with something and I don't turn when her movements start rocking the canoe but when cold water splashes the back of my neck I drop the oars and whirl around to face her. She freezes like a deer caught in headlights, the lid of a tupperware container still in the water "Seriously Undersee?

"Seriously back to calling me Undersee? I just wanted to help"

"With a tupperware lid?"

"You wouldn't give me an oar!"

"You wouldn't even look at me" I grit through clenched teeth. We're both quiet for a long time and then she scoots forward on her bench

"I didn't know where we stood either. I thought it mightve just been a lay for you so that's what I set myself up for"

"But you undid my belt"

"You told me you liked me"

"An oversight, clearly" at that she sucks in a deep breath then snarls at me

"Fuck you Hawthorne" she spits, diving from the canoe and swimming back towards camp

"You already did" I shout after her.

I stay out on the lake with the others for an hour or so, just drifting around alternating between hating her and hating myself.

We have no choice but to head back when stomachs start growling but at this point I'm ready to starve.

There's voices drifting from camp as we near the shore. A small part of me is disappointed she isn't moping around like I was but then I hear an obnoxious laugh that makes my teeth hurt and I want to tear my hair out

"Hey guys" Madge beams when she sees we've returned "I invited Cato and some of the others up to join us for the day. I hope you don't mind but they brought food"

No one minds, in fact everyone seems buzzed for the arrival of the newcomers, but no one asked me.

I last fifteen minutes of whatever drinking game they'd concocted before the very sight of Madge and Cato in such close proximity makes me want to hurt something.

I amble through the trees near camp, cussing and muttering to myself before coming to rest against a huge pine. I finish the two beers I'd grabbed before leaving and start to feel sleepy when voices approach and I roll my eyes in annoyance. In a split second decision I duck down, realising one of the approaching is Cato. The two come to a stop not far from me and I deliberate on making myself known

"I ove you so much" he tells them and my gut twists, it must be Madge "I do I love you so damn much"

"I hate hiding it" holy shit! That's not madge! I pop my head out from behind the tree so my eyes can clarify what my ears are hearing and I almost fall over. Cato has Rye Mellark's face in his hands and he's stroking his cheek with his thumb "I hate having to sneak around"

"Oh come on the sneaking around is hot" they kiss, deeply and I want to leave, give them the privacy they obvioously wanted

"Soon okay?" Cato tells him "we'll leave this place and nothing and no one will stop us being together. Now we have to get back to Madge, that's why we're here after all"

"I don't know why she likes him so much, he's cute but he's an asshole"

"He's cute huh?" Cato chuckles

"Don't worry babe, he's not my type"

"Well not everyone's as fortunate as you when it comes to men"

"True that" their voices trail off as they head back toward the light of the bonfire and I find myself laughing, hysterically. All this time I'd been so jealous of him, I'd thought she hated me.

I head back to camp, determined I'm gonna get my girl.

She's having none of it. I try to catch her eye but she's not looking anywhere near my direction. Instead she laughs at whatever it is Cato whispers to her and drinks whenever she messes up her turn in the game. It's not very often she has to drink but I want her to be sober when we talk.

I realise I'm going to have to try harder and enlist some help.

"Hey Mellark?" I call over at Rye, taking anyone paying attention by surprise "help me with the ceg?"

"Um sure" he nods, throwing a wary glance at Madge and Cato before following me to the van they drove up

"So here's the thing" I begin when we're far enough from the group "I need your help with Undersee"

"Not a chance"

"Hey no wait" I stop him before he can turn fully to leave "I know you don't think much of me okay. I've never been all that nice to Madge and I don't get on with your boyfriend but-"

"Excuse me" he turns on me, half panicked, half furious

"Sorry, I- shit. Look I saw you together earlier and it just slipped out"

"Hawthorne" his voice is shaking and it throws me to see someone as tough as him so vulnerable. He thinks I'm going to tell

"Don't worry, I'm not going to out you. Actually, good for you, you know"

"Hawthorne if you're taking the piss, I swear-"

"Mellark, Rye, relax. If we were friends, I'd be happy for you"

"You're not going to tell anyone?"

"You're secret's safe with me"

"If I help you with Madge?"

"No man, fuck! I'm asking for your help not blackmailing you for it. I thought she and Cato were like a thing so him being gay and being with you is sort of a blessing"

"Is that why you're such a dick to them?" he almost laughs then his face gets serious "because that's so high school"

"Yeah well, high school jock at your service"

"You're having a bad day huh?"

"Fucking worst" I tell him and kick a pebble because it almost made me turn over on my ankle. I think he's going to tell me to run along after we're quiet for a while when he faces me

"You've got a lot of making up to do, but maybe start by dropping Undersee for something a little softer, like Madge? Actually" he smirks "she likes it when you call her Princess".