X. I'll Be Around
This is our fork in the road
Love's last episode
There's nowhere to go, oh no
You made your choice
Now it's up to me
To bow out gracefully
Though you hold the key but baby
Whenever you call me, I'll be there
Whenever you want me, I'll be there
Whenever you need me, I'll be there
I'll be around
I knew just what to say
Now I found out today
All the words had slipped away
but I know
There's always a chance
A tiny spark will remain
And sparks turn into flames
And love can burn once again
Warren and Wilson rush down the steps of the bus as soon as the driver opens the door. The rest of the passengers trail out, and Craig waits patiently as everyone files out. Paige gives him a knowing look as she gets out, but Darcy calls her over. Craig produces a triumphant smile and mouths "bye" to Paige. Leslie and Aubrey come out next, with Aubrey explaining the coloring book to Leslie. Ashley comes out last, fiddling with an earring.
"You haven't said hi to me yet, Ash," says Craig.
Ashley leaves her earring alone. "I thought you were too distracted by Casey."
Craig nods, smiling. "Well, you have my attention now. That is, if Paige permits it."
Ashley begins to speak, but is interrupted by a shrill whistle from Ms. Park, causing the group to quiet down. Mr. Park, a nice-looking, heavy set man, has a bunch of pink cards in his hands.
"Welcome to the Park Academy Performing Arts Camp, everyone!" says Ms. Park. "We have a host of exciting activities planned for our youngsters. We believe in cultivating and supporting every aspect in their growth as artistic leaders of the future. However, we recognize that this is also a camp, so normal camping activities are also on the schedules, which my husband is holding."
Mr. Park holds up the schedules.
"I'd like to thank the volunteers for helping us this weekend, especially our non-parent volunteers."
Ms. Park smiles at Craig, Derek, and a few others. Craig catches Ashley smiling at him, but she looks away as soon as he turns his head.
"If you will all please collect your bags, then your schedules, then head to your first activity spot in fifteen minutes, we can get started."
The group divides, some going for their bags, others for their schedules. Leslie finds Ashley, and clutches her waist.
"I can get your bags," offers Craig.
"Well, alright, thanks," replies Ashley. "Leslie, can you show Craig which ones are our bags?"
Leslie sighs, looks wearily at Craig, but heads to the back of the bus. Craig follows.
"What kind of activities do you like to do, Leslie?" asks Craig, as they wait in line.
"I don't know," replies Leslie, moving forward as the line shrinks.
"Do you like to swim?"
"No."
"How about kickball?"
"Too young."
"Oh...right."
Leslie points to two red bags to the right of the compartment. Craig lifts them, surprised at how light they are. Then, he straps his pack to his back. They start to go to where Ashley is talking to Mr. Park, but Leslie stalls and turns to Craig.
"Who are you?" she asks.
"Um, Craig...we met at the carnival, remember?" replies Craig, shifting the weight of his pack a bit.
"Yeah, I know that," says Leslie, rolling her eyes. "I mean, who are you to my mom?"
"Oh," says Craig, feeling sweat on his brow. "Um...we used to...hang out a lot. Good friends. We could be friends too...if you want."
"You seem nice, but...no, I don't think so."
Leslie walks past him, and goes over to a tree, sits on the ground. Tough crowd, thinks Craig. He goes over to Ashley, who is looking painfully at Leslie.
"This weekend's for her," says Ashley, sighing. "I don't know what to do, Craig."
"What we do is we get her to have fun," says Craig, peering over Ashley's shoulder to read the schedule. "Ah, swimming. Maybe we can get her into the water."
Ashley smiles at him, then waves Leslie over. Leslie opens up her fist to reveal some stones.
"I found rocks," she says.
"Good...maybe you can find some more by the lake," says Ashley.
"Okay," whispers Leslie, as the three of them head down the trail.
Craig unbuckles his pants and slides them down, a little embarrassed about his hairy legs. He didn't know why his legs were more hairy than his chest. It was even more discouraging to change in the boathouse bathroom, where his feet crunch on leaves, dead bugs, and he's not sure what else. Not to mention there were no stalls, just one empty room with a toilet and sink.
"Ugh!" says Craig, moving his jeans so a spider wouldn't crawl on them. "Well, at least my leg isn't as hairy as that."
He hears a light knock on the door. "Don't come in!" he says.
The door creaks a bit, and Craig blushes as Ashley peers through from the other side.
"Craig, what are you doing in here?" whispers Ashley urgently.
"Changing...do you mind?" whispers Craig.
"Craig, this is the women's bathroom," says Ashley.
"Um, no, it's the men's."
"Um, yes, it is the women's."
Ashley pulls the door back, pointing to the word "women" on the front. The "W" and "O" had faded, but yes, you could see traces of the two letters. Apparently, he had missed it.
"Okay...totally feeling dumb right now," says Craig.
Ashley giggles. "Well, now that you know, get out. I need to change. Leslie's waiting for me."
"I'm not done. I can't go out in my boxers," protests Craig. "My pants are around my ankles."
"I can't keep her waiting," moans Ashley. "I got delayed so now both of us are late. Just hurry up."
"Don't make me go out there, Ash," says Craig, turning red. "It's weird enough that I'm in here."
"And they won't think it's weird that we leave at the same time," whispers Ashley. "They'll think we were..."
"We were what?" teases Craig.
"Nothing. Why can't you just...why don't we...ugh," stammers Ashley.
"What if we just changed at the same time?" says Craig. "I won't peek. Promise. Scout's honor."
"You were never a scout," says Ashley, frowning at him.
"Humor me," says Craig.
Ashley groans, closes the door, and starts to undo her shirt, her back turned to Craig. Craig pulls down his boxers, then reaches for his swim trunks. While reaching, he catches sight of a red bra in the corner of his eye. Then, a bare shoulder, but he really can't see anything else. This is torture, thinks Craig, slipping on his trunks. He pretends to examine his legs, hoping for another glimpse, but amazingly she's already suited up by the time he works up the nerve.
"That didn't take long," says Craig, trying to cover up the disappointment.
"Yeah, I change fast when I need to," replies Ashley, standing right in front of him. "Satisfied?"
"Definitely satisfied," says Craig, his mouth inches from her lips. "Of course I could be more satisfied."
Ashley looks up confused, then smiles at him. Craig leans in, lips near hers, then throws the door open. The rest of the group was headed down to the lake, including Leslie, holding hands with Darcy.
"Leslie's waiting, and look, no one's around," says Craig. "After you, buddy."
Ashley shoots him an annoyed look, exits, runs right smack into Derek.
"Men's room?" asks Derek, eyeing them suspiciously.
"In there," says Ashley, pointing to Craig, clutching his jeans innocently. "And Craig's up for sharing."Derek shrugs, and tries to squeeze in with Craig.
"Dude, no!" says Craig, shoving him away.
Warren and Winston run to the edge of the pier and jump in at the same time, splattering Darcy who applies suntan lotion to Aubrey's back. Darcy screams. Craig notices that half the group is already in the water, and that another group is headed for the arts and crafts cabin Ms. Park is speaking about as they head in another direction. Ashley talks with Paige, Leslie scouring the ground for rocks. Craig decides to join Leslie, dressed in a cute green bathing suit, since he knows Paige would interrupt him and Ashley yet again.
"Find anything yet?" asks Craig.
Leslie stares at his chest, then looks down. Craig throws a towel over his shoulders, thinking that will make him less intimidating. He kneels down and sifts through the mud.
"Ah ha!" exclaims Craig, picking up a rock. "White quartz."
Leslie takes it from him. "It's pretty."
"I can make you a necklace with that," says Craig. "See what else you'd like on it."
"Boys can make necklaces?" says Leslie in disbelief.
"Yeah, I'll just drill a hole in the rocks, put it on a chain. It'll be nice."
Leslie smiles, the first time he's seen her smile all day. He remembers when he first saw Ashley smile. It was in Snake's class. They were talking about GM foods, and he said he thought it was cool that she was starting a petition, that most people didn't have the guts. Her smile lit up the room, brighter than the see-through mouse he was using that day.
"Okay. I can pick whatever I want?"
"Yeah," replies Craig. "Hopefully, it'll turn out good. I'm not the most handy person, but I've made stuff for my sister Angie."
"Is your sister five like me?"
"Oh, nah. She's in college now. But I remember when she was five. She liked sports, especially skating."
"I like golf...but not as much as music."
"That's like me and photography...I like it, but not as much as music."
Leslie nods. "I'm going to hunt some more."
Leslie wanders off, while Ashley walks to them, beaming. Craig sits on a smooth rock.
"So thanks for trying to get Derek in there with me," says Craig, stretching out his legs.
"No problem," says Ashley. "So Leslie...actually talked to you?"
"Yeah, she's actually a really cool kid. I don't know how since her mom's a total nerd."
Ashley pokes his knee, then looks down at his legs.
"At least I shave," laughs Ashley. "But anyways, it's nice...that you're being nice to her. And I'm sorry for not being friendlier to you in the parking lot earlier today."
"Unlike Paige, who was a little too friendly," says Craig. "Since when did you require a bodyguard, Ash?"
"What?" says Ashley, tucking some hair behind her ear. "Paige is here to..."
"Keep an eye on me, I think she said," interrupts Craig, winking at her. "But I just need you to know that that's so not going to be an issue. I promise to be a perfect gentleman."
"Yeah...yeah, I know,"says Ashley. "I'm going to go check on Leslie."
Casey appears, wearing a skin-tight blue swimsuit, her breasts prominently showing.
"Am I interrupting anything?" asks Casey, smiling happily at Craig.
"As a matter of fact...," begins Ashley.
"Oh no, you're not interrupting anything," says Craig, pleased to see Ashley gazing angrily at him. "Ashley was just leaving."
"Ashley, awww, what an adorable name," gushes Casey. "I have a Pomeranian named Ashley."
Ashley rolls her eyes, stands, and goes to Leslie. Casey takes her place, strokes Craig's hands.
"I always wondered what a guitarist's hands felt like," says Casey. "Oooh, very nice."
Craig takes her hand away, an awkward smile covering his face. Casey scoots closer, making sure her legs touch his.
"I know you're twenty-eight from your website," says Casey. "I'm thirty-four, but I'm a very young thirty-four. I don't even look it, do I?"
Craig shakes his head. "Oh...no."
"So what's your new album going to sound like?"
He spies Ashley wading in the water, the material of her suit now wet, framing every part of her body. I can't do this, he thinks. I can't just be her friend. Craig squirms, trying not to show where his attention really is.
"Um, I'm just going back to my suits...I mean roots," replies Craig. "Excuse me."
Craig paces up the trail, then stops in the middle. He could swear he heard footsteps behind him. He really hoped Casey wasn't following him. Ashley puts her hand on his shoulder and turns him around.
"What was that?" demands Ashley, who had put on some shorts over her torso.
"What was what?" says Craig.
"Ellie is sitting at home...and you're just parading around your body, talking to horny middle-aged women!" exclaims Ashley. "Have some decency."
"We were just talking," defends Craig. "Don't get all worked up."
"At least put a shirt on," whispers Ashley.
"Okay, Mom...why? You don't want anyone else to see?"
"No...there's kids here. And well, you're really...exposed. All the other guys aren't...well, built."
Craig laughs. "Thanks for noticing."
"Like you weren't checking me out in the bathroom," says Ashley, clearly flustered. "I'm not an idiot."
Craig blushes. "I didn't see anything."
Ashley looks down. "Well...good."
"Good."
"Okay, then."
"Okay."
Ashley shifts from one foot to another. "I'm sorry I yelled."
"And I'll put on a shirt," concedes Craig, smiling at her.
She smiles back, a smile that makes him happier than when Leslie smiled a few minutes earlier. She was checking me out, thinks Craig proudly. Now he was glad Mickey had gotten him that personal trainer.
"Are you coming to arts and crafts with us after this?" asks Ashley, throwing back her wet ponytail.
"If your bodyguard says it's okay," answers Craig, nodding towards Paige.
"I'll talk to her," says Ashley, offering him another smile.
Craig grins after her, then goes to find a shirt.