Chapter 8 - They follow
Jen slaps Lauren's arm with the back of her hand.
"You know, I really hate when you do that. You always do, and I want to drown you when you do," says Lauren.
Jen points anyway like she always does, ignoring her friend.
Lauren looks. Her head tilts. "Oh," she says like she gets it. She really doesn't. "What am I looking at?"
Jen sucks her teeth and rolls her eyes. "Bella. She's been staring at the trees for an hour now. Jameson is talking, and she's not listening."
Lauren nods. "Okay. So … what does that mean?"
Jen smirks slyly. "Bitch, it means this whole little cute couple facade will fall off the wagon soon. Meaning, no more lovey-dovey. Meaning, less PDA. Meaning less torture for us to take and watch." She looks over at Lauren. "You catch my drift?" She wiggles her brows.
Lauren is already nodding. Now she gets it. She giggles. She giggles some more. Jen follows and then they're in it, tickled humor, until Lauren stops suddenly like something bit her in the ass. Guilt.
"You think us laughing is wrong? It is wrong, isn't it? Yeah, it is. It totally is. We're horrible. This is horrible."
Then they laugh again.
No one could blame these friends. It's been a rough summer. No new guys came passing their way. The twins from the cabin on the north side are too weird to hang out with. They finish each other's sentences. They wear matching bathing suits until you can't tell which one smiled at you the other day, or which one gave you the stink eye. They share food, sometimes lollipops. The girls don't really know why. It's just too fucking odd.
Ben doesn't think so. He thinks one in each arm would be heaven.
Then there are the younger kids in other cabins who are just not the right age to get it. Too giggly, too childish.
"Come on. Let's go to the swing," says Jen. She struggles with her flip-flop gone upside down with her toes.
Lauren sighs exasperatingly. "Absolutely not. You're nuts. I am not falling for that again."
"What do you mean?"
"Um, that you just go there to stare at Bella's dad. No thanks," says Lauren, rolling her eyes.
Jen grumbles.
Just then, the camp sheriff walks passed them in a rush with other camp guards. Something's happening.
Bella looks up like antennas stick out of her head. Her attention now on the sheriff. She leaves Jameson where he sits, with his words cut short, and takes off behind the man.
The girls look at one another.
Yup, this should be good.
They follow.
Bella's heart is a flutter. It's been so long since that night she fell and met him. He told her to go away to her dismay. She did, but her mind hasn't left the woods.
She lies in bed wishing, hoping he'd break into her cabin so she'll see him. She dreams of weird things like cooking for him. He'd break in, and breakfast would be ready. They'd sit and eat and talk about his life as he sips the coffee she's made for him.
Then she wants to hit herself for conjuring up the dumbest things. She would just like a second chance, a few moments to observe him. To get more words out of him. To get all the mysterious reasons answered. What goes through his mind when he sits there alone? What happens in winter? Is it too cold for him to bear? Does he wish to run to warmth? Does he? Ever? Why, why is he all alone?
She's consumed with wonder.
The break-ins haven't stopped. It's the end of summer, and every time someone announces something else is gone, it's too late. They don't catch up to him. Still, she runs to the cabin to watch, to see any signs.
Like she is now.
The sheriff and crowd following make it to a faraway cabin. She's breathing hard trying to catch up. Jen and Lauren kind of want to quit. They're far behind and can barely see a relentless Bella running to get where the sheriff is.
It takes a few yards until they're standing behind her, breathing heavily. She's looking on, desperately trying to get a glimpse of anything that'll pop out of the windows or the door as the sheriff searches the inside.
Jen shudders every time she remembers her bed sheets stained with a handprint when the thief broke in through her window. She can only imagine what's been found in there. Maybe they finally caught him, her, whoever it is. She hopes. She wishes.
"What?" she says to Bella behind her. Bella doesn't answer.
When the sheriff appears empty-handed, Bella visibility relaxes.
"What?" Jen insists.
"Nothing." Bella sighs. "I just thought …" she doubles over to breathe.
"Nope. They didn't catch him. Unfortunately. Fucking hermits and their bullshit." Jen rolls her eyes.
They march back with a quiet Bella at their side. They wonder why. Maybe her mom and dad are still pissed about the chickens? They figure they're still stuck on that. Many people are about their stuff being gone.
They don't ask her.
All they know is, this summer sure has been a drag. In a few days, everyone will pick up and leave. They'll head back home and wait for the school year to begin.
No one is happy.
No one.
…..