Chris stared at Connor for a moment, and then slipped into the room.
"What are you guys doing?" he asked his voice going curiously up in pitch instead of down.
He was enraged.
He peeked over the book to see the cover, and Erin just stared at him.
"We were reading, actually," she said, still leaning into Connor. "Problems?" she asked, raising her eyebrows.

Chris shook his head. "No," he said, his voice cracking.
Erin pursed her lips, and she could tell Chris wanted nothing more than to rip her away from Connor, and before she could see the middle of a fight, she excused herself and got up to go get dressed.
She was met by the other three boys on their way down, not looking too particularly pleased.

"Morning," she said to them, trying to lighten their mood.
"Morning," Mike returned. He was the only one who seemed halfway alert that she'd greeted them.
Ben looked scary, his dark features drawn taught by clenched jaws.

Erin turned and jumped up the stairs, being extra quiet so she could hear anything that might be interesting that would happen.

---

Ben stood, tall and wide, in front of Connor who was seated calmly on the couch, book in hand.
Ben crossed his arms. "What are you doing, man??" he demanded, his voice low and deep.

Connor shrugged. "Reading, I guess." he offered, and held up the book, the other hand reaching behind his head to scratch it.

Ben rolled his eyes. "Man, you don't read." he accused.
Connor pushed his head out as if to say, 'And...?'

"Look, Connor. We had a talk. We're leaving Erin alone. No one..."
"You guys talked about that, yeah," Connor interrupted.
"But...I don't agree with what you guys are telling me. Why are you gonna be able to tell me what to do? You don't know me, and I don't know you." he stated.

Ben groaned, and clutched his head with both hands, frustrated.
"Man, you just don't get it, do you? If you go after her, you're going to start a cabin/camp war. Brandon already made a move, you've made a move, it's just time 'til Chris makes a move....I don't know how stupid you can get." he said.

Connor laughed.
"A camp war?" he asked, snorting. "That sounds like a parent trap scene." he told him.

Ben gritted his teeth.
"Fine, you do whatever. I'm done trying to reason with you guys. I'm not saving your rear when you get into a hole deeper than your shovel is long."

Connor rubbed his head. "Quit talking in metaphors, you're giving me a headache." he complained.
"It would give you a headache," Chris snapped, and Connor just ignored him.

Ben walked out of the cabin, followed by Mike and Luke, who seemed indifferent to the whole issue.

Connor looked at Chris.
"So....you're the one starting all this crap?" he asked curiously.
Chris glared at Connor. "Just stay away from Erin, kay." he stated. It wasn't a request.

Connor snorted. "Are you her keeper?" he snapped, and stood up, putting the book on a shelf on the wall.
"No. But...just stay away from her." Chris repeated, trying to sound menacing.
Connor snorted. "Yeah. I'll remember that, puff-ball," he shot at Chris, and left the room, walking out to the back porch to sit in one of the chairs to get away from Chris.

"Yes!" Chris whispered, and took off up the stairs to his beloved.

Erin was in the bathroom, brushing her hair.
"Hey Erin," Chris breathed.
Erin looked at him, and then back into the mirror.
"Hello Chris," she replied.

"So...what are you doing today?" he asked her, leaning against the bed post.
Erin shrugged, putting the brush down, and pulling her hair back into a pony-tail. "I dunno," she replied. "I was thinking about swimming or something. Bumper cars...something." she suggested.
"Oh, that's great." Chris replied.
"Want me to go with you?" he offered.
Erin shrugged. "That's fine." she replied. "I was going to ask Connor too," she added.

Chris scowled. "Oh, really? He told me he was going to do mini-golf today." he lied.
Erin looked out at him. "Really? Well, we can do that too, I guess." she shrugged, and turned off the light to the bathroom, walking out to her bed to put her cosmetics bag away.

"OH....well, I thought you wanted to do the pool." Chris said, trying to seem confused.
Erin shrugged again, getting annoyed. "I don't really care what I do." she said. "I wanted to hang out with Connor today, though."

"Oh my gosh!!," Chris thought, rolling his eyes. Was he ever going to get some alone time?

"Hmmm...Well...I guess that would be fine," he agreed.
Erin smiled. "Glad you think so," she said.
Chris nodded. "Me too." he groaned and followed Erin out of the room.

Erin

Oh my gosh, why is he still following me!?!?! I screamed in my head.
He just wouldn't leave me alone.
I heard every word that they said down in the living room.
There was some kind of....pact thing. And it was about me. To stay away from me.
How rude.

But I didn't want to stay away from Connor. I enjoyed his company. He gave off a very masculine aura and it made me feel comfortable.
Chris' aura was just whiney and annoying lately.

I went down the stairs as fast as I could, and looked for Connor.
He wasn't on the couch where he was before.
I would've left the cabin looking for him, but something came into and caught my attention out of my peripheral vision.

It was his bobbing head, going back and forth with the rocking chair.
He was on the back porch.
Before Chris could try and force me out of the house, I went for the back door, and thrust it open.
It slammed against the wood behind it, startling Connor, who jumped slightly in his chair.

I giggled.
He smiled. "Hey, about time," he told me without a trace of anger in his voice.

I tilted my head. "Why?" I asked.
Connor stood up. "I was beginning to lose my temper." he informed me.
"Come with me," he added, took me by the wrist and led me back into the cabin.

He stopped when he met up with Chris, who was following me, and pointed a finger at his chest.
"Leave us alone," he threatened his brown eyes wide so Chris could evaluate just how serious Connor was.

He seemed to get the message, because halfway up the stairs yet again, I heard the front door slam, shaking everything in the cabin, including the rafters.

"Oh, my GOD that guy is such a nuisance!" he half-yelled, letting himself fall onto my bed. I stayed standing up.
"What was all that talk about down their earlier??" I asked him, crossing my arms.

Connor looked down his chest at me. "You heard all that?" he asked me rhetorically, and sat up with a sigh.
"Ben designed this master plan that because you were the only girl in the cabin with five other boys, that we'd stay away from you, not try to 'get with you', and stuff. But neither Chris, nor I like that little master plan."

"Why?" I asked him, curious as to how he would explain himself.

"Well," Connor started, laying back down, pulling a pillow behind his head.
"I shouldn't have to listen to some huge black dude who thinks he can control everything, and Chris is going to go after you regardless. He's like...obsessed with you."

I rolled his eyes. "Don't exaggerate." I reprimanded him.

"I'm not!" Connor swore.
"Last night, he stared out the window until you came back. And then like three seconds after you got in the door, he jumped out of bed to go and confront you."

"And why were you awake?" I asked him suspiciously.

Connor grinned. "Three reasons. First, Ben kept farting, and it was repulsive. Second, he kept mumbling under his breath and it was waking me up because I'm a light sleeper..."
I gave him a look.
"I am, I swear!" he said defensively.
I motioned for him to go on.
"And three, because I went to sleep anxious because Brandon is bad news, period, end-of-statement, and I kept waking up."

I nodded, satisfied.
"So, why don't you comply with the agreement?" I asked him.

He gave me a dark, seductive look. "Are you kidding me?" he asked.
I shook my head.
Then, he sat up.
"Well, for starters, you're really attractive. I'm not even going to lie."

I felt blood rush to my cheeks unwillingly.

"Second...I don't know. I just...don't want to stay away. You're a great person to be around. You make me feel okay. Like, it's alright to be Connor Bishop." he said.

I smiled, and sat down with him.
"It is alright to be Connor Bishop with me," I reassured him, and hugged him around the waist.