When I saw Mitchie in the cafeteria, not realizing she was walking my way, I walked to a near table pretending I didn't even see her. I acknowledge my immaturity in this situation but if we weren't at the same camp we would go our disconnected ways like any other couple who's recently separated. But we are at camp so, for now, when she comes my way-I walk away.
Behind me, I hear Tess make a sly, callous comment to Mitchie as she approaches the counter. Mitchie wasn't kidding about Tess still being mean. Really mean. But disregarding the accidentally selfish comments here and there she was always nice to me and everybody else. When she sits down next to me I ask her, "How come you hate Mitchie so much?"
She looks at me funny. "I don't hate her."
"Well, something about the way you were just talking to her tells me you're not best friends," I say with a sarcastic grin.
Tess looks up with a guilty look on her face and the end-of-dinner bell suddenly rings. We had stayed back this time to help put out the camp fire so we came back late, giving us no time to eat. Now we had to be in our cabins by seven-thirty and be in bed by eight. But I still want to hear what Tess' side of the story is.
"Walk you to your cabin?" I offer.
Together, we start walking and she explains. "This is going to sound stupid," she warns even though I know she's just saying that out of embarrassment. "I decided to be nicer to everyone when I came back this year and I have been but whenever I talk to Mitchie, the mean words just spill out."
I bring her into a side-hug while we're walking, trying to comfort her. "It doesn't sound stupid," I state, "I hate to say this… but it sounds like jealousy."
She lets out a big sigh. "I was friends with everybody before she got here. And when I came back this summer everybody was in love with 'Mitchie the camp darling' and I had to win all of my friends back. But they still talk about how amazing she is all the time."
Approaching her cabin, I walk up the stairs with her and we stand by the door. What Tess needs right now is a motivating speech so I try my best to prepare a couple words of wisdom in my head. "Tess, you're a great girl." I start, "Your friends still love you even if they love Mitchie too now. I think you should ignore the reality that you lost them all for a moment and focus on the fact that you have them right now. Also, you're kind of friends with Caitlyn and all of them now."
With a smile forming on her face, she lets out another sigh. "Thanks, Shane. You always know what to say."
A crisp breeze blows on my skin and the sky gets a little darker as a cloud moves in front of the vivid, red sunset. It reminds me that I have to get back to the boys' cabins before a counselor comes to check on everybody.
"Better start walking back now," I speak, "Do you promise to be nicer for me?"
"I promise," she giggles. "Thanks for your help."
"It's my pleasure." I hear leafs crunch and see someone arrive out of the corner of my eye as I talk.
Speak of the devil. I had forgotten Tess was actually staying with Mitchie, Caitlyn and Lola because Ella and Peggy had filled up their cabin with some of their new friends. Although I recall the memory the moment I turn to see Mitchie standing at the bottom of the three wood steps.
This couldn't have looked worse through Mitchie's eyes. The boy you departed from earlier today talking to the girl you hate. I feel so horrible.
"Hi, Mitchie," I utter with an awkward tone of voice.
"Hey, Shane." She walks up the set of stairs and in between Tess and me. "Tess," she pronounces sternly with a glare and walks inside.
Hopefully Tess will still be nice to Mitchie even thought it doesn't look like Mitchie is going to be nice to her.
"I better get inside."
"Goodnight," I articulate, shooting her a hopeful smile and walk back to my cabin.
As I open the door, Nate and Jason are sitting on their beds playing with their guitars. They're always the ones to do the same thing in the same room but never do anything together. It's something I've always found weird about them.
"Why are you so late?" Jason asks realizing its eight-twenty. "Didn't you get caught?"
"No," I answer, "And I was walking Tess back to her cabin."
Nate looks up from his six string. "Tess? What about Mitchie?"
"Nothing's happening between Tess and me. Besides," my voice gets a little quieter as I loom the sensitive subject, "Mitchie and I broke up today."
They both look completely befuddled by what I've spoke. I answer to their expressions; "Things just didn't work out, okay? I don't want to talk about it."
"Does this have anything to do with Tess?" Nate asks, getting up and walking over to his dresser.
"Why do you guys always have to think there is something between me and every one of my friends who are girls?"
Jason chuckles at me and inquires, "Why are you always 'just friends' with all these girls?"
I disregard their stupid questions. They are my band mates and my best friends but they've never been very good at understanding me.
Nate takes off his shirt and I get this feeling in my stomach all of the sudden. Something I'm unable to defy. I quickly rush to the bathroom, lock the door behind me and sit against the wall in the far corner.
What was that?