Today, I'm back before 7:30 pm and find that Jason and Nate must have left dinner early too. Nate's plucking at his guitar, like usual, and Jason is drawing something. He's been drawing a lot lately.
"You're earlier than usual," Jason says, "I'm used to seeing you back ten minutes after the bell rings."
I smile a little and tell him, "Tess had to meet with Brown about Final Jam."
"You've been hanging out with Tess an awful lot," he says. "Are you guys, like…?"
"No!" I avow. "Why does everybody think we're dating? First Mitchie, now you."
Jason puts his hands up in defense, declaring, "It is a little suspicious, Shane. You break up with this girl and you're all of the sudden hanging around this other like she's dying tomorrow."
I look at him like he's crazy and attempt to make an excuse. "That's really offensive, Jason. How do you know she's not dying?"
"Is she?"
"No."
Nate hasn't looked up this entire time. I walk past him to get to the dresser and pull out a baggy t-shirt and some flannel pants to wear to bed.
"Nate," Jason looks to him across the room, "Doesn't it seem like there's something going on between Shane and Tess."
Nate finally looks up from his guitar. Stammering recklessly, he says, "Um, I don't know. I guess."
I look at him and we make eye contact for the first time since the kiss. His face looks fretful somehow. Part of me almost wants to reassure him that I won't say anything but the other part of me is mad at him for being such a jerk and wants him to suffer in his worries. Does that make me just as bad as him?
"So do think you'll perform that song in our next show here?" Jason changes the subject, speaking of the song Nate's been playing on his bed.
"I don't know," he shrugs, "Maybe we'll just try it out."
Turning away, I let out a brazen sniff beneath my breath. His words remind me of what he had said to me yesterday.
"What?" Nate states, turning around to look at my presents again.
"Nothing," I say, "But maybe you should at least warn the song before using it."
He stands up and rolls his eyes at me. "Maybe it doesn't matter that much."
"Well, maybe you shouldn't get the song's hopes up."
"Maybe the song shouldn't be so sensitive."
"Maybe you should treat all songs like songs and not something to toy with. No matter how sensitive!" I snap.
Jason looks at the two of us with one eyebrow lifted. I ignore his look and turn around to get into my bunk, facing the wall.
The lights go out shortly after I'm in my bed except for the dim, blue glow of Nate's cell phone that I can see out of the corner of my eye. It goes off and I suddenly hear footsteps creaking across the room and the loose cabin door gently screeching open and falling shut.