One Summer, One Goal

t w e n t y o n e

I was feeding myself a bowl of fresh vegetables and croutons while yearning for Ian's touch once again. It's been so fucking long.

My phone was in my hand as I stalked through Instagram, liking pictures of Kylie Jenner and Kim Kardashian.

Any minute, it would be my turn to be called to meet Ian in the forest. Although, I doubt that we would have a talk about nature and shit, we'd probably just hang out there until my time is up.

My airpods hung tightly in my ear, the jazzy and catchy song Fly Me To The Moon was playing in my ears, making my head nod to the beat.

"Fly me to the moon."

"And let me play among the stars..."

I hummed the first few notes carefully, trying to occupy my time while waiting. So far, Alex, Erika, and Madison have talked to Ian.

And Ian called me a few minutes ago telling me how his encounter with Alex went. He wasn't in a good mood and was bent out of shape.

When I unplugged my airpods, as if on cue, the speakers came rumbling my name, "Audrey Anderson? Audrey Anderson? Please proceed to the forest to have your nature talk with Mr. Morayne."

Giddily, I packed all of my stuff then left the cafeteria hall along with my cold and bland salad.

I ran past the main lobby, the flag pole, the cabins, the gym, determined to risk ten minutes of running towards the dark forest.

Even if my sides hurt due to the intense and non-stop running, it's all worth the effort to see Ian immediately.

I let out a flow of breath, catching some air before continuing. I massaged my sides tenderly and took deep and long breaths until it cured.

Finally, I stood in front of the grand forest. There seemed to be a barrier between the dark and dimmed trees, and the sunny area of this humongous camp.

There was a chill down my spine as I stepped into the wilderness. My sneakers stepped on a leaf, crunching it very loudly.

I was entering the forest. I looked around the area and there were small birds chirping, leaves on the ground, and thick trees which covered the sky.

Sam should really consider cutting down some of the trees to get more sun in. It's awful for the population of birds claiming this forest as their habitat.

I stood there for a moment, thinking of which direction I should go to. Left, right, straight? After a few seconds of thinking, I decided on the right path since it is always correct.

There was a loud crunch from thr back. Louder than mine was earlier. I froze like a dear in headlights as I felt my heart beat without any rhythm.

Reluctantly, I questioned, "W-Who goes there?" I backed away for a second, clutching on to my bag. I prayed it was just Ian fumbling with me. Or it was just a thought.

The sound was closer. Without thinking, I ran straight into the unknown, prioritizing my safety first.

My breathing went fast. I was scared. Who knows what's it for me beyond this point? There might be bears, lions, tigers...or a venomous cobra lurking around!

Just thinking of me dying and leaving the face of the Earth without saying goodbye had my stomach doing a set of summersaults.

I paused for a second, turning around to double check if someone was tagging along on my tail while catching my breath.

Suddenly, I felt two hands touch my shoulders, padding them gently, long strokes of breath against my neck.

"Hey, idiot..." I know that drawling voice anywhere. I turned around quite flustered then began hitting him with my bag.