Chapter Seventeen Evalyn
Friday came really fast. Before I knew it, I was being pack into one of the two buses after school. I stood in the aisle of the almost already full bus not seeing anybody I really knew well enough to want to sit beside them and listen to them for the two hours it would take to get to the campgrounds. Just as I was about to give up, I was shoved from the back only to be caught by the arm as I started to fall.
“Crap! I’m sorry Eva. You ok?” asked Owen as he let go of my arm.
I rubbed my arm pretending to be in pain and I whined, “No, I think you broke my arm Owen!”
He rolled his eyes as he punched me in the same arm, and laughed at me. “Come on, want to sit with me? I can ask somebody to move so we can sit together,” he offered.
I nodded my head in agreement and Owen went to work. He leaned in and flashed his shy smile as he asked one of the girls if she would mind moving because he really wanted to sit with me so that he could ask me out. Smiling at his ‘romantic’ idea, the girl willing gave up her seat to go closer to the front with some of her other friends.
I covered my laughter with a cough as I looked at Owen, who stood back letting me take the window seat. “Why thank you good sir,” I said.
“So Eva about this… I was really hoping to take this change to ask you out,” he joked.
“You can escort me to the banquet on the final night if you wish, but be warned, you will also have to escort one of my other gorgeous friends as well as me, think you can handle that?” I teased.
“With pleasure! I mean, sure I can.”
I raised my one eyebrow and smirked at him. “I’m sure it’s your pleasure Owen. Can I see your schedule? I can’t find mine,” Owen nodded and unzipped his school bag and dug around for a minute, looking for the piece of paper and pulled it out when he finally found the one I wanted to see. I looked it over again, trying to memorize the details and the times we had to be where when.
“Now I can see why Mr. Conner said this was going to be a busy weekend,” I laughed as I handed Owen back the schedule.
“Do you think the cabins will be heated?” he asked.
“It’s mid-October. I hope that the cabins will be heated!” I exclaimed.
“Want to sing a few songs?” he suddenly asked after a minute of silence.
I smiled as I said, “You know I can never say no to singing. Go grab a guitar.”
For the rest of the bus ride, there was a little crowd around our few seats, all belting out song lyrics for the many songs that were played. The guitar was passed around as songs were requested.
When we finally pulled the camp grounds about an hour later, everybody piled off the bus, happy to be able to walk around and stretch their legs after the long ride. We all huddled around a big tree and the other bus pulled in behind our own. Then the parent supervisors who had driven their own cars came in next.
Once everybody was gathered around the tree, we were introduced to the parents that would be working in the kitchen and the student teachers from the local university that would be helping teach us during the trip. Once that was out of the way, the student teachers were assigned to a cabin in pairs and given the duty to keep an eye on all of us troublesome singers.
When everybody started to head towards their cabin I grabbed my bag and started off towards where I guessed it would be. And after three minutes of walking, I finally asked one of the other girls in my program if I was going in the right way. When she said no I turned and cursed at myself for not paying attention when the cabin directions where being given. Finally, I found my cabin.
There were already a few girls in the cabin. I was glad that we got to pick who we slept with this weekend instead of random draw like Mr. Conner had threatened us with. I knew these girls fairly well even if I didn’t talk to them much and I was glad I knew that we got along. The cabins held eight people each, so Vic, Isabella and I had taken one so we could be together while five other girls had joined into our cabin with us. I saw Isabella’s stuff already here on a lower bunk bed. I tossed my bag onto a bunk beside Isabella’s, claiming it for Vic and I. I waited for her to come in, since I needed to talk to her before this crazy weekend started.
As I was thinking of a way to tell her what I needed to say, she stumbled in the door with two overnight bags in hand. I rolled my eyes at her. All I had was another backpack yet she needed two full overnight bags. That was just like her: prepared for anything and everything.
“Did you see Carter on your way over here?” I asked her as I slowly.
“Nope,” She told me.
“Okay, we need to talk somewhere where nobody can hear us. I saw a park beside the camp grounds. It’s perfect,” I told her before grabbing her hand and dragging her out of the cabin behind me.
We walked the two minutes to the park that was near next door to the camp and we took a seat in the swings. I pushed myself back and started to slowly swing, feeling the nice chill rushing past my checks, turning them pink I was sure.
Vic was silent for a moment as she watched me swinging, “So why are we over here?” she asked, getting right to the point. When I was silent for a minute she continued, “Does it have something to do with why you asked if Carter was around?”
I closed my eyes. Maybe if I didn’t see her face when I told her this it would be easier to say. I was nervous; my mittened hands that were holding into the cold metal of the chains were trembling.
I took a deep breath and spit it out, “I love Carter.”
“You what?” She asked.
I spoke more slowly this time, “I love him, Carter. I have since I first met him.” I felt myself blushing as I confessed to her. “What do I do Vic? Should I continue to go out with Owen and pretend I feel more for him then just friendship? Or go out with Carter and live my life in secret.”
“Evalyn, breath. First of all, I knew you liked Carter. Second, you are not related by blood. If you want him darling, then go after him. There is no reason not to. But you have to know whatever you choose to do, I will support you and stand behind you no matter what,” Vic said.
The tears that I had been holding in since I had found out Carter was going to be my step brother finally fell down my cheeks, dripping down my cold face. I stopped swinging and tried to wipe away my tears, embarrassed that I had started crying. “Mum and Colin, I can’t do that to them,” I whispered.
“Sometimes what you want and make you happy won’t make others happy,” She told me, being very wise today.
“I didn’t even tell you why I suddenly called you awhile ago. I went on my date with Owen, Carter and Isabella suddenly showed up. When we got home I tried to get Carter to tell me why he has been so distant lately. Let’s just say it ended with me pinned against a wall, having the best kiss of my life,” I told her.
“He kissed you?” Vic cried in question.
“After he told me that he thinks he loves me,” I said.
Vic smiled at me. “There you go. You both love each other. Be happy,” she said.
“But Vic what if-” I started.
“No, I don’t want to hear it. No buts, what if, or they won’t like it,” Vic said crossing her arms and glaring at me.
“What do I do?” I asked her.
“You do what you want. I can’t choose for you,” she told me.
“Thank you for listening,” I said and stood up and gave her an awkward hug because she was still sitting in her swing so I was hugging her head and she wrapped her arms around my waist.
“It’s not a problem,” she said to me smiling up at me then I felt a light smack on my shoulder, “Now why didn’t you tell me sooner?”
“I wasn’t sure how you would react. I didn’t want you to think I was weird or anything,” I admitted blushing.
“You should have known that no matter what you do, unless you kill somebody, I will always love you,” she reminded me.
I grinned as I said, “I know, I guess that’s why I went to you now. You’re my best friend, the only one I know I can trust with everything,” I gave her another big hug and just stood there for a minute thinking about how nice it was to have a friend that I could rely on.
“Feel better now that you’ve finally told somebody?” she asked when I let her go.
“Yeah. I do,” I agreed.
Vic smiled at me and said, “Good, now come on we’re going to be late for dinner!”