spot.
The small wave snap s me out of my shock. I turn to glare at Troian who is currently busy with setting up her and Nikole’s tent. “You never told me she was going to be our fourth,” I hiss.
Troian shrugs as she pulls the two-person pop-up tent out of its canvas storage bag. “It slipped my mind.”
“It slipped your mind?” I practically growl. “You didn’t think this was a detail I’d like to know? That you invited the one student I was completely pining over for an entire semester?”
Troian rolls her eyes. “Elle. She’s here, so just deal with it. Nikole and I are your only way back to civilization,” she reminds me, “and there’s no way we’re cutting this vacation short just because you’re throwing a fit.”
My eyes narrow in anger and I throw my tent poles down in frustration. “I can’t deal with this right now,” I mutter. I turn on my heels and stomp off in the direction of the lake.
“Everythin g okay over there?” Nikole asks, raising her voice slightly.
Troian shrugs sheepishly and returns her concentration to the damnable tent that, for some reason, didn’t come with assembly instructions. She really was starting to hate this camping thing.
Hunter leans against her vehicle and tugs on her ponytail. “You guys didn’t tell me she was going to be here,” she sighs.
Nikole lifts apologetic eyes to the other girl. “I’m sorry,” she says with genuine remorse. “This is all Troian’s doing. She didn’t tell Elle either if it makes you feel any better.”
Hunter worries her bottom lip and looks in the direction of the lake. “She...she didn’t seem exactly happy to see me.”
Nikole places a comforting hand on Hunter’s forearm. “How about I help you with your tent?” she offers.
Hunter pulls her gaze away from the woods and wordlessly nodded.
+++++
“You gonna pout all weekend down here or what?”
I don’t bother to turn away from my view of the lake. “Maybe,” I grumble sourly. I pick a stone from the water’s edge and run my fingers over its smooth features.
Troian si ts down heavily next to me, and joins my gaze out over the lake. There’s hardly any wind and the water’s surface is as smooth as glass. A bird I don’t recognize swoops down low before gliding to a stop, forming small ripples on the surface.
“I’m sorry.”
I grunt unintelligibly at her apology. I throw the rock into the lake and watch the impact upset the lake’s stillness.
Troian di gs her hands into the sand and pulls out handfulls, only to let the grains slip through her fingers. “I should have told you we’d invited Hunter.”
“Yes. You should have,” I say stiffly.
Troian sighs and her shoulders slump . “Is this going to ruin the weekend? Did I ruin everything?”
I close my eyes and suck in a deep breath. “No, Troi,” I finally sigh . “You didn’t ruin anything. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t be acting like this.”
She knocks her shoulder into mine . “So does that mean you’ll come back to the campsite?” she asks hopefully. “I can’t figure out how to put up my tent.”
I tilt my head up and laugh. A real laugh. It feels good, like I haven’t really laughed in a long, long time. “You’re ridiculous,” I say, shaking my head.
Troian stands up and brushes the sand off her backside. “Don’t pretend you don’t like it,” she states matter-of-factly. “You know you love me.”
I twist my lips into a wry smile and allow her to help me off the sandy ground.
+++++
When we make our way back to the
The small wave snap s me out of my shock. I turn to glare at Troian who is currently busy with setting up her and Nikole’s tent. “You never told me she was going to be our fourth,” I hiss.
Troian shrugs as she pulls the two-person pop-up tent out of its canvas storage bag. “It slipped my mind.”
“It slipped your mind?” I practically growl. “You didn’t think this was a detail I’d like to know? That you invited the one student I was completely pining over for an entire semester?”
Troian rolls her eyes. “Elle. She’s here, so just deal with it. Nikole and I are your only way back to civilization,” she reminds me, “and there’s no way we’re cutting this vacation short just because you’re throwing a fit.”
My eyes narrow in anger and I throw my tent poles down in frustration. “I can’t deal with this right now,” I mutter. I turn on my heels and stomp off in the direction of the lake.
“Everythin g okay over there?” Nikole asks, raising her voice slightly.
Troian shrugs sheepishly and returns her concentration to the damnable tent that, for some reason, didn’t come with assembly instructions. She really was starting to hate this camping thing.
Hunter leans against her vehicle and tugs on her ponytail. “You guys didn’t tell me she was going to be here,” she sighs.
Nikole lifts apologetic eyes to the other girl. “I’m sorry,” she says with genuine remorse. “This is all Troian’s doing. She didn’t tell Elle either if it makes you feel any better.”
Hunter worries her bottom lip and looks in the direction of the lake. “She...she didn’t seem exactly happy to see me.”
Nikole places a comforting hand on Hunter’s forearm. “How about I help you with your tent?” she offers.
Hunter pulls her gaze away from the woods and wordlessly nodded.
+++++
“You gonna pout all weekend down here or what?”
I don’t bother to turn away from my view of the lake. “Maybe,” I grumble sourly. I pick a stone from the water’s edge and run my fingers over its smooth features.
Troian si ts down heavily next to me, and joins my gaze out over the lake. There’s hardly any wind and the water’s surface is as smooth as glass. A bird I don’t recognize swoops down low before gliding to a stop, forming small ripples on the surface.
“I’m sorry.”
I grunt unintelligibly at her apology. I throw the rock into the lake and watch the impact upset the lake’s stillness.
Troian di gs her hands into the sand and pulls out handfulls, only to let the grains slip through her fingers. “I should have told you we’d invited Hunter.”
“Yes. You should have,” I say stiffly.
Troian sighs and her shoulders slump . “Is this going to ruin the weekend? Did I ruin everything?”
I close my eyes and suck in a deep breath. “No, Troi,” I finally sigh . “You didn’t ruin anything. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t be acting like this.”
She knocks her shoulder into mine . “So does that mean you’ll come back to the campsite?” she asks hopefully. “I can’t figure out how to put up my tent.”
I tilt my head up and laugh. A real laugh. It feels good, like I haven’t really laughed in a long, long time. “You’re ridiculous,” I say, shaking my head.
Troian stands up and brushes the sand off her backside. “Don’t pretend you don’t like it,” she states matter-of-factly. “You know you love me.”
I twist my lips into a wry smile and allow her to help me off the sandy ground.
+++++
When we make our way back to the
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