Page 84 of Class Clown

They watched me closely as we gathered their duffel bags and sleeping gear out of Aryn’s car, exchanging looks I pretended not to notice. I definitely needed to update them, but it wasn’t going to be in the parking area in front of the other camp staff.

I fell into chatter mode, giving every strange and boring detail about the camp that I could think of. They patiently listened, occasionally murmuring a reply, until I’d hustled them right past Nico – who had noticed us and offered me that smile I’d been hoping for - and into the back door of Funky Bunks.

“The only rule of Funky Bunks is never use the front door,” I told them as I walked to it to demonstrate the huge bang. “It scares us to death every time.” Then I turned to the bunks. “We’re behind that sheet wall. I got an extra pad for the floor that we can scoot under the bunk during the day. Who wants top bunk and who wants the floor pad?”

Aryn looked at Meredith. “She fell for him.”

Meredith smirked. “Definitely.”

I gasped. “That’s . . .”

“It’s totally true.” Aryn cut me off. “I knew it would happen. I heard the stories, he’s like molasses to your gingerbread.”

I snorted. “That analogy doesn’t even make sense.”

She shrugged. “Doesn’t have to. I still stand by it.”

I looked to Meredith for support. Her smile was knowing. “I’m not here to judge. Just to shamelessly watch it all unfold and offer up commentary like you did for me.”

Aryn laughed and I rolled my eyes.

“Let’s say for one second you’re right,” I hedged.

“We are,” Meredith stated, tugging the floor pad out and unrolling her sleeping bag onto it.

I sputtered. “We’re undefined.”

“Who is?” Aryn questioned.

“Me and Nico.”

Aryn threw her gear onto the top bunk, her height making her the smarter choice to go up. “You haven’t even admitted you’re into him, so obviously it’s undefined.”

“Things are being discussed,” I argued.

Meredith coughed. “Brooks and Idiscussedthings a lot before we were ever a couple. I think you called it a classic enemy to lovers romance.”

I nodded. “It was so precious.”

Aryn cocked a hip and leaned against the dresser. “Spill it, or I’ll sick Meredith on him and he’ll be spilling his guts before dinner.”

I frowned. “Nico is military. He won’t cave so easily.”

Meredith stood and kicked her now-made bed back under the bunk. She grinned up at me and I shuddered at the look on her face.

“Wanna bet?” she asked.

I shook my head. “Not really.”

“You have one chance to tell us your story before I go find out myself,” Meredith stated, folding her arms.

I sighed. “Alright. You guys know that the original plan was to matchmake him with Kristy, but then I started finding him beautifully fascinating, and he’s so nice to me, and then we became friends, and I kissed him in the forest at night, and then I told him I won’t apologize for it, and then he said I was his first crush and that he’d be pursuing me so buckle up. Oh, and distance isn’t an issue.”

My two friends shared a look. “Did you get all that?” Aryn asked with a chuckle.

Meredith nodded. “She fell for a decent guy who likes her back and she doesn’t know how to handle it.”

My mouth flopped open. “That’s not what I said.”

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