Page 92 of Class Clown

Meredith kicked my shin lightly. “Because that’s what friends do when they see a guy being all goo-goo for one of their besties. We aren’t going to let him think you’re a lone antelope on the plains, open to being plucked by the first lion to come around. It’s both information gathering, and warning.”

Aryn nodded. “It’s true. I grilled him as well. He’s been warned. Though, I liked what I heard and put away my sword.”

“Was he okay with you chatting him up that way?” I asked, mystified. I’d never had my friends grill a guy before. Probably because no other guy had ever been worth grilling. The thought made my heart sink a little. Howsad that I’d only spent time with non-grillworthy dudes. “Did he grill you back?”

They both nodded. “He had a few questions of his own, but for the most part it was about him,” Aryn answered.

“Okay,” I breathed.

“So,” Meredith stood abruptly, “to sum up. Nico is cool and we approve. We have a long drive ahead of us, so we’re leaving.”

With that, she marched to the car.

Aryn and I giggled as we stood. Aryn grabbed me and pulled me in for a tight hug.

“I loved being here this week, Rubes.”

I hugged her back just as tight. “I’m so glad you came.”

“I hope the rest of the summer is something worth calling home about,” she winked playfully as she released me.

I bit my lip and nodded.

I was hoping the same thing.

Chapter 22

Ruby’s Truth: Trust yourself - you know the way.

I laid in my bunk that night feeling completely exhausted and happy. It had been the best week. Having two of my friends here had been such a boon. I replayed the countless things we’d laughed over. Clogged toilets and racoon gang fights. Camp games and camp fires. It had been heaven. They’d hung out with me in the health center when I needed to be on hand, and we’d spent hours indulging Aryn in short hikes when time permitted.

Cole and Nico were already asleep, their deep breathing a comforting sound in the dark. I thought about Nico and Meredith and the way they’d clicked, like two little logical-thinking peas in a pod. I’d always trusted Meredith to be a loyal guide, and seeing Nico in that same light had given me a peace I hadn’t realized I’d been searching for. I’d always floated toward men who were like me – easily distracted by the next sparkly thing – when what I actually needed was someone steady and reliable. Steady was attractive.

I fell asleep with a smile on my face.

Mumbled complaints and softened cries filled my dreams, causing me to toss around in my bed until my eyes flew open, my heart pounding. I had no idea what time it was, but the cabin was entirely black except for the small trail of moonlight that came past the outside edges of the curtains. I worked on calming my breath as my eyes adjusted to my surroundings, unsure of why I felt anxious until the sounds came again. Groans, andpleas, nonsense words with a worried tone that I recognized as Nico’s voice. With that came understanding. He was having a nightmare.

I had no idea if I should try to wake him or not. The current school of thought was to let it play out while staying close in case they started walking around or were in danger. Waking them could cause an outburst, or make it harder for them to forget the images they’d been seeing in their mind. Still, it was difficult to listen and do nothing.

I tossed back my covers and moved past my sheet curtain to stand near Nico’s bunk. He was on the bottom bed, like me, and I sat on the floor, leaving some distance so that if he did wake I wouldn’t be seen as a threat. I assumed it was related to his military service, which might make him go into attack mentality if he came out of it and was drowsy and confused.

He hadn’t shared large amounts of his experiences, but enough to know that there had been times of conflict and fighting, and times of boredom so complete that he’d had to invent games in his head to keep from running down the street screaming. It couldn’t be easy to live in a place of waiting for combat to surprise you around every corner, while also becoming somewhat complacent when days and weeks of nothing passed.

I knew he’d suffered loss and pain, but those things had been shared in stilting syllables in the rare moments we’d had alone, and I hadn’t asked for more, knowing he’d had a good therapist and that some things didn’t need to keep being dragged out to see the light of day.

He tossed around, muttering incoherent syllables, his body tense and fighting something I couldn’t see. I wrapped my hands around my knees and began humming a tune, hoping that maybe the soft, calm melody would weave into his subconscious somehow.

After a few minutes it seemed to be working. His breathing slowed, and he lay still until suddenly his eyes popped open and he looked over at me with confusion and residual fear. Unsure of what my best move was, or if he was fully aware, I scooted backwards on my bottom across the wooden floor, toward my own bunk, keeping myself small and non-threatening.

He moved out of his bed so quickly I hardly had a chance to react before he was kneeling in front of me, his eyes wild, his arms reaching. I froze as he wrapped his hands around my upper arms and looked closer, as though he couldn’t quite figure out who I was, or what I was doing there.

“Ruby?” he whispered.

I nodded and put a hand to his cheek. “Yes. It was a dream. I’m here.” I kept my voice slow and soft.

He pushed out a breath and let go, jumping to his feet and moving out the back door of the cabin like he was being chased.

Did I follow? Did I leave him to it? In the end, my empathy couldn’t stand to abandon someone when they were upset. If I went out and he told me to go away, I’d respect that. But I had to try.

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