Page 73 of Lost Boy
FALLON
I’ve never been camping before, and I don’t think this whole trust-building thing is a good idea, let alone actually accomplish anything. But Ryder wants me there, and Joel says it would be good for me too. I don’t play sports and don’t need to trust any of these people, but I’ll go anywhere to spend time with my boyfriend, even if it’s camping. It could be fun to mess around in a tent.
“Let’s get settled and pick our spot before anyone else gets here. They have little plots of land for tents that’re separated by the trees for privacy. Some have a firepit or picnic table. We definitely need to get one of those. You brought your guitar, right?”
“Yeah.”
I’ve been practicing again. Been thinking about that letter a lot, too.
“Will you play for me tonight? Sing for me?”
“Just us?”
His lip twitches and that dazzling smile blooms. “Just us, Blue,” he confirms.
With a sharp nod, I agree. I don’t mind serenading my boyfriend by the campfire.
“Sweet!” he cheers, happy as ever. His enthusiasm is growing on me.
The deeper we get into the preserve, the denser the forest becomes. Trees tower above us, their thick trunks and massive height blocking the afternoon sun.
We follow the winding path, and Ryder flips his headlights on, illuminating the road in front of us. He reaches his long arm over, resting his hand on my thigh and giving me a squeeze before leaving it there. I like it. The weight of his hand, his strength. It’s comforting. Reassuring.
A small wooden sign marks the entrance toAcadia Lake Campgrounds, and Ryder flips his blinker on, turning in. The lot is only half full, a couple families and another young couple milling about. Hopefully two dozen rivaling high school basketball players won’t disturb their vacations. I take a deep breath, already anticipating the worst.
“What? What’s wrong?” Ryder picks up on my mood shift.
“Nothing. Just hoping nothing goes wrong. For our sake and the sake of all these poor, unsuspecting people. I wouldn’t want to be around a bunch of teenagers if I were them.”
Ryder winces. “Yeah, this is probably just a bad idea all around. I hope we don’t kill each other being in such close proximity. Because I know it’s going to be tempting.”
I nod, agreeing while I reached for the new hiking backpack Joel got me so I could pack all my stuff in one convenient bag. I don’t really like accepting things from him because it makes me uncomfortable. But I don’t have enough money for camping gear, and I’m only here for Joel and Ryder.
“Let’s go claim our spot. You gonna be able to get out of the truck okay, babe? That bag’s nearly the size of you. And the drop? Please don’t sprain your ankle before the weekend even starts.”
“Har, har,” I deadpan. “I think we’ve established that I do not need a step stool. Thank you very much.”
Ryder’s smooth laughter bubbles out of him. “Well, regardless, be careful. You’re kinda small, and that drop is kinda big.”
We both get out of the truck, and I leave the heavy-ass pack on the seat while I climb down. Before I can even grab it, Ryder reaches over me with his big body and grabs my pack like it weighs five pounds. He slings it over his shoulder, a matching bag in forest green on his other side.
“Can you grab the tent from the back? And the cooler if you can.”
The tent is pretty big but packaged securely and weighs less than my pack. And the cooler has a handle and wheels, so I pull it after me as we head toward the Camp Dakota Adventure Bus.
“Hey, guys! I’m Dale. Are you public or private?” he asks with an overzealous smile, bright orange hair, and clipboard in hand.
This is going to be a long weekend. I’ll probably just be a silent observer andnotan active participant.
“Private. Ryder Cruz. Team captain. Here to get settled in and claim the plots for my team.”
“Great! That means I’ll be your counselor. Bryant is taking on the public school. One tent and two campers per campground. These are smaller plots for singles and couples. There are a variety of firepits, seating logs, picnic tables, and other small amenities unique to each. Bathrooms and showers are communal and marked with several signs on the trails between campgrounds. You won’t miss it. We also have some here.” Dale motions behind him at a large brown building.
He hands us each a map and itinerary. “Here’s the schedule so you know when there are mandatory exercises, optional discussions, mealtimes, and evening gatherings. We at Camp Dakota look forward to providing a fun, safe, and adventurous excursion to build trust, teamwork, and leadership.”
“Great, thanks,” Ryder says with false enthusiasm, but I don’t have the social energy required to interact with someone as peppy as Dale. He is a step above my processing power at the moment.
This weekend should be interesting. I’m not required to do any of this. I’ll do what I want, but I don’t need to push myself like the rest of them.
