Page 18 of Desolation
“No!” all the men yell collectively.
I clap my hands over my ears at the sudden yelling.Okay. Let’s drop that one for now.
But this isn’t over. I’m putting my foot down on this nickname.
“Okay, okay,” I relent before glaring at the twins and pointing my finger at them. “But do not insultTransformersever again! Or else!”
Luke rolls his eyes, taunting me. “Yeah, because we’resoooscared,Juicy Fruit.”
I glare at his audacity, not giving him an inch until he starts shifting nervously under the heat of my gaze. Seems the guys think they can get away with anything now that we’re almost, sort of, maybe … dating?
When Luke turns his eyes away from me, appropriately uncomfortable, I nod my head. “I’ll remember this, boys. I’ll remember this.”
Ash snorts. “Make sure you check your shower temperature before you get in. Trust me.”
Zedd and I chuckle at his warning. I strut up to my partner-in-crime and hold my fist up for a bump. He obliges and we end with the universal sign for fireworks. “Booyah!”
“Wait!” Luke exclaims. “Was there a prank without us?”
Leo yells, “The horror!”
My eyes crinkle with a smile at the two lunatics.
“Alright,” Hale says. “Let’s head out before it gets too late. I don’t want to have to rush back to make curfew. You can settle your differences in the water.”
Dutifully, we all pick up a bag and head out the door to make the trek to the lake.
Most of the places we like to go are easily accessible on foot. Walking also allows us to be out in nature for longer, which we all love. So, when Beth offered to buy us a used car to get around easier, none of us felt the need to take her up on the offer but she still went ahead with the plan.
It mostly sits idle in the garage, except for when there’s a storm in the forecast.
Being out in the natural world brings a sense of peace to our group. We’ve discussed it a little but for me, being out here with the trees, the lake—it fills a piece of me that longs for something greater, something I can’t quite seem to grasp.
I have a sneaking suspicion it’s the same for the men.
As summer break comes to an end and our senior year of college looms ever closer, our opportunities for relaxation will be few and far between. It’s the reason I decided on the lake trip today. It’s slightly further out than our normal stomping grounds but definitely worth the walk. This is exactly what we need before all the stress of coursework and exams overwhelms us soon.
“So, school is starting soon. Have you guys finished enrolling in classes?” I ask, not particularly thrilled at the prospect.
“I’m all set,” Zedd answers, sounding almost bored. “I don’t have a full course load this year because I’m slightly ahead.”
Ah, my little bookworm. His brain is so attractive to me.
Because of the long list of advanced placement course credits, he had from high school, he skipped a lot of the intro classes in our freshman year of college. He probably could have graduated last year, but I think he held off to stay with us.
Ash scuffs his feet against the dirt road, scattering rocks. “I’m thinking of taking the year off.”
The twins nod and clap him on the back. “Same.”
Wow, what? We only have a year left.
I look over at Hale, lost in thought. Poking him in the ribs to get his attention, I ask, “What about you?”
“I enrolled but I’m also struggling at the thought of having to go for another year.”
I’m reeling from these revelations. I didn’t even see this coming.
Did I?
