I’m this close to asking if I can join him instead but at the last second, I don’t bother. He’d tell me no anyway. And do I really want to hang out with his friends? He’s probably sitting with Caleb and Diego. Those guys have always been total douchebags around me. His friend Tony is all right, but he’s awfully quiet. I figured that’s because he has secrets.
But maybe I’m wrong. Who knows? Tony isn’t talking.
The only guy Jake hangs out with on a semi-regular basis from the football team that I actually like is Wyatt. He’s in my grade, he’s cute, he’s nice, and he moved up to the varsity team at the end of our freshman year, which was kind of a big deal. I like him, but I don’t like him, like him, if you know what I mean.
“What are you doing here then?” I ask, when Jake still hasn’t said anything.
“I want to talk to you.” He crouches down, so we’re at eye level. My brother looks a lot like Dad. Same facial features. Same dark hair. Me? I look like Mom, minus her short height. I’m taller than her and Autumn. But I’m blonde and green-eyed just like my mama.
“What about?” I ask warily.
“I’m hoping you can cover for me tonight.” He leans to his right, checking to see if Mom and Dad are paying attention to us, I’m sure. “I’m probably going to be out late.”
“What are you doing?” I ask, curious. Jake and I are close in age, which means we can argue a lot, but we get along for the most part too. When we were little, we did everything together. As we got older, Jake took on the role as overprotective big brother, which sometimes gets old.
But secretly I love it. He’s always got my back.
He sends me a look, his lips tight. “Like I’m going to tell you.”
“If you want me to cover for you, you have to at least tell me what’s going on,” I say, irritated with his secretive attitude.
His voice drops a couple of levels. “We’re going to TP the Mustangs’ cabins tonight.”
I stare at him for a moment, at a loss for words. “That’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard.”
“What’s the big deal? They deserve it. I hate those guys.” He glares over at the tables where our rival team is sitting, and Eli Bennett just happens to be looking straight at us.
Straight at me.
Our gazes meet. He appears amused by the entire situation, while I’m annoyed. What is this dude’s deal? Why does he always look like he’s in on some big joke, and he can’t wait to reveal the punchline?
I tear my gaze away from his, and focus on my brother, who is still staring down the other team. “It’s going to be real obvious who TP’d them tomorrow morning. You’ll get in trouble,” I tell him.
“Not if we TP other cabins too,” Jake says as he turns to face me once more with a giant grin.
Lame. “I think it’s a terrible idea.”
“I didn’t ask for your opinion.” His tone is snotty.
“Too bad, you’re getting it anyway,” I say, just as snottily. I tilt my head toward his and whisper, “Dad will kill you if he finds out you guys are causing trouble the first night you’re here.”
“Just boys being boys,” he says, with that same stupid grin.
Ugh. My brother thinks he can excuse any bad behavior with shit clichés like that.
“Boys disrespecting their coaches and making them look bad,” I add.
Jake frowns. He didn’t like hearing that. “Why you always gotta bring me down?” He rises to his feet, towering over me.
I turn away from him and right my chair, so I’m facing the table again. Jake doesn’t move, though. He remains behind me, resting his hands on my shoulders and giving them a not so gentle squeeze. Somehow he catches Dad’s attention and essentially sucks up to him and all those old men who are running this camp, sweet-talking them about football and how he’s going places and wants to follow in our father’s footsteps. Blah, blah, blah.
So annoying.
Shrugging out of my brother’s hold, I place the napkin I eagerly set on my lap, only a few minutes ago, on top of my salad and empty dinner plate. “I’ll be right back,” I tell Mom, as I push my chair back.
“Where are you going?” she asks.
“Bathroom.” I’m lying. I just want out of here. Away from my brother. Out of this room full of loud boys chattering nonstop. I need fresh air.
I move through the room, exiting through one of the side doors, and breathe in the fresh mountain air the moment I step outside. Glancing around, I realize I’m standing on a patio that’s connected to the dining hall. There are wooden picnic tables scattered everywhere, some of them covered by blue umbrellas.
Walking over to one of them, I settle on one of the benches, wishing we would’ve been served dinner out here. It’s so much cooler, and it smells wonderful. Not like sweaty teenaged boys.
Though if we were seated outside, it probably would smell like sweaty teenaged boys. Ew.
I savor the silence for a while. Oh, I can still hear all the hustle and bustle happening inside, but I’m detached from it, and I’m so glad. I didn’t want to hear those old guys yammering on. And I really didn’t want to hear Jake continuously sweettalk our parents so they think he’s an innocent choirboy, when he’s really planning on destroying our rival high school’s cabins later tonight.
It’s only with toilet paper, but still. Ridiculous.
There are giant barrels placed here and there on the decking that are full of colorful, fragrant flowers. Breathing deep, I can smell their sweet scent, and I close my eyes for a moment, just as the breeze washes over me and I can hear the delicate noise coming from a nearby windchime.
“What are you doing?”
My eyes pop open to find freaking Eli standing about twenty feet away from where I’m sitting. He’s watching me, that amused expression long gone from his—I hate to admit this—very attractive face. Now he appears…
Curious.
“Why are you following me?” I throw back at him.
He takes a couple of steps toward me. “I walked past the open door over there.” He turns and waves a hand toward the door I exited through, not even five minutes before. “And saw you sitting outside. Alone.”
“There’s a reason I’m sitting here. By myself.” I wait for him to leave, but he doesn’t budge. “I want to be alone.” I say the words slowly, like I need to help him comprehend.
“Hey, just wanted to make sure you were okay.” He holds his hands up in front of him, that irritatingly pleasant smile back on his face, as he backs up a couple of steps. “It’s all good. Didn’t mean to get up in your business.”
Turning, he starts to walk back toward the dining hall.
“What do you mean, you wanted to make sure I’m okay?” I call after him, curiosity now getting the better of me.
He hesitates for a moment before he slowly turns to face me. “You looked upset. Earlier. When you were talking to your brother.”
Oh. Didn’t really want him to notice any of that conversation, since it pretty much dealt specifically with him. “It was nothing. You know how it is.”
“How what is?” He frowns. Looks a little confused, which I must admit, is a good look on him.