LOGINThe morning after the camp was over, felt like I had walked back into my normal life with a secret sitting on my chest.Everything looked the same.The same room. The same annoying sound of Jun’s alarm going off even though he wasn’t awake enough to turn it off. The same pile of clothes on the chair that I kept promising myself I would clean. But I wasn’t the same.I lay there staring at the ceiling, replaying everything that happened at the cabin even though I was trying my hardest not to.Mason’s voice, Kai’s smile, Lila’s laugh when she was nervous. The way all of us had crossed a line we couldn’t uncross.My phone sat beside me on the bed. No new messages, no threats. Nothing and somehow that bothered me more. Because waiting for something bad to happen was worse than knowing it already had.I finally forced myself out of bed and got ready for school.The second I stepped into the hallway, everything felt louder than usual.People were laughing near the stairs. Someone was arguing
The morning after the bonfire felt unreal in the worst possible way.For a few seconds after I opened my eyes, and I genuinely forgot where I was. All I saw was the pale morning light pushing through the cabin windows and felt warmth pressed against me from every direction.Then my brain caught up. Mason’s arm was still wrapped around my waist, possessive even in sleep. Kai was half curled against my side with one leg thrown over mine like he belonged there. Lila’s head rested on my chest, her hair all over the place and tickling my jaw every time she breathed.Nobody had moved yet. My heartbeat started climbing immediately with something worse. Because the second I remembered last night, I also remembered how badly I didn’t regret it.And that should’ve terrified me more but I wasn't.Kai stirred first beside me, groaning softly before blinking awake. For a second he just stared at me sleepily, then smiled like waking up tangled together was the most normal thing in the world.“Morni
The Sports Festival announcement already had the whole school acting insane, but the real chaos started two days later during morning assembly.Principal Gage stepped up to the microphone with the same expression teachers used right before ruining everybody’s peace.“Due to the increased interest in this year’s showcase,” she announced, “we’ll also be holding a three-day leadership and training camp next weekend at the state park for participating athletes.”The gym got loud immediately.“Cabins, team-building exercises, strategy sessions, and additional training opportunities will all be included. College scouts are paying very close attention this year, so attendance is strongly encouraged.”Somebody near the back yelled, “So basically summer camp with emotional trauma.”Half the gym started laughing.Coach looked exhausted already.I sank lower in my seat while people around me immediately started talking over each other about cabin assignments and sneaking alcohol.Three days at c
Nobody moved after Lila spoke.Music still pounded downstairs hard enough to shake the floor, but up in the hallway everything felt weirdly quiet. Too quiet.Lila looked between all three of us again like her brain was trying to process the scene and failing miserably.Kai leaned back against the wall first, completely unbothered somehow. “Okay wow, your timing is actually insane.”Lila blinked once. “Kai.”“What?”“What the actual hell am I looking at right now?”“That’s honestly a difficult question.”I dragged a hand down my face immediately. “This is not helping.”Mason still stood close behind me, one hand resting low against my waist like he forgot it was there. Lila’s eyes dropped to it instantly before snapping back up to my face.“You kissed Kai?”“No,” Kai answered before I could speak. “Technically I kissed him.”“That is somehow worse.”“I thought honesty mattered.”Lila stared at him like she wanted to throw him down the stairs.Meanwhile I was seconds away from spontaneo
By Thursday morning, nobody in school could focus on anything except Derek Holloway’s party.The announcement happened halfway through first period after mrs Linda left the classroom for a phone call. Derek stood on top of his chair like an idiot while everybody yelled at him to get down.“My parents are leaving for Chicago tomorrow,” he announced proudly. “Which means my house is legally becoming public property Friday night.”The classroom exploded immediately.“No way.”“You’re lying.”“Bro your neighbors are calling the cops for sure.”Derek pointed dramatically. “That sounds like future Derek’s problem.”Even the teacher looked tired already.People started throwing questions at him from every direction while he laughed through all of it. Somebody asked if alcohol would be there. Derek just grinned and said, “I’m not answering questions that could incriminate me.”Lila leaned toward me from the desk beside mine. “You’re going.”“I wasn’t planning to.”“You literally never plan t
After the hallway conversation, things between me and Mason changed so fast it almost gave me whiplash. Not officially. Nothing was defined. Nothing was labeled. We still weren’t whatever normal people would call us. But the feelings between us had changed into something softer now, something heavier too because neither of us could really hide from it anymore. Mason liked me. Actually liked me and somehow knowing that made every little interaction feel ten times more dangerous. Especially because now he stopped pretending his attention toward me was accidental. His hand would settle on my lower back while passing behind me and stay there half a second longer than necessary. His texts came more often now, random little check-ins during the day that somehow became the part of my schedule I looked forward to most. Have you eaten yet? Is the hospital okay today? Are you alive or dramatic? The stupid thing was I answered every single time almost immediately. Which Lila found deep







