� � Hands gently caress each side of my face. The touch feels tentative and ghostly, as do the lips that press themselves to mine.

���“Morning sleeping beauty.” A voice croons above me. Sebastian. Not exactly who Id been hoping to see. “Blaine asked me to swing by and wake you.” The cabin is bright and clear, void of all my mates. “He said youd need to sleep in after ‘last night.'” My friend flashes me his signature wicked grin. “What happened last night?” He punctuates the two words with raises of an eyebrow. I ignore him, as Ive been doing since he woke me. “Oh my god, you fucked him, didnt you?” Rolling my eyes, I carry my toothbrush with me to the bathroom. My friend follows. “Jesus, you did! Was it long? Blaine strikes me as a big dick kinda guy. Unless, hes just compensating...that would be unfortunate.”

���I spit my minty toothpaste water into the sink. Its the same sink Id rinsed my face in the night before. “I did not sleep with him.” I inform my friend, even though its none of his business.

���“Oh.” He shrugs. “Shame.”

�

���“Wait, something happened last night?” Trent gasps. “Oh my god, do tell.” He claps his hands neatly behind his cereal bowl, smiling expectantly to me.

���Sebastian leans back triumphantly. “Well golly. Now that Trent knows you have to tell us.” Trent nods with him. The duo stare at me, faces hungry for gossip. I honestly wouldnt mind the latest camp brotherhood dish. I just wish they didnt want it for me.

���“Trent wouldnt have know if you had kept your mouth shut.” I snap at my friend. Like a little chastised puppy, Trent pouts. Like the conniving minx that he is, Bas perks up.

���“Well, thered be nothing to know if you had just kept your legs shut.” His fingers dance across the table like the legs of a promiscuous Rockette.

���Maybe its because I shouldve slept in longer. Maybe its because I want to see that little smirk fall right off of Sebastians face. But, I let him have it. “Funny, because that is exactly what happened!” I am aware of my voice rising and the attention being drawn to us. “Legs: closed; known: nothing!” Trent zeros in on his cereal, getting so close to the bowl that he might fall in. Sebastian looks a bit bewildered, albeit still smirking.

���“Unsurprised.” Mutters Eli, of all people, just a table away.

���The sound of my chair scraping the ground surprise even me. But, Im up now. Might as well vent a little. “You know what, Eli-”

���“Morning, campers!” Wes's false chipper greeting supersedes him hopping onto his table, powering up the infamous megaphone. However, its obvious to everyone his announcement is a desperate attempt to get me to shut up. I take the cue, slowly lowering into my seat. Its hard to remain proper and dignified now, but I try— face flushed and all eyes drifting back to me. Even Wes and David's pointed glares. They consult quickly on what Wes should say, now that hes gotten our attention. They nod decidedly. Wes clears his throat. “In a minute, or twenty, but not yet, breakfast will end. That is all. Thank you.”

�

���“Hey, Kurt!” Blaine calls from behind me. Team blue, in line with the green group, are led by Nick into the woods. Its apparently challenge course day, in which we will be competing against each other, cabin to cabin, to see who completes each challenge first. This seems to create a buzz of competitive excitement. Even Bas and Trent walk ahead of me, trash talking one another's cabins. I hang back, in front of only Blaine, who is the designated caboose, so no one gets lost. I slow my gait to fall in step with him in response to being addressed. “Uhm, I just wanted to check in with you. Ya know, see how youre feeling.” He's beating around the bush, clearly, trying to find the sensitive way to ask me if Ive gone mad.

���“Im fine.” Its meant to be a statement. Yet, it comes across more irritated than Id intended.

���“Okay.” He nods, even though he doesnt seem to agree. “I want you to be aware that this activity will require a lot of teamwork and cooperation. What I need to know is that youll be able to handle that.” I roll my eyes, feeling myself closing off. My arms get crossed over my chest. My gaze gets fixed straight ahead. My mind pointedly ignores the way he is now massaging my shoulders as we walk, an attempt to calm some fabled beast within me. “And that nothing recently, like last night, occurred that mightve maybe had some negative repercussions…”

���“Really, Blaine, Im fine.”

����“Okay, heres the thing:” finally delicate, camp counselor Blaine is dropped. “We talked last night, right?” I nod. “About kinda heavy shit. And I thought you got to like, I dont know, a good place. Like we made some sort of breakthrough. But, then, outta left field, you start picking fights at breakfast. What was that?”

���Im blushing vividly, knowing full well that what happened at breakfast was about him. “It was nothing.”

���“Really?”

���“Yeah, Sebastian just likes to push my buttons sometimes. Its how he displays affection.” Which is true, despite the fact Im desperately trying to explain away my problems.

���“And Eli?”

���“Well, Eli is a dick. I dont know whats up with him.”

���Blaine chuckles. “Fair enough. But you will come to me if something is bothering you, right?”

���“Of course.”

���His steps become slower, as he lets me walk ahead of him again. But, before we've distanced ourselves too much, he calls my name again. “Youre legs were closed, yes. But, Im pretty sure you know a lot more than nothing.” I know hes winking at me and I know the color in my cheeks has spread to the back of my neck. To the tips of my ears.

�

���“Alright, Team Blue. This is the last challenge. The big tie breaker.” Weve been neck in neck with the green group. They took the first two. Weve just caught up with the previous two. Now, its down to this—the spider web looking thingy. The rules are that we have to get everyone through the holes in the rope, while holding hands. The couple of caveats are that each hole can only be used once and only one person can speak. “We really have to focus on this one, okay?” Blaine is trying to rile us up. Its actually rather endearing how dedicated he is to winning this. “Its about listening. Its about communicating. Its about trust. So, Kurt, you got our backs?”

���“Huh?”

���“Youre the voice of the operation.” Blaine, who is mostly likely insane, informs me.

���Eli rolls his eyes. “We all know he's quite the shouter.”

���“And we all know youre quite the asshole. No need to demonstrate.” Blaine barks back at him. A chorus of gasps and muted laughter echoes around the team huddle. I fight against the smile overtaking my face. Blaine just stood up for me. He broke his happy go lucky, charismatic streak for me. And its effectively shut Eli right up. For now at least. And thats enough for me, because Blaine has now locked eyes with me. His gaze is dark, serious, protective. Its almost dangerous. But, his voice is as genuine and encouraging as ever. Hes telling me that Ive got this and it kind of means the world to me.

�

���After winning our team the challenge course, although Nick swears that us doing human knot the night before qualifies as cheating, everything has been different. People actually talk to me and not about being hit in the face with a basketball. Not even about my little freak out at breakfast. I even got invited to sit with different people at lunch today. Now, as everyone slowly trickles to the sports courts for basketball, I join them. My hair is wet and I sport sunglasses and a reddish tan from spending early afternoon at the lake with Bas and two guys named Marty and Cal. As they, along with Sebastian, gear up to join the game, I save a spot for Trent and I sit and watch. I seem to have my friends tricked into thinking Im here to see them play. But, really its because I heard Blaine would be here. And that hes always skins.

�

���Tonight, after cabin time, a few of the other freshmen came by to see if Trent and I wanted to sit by the lake with them for awhile. Trent hopped right up, ready to follow them. I, accustomed to going to bed right after cabin time, was pajama clad and hesitant. It was dark outside and getting late. Sure, we are allowed to, but that doesnt mean we should. Bas, who was among the group, had to convince me it would be fine, that we wouldnt be out too late.

���Thats why Im here now, on the dimly light dock, pajama pants and sweatshirt, bare feet turning numb in the water. Were all playing never have I ever, except the way they do it is a little more explicit than Blaines version. One of the guys had managed to swindle some alcohol. So, whenever something comes up that someone has done, they have to take a drink. Lucky for me, I havent done any of these things. Whats more is I doubt they have either—streaking, tattoos, public sex, three ways—I mean, we have even started college yet. Still, it seems Trent and I are the only ones sober. And the alcohol has gotten them talking.

���“We should do a pantie raid at the girls' camp.”

���“Fuck no, man. That was only cool in like eighth grade.”

���“Id be down for a pantie raid here…” Sebastian chimes in. Next to me, Trent rolls his eyes.

���One of the boys from Bas's cabin, Alfie, turns to him. “You know, if I was gay Id totally fuck you.”

���This time Trent and I both roll our eyes at how genuinely touched Bas seems to be. “Thank you. If you were gay, Id fuck you too.”

���Cal rolls onto his back. “Id totally bang Blaine. Ya know, like, if I was into that.” My stomach flips at the mention of Blaine's name. Now, Im listening.

���“More like if he was into that.” A guy to my right chuckles.

���Sebastian sits up, glancing to me. “Isnt he?”

���“Blaine? Uhm...I actually dont know.”

���“I thought David had mentioned something about him and some girl. But, I dont really know.” Marty explains, his words slurred.

���“I kinda assumed he was since, well, we all know.” Alfie states, initiating a little teeter from the group on the dock. Even my friends.

���“Know what?” I ask, seeing as Im the only one not in on it.

���“That hes totally got it out for you!”

���“What?” Dear god, what does that mean? Did he say something to someone? Or, am I just that gosh darn obvious about it? Can they tell how red my face is right now, or always?

���Marty speaks up to clarify. “Well, we dont know that really. But, we ship you two together.”

���“Thats ridic—”

���“Boys.” Our heads all whip around to see Wes and David, shining flashlights on us in the dark. “If we were cops, how many of you would we have to arrest for underage drinking tonight?” My fellow classmates all lowered their heads, knowing their guilt. “Get to bed.”

���And, like that, its over. We all stumble away to our respective cabins to be tucked away in bed. For me, I lie in it, now with more questions than I could ever desire an answer to.