SIX

The next few days were pretty much the same, not that there was anything wrong with that. We woke up – some a lot earlier than others – ate breakfast, usually went for a swim, ate lunch together and then usually split up and did different things during the rest of the day. My favorite part of the day was when we all joined back together again around the bonfire at night and talked, laughed and just acted like friends. Real friends.

It was just as hot on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday as it had been on Saturday. It even hit eighty-five degrees during the afternoon on Wednesday. But then came the rain. It rained all evening, all night and for most of Thursday, as well. None of us really liked spending so much time inside the RV – though the boys did get some quality Xbox-playing-time in. So even though we hadn’t been planning on continuing on to the next campgrounds until a week into the trip, we decided to leave Verona Beach on Thursday evening.

We arrived at Bluewater Campgrounds just before midnight, after three hours of driving, which I had slept through most of. I think it was the awkward, tight turns and the RV finally coming to a complete stop that woke me up. I was surprised to see D lying in the bed beside me, since he hadn’t been there when I had fallen asleep. I sat up and looked out the window, which was right behind me. Mostly, all I could see were trees, but I could at least tell that it wasn’t raining. I decided to get up and see what was going on.

Tori, Matty, Alex and Lana were all at the front of the RV. I watched as each of their heads turned towards me; they must have heard me coming. I smiled.

“Hey, girl, have a good sleep?” Tori asked me.

I just nodded, “Yeah.”

“We’re at our second destination,” Matty informed me in an excited, announcer-type voice.

I nodded again.

“And it’s not raining,” Alex added.

“Want us to start a bonfire, babe?” Matty asked Tori. I could tell he was borderline hyper, and it was nearly midnight. While I was yawning, Matty was ready go run and play.

Tori then looked at me, and then to Lana. We both shrugged. “Sure,” she finally told her boyfriend.

Matty and Alex left the RV then, leaving the three of us girls alone. Apparently, it was girl-talk time again.

“So, Syd, aren’t you just super glad you came?” Lana asked me, over exaggerating slightly.

I took a seat beside her at the table before replying. “Yeah, I really am.”

“And, you and D seem to be getting… close…” she went on, practically winking at me.

“Close?” I wanted to know.

“Yeah, like, close. You know, friends, and everything.”

“Well, we’re friends, I think. But I don’t know about ‘and everything’,” I said, quoting her back.

“It’s awesome that you two are becoming friends, Syd,” Tori told me, smiling.

“Yeah,” I said, “I guess.”

The truth was, D had been somewhat trying to drop hints that he “liked me”, over the past few days, but he wasn’t really very good at it. Or maybe I just wasn’t very good at picking up on it. He would touch my arm or my back, very subtly, but I would always feel it. He always seemed to want to stay outside by the fire as long as I did. And he was always smiling at me, whenever I looked at him. But the strange thing was, we still hadn’t had a real conversation. Not one that consisted of more than two or three sentences, anyway.

By that point – and not even a week into our three-week adventure – Tyrelle and Julianne were showing a bit more affection for each other, and it was obvious that Alex and Lana were doing more than flirting. Neither couple was officially “together”, but it was definite that things were going on. But Lana was becoming more and more of a flirt as the days went by. Or maybe I was just noticing it more. She was even flirting with D and Matty. I still liked the girl and everything, but I just didn’t think it was cool to flirt with your friends’ boyfriends, especially right in front of them. Lana, at least, had the common sense to not flirt with Tyrelle, since that would have obviously put a damper on her “best friend” status with Julianne. And, although I didn’t know why, I hated when Lana flirted with D. With Alex it was different, maybe because he and I were friends and I didn’t see him that way, at all. But with D, it almost made me want to hit her. I secretly liked that he never flirted back. Ever.

The boys made the fire and came to get us when it was ready. Alex and Lana were making out almost as soon as we were all outside, and Tori and Matty were sitting together, holding hands, making me feel like the odd man out. But I just went on roasting my marshmallows and listening to the sounds of nature, as well as the conversation Tori and Matty were having to my right. I was actually really glad when I heard the RV door open and close, just after one o’clock. D joined us around the fire, sitting next to me but not close to me. For the next half an hour, I watched as Tori and Lana – now finished her make-out session with Alex – grinned at each other and then at me and back to each other again. I was just confused, and before I knew what was happening, all four of them – the girls, Matty and Alex – stood up, faking stretches and yawns, and headed back towards the RV.

“’Night, you two!” I heard Tori yell at D and I, from inside the RV, a moment later.

“Well, that wasn’t obvious,” D joked, keeping his voice fairly quiet.

I just let out a laugh. I noticed than that it wasn’t as weird as I thought it would have been, sitting out there, alone, with him. The fire was crackling; the wind was blowing but it wasn’t strong. I wouldn’t have minded if we remained sitting there like that, in silence, forever. It was nice. Neither of us said anything for a few minutes, until D found his voice again.

“So, you’re having a good time so far, right?” he asked. He was still smiling.

“Oh yeah, for sure. It’s amazing,” I told him, smiling back.

“And sleeping in that little bed with me isn’t so bad, is it?” he went on.

“It’s not so bad,” I answered.

“Cool… cool…”

I nodded. It was starting to get awkward. I didn’t like it. I figured it was now or never. Either the two of us were going to have our first real conversation, or we weren’t. And I decided at that moment that we were.

“So, sorry if this sounds like a weird question, but… what’s your real name?” I blurted out suddenly, even surprising myself a little. I couldn’t really believe I’d actually asked him that question; that question that I’d been wondering about for the previous few weeks, if not months. I was finally going to find out.

He looked absolutely shocked by the question. I wasn’t sure if it was because he had assumed I already knew his real name, or that he didn’t really want me to know. He just sat there, staring back at me, for what felt like forever. I actually thought for a second that he wasn’t going to answer.

And then, finally, “It’s Diego.”

Before I said anything out loud, I repeated the name in my head a few times. For some reason, when I looked at him again, it just made sense. The name fit him, although it definitely wasn’t what I had been expecting. I had been expecting David or Douglas or Daniel. Something common. Not Diego.

“Diego,” I finally said out loud.

He nodded, but wasn’t looking at me anymore. I watched as his eyes darted around, first to the fire and then just down at his feet. I didn’t know what to say. I wanted him to say something. But he didn’t.

“How come you go by ‘D’?” I found the courage to ask, after quite a few minutes of silence – the awkward kind.

He took a deep breath in and let it out, but it was still a few more minutes later when he began talking again. “It’s kind of a long story. Everyone has called me ‘D’ since I was about twelve,” he told me, and left it at that.

I wasn’t about to push the subject, so I nodded, smiled and remained quiet. When he finally looked up and our eyes met again, I suddenly felt more comfortable talking to him. I felt like I could ask him anything, at that moment. So I went for it.

“So, uh, how old are you, anyway?” I asked him.

He hadn’t been expecting the question. “I’m twenty,” he said quickly. “I’ll be twenty-one in a few weeks.”

“Really? When’s your birthday?” I found myself asking.

“August eighth,” he said, and then went on, “How about you?”

I took a breath in, and let it out quickly, hoping he wouldn’t notice. I let my eyes wander for a few moments, to the trees around us, the fire again and then back to him. “I’m nineteen. I just had my birthday, in April,” I finally told him.

“How come none of us knew about it?” he wanted to know. He was smiling again, now. I could already see his more outgoing side peeking through.

“Oh, I just booked the day off from work and had dinner at my dad’s.”

He nodded then, and seemed to be considering what I had said. “You don’t live with your parents?” he asked.

This time I hadn’t been expecting the question. I shook my head. “I live on my own. My dad is remarried and has three kids, and I don’t talk to my mom.”

Diego looked like he didn’t know what to say at first. He gathered his thoughts for a moment, and then, “Do you live with friends, or something?”

I shook my head again. “No, it’s just me, in my apartment,” I replied.

And suddenly I realized we were in fact having a real conversation. And I liked it. It definitely wasn’t awkward anymore. We were just getting to know each other. “Who do you live with?” I asked him.

“My brothers. I have two older and one younger, but we’re all only five years apart, from the oldest to the youngest. We all live together, in the city,” he explained.

I smiled. “That’s pretty cool,” I said, and really meant it.

“Yeah, they’re alright. You don’t have any siblings?”

“Just my dad’s daughters, who are seven and five. I was an only child, when my parents were together,” I told him.

Diego kept his eyes on me, but yawned and stretched out his arms, in a cute way. “My parents got divorced, too, when I was ten. My brothers and I lived with our dad for a few years, and then… my older brothers moved out on their own. And me and my little brother were stuck living with our dad for awhile longer. I was sixteen and Micah, my little brother, was fifteen, when we moved in with our older brothers.

“You moved out when you were sixteen?”

“Yeah. It’s weird when I l think back on it, now. We haven’t talked to or seen our dad much since then.”

I wanted to ask about his mom. I wanted to ask if he and his brothers still talked to her or saw her ever. I thought it was sad, if they didn’t. But I didn’t think – at that point in time – that it would have been appropriate. Diego’s story seemed to be pretty similar to mine, but it, somehow, seemed like it had a happier ending. It could have been because he had his brothers, and I had no one. I only had a father who had his own, new family, and a best friend who lived hours away.

I let my eyes wander again then, and noticed that the fire was burning out. I didn’t see anymore firewood. I had eaten my fair share of marshmallows for the night, and had only taken about two sips of the beer that was on the ground, beside the chair I was sitting in. I really wasn’t much of a drinker. I must have been yawning, because Diego let out a laugh this time, yawning too.

“You’re making me yawn,” he accused, in an adorable voice.

“Sorry.”

“Are you really tired?”

“A bit, yeah.”

“Well, good. We have an exciting day a head of us,” he told me.

“We do?”

“Yes. This campground has a damn mini-putting course and a go-cart track, and, like, badminton courts and everything,” Diego explained.

“Are you joking?” I wanted to know.

“Nope. I swear. I can’t wait ‘til tomorrow.”

“Well, then let’s go to bed,” I said, but averted my eyes so I didn’t have to look right into his. I hadn’t exactly meant to say those words. At least not the way I’d said it. When I did look up and at him, though, I could tell he knew what I had meant.

“Let’s go to bed,” he repeated, standing up.

He folded up his chair, and then mine, and carried them both back over to the RV. I followed, not far behind. He leaned the chairs against the outside of the RV, and then swung open the door, holding it open so I could go in first.

I wasn’t surprised to see Tori and Julianne sitting at the table, eating potato chips and laughing, after I went up the two steps and into the RV. Both of the girls looked over at me – and Diego – as I took off my sandals. I then made my way down the aisle, only merely smiling at the girls, and continued on to the back.

Diego didn’t come back right away, which I didn’t mind at all. It gave me time to change out of my jean shorts and into my flannel pajama pants and a hooded sweater, for bed. After I was changed, I opened the curtain and yelled goodnight to Tori and Julianne, who I knew were trying to get something, anything, out of Diego about our little chat. But, for some reason, I knew he wasn’t about to tell. He just didn’t seem like the type. Not that there was really anything to tell.

I was almost already asleep by the time I heard the curtain open once again. I opened my eyes, only slightly, to see Diego tip-toeing in. I watched as he took off his shirt and sat down on the bed. He most likely thought I was fast asleep. He sat there for a while and I wondered what he was doing and what he was thinking about. I closed my eyes quickly as he lay down, his shoulder rubbing against mine. I must have drifted off to sleep pretty quickly after that.

I was more than surprised when I woke up, only a few hours later, as the sun streamed in through the window and into my eyes. At first I didn’t really realize, but when I looked down and saw it, I basically froze. I had no idea how it had happened or what to do about it. Diego’s arm was wrapped around my body, and he was holding me pretty close to him. I could still hear and feel him breathing heavily into the back of my neck. It was a very strange, yet familiar, feeling.

I sat up quickly after realizing, but then wish that I hadn’t. His arm swung off of me and he shifted in his sleep, but luckily, he didn’t wake up. He turned over and grumbled a little bit, but remained asleep. I still didn’t know what to do, so I jumped up and got out of there as fast as I could, having no idea what time it was. My luck hadn’t run out yet, since there was nobody at the front of the RV; everyone was still asleep. I had a bit of time before everyone got up, to worry about what I was going to do about the situation. The clock on the stove told me that it was only a few minutes after seven.

I decided that it was time, again, to write Jessa a letter. I had yet to send her the one that I had written the previous weekend, because I had no idea where to find a mailbox. I assumed there would be at least one at the campsite we were currently at, but hadn’t seen one yet. I knew another letter was in order, since I was freaking out about what I had just woken up to. I sat down at the table, after digging a pen and pad of paper out of the drawer by the sink, and let out a deep breath that I hadn’t even realized I had been holding in.

Hey again,

I know you won’t get this – or any of the other letters I’ve written and will write – anytime soon, but I have to tell you something. I can’t really tell anyone else here, so telling this piece of paper – that will eventually get to you – will have to do.

I woke up this morning, and Diego – yes, his name is Diego, I finally found out – had his arm wrapped (tightly) around me! I freaked out and got the hell out of there, and he remained asleep. You see, he and I hung out last night for a bit and sort of got to know each other (aahh, I know!) and then we went to bed (yes, together), then I woke up with his arm around me. I don’t think I’ll be able to even look at him today. It’s going to be so weird. I wonder if he even knows it happened? I know you’re probably laughing so hard while reading this, Jess. But something like this is a big deal to me, you should know that. Especially since I barely know him (and still don’t know his real hame).

Well, thanks for listening, anyway. I just needed to get that off my chest. I hope you’re still having fun. I can’t wait to really talk to you, and see you!

Love you, Sydney

Everyone was up and around by nine o’clock. And everyone was talking about, I kid you not, mini-putting.

“Let’s eat so we can go play mini-putt!” Tori yelled, pounding the table with her fists, trying to hurry her boyfriend.

Matty was standing in front of the sink/stove, flipping eggs in one frying pan and cooking sausages in another. Tori, Lana and I were sitting on one side of the table and Diego, Alex and Tyrelle were sitting on the other, across from us. Julianne was still in bed; apparently she was awake, but refused to get up. We were informed by Alex, that she was awake most of the night, and was now really tired. We didn’t question it and let her be for awhile, but when we were all finished eating and ready to go out and check out the campgrounds, we sent Tyrelle back to get her out of bed.

“First up, mini-putting!” Alex screamed, running away from the group and towards the main building, where the mini-putting course was located.

It turned out the owners of the campgrounds were an older couple who actually lived there, in the cabin-like building, for all of the summer months. Julianne and I ended up staying back at the main building for awhile, just talking to Mr. and Mrs. Lowman. They were very interesting people.

Julianne informed me that she would rather have watched paint dry or flowers grow than play mini-putt and act immature all day, which was obviously her opinion of what the rest of our group was doing.

Julianne was twenty-two – I had since found out – and to me it seemed like even those three little years between her and I made her more of an “adult” than I was. She didn’t find Matty and Alex’s immaturity funny and cute like Tori, Lana and I did. She didn’t enjoy the daily water fights that had occurred during the first week of our trip, like the rest of us did. And she didn’t like mini-putting.

When I started to make my way over in the direction of where I could hear Matty and Alex hooting and howling excitedly, Julianne stopped and told me she was going to head back to the RV. I had to do everything in my will to keep from calling her a party-pooper. I totally respected Julianne and her opinions, but it seemed like she just didn’t want to have any fun.

The seven of us played four rounds of the eighteen-hole mini-putt course before the guys began to get bored of it. It was still the late morning; we had the whole day ahead of us.

I had managed to avoid making eye contact with Diego for the rest of the morning. It actually felt a little awkward, which made me lean towards that he did know about the whole him-with-his-arms-around-me ordeal. As much as I wanted to know whether he was aware of the incident from earlier that morning, I really did not want to know. And I really did not want the rest of the group to know. And I wanted to keep it that way for as long as possible.