《The Player Next Door》17 | Girls Still Have Cooties
Advertisement
I was trapped inside Apple cabin at Camp Beaver Hill. That sounded like a barbie movie gone wrong.
Austin Taylor poured the last of my cereal into his bowl, reminding me again that we had no honey.
"I'll write you a shopping list of all the things you can bring next time you come," I offered him a spoon. Honey Nut Cheerios would be the first on that list.
He narrowed his eyes at me but accepted.
Outside the cabin, Luke was still talking to Tamara. I was so relieved to not be him right now. Before she ambushed me, I had no idea they'd broken up. When did he even have time to do it? And why?
I tried to remember what happened. We went camping, there was a bear, Luke and I had a talk at night and then I went to sleep. The next morning...
The morning of the camping trip
I bathed myself in bug spray last night. I should've worn ear plugs for the animal sounds, borrowed an adult sized sleeping bag and brought more clothes-
Oh wait, no, a bear ate my clothes. So that was unexpected.
Good times.
"Thirty minutes until we reach Camp Beaver Hill! Well done campers. Good things come to those who sweat!" Mr Woodhouse yelled out motivational quotes as we trekked through the forest, "Hustle for that muscle!"
It's like a Barry's Bootcamp session up in here.
When my body shouts stop my mind screams never...
Mr Woodhouse woke us up with a giant horn this morning. I'm not making that up. He was still afraid of the bear we'd seen yesterday and wanted to get everyone out of the forest asap. A crew of counselors stayed behind to clean up, but the rest of us were on our way back to hot showers and microwaves.
Advertisement
The bear may have been a blessing after all.
"One look at you and you'd scare off any bear," Stacey muttered to me as she passed by, shoving me with the back of her bag as she went, "Human and animal repellent in one."
Ever since Luke spent time with me last evening, the girls had gotten even meaner.
It didn't seem fair. I rubbed my arm where she'd hit me, grateful that I hadn't knocked into any of my campers. When they heard about me getting lost in the forest yesterday, they insisted I walk near them.
Can you imagine how clumsy I must be if 8-year-olds are protecting me?
"Is it true Luke saved you yesterday?" Alicia asked me.
"Sort of," I answered awkwardly.
"Did you two kiss?"
"No of course not! No! What?! No!" I spluttered.
Don't 8-year-olds think girls have cooties? Is that no longer a thing? Because I'm 16 and I've barely gotten over that phase.
"I knew that," Malik answered, "'Cos he kisses Tamara."
Oh wow. No one's fooling that kid.
Luke was back at the campsite with Tamara and the other "responsible" counselors who could handle carrying extra weight and making their way through the forest without adult guidance. You can see why I wouldn't make that cut.
When we got back to the cabin, I struggled to get them to shower. I failed and let them eat out our cupboards instead. It's all about compromise... jk, I had no power with them. We had cookies and a jar of peanut butter.
The kids demolished that.
While they wreaked havoc in the kitchen, I went to take a shower myself. I folded my clothes by the bathroom sink and a $1 bill fell out of my bra. I stared at it for a few seconds, wondering where it came from.
Advertisement
Without any obvious answers, I took a shower and changed into fresh clothes. I checked my phone and saw 1 message. Julia! She'd finally responded to my text from a few days ago. I went to my room to read it.
Made any friends with people your age?
I read her text and re-read it. I remembered how we used to stare outside my window at Luke Dawson as if he was a Greek god on earth. What would she say if she found out everything that has happened since?
I texted back: I saw a bear.
Random but... I wasn't quite ready to say anything yet. It didn't feel like Luke was someone I should boast about. He gets that everyday from people. I wanted to respect him for him – and not for his name.
Suddenly, I heard the front door slam shut and screams of excitement from the campers. I came out of my room and saw him at the front door, the kids swarming around him on a sugar high from all those cookies.
He had an extra glow from being under the sun all day. He swung his bag off his shoulder and looked at me. "Do they come with an off switch?"
Today
I was lost in my memory, trying to remember what I could have done to cause any waves in Tamara's perfect life. I couldn't think of anything that included her. They must have broken up back at the campsite. But why would that be my fault?
The front door opened and Luke walked in with a tired sigh. He'd just finished speaking with Tamara.
"How'd it go?" Austin asked, sliding a beer along the counter to Luke.
Luke caught it in his left hand, but didn't crack it open. "It's hard to break up when you were never really together."
"That's unfair," I said in her defense, "You were sleeping together."
Please don't ask me why I'm defending the girl who called me a whore. I just really sympathize with girls who've been mistreated by jerks.
"When we first started, she said we were just hooking up. She's going to Miami Dade in the fall and wanted to keep her options open. I agreed with that," he argued back.
"And then she changed her mind, didn't she?" Austin guessed, speaking like someone who had to go through that himself.
Why am I not surprised that a player is defending another player?
"Yeah," Luke answered. But didn't say anymore.
He didn't look happy. I could tell he didn't appreciate me siding with her.
"I can't support you on this," I told him. "She had real feelings for you and you used her. You like to play with girls. That's your thing."
Austin choked on his fruit loops.
"How do you know what my thing is?" Luke fired back, "You barely know me."
Ouch.
I can't lie. That hurt.
"It's been a week and a half," I muttered, "But I know your type."
"I didn't take you for a stereotype," Luke answered. There was a tense silence.
Austin slurped his cereal milk.
Luke looked down at his hands and said, "And I was trying to defend you by the way."
"What do you mean?" I asked.
Austin recused himself from the conversation; he was suddenly intensely interested in the kitchen tiles.
"Nothing." Luke shook his head, "Forget I said anything."
Oh no. I was not going to forget a t.h.i.n.g.
Advertisement
- End543 Chapters
Strike Back, Proud Goddess!
Xiao Rou, a girl growing up in a poor countryside family, found that she was actually the daughter of a wealthy couple, and her mother mistook another girl as her when she gave birth to her in hospital. She thought she would change from an ugly duckling to a noble swan and lived happily ever after with her real family, but the reality gave her a heavy blow. The girl, Xiao Jinning, who took her family, her fiancé and everything else from her, used every possible means to frame her up. She returned to her biological parents only to find her parents despised her but doted on Xiao Jinning. She was framed as a thief and expelled out of home. And then, she was hit by a car and stomped to death by Xiao Jinning. her tragic life was ended.
8 6972 - In Serial11 Chapters
Summer Heartbreak
You can’t save yourself through other people. A story about two girls and the rock music they loved. (This work was based on this album I made in 2019 - listen to it here: https://johnjrenns.bandcamp.com/album/17) (You can also listen to this playlist of instrumentals: https://audius.co/johnjrenns/playlist/17%EC%82%B4%EC%9D%98-%EC%97%AC%EB%A6%84%EB%B9%84%ED%83%84-summer-heartbreak-instrumentals-3387)
8 151 - In Serial36 Chapters
The Lost Elixir
After years of training to take over her father's position as Alpha of the Moonshine pack, Rayne Leighann Vance is put to the ultimate test when she agrees to take their nemesis, Jarrah Pinestone, King of the Fae, to find a hidden elixir that will destroy the rebel vampire clan once and for all. ******Rayne, who is next in line to be alpha, is willing to do whatever it takes to protect her people from the wrath of an ancient vampire lord that seeks to wipe out the fae and werewolf population forever. One morning after training, Rayne is surprised by her father's recent capture, the King of Fae, whom is more than reluctant to help them. When Rayne learns of the famous elixir that can defeat the vampire lord, she forces her father to let her and the King of Fae go in search of their last hope. Along the way to salvation, Rayne is tested in more ways than one. Can she find the elixir? Will she make it back in time before the war breaks out? And most importantly, will she be able to choose her duty to her people over her heart if they win the war?
8 150 - In Serial66 Chapters
Allea
[Part 1 | Completed ✓]Allea's life can be summed up in one word; waste.Looking back all she saw was a girl running behind things, things that never belonged to her. The thought of having another chance never crossed her mind, yet here she was. Staring at the reflection of her sixteen-year-old self, the time when Allea, herself, started it all.//Rebirth///Warning;/Use of profanities./┉[Ruji: Please know that my knowledge lacks, so there might be mistakes, go easy on me. Please no hate/ shit-talking in the comments. Thank you!][ I, Ruji, take no credits of pictures or art of any kind used inside this book, all credits go to the rightful owners.]This work is only published here on wattpad and Inkitt, and all rights are under @itsrujihere.[Disclaimer: This work is only published on watt/pad and In-kitt under profile: itsrujihere. The complete rights of the work: Allea belongs under this profile and Ruji. If you're reading [Allea] on some platform other than watt/pad(Unless I, Ruji, say so) then, I'm pretty sure they are stealing my work (i.e, a site that's name start with novel), please don't support the thief.]
8 158 - In Serial7 Chapters
Truth or dare ? // Grayson Dolan
It all started with a dare . SEXUAL CONTENT / MATURE LANGUAGE . Read at your own risk .Ps Yes there will be spelling mistakes in this book and I do try my best to correct them but if u find any then just deal with it. 💙 💙 Finished book 💙
8 119 - In Serial7 Chapters
Uważaj co manifestujesz
Krótkie chaotyczne ale ma jakiś swój sens jeśli się wczytacie, enjoy
8 157

