Oh God.

Today's the day.

I'm excited, but nervous. I just hope that what happened with Zeke doesn't make things awkward on this trip.

Sliding out of bed – yes, literally sliding onto the floor – I walk into my bathroom and turn on the shower. After taking off my clothes, I take a quick shower.

Since we would be outside in the heat all day, I decide to wear denim shorts and a black and white stripey t-shirt with my bikini underneath.

It's 9:20am right now. Cole said he'd pick us all up in his Dad's minivan at 10, so I make sure I have everything in my backpack and head downstairs.

"Hey Mom, hey Charlie," I say as I walk into the kitchen and grab the box of Reese's puffs and pour them into a bowl.

"Good morning, sweetie. Are you excited for today?"

"Um, yeah," I say, not sounding very enthusiastic.

"You don't sound it."

I pour milk into the bowl then sit across from them.

"I am, it's just, something happened at school. Zeke and I got into an argument."

"What about?"

I decide against telling her about how he was sleeping with my boyfriends girlfriend while they were still together and they probably still are.

"Nothing important."

"Zeke seems like a nice boy," Charlie comments, looking up from his newspaper.

Pffft.

"He is, sometimes. He just has a temper."

"Do you like him?" My Mom asks.

"No, Mom. He's my friend, plus I have a boyfriend."

"That doesn't mean you can't have feelings for him," she sips her tea.

"Well I don't."

Yes, I do find find him attractive, and my skin gets goosebumps every time he touches me, and there have been many times when i've wanted to kiss him. But that does not mean I like him.

The boy drives me crazy. One day he's happy, giving me compliments, opening up to me. And then the next, he's closed off. It's like he's a freaking vampire and can turn off his humanity switch. Because that's what it's like, he pretends he doesn't care about anything and shows almost no emotion.

When Cole texts me that he's here, I say goodbye to my mom and Charlie and grab my bag, heading out the door.

"Hey, Marns," Cole greets me as he takes my bag and throws it in the trunk of his Dad's car. "Zoey called shot gun for when we pick her up, so sit in the back," he winks, making me feel uneasy.

When I open the door to the backseats, I see Isaac on one side, Zeke on the other, his eyes glued to his phone. He only space is in the middle since the other seats behind that are covered in camping equipment.

Oh God.

I pout at Isaac, mentally begging him to sit in the middle. He just shakes his head, smiling.

Great.

I go past Isaac and sit in the middle and fasten my seatbelt. Zeke doesn't seem to notice my presence.

"So, who wants to play a game?" Cole grins cheekily. We had gotten Zoey and were now on our way to Silver Oak. Zeke still hadn't spoken to me, he was now just looking out the window.

"No," Isaac says.

"Whyyy?" Cole whines, "The tension in the back there is making me want to die."

"Then die," Isaac shrugs.

Zoey and Cole decide they are going to play Eye Spy, and after listening to a couple of rounds, Isaac and I lose the will to live so he gives me one of his earbuds to block them out. We are now happily listening to Isaac's playlist. He has the same taste in music as me which is convenient, now we can do this every time Cole and Zoey do their thing.

"We're here!" I hear Cole shout, waking me up.

I realise that my head was resting on Isaac's shoulder as I slept, and I must say, it's very comfortable.

I look out Zeke's window at the park, but then notice that Zeke has his head in his hands, his leg shaking.

Why does he do that?

"Come on, bitches," Cole yells, pulling my gaze from Zeke, "Let's go set up the tents!"

Zoey and I try putting together one of the tents, and the three boys do the other.

I finally get it standing, and put a peg into the ground, holding it up. Then rush over to where Zoey is holding the other side and out the peg in.

I smile victoriously, "Yay! We-"

Suddenly, my masterpiece comes crashing to the ground, and Zeke is revealed holding the peg in his hands that he pulled from the ground, a cheeky smile on his face.

"You asshole!" I stomp over to him and try to grab the peg from his hands, but he reaches his arm him high enough that I can't reach it.

"Give it back!"

"Beg me," he smirks.

I think for a moment, before smiling innocently.

"Okay," I say before tickling his stomach.

He quickly pulls his arms down over his stomach to protect himself, dropping the peg in the process.

I win.

Grabbing the peg, I think about stabbing it into his stomach. If he is a vampire maybe he'll heal and it'll be hot and he'll bite me?

"Great, so, Zeke. Do you mind helping Marnie with this?" She waves her hands over the mess of the tent, "Yes? Thanks. Have fun," she walks over to the logs surrounding the fire and sits with Cole, without waiting for Zeke to answer.

Zeke screws up his face, "I don't really feel like helping."

Yeah, you never do.

"Don't you think it's the least you can do?" I kneel down and put the peg back into the ground.

"Are you mad about me calling you a bitch?"

"No."

"Then why are you being salty?"

"We're next to the sea, I can't help it."

"Funny," he says monotonously before walking over to the other side of the tent and pulling it up.

Wow, he's helping.

"Seriously though, are you mad?" Worry shows on his features.

"No, i'm just... upset."

"Why?"

I sigh, "Because I thought we were friends and you just lashed out on me as if I didn't even matter to you."

"I know, I was just having a really bad day. And it pissed me off how you just took Mason's side like that. I've known you longer."

"You knew me like a day longer," I roll my eyes.

"That doesn't matter. Look, I'm s-"

I give him a confused look as he presses his lips together and stares at the ground.

"I'm sor-" he groans, "I apologise," he finally says.

I can't hold my laugh in at his week attempt at saying sorry.

"I appreciate it," I smile, making his face light up.

By now, the tent is up and secure, and Zeke and I join the others.

"Finally," Cole lifts his hands up, thanking the Gods as we sit down.

"Shut up," Zeke rolls his eyes.

"Sorry, babe. Didn't mean to hurt your feelings."

"It's cool, bro," Zeke says, as if it's normal for them to talk this way to each other.

Isaac stands up, "Can we go now?"

"Yes yes yes," Cole says as he stands up. "Come on, we're going swimming," he grabs his towel and starts walking towards the beach.

Zoey and I sit on the sun loungers, watching as the guys take their shirts off.

Not that I care about how hot they are.

Zoey also strips to her bikini and lies out full on the lounger, beginning to apply sun screen to her body.

"What are you doing sitting there?" Zeke asks me, "Come on, get naked."

I pull my book from my bag and wave it, using it as an excuse.

He throws his head back, laughing, then when he recovers he just looks at me blankly, "No."

"What?" I frown.

"You're not gonna spend this weekend fucking reading. Now come on," he grabs my arm and pulls me up.

"I will in a minute, okay? You guys go."

"Kay-kay," Cole says and goes down to the water edge, carrying the soccer ball he brought.

Isaac pulls on Zeke's shoulder to get him to move and smiles at me.

I fall down on the sun lounger and sigh.

Zoey smirks, "Are you regretting dating Mason because now you can't think of them the way that you are?"

"No, Zoe. I'm not thinking of them in any way."

She smiles, "Sure you're not. Don't you think Zeke has a nice ass though?"

"I haven't checked," I lie.

"Marnie, when will you stop being so innocent and let loose your inner sex animal?"

I turn my head to her, surprised, "I'm not innocent."

She raises an eyebrow, "Prove it."

I bite my lip, looking at the guys in the water. They're throwing the soccer ball around, doing headers and other weird moves.

"No."

"Why not? I dare you."

"To do what?"

"Do something flirty."

"I have a boyfriend."

"So? It's just a dare. Plus, I doubt you'll go over there and fuck the damn boy."

"If I do something flirty will you stop calling me innocent all the time?"

"Probably."

I think for a moment before getting up and pulling off my shorts and t-shirt, and walking into the water.

Zeke takes his attention away from the game they're playing and watches me, his lips parted.

I walk over to him and sling my arm around his shoulders, like he usually does to me.

"Hey," I smirk.

Yes, smirk.

I smirk.

He looks a little startled.

And then a ball hits me across the head.

"Ouch! Cole!"

Cole and Isaac are laughing, clutching their stomachs. Zeke still looks shocked.

I grab the ball and try to throw it back at him, but sadly he catches it. Instead, I just go over to him and start splashing him with water.

"Ah! My eyes, I'm sorry, I'm sorry," he grabs onto my arms to stop me, then pulls me close to him and whispers into my ear.

"Stop torturing little Zeke."

When I turn around, Zeke is gone. He's on the beach now, talking to Zoey.

That's weird. Did I upset him or something?

"Why did he leave?" I ask, hoping one of them know something.

Cole shrugs and they start walking away.

"Probably to jack off in private," I hear Isaac say.

+++

"You girls ready to go back?" Isaac asks, "I'm starving."

"Yeah, me too," Zoey gets up from the lounger and puts her clothes back on, I do the same.

Zeke had already left a while ago before I could talk to him. I don't know why he reacted the way he did. So now it's just the four of us.

"Where are we eating?" I ask as I pull my t-shirt on.

"We can walk into the town; there's some restaurants and stuff in there," Isaac responds as he starts walking back to our camping spot and I follow.

"We'll be right there," Cole yells behind us.

The first thing I notice when we get back is Zeke, sitting on a log, with a cigarette between his lips.

He throws it into the fire as soon as he sees us.

"I'm gonna go change," Isaac says. He gives me a smile before going into one of the tents.

I let out a breath and sit beside Zeke, and ask the thing that's been bothering me for weeks, "Why do you smoke?"

He shrugs, looking at the fire, "It helps me feel better I guess."

"Are you addicted?"

"I don't think so. I've never tried to stop."

"Why not?"

"Because I like it, and there aren't much things I like, so I figure, why stop?"

I sigh and look into the fire, "It's bad for you."

"I know."

"What if the same thing happens to you that happened to my Dad?"

He looks at me, "It won't."

"But it might, Zeke. I didn't do anything to make my Dad stop and I won't make that mistake again."

He just nods.

"Please, stop," I say, my voice pleading.

He thinks for a moment, "Okay."

My eyes-widen, "Really?"

He nods, "I will. For you."

+++

two days till christmas ahhhh

what did you think about zeke saying he'd stop smoking for marnie? do you think he'll actually do it?

please remember to vote & comment your thoughts ❥

ly

-e