2.5-The school trip p.1

Carson's pov

I'm shocked...

I knew Emerick did not like me but did he need to be so cold about it?

With all the rules that he set, he really did make it clear that he didn't want to do anything with me and it hurts.

I thought I could find a way to talk to him or we could have a good time like before but no such luck...

I walk to where the campfire is set to be held and eventually, I find it.

I try to look around for Ella and luckily it doesn't take long before I find her.

"Hey," She says first.

"Hey..." I say a bit down and she instantly notices.

"Hey, why the long face? Is there something bothering you, Carson?" She asks concerned.

"No, I'm fine." I lie even if I hate it but she sees right through me.

"Don't lie to me, you know you can tell me anything right?" She says sympathetically and I hesitate to tell her but I decide to give in.

"I know it's just that...the boy I'm paired off with Emerick doesn't want anything to do with me..." I say with a sad voice and that seems to alert her about something.

"You're talking about that Emerick?" She asks surprised but I know she's not happy.

"Yeah..." I say with a sad voice, instantly her expression softens.

"What did he do to you?" She questions me worried.

"He set up some ground rules..." I say hating the idea.

"Wait...what kind?" She asks worried.

"Like I can't talk to him at all times. I can't bother him basically." I say flattened and hearing seems to have made her mad.

"What kind of rules is that?! How can he be such a jerk?!" She says frustrated.

"Calm down Ella. It's not his fault, he has every right to ignore me." I say trying to convince her to calm down but it fails.

"No! He doesn't! What he is doing isn't right!" She says irritated.

"It's not that bad Ella..." I say hating that she's making a scene out of this.

"Yes, it is! You can't let him control you like that!" She says in a foul mood and others are looking at her as if she's crazy.

"It's fine Ella, it really is." I try to convince her to let it go but she doesn't.

"No, you're not fine. I can tell that it's eating you from the inside. You were hoping to talk to him right?" How does she know me so well?

"Yes..." I say a bit embarrassed.

"Then I'll give him a peace of mind for hurting my best friend's feelings!" She says angrily which rattles me.

"No! Don't!"

"Ok fine, I won't but if he does anything else, tell me?" She says calming down and returning to her concerned self.

"Yes, I will, don't worry."

"Good. We should sit somewhere shall we?" She realizes that and laughs and so do I.

————————

After that small campfire, I come back to the cabin as it's close to the curfew of 10, the one the teachers set up.

I unlock the door and I am met by Emerick reading his book on his bed next to an open lamp.

He notices me but quickly goes back to his book.

I guess he really meant it...Why did I somehow hope that he would talk to me?

I decided to call my papa and then head to sleep.

——————

Carson's pov

I get woken up by thunder and loud rain hitting the window.

Immediately I sit up on my bed alarmed.

Then I see a sudden flash of light quickly followed by another bout of thunder. I yelp making a sound but I immediately put a hand on my mouth as I realize Emerick is sleeping on the bed close to me.

Oh no...I hope he didn't hear me.

Luckily he's still sound asleep.

Ugh...my breathing right now is uneven from fear and it feels like my heart is about to burst out of my chest. I take deep breaths terrified of the thunder outside.

I barely have time to release a breath of relief that there's another bout of thunder.

I freak out and I feel shivers hitting me.

I hate thunderstorms...!!

But this is far from new...I've always been scared of thunderstorms for as far as I can remember...

Normally as embarrassing as it is, I would go sleep with my parents in their bed or sometimes with my sister Nora when there's thunder at night. I know that's how terrified I am.

When I was younger I would go join my big sister Moon in her bed whenever I was scared but she moved from home a long time ago.

As for my brother Cayden, he only let me sleep with him in his bed once.

There's more bout of thunder and I feel even freaked out.

I need to do something, I can't have a panic attack over this.

I look everywhere and then land my eyes on
Emerick who is sleeping soundly.

I know he doesn't like me but he'll understand right...?

Another bout of thunder roars and too freaked out to think anymore, I get off my bed with a pillow and I walk to his bed.

I shake him a bit hoping he'll wake up.

Luckily he does as he starts steering and he opens his eyes slightly.

Immediately he appears taken by surprise once he notices me.

"Didn't...I tell you to not talk to me...?" He says whispering in a tired irritated voice.

"I'm sorry...it's just there's thunder and I..." As if on cue there's another bout of lighting, making me flinch severely.

"Did the thunder wake you up...?" He asks with a small tired voice.

I'm about to stay something but there's a sudden flash of lightning and I yelp.

"Shh, don't be so loud." He says and I blush embarrassed.

"Sorry...Can...I sleep here?" I ask scared and a a bit embarrassed, and he looks at me confused.

"What?" He says stupefied.

"Please?" I beg even if I'm embarrassed.

He's about to refuse seeming mad but then there's another bout of thunder and I yelp once again.

"Ok, fine just get in..." He says defeated yet annoyed and my eyes widen surprised.

"You mean it...?" I ask unsure and he glares at me.

"Yes, now get in before I change my mind." He says harshly and I don't argue against him.

I instantly get in the bed and I try to squeeze myself in.

I manage to squeeze in but I'm almost pressed against Emerick, I can feel his warmth radiating on me.

Through, I feel embarrassed at how close we are but another bout of thunder roars again and without thinking I grip myself on his back.

"What are you doing?" He asks harshly.

"Sorry..." I only say even more embarrassed.

I expect him to be mad at me but he doesn't say anything else.

Thunder roars time and time again and I get so scared that I tightly wrap my arms around his warm back but to my surprise he doesn't say anything, he lets me.

Maybe Emerick isn't as cold as I thought...

———————

Emerick's pov

I can't believe Carson is hugging me in my bed in his sleep.

It's really awkward but at least he finally fell asleep but now I can't sleep!

I should have known that he's scared of thunderstorms, he used to be terrified of them but I thought he would have grown out of it, he's 15 after all.

He used to do the same when we were younger and I still remember that one night.

It was one night in 4th grade when we did our usual sleepovers. I was fast asleep on the mat lying on the floor just for me. I got woken up by a crying boy terrified to no end, Carson.

He wanted to sleep with me and I felt a bit uncomfortable at the idea considering how embarrassing it was but he begged me to let him sleep with me, so I did.

He got in and he shocked me by tightly wrapping his arms around me. It would remain the same the entire night. That night I didn't sleep.

Still to this day, I remember clearly that night. It was also the night that caused our sleepovers to be less frequent.

But today is different, we're not friends anymore, instead, Carson who's twice my size is tightly hugging me like a baby in his sleep. It feels so weird...uncomfortable...My heart is beating fast, yet I don't have the heart to push him away.

All I can hope for now is that those weird feelings will go away and that I'll just fall asleep, hopefully...