Page 9

Wyatt

“ W hat was I doing?” I mumbled to myself as I walked to the mess hall to have dinner.

I didn’t know what made me ask him to show me the stars and I didn’t regret it.

But it wasn’t like me to be the one that made the plans.

I hated plans, and I hated going out. But it was different here, and Gavin was definitely different.

He grinned at me and winked when I walked over to the end of the line.

“Wow,” Dani whispered while I tried to ignore the heat that I knew tinted my cheeks red.

“What?” I asked.

“You know what,” she whispered again.

I shrugged my shoulder and we both picked up a tray that was soon loaded with meatloaf, mashed potatoes, and corn on the cob.

The group was alive with conversation and laughter, a far cry from how nervous and uptight we’d all been just yesterday.

“Did you like the compass exercise?” I asked Sal Ramon, the youngest of our group, at only nineteen.

“It was so fun. I’ve never used a compass before, but Gavin made it all so easy,” he said before setting his tray down at the same table John and Drevon were at. Dani and I joined them.

“I’ve never used one either. Now I want to use it again,” I said, and they nodded in agreement.

“What do you think we’ll do tomorrow?” Dani asked.

“I think tomorrow will be how to build a fire.” I’d read the paperwork a few times and had most of it memorized but I didn’t want to admit it or how nervous I had been about attending the camp now that I wasn’t completely miserable.

“That’s what I thought too. I’ve never built a fire without matches, have you?” John asked.

“No. Not even with matches,” I said. “Do you think we’ll be learning how to start it without them?” I imagined myself rubbing two sticks together and not even making a spark.

“I’m not sure,” John said.

“I tried to a while back after watching a survival show on television. It is not easy,” Sal said.

“Gavin will make sure we figure it out. If he can teach me to read a compass and convince me to go out into the forest without having to tie me up then he can do anything,” I said and took a big bite of meatloaf. “Is it just me or does everything taste so much better out here?”

“I think it’s all the fresh air,” Dani said before taking her own bite.

It was a great group. So far, we all got along and there didn’t seem to be any animosity between any of us. I hoped that didn’t change because I really loved the vibe.

“I heard you asked Gavin to go stargazing later,” Drevon said as he leaned closer to me and spoke quietly. “Would you like me to show you a few simple constellations to look for before you go?”

“I would love that. It’s nice that Gavin knows so much, but I wouldn’t mind knowing some constellations too.” He opened an app on his phone and showed me where the Big Dipper, the Small Dipper, and Orion were.

“That last one is tougher to spot, but he’ll be impressed,” Drevon said with a grin.

The heat crawled up my neck as I tried not to react but couldn’t hold back my own grin.

“I hope so,” I whispered before glancing at Gavin who was chatting with some of the other campers at their table across the room.

He looked over and our eyes met briefly before I looked back at Drevon who widened his eyes in reaction to my widened eyes.

“Looks like you’re in good hands,” he finally said.

After we ate dinner some of us wandered out to the firepit area while others stayed on the edge of the camp chatting with newfound friends. There was still a chill in the air, and I was glad I’d put a hoodie on earlier.

“Hey, are you ready to go up on the roof?” Gavin asked, startling me. I’d been so lost in thought I hadn’t seen him walking over.

“Yes. What’s all that?” He had a canvas tote bag tucked under his arm, but I couldn’t tell what was in it.

“I brought us some snacks,” he said and patted the bag. “There are chairs in the storage room. Let’s take a couple of them and go up before it gets too dark to see what we’re doing.”

I followed him to the storage room which had lots of foldable chairs and other things I had no clue about. He handed me one and I slung the strap over my shoulder then we walked toward the mess hall. “I didn’t know we could go on the roof tonight.”

“It’s a staff secret,” he said with a wink that I tried not to notice too much, but I totally noticed, and followed him through a door behind the kitchen that led to a set of stairs.

At the top he opened a heavy door that opened out onto the roof.

There was already a small table, and a single chair set up which he moved. Then I looked up.

“Wow,” I said, unable to contain my reaction at seeing way more stars than I’d ever seen in a nighttime sky.

“Not a bad view, right?” Gavin asked and walked over to where I stood.

“It’s amazing.” I looked over at him to find his eyes already on me and a sweet smile on his lips.

“Let’s get settled then we’ll see what we can see.

” He pulled the small table closer to where I stood then set his chair up behind it, before reaching for the one I forgot was still hanging off my shoulder.

A streak across the sky caught my attention and I was once again focused on all the stars.

Never in my life had I seen so many and to think they’d been there all along, but I never took the time to see them.

“What are you thinking?” Gavin asked from right behind me.

“How beautiful it is here, and how much I’ve missed.”

“Sounds like you have some catching up to do,” he said and held onto the chair while I sat down. I’d been so focused on the stars I hadn’t noticed how he’d set everything out on the table.

“Sounds like I need to start paying more attention.”