though? I thought I knew what flirting was, but honestly I have no idea. Am I flirting back? I don't mean to be if I am. Maybe I should just tell him that? Just so you know, Caleb, I'm not flirting with you...
"How long are you going to be here?" Caleb asks.
"Um... just a week or two, I think?" I say. "I'm not sure yet. We're kind of playing it by ear, I guess."
"Cool, cool," Caleb says. Silence again, for a little while. "Hey, we should hang out sometime or something."
He's moving closer now. He's leaning towards me. Why is he looking at me like that? Is he going to kiss me? What do I do? I mean, I know what I do, sort of. I don't let him kiss me, that's what! I think?
I don't know how any of this works. I feel safer and better with Ethan. We have rules, and an understanding, and it's not like we need the rules, but I like having them. I know where I stand with Ethan, if that makes any sense? I know what we are, and even though I don't always know what he's thinking, I just...
I don't even know Caleb! He can't kiss me! That's just weird. I'm sure he's a good kisser and all, but... wait, Ashley, why are you thinking about what kind of kisser he is? That's not even important. It's...
"What the fuck are you doing?"
Oh, shit, that's Ethan.
Ethan comes up and pulls Caleb away. Who, apparently, was not trying to kiss me. The water jug was about to overflow and he was leaning forward and reaching out to turn it off. I don't even know how I misconstrued that as kissing, except apparently Ethan thought so, too, or thought something , at least.
Ethan jerks Caleb away from me and the water. I reach down to turn off the faucet myself, and then grab the top and twist it back on. Everything is all set. We can go now. We can leave.
Maybe.
"What's your problem, man?" Caleb says to Ethan.
"Me? What the fuck are you getting so close to Ashley for?" Ethan asks.
"We were just talking. I was helping with the water."
"Look, dude," Ethan says, "She's not stupid. She knows how to turn the water off. This girl has always had perfect fucking grades, so don't treat her like an idiot."
"What are you talking about? I wasn't. Like I said, I was just trying to help."
"Ethan," I say. "It's fine. Really. Caleb was just being nice."
It looks like they're going to fight. I'm pretty sure Ethan would win, but I don't want to see the outcome of a fight, regardless. I don't know what would happen, either. Would we get kicked out of the campground for fighting with the owner's son?
Worse yet, would Ethan's dad make Ethan leave without us, since he was the one starting trouble? I don't want to be here if I'm not with Ethan. I'm sure camping is fun and all, but it just wouldn't be the same.
Ethan and Caleb have a stare down. I'm not sure who's winning. Boys and their stare downs kind of confuse me. Ethan grunts and looks away first, then grabs the water jug, hefting it up in both his hands, holding it close to his chest. Caleb softens as soon as Ethan looks away, relieved.
"Let's go," Ethan says to me. "I don't know what my dad was thinking sending you here to do this. He should have just asked me to do it. This shit's heavy."
"I can carry it," I say. "You didn't have to come and help me."
He looks at me, and it's the same expression as before, nothing different, but there's something in his eyes that seems hurt? I don't really know. I didn't mean to hurt him.
"Look, I didn't mean to start any trouble before," Caleb says. "I get that she's your sister and some guy just broke up with her, so you have a right to be protective. I was just trying to help, that's all."
"It was nice of you, Caleb," I say, hoping to defuse this situation before it gets bad again. "Thank you."
Ethan grunts, but doesn't say anything. He starts walking back to our campsite.
Without me. He doesn't even say anything to me, doesn't even wait for me,
"How long are you going to be here?" Caleb asks.
"Um... just a week or two, I think?" I say. "I'm not sure yet. We're kind of playing it by ear, I guess."
"Cool, cool," Caleb says. Silence again, for a little while. "Hey, we should hang out sometime or something."
He's moving closer now. He's leaning towards me. Why is he looking at me like that? Is he going to kiss me? What do I do? I mean, I know what I do, sort of. I don't let him kiss me, that's what! I think?
I don't know how any of this works. I feel safer and better with Ethan. We have rules, and an understanding, and it's not like we need the rules, but I like having them. I know where I stand with Ethan, if that makes any sense? I know what we are, and even though I don't always know what he's thinking, I just...
I don't even know Caleb! He can't kiss me! That's just weird. I'm sure he's a good kisser and all, but... wait, Ashley, why are you thinking about what kind of kisser he is? That's not even important. It's...
"What the fuck are you doing?"
Oh, shit, that's Ethan.
Ethan comes up and pulls Caleb away. Who, apparently, was not trying to kiss me. The water jug was about to overflow and he was leaning forward and reaching out to turn it off. I don't even know how I misconstrued that as kissing, except apparently Ethan thought so, too, or thought something , at least.
Ethan jerks Caleb away from me and the water. I reach down to turn off the faucet myself, and then grab the top and twist it back on. Everything is all set. We can go now. We can leave.
Maybe.
"What's your problem, man?" Caleb says to Ethan.
"Me? What the fuck are you getting so close to Ashley for?" Ethan asks.
"We were just talking. I was helping with the water."
"Look, dude," Ethan says, "She's not stupid. She knows how to turn the water off. This girl has always had perfect fucking grades, so don't treat her like an idiot."
"What are you talking about? I wasn't. Like I said, I was just trying to help."
"Ethan," I say. "It's fine. Really. Caleb was just being nice."
It looks like they're going to fight. I'm pretty sure Ethan would win, but I don't want to see the outcome of a fight, regardless. I don't know what would happen, either. Would we get kicked out of the campground for fighting with the owner's son?
Worse yet, would Ethan's dad make Ethan leave without us, since he was the one starting trouble? I don't want to be here if I'm not with Ethan. I'm sure camping is fun and all, but it just wouldn't be the same.
Ethan and Caleb have a stare down. I'm not sure who's winning. Boys and their stare downs kind of confuse me. Ethan grunts and looks away first, then grabs the water jug, hefting it up in both his hands, holding it close to his chest. Caleb softens as soon as Ethan looks away, relieved.
"Let's go," Ethan says to me. "I don't know what my dad was thinking sending you here to do this. He should have just asked me to do it. This shit's heavy."
"I can carry it," I say. "You didn't have to come and help me."
He looks at me, and it's the same expression as before, nothing different, but there's something in his eyes that seems hurt? I don't really know. I didn't mean to hurt him.
"Look, I didn't mean to start any trouble before," Caleb says. "I get that she's your sister and some guy just broke up with her, so you have a right to be protective. I was just trying to help, that's all."
"It was nice of you, Caleb," I say, hoping to defuse this situation before it gets bad again. "Thank you."
Ethan grunts, but doesn't say anything. He starts walking back to our campsite.
Without me. He doesn't even say anything to me, doesn't even wait for me,
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