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Part 10

As the bus came to a stop, I peeked out the window, straining my neck to see the tiny sliver of light behind Carson's frame. There was one person in the parking lot, a vixen, toe tapping on the gravel while her arms were folded. She glared as the bus came to a lurching stop and her toe seemed to be tapping harder. She scanned the windows, like she was looking for someone. And as our eyes met, she had.

You're gonna get your ass handed to you again.

Sera glared at me, at the window where Carson and I both were staring out of. He turned to me, back to her, then to me again. "Isn't that Sera?" he asked.

"Yeah."

"She looks pissed."

I sighed. "Probably because I didn't tell her what happened."

Carson cocked his head to the side. "What do you- Oh. Why would she be mad at that?"

"Because I told her I'd tell her everything last summer. Her and Kit are like my go-to people, and with the whole Brent thing, Kit knew but not..."

"Well," he said with a smile and a friendly pat on the shoulder, "I wish you luck."

I snorted. "I'll take that and more."

He laughed and waited for me to get up and make my trek to the front of the bus, which, for all I knew, could have been death row depending on how pissed she was (you don't mess with Sera, for stupid reasons or serious ones). I could feel her gaze bore a hole through my head as I walked slowly to the front, speeding up when I got closer to the door to let the people behind me out. As my feet touched gravel, it was as if Persephone herself had seized me by the arm and pulled me aside.

I couldn't get a word in before her she started to talk (and let me add, that, like her texting, no one can get a word in until she is done). "Where do you get off telling Kit that you and Brent broke up and then not saying a word to me because I totally helped everyone be okay with you two, especially you, I've been there for you forever, and Kit know but not me I mean we're like family- but that's besides the point, why didn't you tell me?"

"I...uh..." I couldn't speak. "I-"

"Hey," Carson patted me on the shoulder again, "how about we go at like 2ish. It'll be semi-warm then."

I nodded and said I'll see him then before turning my attention back onto Sera, who had look of I-think-I-know-what's-going-on-so-I'm-going-to-pretend-like-I-do.

"Look," I said, "I'm sorry for not telling you earlier. The only reason Kit knew is because we went to the bonfire-"

"I didn't see you guys there," she interrupted.

"We didn't exactly go into the party, we stayed towards the edges-"

"So you were spying."

"What? No. We weren't-"

"Did he cheat on you?"

When I remained silent she made this really dramatic gasp (forgive my grammar but...it was just really dramatic). "Oh, honey, no."

"Yeah."

"Here," she said and grabbed me by the arm. "Let's go."

"Go where?" I asked as she walked me away from the bus.

"To the lake near the cafeteria."

---

We ended up sitting on one of the chipping benches overlooking the "lake" (it was about 20 feet wide and 30 feet long, I'd hardly call it a lake). Both of our tails bobbed and curled to the rythm of the rustle of the trees, Here, the trees consumed all vision of the sky above, the only sunlight coming in was from the opening to the rest of the camp and over the lake. Leaves fell and came to rest on the serene surface of the water, barely causing a ripple. The mossy rock under my toes gave the place an eighteenth century vibe to it, which I really liked, save for the cafeteria and texting teenagers who could surprisingly make out and still be able to move their fingers at the same time.

"So," she said resting a paw on my thigh, "tell me everything."

And I did. Everything. And when I mean everything, I'm not being a melodramatic fag. I told her about the cheating she already knew about, the way I felt at parties or dinner when he left me, on the bus when he wouldn't even sit with me, and, finally, about the woods.

When I was all done, I felt, well, shitty. I mean, how else would I have felt if I had just relived the past years of my life, realizing that the relationship I thought was golden was just some lackluster fools gold?

You would probably feel shitty.

Thank you so much for the much needed input.

Anytime.

"Aw, honey, I'm sorry I had no idea," she said, her claws digging deep into my jeans. I withheld a whimper as she kept going. "Listen, if you want, I can kick his ass for you."

"Sera, I...no," I replied.

"Oh, come on, I won't beat him as bad as you."

I groaned and was about to get up when she held me in place. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry," she said keeping me down. "Listen, Scoot-"

"Scout."

"Scoot, I'm actually glad that you got rid of him. He was bad news-"

"You? Getting sentimental? I really did fuck up."

She made a face but continued. "Look, all I want to say is, I'm sorry. I should have told you he was bad and told you to get out sooner. But I didn't and look at what he did to you."

"Sera listen, it's okay, really. I know you would never want to hurt me intentionally, I wish I would've had the courage to do something sooner but I didn't and that has nothing to do with you."

There was a heavy silence following my statement, where Sera looked at the ground and I looked everywhere else.

"You know," I broke the silence, "you've never apologized once. It's a pretty good side of you, Miss Priss-"

I felt something hard and round smash into my shoulder. I yelped and grabbed my aching arm while Sera withdrew her fist.

"Oh, save the sass till after you do it with pretty boy."

"We're not like that."

"Says you."

"And I would know. Besides, he's not gay."

"That's not what I've been hearing..."

I didn't mean to pry but...

"What'd you hear?" I quickly asked.

She checked her nails like nothing had ever been said. "Hmm? Oh, I'm sorry, you guys aren't like that."

I groaned and said, "Fine we fuck every night. Now what'd you hear?"

She giggled. "I heard he's been...checking some of the guys out."

"What does that mean? Where? Who?"

"Calm your enthusiasm. In the showers after practice, before practice. One of the guys, who will remain nameless, told me he's been seeing Carson do it out of the corner of his eye for months."

"And how credible is your 'nameless' informant?"

"...credible."

"Right."

"Hey," she said and got up, "take it for what you want, but you never know. Loved the talk, honey, let's do it again sometime. And if you have anything new going on, come to me first, I don't need Kit rubbing it in my face anymore."

And with that, she was walking towards the cabins, probably to apply more makeup and talk trash with the other girls. I, on the other hand, sat staring at the lake. So, Carson could be gay. Or, at the very least bi.

That's when I started to panic. What if the hike was just some ploy to get me to kiss him (or more)? Oh, man, I better wear something nice. I'll have to wear nice underwear too, not just jeans and a hoodie -no hoodie, wear one of the new flannels, he loves flannel (maybe he is gay after all...)- I'll get my blue striped underwear, I always look good in that.

I stopped and thought about how absurd I must sound. What if he isn't even gay? I would have gotten prepped for nothing. Besides, I don't think, even if he was gay, he'd make a move on me this soon after a breakup.

Sooner than later.

He's got a good heart.

He's a teenager, 'good heart' equates to giving you a couple days to mope before boning you.

He isn't like that.

Déjà vu. I feel like I've heard you say that about someone else before...who was it? who was it?

Okay, I get it. But he is.

How do you know? Here's the answer: you don't.

I'm pretty sure...

You're pretty sure got you into a whole mess of trouble last time. Try to be sure this time.