Sixty-Two ? Phan

Nineteen

It was warm out, perfect weather for a summer evening. The sun would set soon, it being well past lunch, and the sound of nighttime insects were orchestrating their songs early, as always. It smelled like fresh air, the kind of scent car fresheners strive for when they're dousing down the little tree ornaments in their factories. I felt my body relax as my thoughts finally slowed to normal speed. Things were going excessively good for the first time since I'd arrived at camp.

"What'd you get?" I asked Phil.

He scrunched his nose. "The stupid video game theme James suggested."

"I got your balloon idea."

"It seems the bonfire is going to rather bland this year."

"It seems," I agreed.

We glanced at one another before snickering. It was such a nice sensation to laugh purely because there was something to laugh about. We each crumpled our torn paper slips and threw them into a trash can.

Despite it all, I hadn't yet seen Phil's miraculous smile. Sure, he smiled plenty. Rarely faked, even, which was a definite stretch from our first encounter. But the one from the pictures, before his suicide attempt, was still nothing but a bite of the past. I had to wonder, would it always be that way? Would his face never glow again?

Some things are permanent, I suppose.

I swung our hands loosely between us, where they connected. Not a moment went by, per most situations, where we weren't touching in one way or another at this point. We'd grown closer than I ever even sought for. If it wasn't our hands, it was our legs under the table. My head on his shoulder. We were basically like stuffed toys that came in a box together and attached with velcrow.

"Are you going to the party tomorrow?" he asked.

I looked up at him as we walked, aimless. A similar routine lately. Our footprints were becoming predictable to the dirt underneath.

"What party?"

Phil turned his head up, peering into the sky. Clouds dotted it in sweeps of white cotton.

"The senior party," he said. "They have it at the lake every year. It's for seniors, to commemorate our final summer here or whatever."

"There's a lake?" I wondered.

"It's usually closed. Nowadays they only open it for this party and random events. This year, I guess, there just were no random events."

I shrugged, biting my lip. "Are you going?"

"Yeah."

"Okay. I'll go, then."

Phil chuckled, shaking his head. I glanced at him curiously.

"What?" I questioned.

"Nothing." He shook his head.

"No, what's funny?"

"You're just like a little kid sometimes. Really dependent on me."

I frowned, feeling myself blush. "No, I'm not."

His eyes shot my way again. "Really?"