The Summer Stare

“Hey Cassie!” Sophie, a 14 year old, nice brunette girl said, greeting her best friend as she pulled up a chair at their table in the camp’s large cabin like mess hall.

“Hey,” Cassie, a 15 year old, dirty blond bookworm, replied.

“Wanna try some archery after lunch? Or maybe horse back riding?”

“You can, I’m planing on heading back to the cabin to read.”

“Come on Cassie! Don’t be a wet blanket,” Zack, a tall 15 teen old boy, with messy hair, said teasingly, surprising both girls as he walked up behind them with his friends.

“I’m not a wet blanket,” Cassie said defensively, “I’m just a little more… reclusive.”

“But we’re at camp to have fun!” Sophia said, trying to persuade her friend.

“Reading is fun. Maybe not to you guys, but it is to me,” Cassie replied.

“Ok,” Sophia said, “You want to read, go right ahead.”

“Thank you,” Cassie sighed, annoyed.

“After camp,” Sophia finished.

Sophia could be annoyingly persistent at times, so, Cassie decided to give in.

“Ugh, fine we can ride horses,’’ Cassie finally gave in. Riding horses did kind of sound fun… but she would never admit it.

As she watched everyone briefly celebrating their victory at winning her over, she noticed one who was not. It was Zack, and he wasn’t cheering or high-fiving like the rest of the group. He was just staring. 

Staring at Cassie with a smile on his face. And once Cassie started staring back, they just kind of stayed like that for a while. She was trying to figure out what the stare meant when a hand waved in front of her.

“Earth to Cassie?” Sophia said, tearing her gaze from Zack to the rest of the table, who, she noticed, weren’t cheering anymore, but just looking between her and Zack.

“Well, I guess we should go change into some better riding clothes!” Cassie said. No way she was giving anyone a chance at asking about that stare before she could figure out what it meant. 

“Uh, ok?” Sophia said confused. 

“Ok we can meet you guys at the stables!” Hunter, one of Zack’s friends said.

“Yeah, sounds good,” Cassie agreed, then, quickly turning to Sophia, she said “Lets go.”

And quickly took her tray to the trash, pulling her friend behind her as they left.

After they were gone the boys, Zack, Hunter, and their other friend, Jake, started talking.

“Dude! What was that?” Jake asked Zack.

“What was what?” Zack asked, hoping to avoid the conversation that he knew was coming.

“That… thing, between you and Cassie,” Hunter said, “Wait. Do you… like her?”

“What? No! Just shut up and eat your sandwich.”

Do I like her? Zack wondered to himself as he took a bite out of his own sandwich.

‘Well, she is cute, nice, funny. But, I’ve known her since kindergarten! I can’t only be starting to like her now. Can I?’

Back at the girls cabin, Cassie and Sophia had gotten dressed and were putting their hair up.

“So…” Sophia started, “What was that stare between you and Zack?”

Great. Cassie thought, So much for avoiding this conversation.

“It was nothing! It was just… nothing.”

“I know what it was and you do too, so don’t try to hide it!” Sophia said.

“Oh really? What was it then?”

“You like him!”

“What!? No I don’t!” 

“Yes you do! It’s clear as day!”

‘Do I?’  Cassie thought, well it makes sense. ‘He’s nice, funny, cute… no. I’ve known him since kindergarten! I can’t just be starting to like him now… Could I?’ 

➰

After they had headed down to the stable, Sophia pulled Jake and Hunter aside while Cassie and Zack got some horses saddled up.

“Cassie likes Zack, I know it. I just can’t get get her to admit it.” Cassie told the boys.

“Well we think Zack likes Cassie!” Jake responded.

“Really? That’s great! Ok, what’s the plan?”

“Plan for what?” Hunter asked.

“Plan for getting them together!” Sophia said impatiently.

“Why would we do that? It’s their lives, if they like each other then let them figure it out.” Hunter said.

“Ugh, you’re such a boy!”

“Why thank you, thank you very much.” He said teasingly.

“I’ve got it!” Sophia suddenly said.

“Got what?” Jake asked.

“The plan! Duh!”

“Fine,” Hunter sighed, “What is it?”

“Once we get the horses out to the woods, we pretend to forget something at the stable. We tell them to not worry about it and just to stay there. That way their forced to talk to each other! It’s perfect!”

“Really?” Jake asked.

“Stranding them out there doesn’t really seem like a good idea…” Hunter remarked.

“Well too bad. I’m the girl and you do what I say,” Sophia said as they rolled their eyes.

“Well,” Cassie said behind them, startling the others, “horses are all saddled up!”

“Let’s get going!” Hunter said, swinging his leg over the saddle.

Once they all had gotten on their horses, they started off on a horse trail in the dense forest.

Once they were five minutes into the woods and could no longer see the stables, Sophia set her plan into action.

“Oh uh, we forgot something at the stall! Heheh…” She turned to the others in on her plan, “Right guys? Yeah, we’ll go back and get it. Let’s go guys!” 

“We can go with you,” Hunter started to offer.

“NO! I mean no, we’re fine, you two stay here. We’ll be back soon!” And with that Sophia and the two boys left for the stables.  

Once there were out of sight, Hunter said, “Well that was weird.”

“Yeah,” Cassie agreed.

Hunter thought for a long moment before saying something he would never regret.

“Uh, Cassie?” He started nervously.

“Yeah?”

“I-I need to tell you something and if I don’t do it now I never will.”

“Uh…ok” Cassie said. She knew what was coming. And she was ready for it.

“I…I think…” Zack started, almost giving up.

‘No. I need to do this,’ He thought to himself. 

“Cassie, I’ve been thinking about what happened at lunch…and…well, think I’ve realized that I’ve liked you since, well, kindergarten. And not just liked, I mean like, liked liked.

“Really!?” Cassie asked, filled with excitement.

“Uh, yeah!”

“I-I like you too!”

“Oh good!” Zack said, relieved, “I was hoping you did or else this would have been SUPER awkward!”

Cassie laughed, happy for herself. And for Zack. She knew Sophia would be happy about this too. She was just wondering where the others were when she heard their horses toting up the trail to where they were.

Once they were all back together, Cassie asked, “So, you find what you needed?”

“Uh…..yeah!” Sophia answered, “Heheh…… So, uh, what did you guys talk about while we were gone?”

“The fact that you were right,” Cassie replied.

“Oh really? What exactly was I right about this time?” 

“Things,” Cassie said, giving her friend a knowing look.

“So you admitted to each other that you were madly in love and that you couldn’t live without the other?” Sophia asked.

“Something like that,’’  Zack answered.

“FINALLY! I knew my plan would work! Didn’t I say my plan would work?’’ She said turning to Jake and Hunter. 

“Yep,” Hunter said sarcastically.

“Hey,” Jake said turning to everyone, “Now that we know that this little strategy works, you should strand me and Sophia over here in the woods.”

“Sure! Let’s set that up for the 12th of never gonna happen.”Sophia said sarcastically, causing them all to burst out laughing.

And with that, they all rode off into the forest, talking, laughing, and teasing Zack and Cassie.

The End