The Game

Wow, hi. I feel awful. I haven't written in forever, and even longer on this story. So sorry for the delay, but I have been super sidetracked and busy. Lame excuses, I know, but I promise to write as soon as I can. I don't even know why you are sticking with this lame story but thank you anyway. I love you guys for that.

 

Hi guys! Bad news. I am finally deciding to place this story on hold for a while. A long while. When will I post again, I do not know. I don't want to completely stop this story, though right now I have no motivation to write so much as a sentence pertaining to my current three projects, that is including this one. One day, I will continue. When, I don't know, but when I do, I'll let you know and it'll be pretty fantastic.

I love you guys so much and I thank you for being so loyal, sticking with me for over a year now. I will be continuing, and that's a sincere promise.

 

Hello everyone, if you're still with me, that is. I have good and bad news. But first, how this story should have gone:

Sam and River would have met the night he disappeared at the lake. They would continue to meet there and become better friends, later developing feelings for each other. Jordan and her would have broken up at one point, and he would have started dating Zoe. Flint and Sam would prank each other until she almost kills him, so she would have confessed. River would have done the same and took equal blame for every prank that happened through the summer because the night before, they finally started dating after they kissed for the first time. Rissa and Flint, who started dating at one point, would have stepped in and take the blame instead, and Sam and River reluctantly agreed and were saved by their friends. Zoe, Jordan, Sam, and River would have won the competition, originally being second to Rissa and Flint's group. They would have gotten the deed to the came and took it over the way they wanted, the rest of their friends helping along side them. Rissa and Flint and Zoe and Jordan would have gotten married by the epilogue and that is when River would finally propose.

If you guys want, I already pre-wrote the last two chapters and epilogue, and I will post them here. But as of now, this story is forever discontinued.

I hate to stop this story, but I feel like I've stolen another person's idea. Plus, I have no desire to continue. But I do have the end for you guys, I promise. If you want to read it, that is.

And now, for the better news. I am going to be rewriting my first story that actually got some readers and I finsihed, Cupid's Chocolate Villa. I finally got the true spark to start over on the book and I'm really glad to do so. If you haven't read the original, that's fine. This new version is going to be finally different.

Let me know guys. Chapters or no?

And lastly, thank you for sticking with me for so long and I am honestly sorry for breaking that promise I made. I love each and every one of you.

 

Because someone wants the last three chapters I wrote, I'm gonna post them now. I've been meaning to, but I've been busy with school ending, moving, and guys (which is the most tragic).

So, before this chapter: Sam and River meet at the lake and talk. Both have realized they have feeling for each other and River reveals that his father is an alcoholic. An abusive one, and he's the reason why River's parent's divorced, and his mother left River with his father because she was afraid that he'd be like his father. Which is so untrue.
*~*~*~
Chapter [this is blank because I never knew how many chapters I would write] - Spiders and Tons Trouble

After a few more kisses, River walks me back to my cabin. And when I see the time, it shocks me that it’s only been an hour since I left. But, either way, I get to sleep blissfully because I am a happy young lady, especially after kissing a guy like River. I go to sleep with a wide grin on my face and wonderful dreams follow. That is, until I’m awoken by weird tickling all over my body. I open my eyes and before I can sit up I know exactly what is going on.

Spiders.

I almost scream, but it gets caught in my throat. I whimper slightly and I call out to Zoe and Marissa. Marissa is the one to wake up, and she pulls out a flashlight. She shines the beam on my spider-covered body and almost screams herself before waking Zoe. I look up at them both, but neither makes their way to help or to get help.

“River,” I get myself to say. “Get River.” I can feel tears at the back of my eyes and I know if I move or anything, these spiders might, oh, I don’t know, bite me. And, well, who knows if they’re poisonous – Flint does.

I hear Zoe try to come near me as I look up at the ceiling, trying not to move at all. Soon, I hear the cabin door open and I hear Marissa speaking quickly. All I can focus on is not moving until I see River’s face above me. My eyes widen and I long to move my hands to hold his face and kiss him for being here, but I’m so frozen all I can do is smile.

“Oh, gosh, Sam, are you okay?” He places his hands on my cheeks and I nod slightly as I look up at him. “I’ll get these spiders off you one at a time if I have to, okay? I just want you to breathe and talk with me.”

“Okay,” I whisper as I look up at him. I manage to turn my head just a bit so I can look at him without him hunched over me.

“Do you have something I can store these spiders in? Like a bucket and some sort of lid where they can’t get out?” River asks Marissa and Zoe, and I know there is one because Zoe and I made it just for this situation. It is a bucket, and the lid has an average sized X on it. It keeps everything in it from coming out. I hear Zoe grab it, and I just focus on this gorgeous guy in front of me.

“Okay, focus on me,” River tells me and he kisses my forehead. I hear a slight gasp, probably in shock, but I really don’t care.

“Did you know about this?” I ask him softly, looking up at him. He sighs as he plucks one spider after another off my body. It’s kinda…weird that my boyfriend as of a few hours ago is placing his hands all over my body. But at least he has a real reason.

“That’s what I wanted to talk to you about, but when we talked, I forgot because, well…” He glances over at Zoe and Marissa, who are watching with wide eyes. “Well, you know what. And then, well…” I see him smile softly, and I know he is thinking about him finally kissing me. I blush and scowl softly.

“River, not here,” I tell him as I glance at my friends and roommates.

“I know. But Flint asked me to get in contact with Jared, you know, to get some spiders. Though when I talked to him, he said Marissa had already made that order.” I look over at Marissa with wide eyes, and she looks away with pursed lips, not seeming to want to talk about it. “I was going to tell you, warn you, but I just forgot. I’m so sorry, Samantha, really.”

“It’s okay. It’s my fault anyway, me being the cause of your forgetfulness,” I mumble quietly, only so River can hear. He chuckles and keeps his eyes on the spiders, and as scary as this is, I’m relaxed. And I’m relaxed because River Carlyle, the boy I really, really like, is here and is doing this for me.

“Yeah, well, I’d like to forget your friends and the spiders are here so I could kiss you. But I think they’d kick my ass if I kissed you. And they being your roommates; I don’t think the spiders would care all that much.” I send him a smile and I glance at Zoe and Marissa, who are whispering to each other like River and I are.

“River, you’re an idiot.” I smile and he chuckles once again, placing a hand on my cheek.

“But you love me,” he tells me softly as he looks down at me. I glance at my friends and they keep whispering, glancing at the two of us while smiling and talking quietly. I don’t know why this seems so weird; we’ve been doing this for the last while. I don’t care what they think, honestly, but I really don’t want him to get in trouble with my friends. But, whatever.

River continues to remove the spiders as we whisper. Soon, he has all of the spiders removed, though he tells me he has an idea that maybe one or two got away. Even so, I’ll be fine as I don’t see any. Marissa and Zoe go to their beds, relieved that I wasn’t bitten, or at least not knowingly, and I sit up, grabbing River’s hand.

“Thank you. I really appreciate it.” I smile up at him and pull him down to sit with me. “Though, I doubt I can go to sleep now.”

“It’ll be okay, I promise. The spiders aren’t poisonous. If they bite you, it’ll just be a wound that I can kiss over and over and over until it’s all better.” He chuckles and I hit him gently with my free hand. “But really, you’ll be just fine. I even asked Jared and he was one hundred percent certain that they were totally harmless.”

“That’s not the only reason why I’m not going to sleep, River. I have to come up with a good comeback on Flint. That bastard deserves to get hurt, and he will. Marissa told me she and her group will be working together at the stage to do one last rehearsal before filming their play. I’m going to scare him to death somehow, though I’m not sure how.” I trace shapes on the back of River’s hand, looking down at it with intense concentration.

“Samantha,” River scolds in a protective tone.

“River, I know exactly what I’m going to do, and I won’t get in trouble, I promise. Now, here’s my plan.”

*~*~***~*~*

I hide in the curtains on the stage, watching Marissa and Flint do a quick scene. I’m waiting for Flint to move to the perfect spot where I can perform my plan. He needs to be close enough so I can scare him, but not too close where he actually gets hurt; I don’t need a repeat of what happened to Jordan, except for this one to be worse.

I wait for what feels like forever until I watch him move to the perfect spot. I can feel my eyes light up as my plan is now in action. I run over to a rope and I wait for three seconds before pulling it free. I watch it fall to my feet and I turn my attention to one of the few columns on the stage. It begins to fall, and it seems to be aiming for Flint. I hear Marissa scream Flint’s name before running for him. Flint looks up and starts to move, pure fear on his face and in his eyes. This is what I wanted. This is exactly what I wanted.

And then a few problems start popping up.

Flint runs the wrong way. He heads towards the column, not away from it, and I watch him as I snake towards the exit. Everyone in the room is staring, screaming, and I see one of their other members run towards the other exit, yelling for help. When the column falls, Flint is lying on the ground though he’s out of harm’s way. Marissa is holding his face, speaking to him quickly. I make my way out and quickly make my way into the forest.

Soon, I see a crowd forming and I gradually join in. Mr. Snow is in the middle of the crowd, and I know Flint and Marissa are either still in the auditorium or are in the midst of the crowd. Mr. Snow’s face is red and he’s yelling loudly.

“Who did this?” he yells, looking around with wide eyes. “Who in this camp did this?” I look around and I spot River in the crowd. He is looking for me too, but instead he can’t fine me at all. And as I look at him, thinking about this wonderful relationship, I have to do the right thing.

“Good bye, River,” I whisper, frowning. I slowly step forward, taking a deep breath. “Mr. Snow?” I call to him as I walk through the crowd. “I did it. I caused the column to fall and I almost hurt him. I didn’t mean that much to happen. I’m sorry.” I look down at the ground and all I hear are murmurs, nothing surprising among everyone else, or so it seems. I wait to hear Mr. Snow scream at me, but I don’t hear anything. I look up and I see Mr. Snow is speechless.

“Samantha Adams, did you really..?” He looks at me in pure shock, and I end up nodding. I’m scared that I will be banned from this amazing camp. I don’t want to leave; never have I even thought that it would be a possibility. But still, I have to leave. I deserve nothing less. I’ve hurt people twice, Jordan in the beginning, and now Flint.

“Yes, I did.” I look down again and suddenly, I hear people murmur louder. I look up to see River, walking out from the crowd. I widen my eyes, and I don’t know what to say. All I can say is, “River?”

“Mr. Snow, I did it too. Sam and I worked together on this.” River walks towards me, a soft smile on his face as he looks at me. He doesn’t look at Mr. Snow; he looks at me as he walks to me. He holds a hand out to me as he smiles. “We did this as…” River pauses and then he says it. “We did this as a couple. And I’ll take everything Sam is getting. I won’t take half; I’ll take the exact same thing.”

I gasp and grab his outstretched hand, pulling him towards me.

“Are you really going to throw away your future here just for me?” I ask him softly, looking up at him with a small smile. “You are willing to give it away just to make sure I don’t take this alone?”

“Of course, Sam. If something happens to you, I want to be the one to help you. And I am going to do that right now. Besides, it doesn’t matter, next summer. You know that.” He gently squeezes my hand and I remove my hand from his. I wrap my arms around his neck quickly and kiss him hard and long in front of the crowd.

Instead of gasps, I hear screams, cheers, and other sounds of encouragement. I guess everyone has been routing for the two of us to get together. But it doesn’t matter. What matters is that I like him and I’m kissing him and he’s willing to throw the best thing in his life away just for me. Gosh, I don’t know what I did to deserve this guy, but I am glad I have him.

When I pull back, I look around to see… wait, is that money people are passing around? I notice Zoe and Rissa in the crowd and I seem Marissa handing Zoe money with an angry face. When I catch their eyes, I raise my eyebrows and they send me “innocent” smiles. Those two are the absolute worst.

“River, Sam, not to, ah, ruin your happy moment,” Mr. Snow says, and when I look at him, his face is soft, “but, I’m afraid I’m going to have to ask you to come to my office to discuss your actions and punishments.” I hear angry roars, and I remove my arms from around River. He takes my hand and looks down at me.

“You ready?” he asks me softly as he squeezes my hand. I look around and I can’t hear anything else except the roar of the crowd. I look down at our intertwined hands and I think about what this could do to our future. I probably won’t be here next year to be a counselor, nor will River. We probably won’t be seeing each other for a long time, not physically. I won’t be able to talk to him about his dad and if he’s okay as often as I’d like. But you know what? At least I have him.

“I’m ready.” I squeeze his hand and look back to Mr. Snow. I nod to him and the three of us walk away from the crowd. When I look back, I notice Flint, alive and well thank goodness, and Rissa holding hands, talking quickly. I look down and squeeze River’s hand once more, moving closer to him as we walk away.

*~*~***~*~*

“I cannot believe you, Sam did this. I can believe River did, sadly, but you, Samantha?” Mr. Snow asks, and I lean on River with a frown. I continue to blink back tears because I don’t want to cry. I do, actually, but not here. I want to be alone or maybe with River when I actually cry. I’m going to leave this amazing camp. I will never see Lake Harbor again where I talked and laughed and smiled and kissed River Carlyle; I will never see the cabins again where I have pranked and been pranked over and over; I will never see or do anything here ever again. And it breaks my heart because I did this for my mother. I won’t even complete my final year, and I know my mother would be and my father will be disappointed. Because I ruined everything just for some stupid pranks, stupid little pranks.

“I’m so sorry,” I whisper, though I’m not saying sorry just to him. I’m saying sorry to my mother, for ruining the best thing that ever happened to me.

“You should be. And you River?”

“I am too. I’ve never been so sorry for anything. Not even trying to rat out Sam, or pulling pranks that were planned in the last six years, or even for thinking I could hate Sam without talking to her first.” He looks down at me, gently placing a hand on my cheek.

“River Carlyle, you’re the sweetest, but this is not yet the time or place for your amazing compliments,” I tell him with a soft smile. I place my hand on his and curl my fingers through his. I pull his hand away and hold it in both of mine. “Sorry, Mr. Snow. We’re just…” I shrug, not sure why I’m trying to explain. It’s obvious that within the last few months, we’ve become more than friends. All because we actually talked about why we became who we are.

“It’s fine,” he tells us and I think I can see him smile. Has everyone been waiting for the two of us to get to together or something? Good grief. “But, you still have to be punished for almost hurting Flint and destroying a prop on out stage.”

“We know. And if you have to ban us from this camp, we’ll accept it, right?” River asks me and I nod, holding his hand in both of mine tightly. I’m scared to actually hear the words, and I close my eyes, trying to keep back my tears.

“Samantha Adams, River Carlyle, I’m sorry to say this but–” Instead of completing his sentence, I hear the door slam open and I feel déjà vu wash over me. Jared did this last time. When I open my eyes, I’m not too off; Marissa and Flint stand in the doorway, holding hands tightly.

“Mr. Snow, we have a confession to make,” Flint says and my eyes grow wide. They’re gonna do it. Those two are actually going to do it.

“We are the two that did all the pranks.”

*~*~*~
This was really cute to write, I'm gonna be really honest. I loved writing the difference in River's character. He's really a total sweetheart.

I'll post each chapter in a row, that way, I won't crowd too much space.

 

And now, the last chapter before the epilogue.
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Chapter – The Grand Finale

“Excuse me?” River asks and I elbow him gently, whispering in his ear that Rissa is Jared’s cousin and explaining what Jared did those years ago.

“Marissa, Flint, are you being honest here?” Mr. Snow asks the two, looking between the four of us.

“I’ve been planning all the pranks since the first year,” Flint begins to explain. He grips Marissa’s hand tightly and I give her a “What’s that?” look, to which she blushes and gives me a small smile. I send her a “We’ll talk about this later” look as Flint speaks about every prank he’s ever pulled with River, except he is putting all the blame on him and only him.

“Sam, do you think we should let them..?” River asks me quietly, and I think about it as Flint continues to speak about the pranks – the simple beginners stuff like fake snakes to the most recent covering of my body with spiders. I want to – believe me, I have never wanted to do anything more than let this asshole take the blame while I live happily ever after. But Marissa is my friend here. I don’t want her to do something like this for me, someone she’s known for only three months.

On the other hand, I want River and I to come back here next year as counselors. We would spend more time together, get to know each other, and maybe fall in love. But if we have to go, all of that just disappears in a blink of an eye. We’ll hardly be able to do anything except video chat and text and call and that’s it. We won’t have any face-to-face confrontations. I won’t be able to kiss this amazing guy who pushes himself to be calm so he won’t ever hurt anyone. I don’t want to leave him, and I don’t want him to leave me.

“Can I talk to you?” I ask Rissa and she nods, letting go of Flint’s hand. She whispers to him gently and pecks his cheek before walking outside. I kiss River and tell him I’ll be back quickly before walking out after Marissa. When I see her, she’s leaned against the wall. As I look at her, I notice she isn’t wearing that nose ring anymore. She isn’t wearing all those earrings, just one pair. And she only has one ring on her right ring finger, a silver banded ring with a shiny blue gem in the center. Her fingers twist it around as she stares straight ahead, her face expressionless.

“Why are you doing this?” I ask her and lean on the wall beside her, looking over at her. “I mean, I’m only a friend of yours for three whole months. Why would you leave just for me?”

Marissa sighs and purses her lips for a long moment before speaking. “Jared told me to come here. I came because, well, I thought it would be fun.” As she talks, I can hear the previous accent in her voice has disappeared. She sounds like your normal American girl. “But, when I saw how passionate you were about this camp because of your mother, I realized I needed to do whatever I could to keep you here. That’s why Jared sent me here, but seeing that in person…” She shrugs and finally looks over at me. “I realized you wanted to be here not to be rich and famous, but to stay in memory of your mother.”

“But, Marissa, I did all these things. So why are you taking the blame for me?”

“You need River, and River and you need this place. I have no idea why River wants to be here, maybe for you, maybe for another reason, but you two need this place. And I was just here for the fun of it. Meeting Flint was a plus. He and I are so alike, and we just click. I like him just like you like River. We just never made it a thing.” Her fingers stop twisting the ring and she sighs once more. “I want you to stay here. I live near Flint already, so we can see each other as much as we want. You and River? You two need this camp to be together. You two live over four hours apart. And next year, you two are probably going to go to different universities, or college, whatever you stupid Americans call it. You will have even less time to see each other. You need this camp, even if it’s for one more year.”

“Thank you,” I smile at Marissa. “But the column thing…”

“I’ll say I planned it and told you to do it, but I hadn’t realized what would happen. We prank each other to keep the spark between us.” She smiles and hooks her arm through mine. “But remember this much: you and I will always be friends. I don’t care how far apart we are, when we talk, but be will always, always, always be friends.”

“Good to know. I’ll miss you these last few days, Marissa.”

“It’s Rissa to you, now let’s go and get me in trouble.”

*~*~***~*~*

Mr. Snow believes Marissa and Flint and officially expels them from camp. They have until tomorrow at noon to leave, which is bad because it’s over a week before camp ends, though it is a good thing because they get to stay to learn the results of the competition. The four of us make it to the auditorium. River and I part ways with the other couple so they can film their play. River and I decide to go to the place we know best: Lake Harbor.

I sit beside the boy with a smile, holding his hand gently as he rests his head on mine.

“We did it,” River tells me with a soft smile. I laugh softly and look up at him.

“We did. We really did. And we’re leaving with me being the winner out of the six of us. The girls officially win.”

“But I backed out for you, Sam. So, that’s five instead of six.” I shake my head and we continue to talk with matching smiles on our faces. That is, until I get a call from Zoe that everything is ready. We head for the auditorium once more and once we’re there, it’s packed. I see Zoe and Jordan sitting together with Rissa and Flint, so I direct River towards the four. We sit in a group and I smile, holding River’s hand in mine as we watch most of the videos and performances on the big screen on the stage. Most are amazing, though some could be better. Flint’s and Marissa’s are amazing and then it’s our group. I grip River’s hand as our faces appear on screen, arguing.

My voiceover begins and I take a deep breath.

“Sometimes, things don’t start how you want. When you want to sing or act, there can be a force against you. In my case, mine was a guy named River Carlyle.” The arguing continues and the scene shifts to an interview. My interview first.

“Sometimes, he just frustrates me by giving me this look. Or just by something he says. But it’s not like he does it on purpose. Or at least, I don’t think.” I watch myself shrug as I look at Zoe off camera. The scene shifts again to me singing an old song from the 90s. River is looking at me strangely in the shot, and now I can’t imagine him looking at me like that. He tries so hard to keep calm and keep me safe from him, it’s strange seeing him like that.

“There’s something about her that makes me angry. Maybe it’s because she attacked me because I had no idea about her mother and she blames me for everything,” Video River tells Jordan off camera with a roll of his eyes. I shift onto the screen.

“My mother had cancer when I was younger. And later she died in a car accident. She pushed me so hard to do what I love and to get into this camp” In the video, I play with the necklace I wear and now, I do the same. “I loved her so much, and when she beat the cancer, I was so proud, so excited. I thought I wouldn’t have to deal with the words that people would tell me, like she was already dead. But I remember the accident.” I feel River squeeze my hand and hear him ask if I’m okay because I’m crying at the memory. “It was so heartbreaking. And when I told my siblings after, they didn’t understand, they were so young. And I just remember going blank for a long time, because she was going to get stuff to celebrate with. I had just gotten the news that I got into this camp. And she died just so we could celebrate.” Video Sam wipes a tear out of her eyes, and I use River’s shirt to dry my tears.

“It hurts every time I hear it,” River whispers to me. “I’m still so sorry.”

The scene changes to where River and I are just sitting around, laughing and smiling.

“But the hatred changed and we grew closer,” my voice says and I close my eyes, the memories going through my head.

Hitting River on accident on my first day. The first prank I pulled with Zoe. Meeting Gwen a year later. Pulling pranks with them both. Meeting Jared. Watching Jared confess a complete lie to Mr. Snow. Meeting Marissa. The snakes. The kisses with Jordan. Sitting by the lake crying. Getting pushed into the lake. Talking to River. Learning about his awful parents. Finally realizing I liked River Carlyle. Kissing River. Pushing the column over. Kissing River in front of everyone. Almost getting banned. Marissa and Flint taking the awful blame. Sitting here, right now, with this amazing guy.

When I open my eyes, River and I on the video are smiling at each other, and I realize I can notice the look on each other’s faces. Utter care for each other. When Video Zoe calls our names, we look away and I blush on the video.

“And that’s the game.” I smile at my last words on the video, and I hear the entire room roar with cheers. I kiss River as the screen goes up and the cheers don’t show any signs of stopping. Only when Mr. Snow stands on the stage with four judges behind him does everyone grow silent.

“Well, this has been an exciting three months, everyone. An exciting last three months for you all. You all did very well in your performances and videos. However, there can only be one winner. Judges?” He turns back to them and the furthest on the right hands him a sheet of paper. Zoe grabs my free hand and I can feel her trembling. I can feel my heart pounding and I can hear River whispering “Please, please,” under his breath. With that, I close my eyes.

“The winners of the competition are Marissa Kyle, Flint Summers, Harris Jones, and Jay Lincoln.”

My heart falls as I hear the names that aren’t ours. I look at River and I feel that his face reflects mine: tragic, heartbroken, defeated, and overall, scared.

“However,” I hear and my eyes shoot to Mr. Snow. “Marissa and Flint have been expelled from the camp as of earlier today, so they and their group are disqualified from the competition. The runners up for the prize are Zoe Parker,” he announces and I gasp as our names are read off. I turn to River and throw my arms around him, ready to cry once more.

“We won, oh my gosh, we won. River, do you know what this means?” I whisper into his ear as I hold him tightly, his grip as tight as mine.

“The prize,” he whispers back.

“The prize.”

“Zoe, Samantha, River, and Jordan, will you please follow me to my office to discuss the prize you have won?” Mr. Snow asks and we rush after him.

Once in Mr. Snow’s office, the four of us await his words, River and I eagerly holding onto each other. Jewels is standing behind Mr. Snow, and both have a solemn look on their faces.

“You four are the best this year, despite some problems,” Mr. Snow starts, gazing at River and I. River and I glance at each other and a hesitant laugh comes from the both of us. “And you deserve a prize for your hard work this summer. As you may know, I’m getting close to my retirement year. In fact, I will be this fall. And for my retirement, my wife and I are traveling the world with the money we saved. With that said, I am officially leaving the camp.”

“What?” River and I exclaim at the same time. “But you can’t. This camp…” I become lost and look at River. He pulls me close and I just hold onto him with a frown. How could he just leave the camp? That means selling it or something, and I can’t imagine someone changing this camp.

“I understand. But, you see, that is why the prize is this.” He holds up a piece of paper and I hesitantly grab the paper. My eyes widen when I read the words at the top.

“The deed to the camp? But none of us are 18 yet,” Zoe exclaims, leaning over my side to read over the deed.

“Who turns 18 first?” Mr. Snow asks and I think for a moment while everyone else does. While everyone shrugs, I’m the one to answer.

“River does. His birthday is in August. Then mine, in November. Then Zoe’s in March and Jordan’s in April,” I answer, calculating it as I speak. “So, he would get the deed first. Of course, if River didn’t want to own the camp, Sam would, then so on if that’s the same. Talk it over.” He leans back and River and I turn to each other. I know what he’s thinking. We need this camp. Not all four, at least I don’t think, but River and I. We love this camp so much, too much, almost, and we can’t bear to lose it.

“You two take it,” I hear and my head snaps around to Jordan. His selfless words make me smile even now, even after I’ve hardly talked to the guy anymore.

“Are you two sure? I mean, it wouldn’t be fair if…” I mumble, trailing off as Zoe smiles softly.

“I came because I was given the opportunity. So was Jordan. Sam, you have your mother’s memory here, where it’s strongest. And River, well I have no idea why you want this place, but it’s obvious that you do, no matter what. You to need this place more than we do. Just take it. We’ll be back next year anyway and maybe you can change the policy. Either way, it’s yours. We don’t want it, thanks.” Zoe smiles at me and I hug her quickly. I hug Jordan too, and before he pulls back, I tell him not to break her heart or he will get in a lot of trouble by me.

“Mr. Snow, Sam and I would like to take over when it’s time,” River tells Mr. Snow as I pull away from Jordan and back into River.

“Congratulations. You own the camp as of August.”

*~*~***~*~*

The next day, at 11:30, Zoe, Jordan, River and I stand by the exit of the camp, watching Marissa and Flint pack everything into Jared’s car. They’ll be spending the rest of the summer together before Jordan and Flint go home and Marissa will be staying with Jared. River and Jordan are talking to Flint while us girls are hanging out with none other than Jared.

“So, am I going to come back?” Marissa asks with a smile, leaning on her annoying cousin before he pushes her off.

“I’ll talk it over with River, of course. But knowing that I will win the argument, yes, you will. You have to,” I laugh as I hold onto the other two girls, my arms around them. “I’ll miss you. You have to call me before December if you really want to come back as a counselor.” I squeeze her quickly before she pushes me with a laugh.

“I’ll be back. And you’ll hear from Jared too. I’ll make sure he shows up once or twice.” She pushes him with a smile and he shakes his head.

“Oh, trust me, my cupcake will be seeing a lot of me,” Jared smirks with a wink. And before I can even respond, River makes his way between me and Jared.

“Did I just hear you call my girlfriend your cupcake?” River asks with an edge to his voice, and I grab his arm, trying to pull him back so I can talk to him. But he seems rooted to the ground. “You do know she’s my girlfriend now, right? Or do I have to tell you in a way that isn’t so kind?”

“Calm down, water boy, I’ve always called her Cupcake. It’s my special nickname for her. Nothing personal, at least, not for you.” Jared leans back on his car and crosses his arms, his expression calm and collected. River looks like he’s gonna bow a fuse.

“He’s right, you know?” Rissa sighs, leaning back on Flint. “I heard him call her Cupcake when he delivered the snakes. It’s not flirting anyway, River. He just teases her, so shut up.” Flint wraps his arms around her with a small smile, resting his head on hers. They’re really cute for such an evil couple.

“Fine,” River grumbles and I wrap my arms around him, looking up at him.

“See? Now quiet and let us ladies talk, River.” I smile and looking at the rest of my friends. Our group of six are holding one another, and it shows how close not only each couple has grown, but also how all of us have. We’re so close we don’t mind the affectionate display the others are giving. That is, if you exclude Jared.

“Okay, this is getting awkward. Now, little cousin and her boyfriend, we need to go before Mr. Snow sees not only me but both of you here at noon,” Jared tells them, clapping his hands together before ushering them into the car.

“Oh, wait!” I exclaim, grabbing Marissa and Zoe. “What was with the money passing?” I raise my eyebrows and the two smile.

“Oh, that. Everyone’s been making bets for a long time, and Marissa didn’t think you two would gt together by the end of the summer. I won,” Zoe exclaims, smirking happily. “I got twenty bucks out of her. Now, I’ll see you later, Rissa. Come on, Sam.”

“Bye, Marissa, I’ll hear from you soon, right?”

*~*~*~
This was an awesome chapter to write. The suspense, the honesty, the change in Marissa. It was so cool, how everything turned out.

Epilogue is next.

 

And the real finale.
*~*~*~
Epilogue – The Game, the Camp, and River

I smile at the crowd of teenagers as they walk through the camp, each talking or smiling or laughing. River is back at our cabin, getting everyone signed up for their counselor shifts.

River and I have been working this camp for six years now. We changed a lot about this place. Now it’s called Camp of the Arts, as it should have been from the beginning instead of being an exclusive camp. Now, it’s a place for all teens interested in the arts, whether it is singing, theater, art, or anything of the like, to learn and grow. We have Zoe and Jordan, the newly married couple of the six of us as the head counselors. Marissa is taking care of her and Flint’s baby boy Eric, so she can’t come this year. Flint is working alongside his brother happily this year either way because he loves the camp, his brother, and Marissa made him anyway.

Speaking of Zoe and Jordan, they run up to me, or rather Zoe does, and hugs me to death.

“Zoe!” I exclaim, laughing happily. Zoe pulls back and looks the same as she did seven years ago: pin straight blonde hair, breath-taking blue eyes, and as tan as can be.

“Sam! You look great! Are you married yet?” I roll my eyes at the question and laugh.

“No, not yet,” I tell her with a smile. Even after six years of happy romance with the occasional bought of arguments, we’re not even engaged. River and I agreed that we would want until we were both a hundred percent sure we were in love to get married. I am madly in love. Is River? I’m not sure, but I think he is too.

“He needs to propose before I smack the man. It’s been six years, almost seven. He needs to get to work now, or you need to leave or get pregnant, because honey, it is taking way too long.” I laugh again and throw my arm over her shoulders.

“Just because you’re married doesn’t mean I need to.” Zoe and Jordan have been married for a year. However, because River and I are the only two that haven’t gotten married, we still call them the newlyweds.

“Whatever. Let’s have some more fun this year, shall we?”

*~*~***~*~*

“Welcome to a new summer at the Camp of the Arts,” River announces and the crowd of teens roar with excitement. “We have so many campers here, so many lovers of the arts, so many memories to be made.”

“And we, along with the rest of you,” I smile, holding River’s hand for a moment before stepping forward, “are unconditionally excited about this new summer. We have so many friends here, so many newcomers, and so many old timers.”

“We have new classes this year,” Zoe smiles as she steps forward, leaving me to step next to River again. “We have gotten rid of the few people did not like and brought new ways to expand your knowledge you have of your art. And we are here to learn some of these things with you.”

“We can be your worst enemies, or your best friends,” Jordan adds, stepping beside her. “And we have some… tricks up our sleeves.” The five of us smile at each other, thinking about the pranks from our past.

“The game this year is the game of pranks,” Flint smirks, crossing his arms as he moves forward. “The five of us had the same game seven years ago, before our owners won the deed. My wife participated that year as well. And it is time to turn it to you all.”

“The rules are simple,” River calls out. “No live animals. We’ve dealt with that stuff far worse than you could imagine.”

“Do not do anything that could injure someone severely,” I announce, looking out over the crowd. “The occasional cut and bruise is fine, but if anyone has any broken bones, bites, or anything of the like, you will not be participating in anything else this year.”

“Lastly,” Zoe smiles, “be creative. Use your skill. Do what you can, make it unique, make it you. Each cabin will get points for each prank you pull. Please write them down, in detail if you can, and return it to one of us at the end of the summer.”

“Counselors are also allowed to participate. Whoever wins gets to pick the theme of next year’s game. Last year, we won, so this year’s theme is our game of pranks,” Jordan explains.

“Good luck,” the five of us say in unison. “And have a good night.” We smile and wave before everyone begins to leave. I smile at the rest of my friends as everyone leaves.

“Let the games begin. Let the best cabin win.”

*~*~***~*~*

In the morning, I wake up to water thrown onto my bed, which is also River’s bed. So, naturally, I think it’s Flint or Jordan and Zoe. That is, until I hear the familiar cackling from my fabulous boyfriend. Of course he’s pranking me. Just like usual. River and I prank each other even after the agreement. It’s an added spark.

“River Carlyle I swear, you’re in so much trouble.” I push myself off the bed, wiping the water from my eyes, even though I can’t see either way. I reach for my glasses but they’re not there. I sigh angrily and stand, making my way outside with no sight and soaked. “River?”

Instead of finding River automatically, I see a lot of people and some sort of white in the middle of the sky – maybe a sign? – and there is black in the middle of the white.

“Looking for me? And for these?” I hear River ask and I roll my eyes.

“Gee, River, what irony. Just give me the glasses, alright?” I reach my hand out and I feel something familiar land on the palm, and I know it’s my glasses. I put them on and after a moment of focus adjustment, I now see it is a sign. And it says the words I’ve wanted to hear for a long time.

“Will you marry me?” is written in big letters on the white sign.

“Well?” I turn to see River on one knee, holding a beautiful ring. I feel my heart flutter for a moment and before automatically blurting out a yes, I wait.

“River Carlyle,” I start, and his smile widens. “Why would I want to marry you?” I raise my eyebrows, my plan now in action. “Why should I marry you of all people?” River’s face goes slack and I hear gasps throughout the crowd, most of the campers and the counselors.

“Sam,” River says, standing as his mouth tries to form words.

“I mean, you love me, you pull pranks on me, you told me about all the awful things in your past and now you’ve put it behind you. But why shouldn’t I marry someone else? Why shouldn’t I? You’ve also hurt me and tortured me for years before we started dating.” River looks around to Flint – and Marissa with Eric are in the crowd – and Jordan and Zoe. I walk towards him, grab his chin, and kiss him as hard as possible. His shock is still there and he doesn’t kiss me back, but it’s okay. I want this shock.

“River Carlyle,” I smile when I pull away, looking into his clear blue eyes full of shock. “I love you unconditionally. That is why I will marry you, my amazing River.” I smile widely and pluck the ring from the box, sliding it onto my finger.

“So, yes.”
*~*~*~
This was my absolute favorite chapter to write. I swear it was... How adorable are River and Sam, really? The proposal idea just popped out of nowhere but I loved it.

Now, I'm leaving this app. For good. I have no reason to be on here anymore, and with everything going on, school, moving, getting ready for college. I'm almost a junior. It's a big thing. However, I am far from finished writing.

I'm on Wattpad writing this story I originally wrote two whole years ago, Cupid's Chocolate Villa. Check it out. I'm ShanaAlana there, and if we were awesome friends, you probably already have my kik.

I'm going to be published one day. And when I do, I look forward to seeing you, my fans.

I love you guys, really.