Elouise
After the pencil incident,I managed to avoid Beckett all the way through lunch. Rebecca probably would’ve given me shit for hiding but she was too busy making goo-goo eyes at Bob.
Finally, for the first time all day, I’m able to relax.
I found a table full of quiet girls and their moms, who happily let me join them for lunch. And they don’t seem to mind that I’m sitting with my thoughts rather than joining in conversation.
Double bonus, as lunch wraps up, instead of breaking us up into groups for the next activity, Beckett just had us stay with our tablemates.
So, feeling excited about the reprieve from males, I hang with my girl-group while we learn simple first aid techniques. We wrap fake-sprained fingers. Search for sticks that would make good splints for broken bones. And learn the best ways to treat a burn in the wild.
Beckett keeps a cool head, walking through the groups – praising efforts, giving advice, and melting panties.
I try to focus on our tasks, but it’s hard to stop my mind from spiraling around Beckett.
Where did he learn all this stuff?
How did he know about the mushrooms?
Where is he living now?
Is he back? Is that why he’s here?
Last I’d heard, he was living in The Windy City, but after that ill-fated Christmas party where my teenaged heart was crushed by the reality of our differences, I stopped asking after him.
And then of course a few years later the Coffee Incident happened. Maddie was witness to that travesty, but I never breathed a word of it to my family.
And less than a year later I left for college.
There were a few times that I thought about googling Beckett’s name, looking him up on MySpace, finding him on Facebook, but I always chickened out. I was too worried that he’d somehow find out. And it wasn’t like I’d’ve sent him a friend request.
A small snort escapes me at the memory. What a fool I was.
“Sorry, what was that?” one of the moms asks me.
I wave it off, “Just a cough.”
She looks skeptical but Beckett’s voice draws her attention. “Alright, everyone, we’ll gather together for this last-”
A sharp whistle has the whole camp wincing.
Beckett slowly turns to face Mr. Olson, whose whistle is still pressed to his lips.
“Thanks,” Beckett’s voice is so dry, I have to slap a hand over my mouth to keep from snorting again.
We’ve finally made our way back to the main camp, and it looks like Beckett has one more thing planned for us.
Everyone shifts closer, and I surreptitiously keep an eye on Adam, making sure to keep several bodies between us.
“Shorties in front.” Beckett gestures for some of the kids to move up. “I’m going to show you what I keep in my emergency kit.” He holds up a zippered pack that looks a lot like a soft sided lunch box. “The basics will be the same wherever you go, but depending on your situation you might want to adjust what you keep on hand.”
The kids all lean in closer as Beckett opens the kit and takes items out.
I’m amazed that they’re this interested in something so mundane, but I’m also leaning closer to the action, too. It’s probably just Beckett. His magnetism must work on everyone, not just single horny women.
Pulling out a large Ziplock bag, Beckett addresses the group, “For this next one, I’m going to need a helper for my demonstration.”
I squint my eyes, but he’s lowered the bag to his waist so I can’t see what’s in it.