I should really get out of here, so why am I not doing just that? Holly thinks for the umpteenth time even as she tosses her belongings onto the top bunk and climbs up after. While the beds have mattresses, they are bare, flat things covered in vinyl, meant more for providing something softer than the ground for laying out one’s sleeping bag. Speaking of sleeping bags, Holly discovers her own to be a compact style barely larger than a soda bottle when rolled up. Unlike Gracie’s more conventional plush kind, this one was for serious campers and backpackers, though its pastel pink color kind of dampened the rugged aesthetic a bit.
Is everything I have pink? Holly wonders, running her hand over her duffel bag and sports jersey. Well, at least it’s a cute color. Wait, what?
Shaking her head, she focuses on settling in while trying to strike up another conversation with her roommate. Might as well get to know her better. “So, any plans for what you want to do at camp?”
“Nah,” the other girl replies. “I’m not really the camping type. I’m hoping to just stay inside and play my games.” Gracie’s hand pokes out from beneath, waggling a game console where Holly could see it. The movement causes a faint jingle from her silver charm bracelet.
“What!?” Holly gasps, wrinkling her nose at the offending device. “Why would you come all the way out to this beautiful campground and not want to do anything?”
“Hey, it wasn’t my choice, okay?” Gracie says, a hint of defensiveness entering her tone as the console is withdrawn. “My-” Her words cut off suddenly.
Worried that something might have startled the girl again, perhaps another spider, Holly leans over the side of the bunk. Instead, she sees Gracie laying there, her delicate brow furrowed in confusion. “Your what?”
“M-My…mom forced me to come here,” Gracie finishes, her confusion clearing up. “She’s always telling me to do stuff outside.”
Holly tilts her head. “Well, yeah. It’s healthy for you, y’know. You can’t stay inside forever.” And you could use a little sun, she adds silently. Then, she amends the thought: That pale look really suits her, though. She looks like a princess! Unlike me.
A strange feeling of being brutish and unattractive compared to her roommate enters her mind. But why should she care? She isn’t even supposed to be a girl, let alone a pretty one. Right?
And yet…
“Ugh, not you too,” Gracie groans, rolling her eyes. “Why can’t you people just leave me alone?”
A stab of guilt goes through Holly. She had only just met this girl a minute ago, and here she is messing up their relationship right off the bat! Perhaps she can chalk it up to simple stress over her present situation, but right now, she could really use a friend. Desperately, she tries to backpedal. “Oh, I wasn’t saying there’s anything wrong with it. I just…Oh gosh, I’m sorry. I guess I’ve always had so much fun going camping with my own family that I just reacted without thinking. Please, don’t be mad at me. Please?”
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Down below, you sigh. It’s hard to be mad with someone giving you that sad puppy-dog look. “It’s okay. I guess I overreacted, too.” That’s kind of an understatement. The girl’s disdain for your precious hobby had triggered an automatic response from you, shattering your attempted role-play. For a moment, you had let your real feelings show. Now, you try to salvage what you can by putting on a smile. “Look, let’s start over, alright? You forget my embarrassing accident earlier, and I’ll forget this conversation. Deal?”
To your surprise, Holly lets out an excited squeal, vaulting to the floor like a star gymnast and giving you a suffocating hug. “Deal! Let’s be best friends!”
You manage to hide your wince as you return her hug, patting her back a couple times. This girl sure is…physical. Then again, it’s no surprise. The second you first laid eyes on her, you could tell she was the polar opposite of yourself. Your current self, that is. Everything about her just screams ATHLETE. From her healthy tan to her trim yet graceful musculature, she just seems to shine with vitality. You would bet anything she’s already on a sports team. Or a cheerleading squad. Or both.
Releasing you from her hug, Holly takes a breath. A hint of nervousness enters her bright blue eyes. “Okay, if we’re gonna be best friends, we’re naturally going to share a few secrets.”
“Naturally,” you answer with a mental shrug. Not that you would know what best friends do in real life. Do those still exist these days?
“Right!” Holly agrees with herself a little too enthusiastically. “I’ll go first!”
“You really don’t have t-”
She grabs both your shoulders, her eyes boring into your own as her expression turns serious. “Gracie, listen. This is gonna sound crazy, but I-”
“ATTENTION RAVENWOOD CAMPERS!” A cheerful voice, clearly broadcasted through loudspeakers throughout the camp, echoes overhead. Holly jumps back, startled out of whatever she was about to confess. “Now that you’re all settled in, please, gather in the main field at the center of the campground!”
“Sounds like we’d better go,” you remark hurriedly, leaping to your feet and slipping on your shoes (now a comfortable pair of girl’s sneakers). While Holly seems nice and all, you hope she tones down this whole “best friends” thing before you actually have to reciprocate. None of your rpgs ever went over how to be best friends with a girl as a girl. Maybe she’ll just do her thing while you do yours. You cross your fingers.