POV: Rowan

Frankie is, to put it simply, infuriating. Despite all my best efforts, I couldn't seem to get my mind off of her. Part of that was by design, as she continued to tease and flaunt herself in front of me throughout the morning. She knew that if she bothered me enough, eventually I wouldn't be able to resist. 

But that was the problem. I didn't want to resist. It wasn't that I was afraid of Frankie like she accused me of, it was just that I couldn't imagine a way that this whole thing could possibly end without me getting hurt. 

"We can't just waste our days being cautious and careful and avoiding getting hurt, right? That's just asking to grow up lonely and boring and completely miserable--" Kalea cuts into my thoughts. She's talking about Dylan, but as I said, I'm thinking about Frankie. 

"Fair enough, but every risk should be calculated. You can't just throw yourself into every fire you see and expect not to walk away as a burn victim," I point out wryly, breathing heavily as we make our way up the hill. It's been awhile since I've gone on a hike, and this one was kicking my ass. Luckily, it was just the two of us so nobody could see me tripping over my hiking boots. Kalea gives me a confused look.

"Cute, Ro, but this isn't English class. Your analogy might give you an A+ on a paper but it doesn't really apply to real life. I'm just saying-- I should suck his dick, right?" She grabs my hand to help me over a small creek, watching me stumble with a raised eyebrow. 

"You can do what you want, Kalea. But I'm just saying, Dylan seems pretty interested in Blake, and he hasn't really responded to any of your advances. Casually offering to suck his dick is asking for an ice cold rejection. I just don't think it's worth the risk," I huff, leaning against a tree and unscrewing my Hydroflask, ready to call it on the lunch hike.I really needed to hit the trails more before breakfast shift.  Kalea rolls her eyes.

"Of course you would say that. You never do anything exciting. If you're going to fucking risk it all, it might as well be at summer camp where nothing really matters. This is our last year here," She points out, grabbing the bottle from my hand. She takes a long drink while staring me in the eyes, and I'm forced to glance at the ground. She hands it back and starts heading down the trail while I quickly attempt to screw the lid back on, stumbling behind her.

"Besides," She continues. "I didn't need your opinion, or your approval, I was just thinking out loud." She flicks her hair over the shoulder and puts her earbuds in, clearly pissed that I even suggested that Dylan have feelings for someone else. Sensitive much? Good luck with receiving that rejection. 

"I missed you at lunch," Frankie murmurs as we lead our campers into the woods towards the zip line. I glance at her and she smirks, clearly thinking she was winning this little game. 

"Oh really?" I mutter back nonchalantly, not wanting to give her any sense of satisfaction. I feel her arm brush against mine, sending a jolt throughout my body. She bites her lip, but falls behind me to jabber away with the group of little campers. I sigh to myself, conflicted. 

Once we arrive at the zip line, where Dylan and Blake were stationed, the girls' confidence seemed to wane. It was pretty high, and it was pretty scary-- but it seemed like not a single camper wanted to have a go. Not even Frankie. 

"Come on, ladies! Dylan and Blake would never let any of you fall," I urged, frustrated. Being a camp counselor was, simply put, frustrating as hell. There's something about summer energy that makes little girls extra hard to handle. 

"Frankie?" I try, furrowing my eyebrows and praying that she can offer me some assistance. She crosses her arms. 

"Ha! Yep. Perfectly safe, my loves. In fact, I'll be on the other side to catch you--" She turns her around to head back down the mountain, but I grab her by the shirt collar. 

"I'll go if Frankie goes!" The leader of the pack, Briclyn shouts. The other girls, with varying levels of confidence, nod their head and mumble in agreement. I stare at Frankie, and she stares back, wide-eyed. 

"Let's all watch Rowan go," Frankie suggests, crouching down to the girls' level and begging me with my eyes not to make her do it. They girls start egging her on. 

"Come on Frankie, it's a right of passage," I grin, nudging Dylan in the ribs. He laughs, nodding in agreement. 

"Seriously?" Frankie groans, rising up to her full height. "Is every thing around her a rite of passage?" She hesitantly steps forward.

"Come on Frankie, don't be a pu-- a loser," Blake calls  from the other side of the zip line. It really wasn't that far-- maybe like, 30 feet? 40? Frankie squares her shoulders, and looks each camper in the eye. 

"Fine. If I don't make it back alive, ladies-- don't let Rowan bully you into doing it. That's called peer pressure, loves. And please, resist the urge tor roast marshmallows at my funeral," She says solemnly, saluting the girls and walking up to Dylan to help her into the harness. He chuckles at her sincerity, glancing at me. I roll my eyes. 

"Her FUNERAL?" Brynn gasps, her eyes nearly rolling back in her head. I grab her by the shoulders and steady her. 

"She's joking. Morbidly, but joking nonetheless. You don't have to do it if you don't want to, Brynn," I smile warmly, and she grabs my hand, clutching it tightly. She's just so adorable. 

Dylan tightens a few straps on Frankie's harness and she glowers at me, her brow set in a scowl. 

"Really? What about me? I don't want to do it either," She mumbles, testing the strength of the rope by bouncing nervously. I can't help but roll my eyes again. Frankie was all talk, huh. I make my way through the gaggle of girls and stood in front of Frankie, using my whole half-inch of height on her to attempt to intimidate her. She merely smirks, eyeing me from top to bottom. 

I glance at Dylan, and he gives me a nod. 

"How's this for peer pressure?" I ask, grabbing her by the shoulders and pushing her off the platform. She screams as she plummets through the trees, somehow maintaining her glare at me as she flies backwards. I watch Blake bust up laughing in the distance as they stop Frankie on top of the other other platform. Dylan comforts Brynn as she fully burst into tears in worry for Frankie.

Damn, I'll be paying for that one. It doesn't really reflect well on a counselor to traumatize a child.. but come on, it was worth it to give Frankie a taste of her own medicine. The rest of the campers were now eager to have their turn as it was clear Frankie had survived the zip line, but I helped Brynn back down the mountain, far below the zip line and the two platforms. Frankie came to join us, seething, but calmed when she noticed Brynn's worried expression. 

"Are you okay?" Brynn yelled, breaking our hand hold and rushing up towards Frankie, wrapping her tiny arms around her legs. Frankie's face held a moment of surprise, before completely softening. She hugged back, kneeling down towards Brynn. I couldn't help but beam as Frankie regarded her, smiling confidently. 

"See? I'm fine! Rowan was right. There was nothing to be afraid of!" Frankie grins at her, playing with the beads in Brynn's hair, causing her to giggle. "Do you want to give it a try?" She asks her, as a camper named Erin squealed with delight as she cruised down the zip line. Brynn shyly nods, and Frankie directs her up the mountain into Dylan's arms. 

Frankie returns beside me, and so does her glower. 

"The fuck was that?" She asks, sending a nervous chill down my spine. I swallow.

"I just wanted to show you whose boss around here," I raise my eyebrows and feign a sense of confidence, hoping that I can gain the upper hand over her. Frankie steps right up to me, nearly closing the gap between us. The leaves on the ground crunch underneath her heavy, angry steps, and I shortly envision her throwing me on the ground against them and trailing kisses from my neck to my--

"You might be the perfect little camp counselor, Ro, but let me set you straight," She murmurs, getting dangerously close to my neck as she speaks directly into my ear. "I'm the boss around here, got it?" She says, menacingly. I catch a hint of flirtation in her tone, confirmed as she grabs me with one arm by the waist. I gasp, caught off guard. We were a little too far away from the action for the girls to decipher what was going on, but I glanced around nervously anyway. Frankie cleared her throat and forced me to meet her eyes. "Do you hear me?" She repeats herself. 

I smirk, not wanting to give in. 

"Hear what?" I say, challenging her. I raise my chin defiantly and she grabs it with her other hand. 

"I'm the fucking boss of you, Rowan. And you're going to pay for that little... stunt," She growls, a fire burning behind her eyes that, truthfully, was starting to intimidate me a bit. I toned down my attitude. I fought back the urge to kiss her. I still wasn't sure that I wanted to play her little game... to risk it all. But at the same time, I couldn't help myself. 

"I'm not scared," I challenge her, my breath slowing. She raises an eyebrow. "And if you'll excuse me, I'm about to go take my turn on the zip line," I finish, walking away and relishing in the feeling of her eyes following me all the way back up the mountain. 

So, maybe Kalea was right. In some ways. Sure, she was probably going to be brutally rejected by Dylan, who, even from 40 feet away, couldn't seem to stop smiling at Blake. And sure, camp might not always feel like it exists on the same plane as the real world, therefore making our actions here feel somewhat inconsequential-- but maybe, there are some things in life that are worth stepping out of our comfort zone. I'm so used to protecting myself from getting hurt, that I never really cease the opportunity to feel truly happy either. I buckle myself into the harness, ready to jump off the platform and catch Frankie's eye from below. She didn't even bother concealing her smile as she watched me. I offered her two thumbs up which she promptly returned. 

Some things are worth risking it all for. I jump.

When Frankie and I finally teetered in for our dinner shift in the mess hall, we were surprised to see a lanky figure already huddled over the stove. I froze as her turned around and smiled coyly at us, it was Malik.

"What are you doing in here? Don't you have a craft class to teach?" I spit out, throwing my jacket up on the hook by the door and flinging on an apron. Frankie remains silent, but I watch her taking inventory of the tension. Malik flings a burger patty up in the air, and I watch as it falls and sizzles under the pressure of his spatula. 

"I worked kitchen last year, Ro, remember? I guess Darlene decided somebody with a little more.. experience should make sure you two don't give the camp food poisoning," He shrugs nonchalantly. Frankie rolls her eyes, tying her apron loosely behind her waist. She hasn't really conversed with Malik yet, and I was beginning to worry that she might start something with him-- he wasn't exactly the most likable guy. Before she could open her mouth, I positioned myself between them.

"That's fine. It's nice to see you finally pulling some weight around her instead of smoking doobies behind the bathrooms--" I mutter, immediately getting to work shaping patties. Frankie moves to assist me, but he holds his spatula out towards her, nearly spraying her with grease. Annoyed, but largely unbothered, she raises an eyebrow. 

"We don't need... her on stove. What's your name sweetheart?" He once again offers her that smile, clearly trying to start something. She laughs openly. 

"Sweetheart? Point that spatula at me again, asshole, and you can see just how sweet I am," She growls, her hands instinctively flying to her hips. He chuckles, clearly amused. 

"Fine, then. Start mopping. Now that there's three of us, we might as well cut down on clean up time," He mutters, completely turning his back to her. Frankie gazes at me with her eyebrows raised, challenging me to speak up. I blush, but just continue shaping patties. 

Frankie laughs again to herself, then begins mopping. 

This couldn't get any fucking worse.