Page 96 of Drama Queen

“What was there to see? You got stung by a bee!” Flynn laughs.

“That bee was angry. It landed, looked me in the eyes, and stung me on purpose!”

“Do bees even have eyes?”

“Duh!” Kara chimes in. “They have like fly’s eyes with all the different hexagon views or whatever. I saw it in a museum.”

“Nah, they have five eyes and see ultraviolet,” I tell them.

“How’d you know that?” Kara asks.

I shrug. “I liked science in school.”

“Well, that bee definitelyglaredat me with all five eyes before intentionally stinging me.”

“I promise that’s not how it works,” I tell him.

Troy sighs deeply. “I am so misunderstood in this group.”

“You poor baby,” Kara coos at him.

“Thank you! Someone here understands!”

“Do you need a hug for your poor hurt feelings?”

“Yes!”

Kara stands up and moves over to Troy, plopping in his lap and pulling his head to her shoulder, running her fingers through his long hair. Troy snuggles his face in close, and wraps his arms around Kara, holding her tightly. I’d be a liar if I said I wasn’t jealous. I am extremely jealous. I want to be the lap she sits in withmyhands on her body.

Then again, I think she still sees me as just a friend. She’s never pushed for anything more and I don’t want to cause problems. Part of me hopes I can make a subtle pass soon, but I don’t want to get my hopes too high. Besides, she might not even be interested that way. No, I’ll just stay the course for right now. Besides, she’s friendly and touchy with all of us from time to time. She humors Troy for another minute before tugging on his hair playfully, signaling she’s done.

“It’s starting to get dark, and this guy needs his beauty sleep so I’m gonna get ready for bed,” Troy says.

“I’ll come with you. I’m not ready for sleep yet, but if I don’t brush my teeth now, I’ll forget and then I’ll have gross teeth fuzz in the morning,” Kara says.

“TMI babe,” Flynn quips.

“You love it,” she fires back, wrinkling her nose at him.

Dan and I chuckle as Kara and Troy sashay off together towards the tent, then the restrooms. Flynn smiles and shakes his head, taking the moment of quiet to weave his fingers together with Dan’s. For his part, Dan just smiles and looks indulgently at Flynn. Deciding that they need a small moment alone, and that we all need more beer, I get up to grab another round for the four of us who will be staying up a big longer. As I sit, Flynn is flushed, and Dan has a wicked gleam in his eye.

“You guys make it official yet?” I ask mildly.

Flynn looks at Dan for guidance, knowing that he’s the one who has been a bit hesitant to put a label on it.

“You all know I don’t like labels, but I’d say it’s not a passing thing,” he concedes.

Flynn all but beams at Dan, who is smiling widely himself. The smiles are infectious as I find one appearing on my own face while opening my beer. I’ll never admit it to the group, but I’m a sucker for love. Something about love gives me warm fuzzies every time. I have enough need for control, though, that it also freaks me out a little.

Kara returns a few minutes later and disappears into the tent with Troy before reappearing after a moment. She grabs the unopened can from where it’s sitting on one of our side tables and settles in next to me. Trying to play it cool, I give her a smile and widen my legs a little, hoping we’ll touch. Inwardly, I grimace at myself, wondering if I’ll ever get past the flirting level of a high schooler. Probably not.

Continuing the chit chat from before Kara left, we all settle into a comfortable state of conversation mixed with quiet. The quiet with this group is peaceful, and easily enjoyable. In a moment of silence, I look up from the fire pit to see Dan and Flynn flirting quietly and sharing kisses. Taking a risk, I glance over at Kara, who seems enraptured by the scene in front of her. I smirk and lean closer.

“Enjoying the show?” I whisper.

She jumps, but her small gasp of surprise is quiet. Her eyes meet mine with a look of guilt and intrigue.

“They just look so good together,” she whispers back.

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