Page 7 of It Starts With Summer

“Hey Rami, you ever done any mountaineering?”Sutton asked, breaking into my thoughts.He was even taller and broader than Parker, and striking, with his dark brown hair in a stylish cut, his square jaw, and those intense, emerald green eyes.His mere presence made me feel like I was back in high school, surrounded by jocks who liked to stuff people into lockers.He was wearing a gray shirt that said Stanford Rugby on it in cardinal red.It hugged the thick muscles of his pecs, which were bigger than my last girlfriend’s boobs.

Which was a weird thing to think about a guy, but whatever.I cleared my throat, realizing he was waiting for me to answer.

“My name is Ravi,” I corrected adjusting my glasses.“I’ve never been into that sort of thing.”

“Ah, don’t worry about it,” Parker chimed in, shooting me a wide grin that sent butterflies through my stomach.“We’ll teach you all the ropes.You’ll be scaling mountains in no time.”

“Thanks.”I had no desire to scale mountains.“I think I’m okay on easy, gentle hikes through the forest, though?”

Parker gasped, which was overly dramatic.“Where’s your sense of adventure?”I couldn't tell if he was joking or genuinely mocking me.Perhaps both.

“If I have one, it's never made itself known.”

Parker let out a hearty laugh and playfully hugged me from the side."You’re hilarious."

People often told me I was funny, though I didn't try to be funny.And when I did, it was a disaster.

“Hey, if it makes you feel any better,” Ben said, sidling up next to me, “most of the campers will be beginners, too.And Parker will help fill in anything you’re unsure about.”

“Just fake it till you make it,” Parker said, clapping me on the shoulder.He seemed so much like a frat bro that it had surprised me to learn he was gay.But I knew well that gay men didn’t all meet the stereotypes.

I sighed, glancing at Parker.“I guess I have no choice there.”

“You’ll be fine.”Parker reached out and rubbed my shoulder.

Ben smiled, adding, “Yeah man.Don’t let any of it intimidate you.”

“Well, Parker, I’m glad you have to handle him, not me,” Sutton said.“Imagine, hanging out with someone who doesn’t even know about rock climbing.”

Parker’s eyes darted to my sock drawer as I pulled out a pair of thick socks.“Whatever, I bet he’ll be an awesome co-counselor.For one thing, he’s a quick study at packing a perfectly balanced backpacking pack.”

The guys all laughed, and I wasn’t sure if Parker was teasing me or being kind.He and Sutton wandered outside, chatting about breakfast, and I took a deep breath, trying to find my focus.I didn’t want to think too hard about the camp’s requirement that we take the campers backpacking, or that backpacking was one thing I was here to learn about.

“Are you sure we have to go backpacking?”I asked.

“Trust me.You’ll love it,” Ben said, smiling as he tugged on a shirt.“Now let’s go show these guys how us nerds can hold our own out here.”

I was sure I could hold my own in anything athletic — I didn’t get a black belt in wushu by slacking off — but I didn’t want to explain that to him.We stepped outside, where it was even chillier, and I shivered, tugging my hood up over my head.Ben grinned.

“You get used to it,” he said.His eyes were on Parker and Sutton, who had walked out to talk to another counselor.Sutton was flirting with the other guy, which was odd, since he’d been insisting he was straight.But maybe I was reading his body language wrong.

I leaned against the wooden railing of the porch, watching Parker and Sutton interact with the third guy.And it wasn’t pretty.Or it was pretty, I supposed, because they were both pretty.Could you call men pretty?

If you could, Parker was it.

Regardless, their interaction made me wonder if hot, popular guys had as many insecurities and challenges as normal guys like me did.Any time Sutton turned his attention to Parker, Parker ate it up like he was starved for any kind of affection.To my eyes, Parker was attractive enough to get that kind of attention anywhere.Why bother with a guy who had already proven himself to be dishonest and unkind?

“Hey, Ravi!”Ben’s voice behind me snapped me out of my weird thoughts.“Want to walk to breakfast?”

“Uh, yeah, sure.”Still lost in thought, I turned to follow him.

“Parker’s kind of an idiot about romance,” Ben said, nodding towards Parker and Sutton.

I snuck a glance back at Parker and Sutton.There was a book sticking out of Parker’s back pocket, and on closer inspection, I realized it was one of the Mages of Aleron books Ben had mentioned earlier.Intrigued by this unexpected discovery, I decided I should read the series after all.Maybe I could find some common ground with Parker.

Ben pulled out his own book and started reading as we walked, and I pulled my notebook out of my satchel, stopping to sketch an interesting plant along the way.Ben went with it, leaning against a tree and reading while I inspected the plant and took notes.When I stood again, he grinned at me.

“This feels like the beginning of a beautiful friendship.”

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