Parker's POV

"...Better in stereo," everyone finishes off.

I look around as my brown eyes meet all the red and teary eyes surrounding the campfire. I would make fun of them for crying so hard, but our tight-knit family is going their own ways tomorrow and this will be the first time we'll all be apart.

I take a quick glance down to the girl currently holding my hand and laying her head on my shoulder. Trying not to go crazy, I look back up before I can smile any wider than I am now. That's when I realize everyone is staring at us trying to decide if now would be a good time to tease or if they should let us be. 

I would usually not care when they poke fun at me, but that along with the warm feeling Val's hand is giving me might make me blush so hard I'll turn into a flaming pile of ash. So I reluctantly let go of Val's hand before I can let that happen.

I look down at her wonderful blue eyes and see a hint of disappointment. Or what I think is disappointment. Probably something else. Just because I like her doesn't mean she likes me. For the sake of my ego, I have to think she only likes me as a friend, just in case she actually does. If I think she likes me more than she does, I could embarrass myself. Bad.

"Awww is baby bro too embarrassed to hold Val's hand in front of everyone? Poor baby bro," my idiot of a brother hollers.

"Shut up Joey, I don't need your stupidity blasting in my ear the last day that we're all together," I reply, exhausted.

"Ok...player," he whispers the last part so that only I can process it. 

"Player?" Val asks, confused.

"Don't listen to him. He's spouting nonsense. Let's just enjoy the rest of the night."

She tries to lay her head on my shoulder but I stand up, grab her hand, and drag her inside. I really don't need any more of Joey's or my family's teasing. I close the door right before she can hear the giggles of my twin sisters.

"Why'd you drag me in here?"

"Just tired of nature," I reply, which is not entirely untrue. The sand was starting to get annoying under my feet.

"Well, what do you wanna do?" she asks nervously. Why is she nervous?

I motion her over to the couch where we sit down awkwardly, her a mere half of a centimeter away. If I were to breath hard enough we'd be knocking thighs and just the thought of that starts to make me sweat. 

"Wanna watch a horror movie?" I ask.

"Sure, but I'll get really scared," she says shyly.

"Val Wishart? Scared of horror movies? I'd never even think-"

"Shut up ok? Some horror movies just freak me out. Just because I'm tough doesn't mean I won't flinch when a jump scare pops up on the screen," she interrupts. 

"Oh well the more scared you get, the better for me," I mumble under my breath. I mean, if she really does flinch as much I think, she'll be jumping right into my arms and- is that a really creepy thought to have?

"What?" she asks. I really hope she didn't hear me.

"What?" I ask immediately back.

"No no no you mumbled something. What did you say?"

"I was just reading out the horror movie names out loud trying to decide which one to watch," I lie through my teeth. Before she can ask me again I click on Annabelle and settle under the blanket I just laid on top of us. She puts her inquisitive finger down and settles under the blanket. 

Only a few minutes in and she flinches hard and clings onto my arm. Electricity shoots up my body in a moment of euphoria as I pray and pray she doesn't let go. A good and giving God grants my wishes as she hugs my arm and then my body even tighter and flinches once more. I wrap my arm around her and try to focus on the movie. 

Despite all her jumping and trembling, she manages to fall asleep mid-movie. I should probably go to sleep, too, considering I wasn't really staying up to watch the movie, but to watch something else beside me. I slowly drift off to sleep with the sound of screaming in the background...