MATEO FELT LIKE HE was floating on air. Though he normally was quite focused on Gabriela, now he couldn't keep his eyes off her. The world kept spinning but at the same time it had stopped and hidden itself in her skin instead. He couldn't keep himself from gravitating towards her.

Once they had gotten back to their tent Sahar had pulled Gabriela aside for what he guessed were the details and had left him and Jay by the trees. There, his friend had turned towards him, patted him awkwardly on the shoulder and hadn't pried any further. Mateo however had still told him everything, too happy to contain it. He was dating Gabriela now and he wanted everyone to know.

"I'm glad for you," Jay said.

"Jay-Jay," Mateo said, his voice touched and his hand placed over his heart," you do care for me."

"If you continue acting like this I won't."

Mateo chuckled, before his eyes wandered to where the girls were standing, Sahar's eyes sparkling as she listened intently to Gabriela. "How about you and Sahar? We both know you like her."

Jay followed his gaze, his expression not betraying any emotions. "I do," he admitted," but she deserves better. I have nothing to offer her."

"What are you talking about?" Mateo frowned," you don't need to offer her anything. This is love, not a transaction."

Jay blinked at that, perplexed, and something undecipherable flashed across his eyes as he looked at Mateo.

"We come from a different world, you and I," he said, the words creating more distance than movements ever could.

"Then come and live in mine," Mateo said without skipping a beat," there's always room for you."

At that Jay smiled, a tentative curling of his lips which seemed foreign on him. Over the last weeks he had softened somewhat, walls crumbling with every step he took closer. Mateo couldn't help but grin at that, his mood becoming even better. It was like he was looking at himself every time he looked at Jay, at the internalized grief and externalized anger. In a way, they were both merely ghosts of men, carrying graveyards on their tongues and faded memories in their pockets.

Or at least, they used to be. He hadn't felt like he was seven feet under for a very long time and today it felt like Gabriela had finally seen that, finally seen him. That alone was enough to let him square his shoulders, the weight of the world rolling off them when he laughed.

"What are you laughing so loudly about?"

Gabriela had a faint smile on her lips as she and Sahar walked towards them, Sahar's arm hooked through hers. She tried to get her to skip along with her, but wasn't succeeding. A chuckle left his lips at that, but when her eyes met his that all faded away, until there was nothing there but those sun-saturated eyes and his beating heart.

His girlfriend. He was looking at his girlfriend.

"You're staring, Mateo," she said.

"Am I not allowed to?" he grinned.

She let her eyes wander across his face like a caress, but turned around then, silent permission granted. They all started walking back to the clearing then and Jay leaned towards Mateo, his whisper soft enough so that the girls in front of them wouldn't catch it.

"Gabriela is terrifying, man," he said," try not to piss her off and get killed."

"What are you talking about?" Mateo said fondly," she's adorable."

Jay looked at him with a confused expression, but then just shook his head. "It's too late for you, I see."

"There you two are!"

Chase slung his arms around both of their shoulders from behind, grinning widely. Jay looked like he was holding himself back from throwing his apparent new friend down and Mateo honestly didn't doubt it. So before he actually could, he pulled away from the hug and amicably slapped Chase on the back.

"Glad I found you so quickly," he said," I have some news to tell you."

"Is it important? I could leave."

He only noticed Amir standing beside Chase then, the guy giving him a sheepish smile as he took a polite step back.

"No, it's fine," Mateo reassured him.

There was no need for Amir to feel unwelcome and besides, the news he was about to tell wasn't private. He wanted to shout it off the rooftops, but he would settle for beginning with his best friend instead.

"What is it?" Chase said. His eyes narrowed suspiciously then. "Did you do something stupid?"

"Why is that always your first guess?" Mateo frowned. He shook his head then, a smile playing on his lips. "And no, something great."

That didn't seem to lessen Chase's worries though, so he continued on.

"I'm dating Gabriela."

Chase blinked twice, before a loud squeal left his lips, one too high for his muscular frame and normally amused, macchiato eyes. He pulled Mateo in a hug then, a genuine smile on his face, and slapped him on the back.

"Nice!" he said," I'm so happy for you, Teo."

When he seperated himself from the hug, Mateo noticed Amir's confusion, and he offered him a questioning smile. In response, Amir shook his head, his black curls dancing with the wind like stormy waves.

"It's nothing," he said," I just thought Jay was with Gabriela. Seems I read the situation all wrong."

At that Jay's usual boredom morphed in the most baffled expression Mateo had ever seen as he took a step back.

"Me?" he said," with Gabriela? What made you think that?"

"Yeah," Mateo frowned," how did you miss the raw sexual tension between me and Gabriela? It's higher than the current sea levels."

"And those are very high, if you must know," Jay added. When Mateo gave him an amused look, he shrugged. "Sahar gave me a speech about it when she asked me to come to a rally with her."

"I'm sorry," Amir said, looking embarrassed," it's just something in the way you looked at her, I guess. You had this peculiar emotion."

"Yeah," Jay said," fear. The girl scares the living hell out of me."

"She has that effect on most people," Mateo smiled proudly.

"Again, I apologize," Amir said as he raised his hands," I didn't mean to offend." He gave Jay a polite smile then. "And you and Sahar, then? Or am I reading it all wrong?"

Chase stiffened slightly, but when Jay gave him an awkward look he just shook his head immediately.

"It's fine, Jay," he said," we're friends and she has obviously chosen you. I'm not mad."

Mateo made a mental note to be extra nice to Chase later. Jay looked positively stunned though, like he had expected him to shout. After a moment of silence he shook his head then, a guilty grimace making it's way on his lips.

"I feel bad about trying to steal from you now," he said.

Chase blinked. "You tried what?"

"Nothing," Jay quickly corrected. He glanced at Amir then. "And to answer your question, yeah, I like Sahar."

"How wonderful," Mateo grinned," young love."

"Young love indeed," Amir murmured.

Jay raised his eyebrows, before just shaking his head. It was the peculiar look in Amir's eyes though which made Mateo stop for a moment. Another guy who was in love with Sahar? Soon Jay would actually have to fight to win her heart. Not like he would have any qualms with that, knowing him he'd most likely knock them all out and get joy out of it too.

"I have to go make a call real quick," Amir smiled then," I'll be right back, okay?"

"Are you able to get service in these woods?" Chase frowned," please tell me where, dude, I really need to water my plants in this app I have."

"I let mine die to avoid worrying about that," Mateo said.

"That's cruel."

"That's smart, you mean."

Before he could retort any further, the principal's voice boomed through the clearing, interrupting him. He was smiling widely, two guys on either side of him, both of them not looking all too friendly. The dark-skinned one looked bored out of his mind, like this was the last place he wanted to be, his raven hair messy and the chains around his neck glistening, the other clad in bruises and scars, his scowl as fiery as his sunset eyes, hair a shade darker brown than his skin. Amir joined the two of them then, giving the principal a polite nod.

"As some of you may have noticed," Clarkson said," new people have joined us for this camp. If this will be a positive experience for them, they may even join the school year, so do be nice."

"I pity them," Chase said with a shake of his head, before adding," except Amir, I really like him. I hope he stays."

"There's only room for one best friend in your life, Chase," Mateo murmured back," and that's me."

"You're out here bonding with Jay!" Chase whispered back.

"My heart is big enough for two."

Chase parted his lips to reply, but the principal cleared his throat, calling their attention back to him. He waved a hand at the boys then, Amir the only one who smiled back at him.

"Anyway, please welcome Amir Rahmani, Luca Farrow and Milo Nichols. Make them feel at home, will you?"