"Yeah, we're so outta this stupid thing," Holly mocked as she and Eleanor walked away from the team, calling us losers.

Nothing new there, honestly I think they're jealous of us being good at something while they're not at anything.

"Anyone else wants to leave?" Brianna muttered annoyedly under her breath, I could see the notion of loss striking in her eyes as she inquired.

Within a second Justin stepped out too, leaving us four with Brianna. I could see Ethan fiddling next to me maybe wanting to walk out of this too.

Before Ethan could move a meter, Brianna threw a death glare at him before she declared, "That's it, no one's leaving now,"

I let out a small chuckle and muttered to Ethan who was groaning, "You're stuck here now."

"I think so too..."

Our group was Team B, initially having 8 people but left with five within a minute of allotment. So, now it was me, Brianna, Ethan along with Claire, and Noah; who is with me in chemistry class and I didn't know their names until today.

There were in total 6 teams, having eight kids each. I'm a little worried about Summer, she wasn't allotted in our group. But the thing is she and Finn are in the same team, along with Mellisa and Zander...

That stirs drama... Or am I overthinking?

"Guys, we got the clue," Brianna announced excitedly after receiving the initial clue of our team. She hastily tore the envelope open and read the clue aloud, "I'm generally staying outside your house, I survive longer than you and keep insects away for you. What am I?"

What the frack is this clue?

"What stupidity is this-" Laughed Ethan just to be cut and nudged by Brianna, who was using her brain way too much for this.

"This is some sort of wood, given we're in the middle nothing but trees. Plus it stays outside, meaning it's used to make either a fence or deck or something and it's insect repellent..." Brianna blurted in a single breath using hand gestures.

"It's a cedar!" she exclaimed, clapping her hands as in praising herself, while all of us looked at each other's faces.

"Okay, Claire and Noah, you two will come with me and we'll finish this game effortlessly before anyone can!" she proclaimed pointing to both of them and they nodded with an enthusiastic smile.

"What are we supposed to do?" I queried as they seemed to get started with the clue, she turned back and shrugged.

"You guys can follow us."

"Thank you, grateful to be a part of this," Ethan sneered grinning while I chuckled. It's not like I was interested in this and she knows how much I suck at outdoor activities.

"My pleasure." she smiled before clapping her hands like an instructor and firmly patted on Noah's back indicating to start.

With that the trio started brisk walking into the woods, looking for the tree while I and Ethan followed them with slow steps.

"Isn't she taking this way too seriously?"

"That's Brianna's usual self for you." I smiled as we kept walking with almost the same speed into nowhere as slowly the distance between us and our rest of the team kept increasing.

"She's your step-sister right?" he inquired looking sideways at me and for a minute I forgot what was he saying because of his light gray eyes which bored directly into mine.

What the heck? His eyes aren't that gorgeous!

But then why are they hypnotizing me like this?

"Yo was that personal-"

"No-no, I-" I stammered, stabilizing my voice, "No, my step sister is Summer... Her best friend, jet black hair, a little chubby?" I tried to explain her appearance and he nodded with a small smile.

The sun was directly above our head, making the temperature rise, there were trees as far as my eyes could see as we had lost sight of Brianna and others, but we just kept walking at a moderate speed, having small talks. There was this thing with him, with his vibes, that even the silence felt comfortable and entertaining.

Which was weird because my special power is to turn everything boring and awkward.

And somehow my powers are not working around him.

"Wanna listen to some music? People say I've got a great playlist," he boasted, talking out his AirPods and handing me one earpiece.

"It can't be better than mine though," I said with a smile, he just shrugged his shoulders and gave me a gigantic smile. A smile that was way too cute with those little dimples on the corner was cherry on top, making my eyes stop and stare at them, every damn time.

After what felt like thirty minutes of walking up the slope surface, my walking speed gradually slowed as I could feel my legs getting weary recalling the time I postponed my gym because I was too lazy to do even a basic exercise. Now it feels like my body is taking revenge for not keeping it fit enough.

I peered next to me to see Ethan walking with almost the same speed as earlier as he hummed softly to the lyrics of the song playing in the earphones. His posture was composed with no sign of exhaustion or discomfort.

Of course, how can I forget he's on the swimming team, this must be a cakewalk for him.

"I need to catch a breath," I said stopping and taking heavy breaths through my mouth. I walked over a bit and took a seat on a rock, he followed me and stood right opposite to me, leaning his back on a tree's trunk. He put his hand into his black hair as they stuck near the cape of his neck due to sweat.

"Uh, the wait is that the cedar tree?" Ethan looked back a few meters, in the direction from where we just came.

He jogged towards the tree while I just watched him from the curb. There was a tiny stand right next to the tree, which was empty. Inferring that Bri already found the clue and they're on their way to the next one.

I looked around and had a feeling that somewhat the arrangement of trees seemed familiar...

Oh, frack...

"Did you realize this was the place where last night you saw-"

"You and a boy getting touchy... Yeah." I completed his sentence and he let out a small laugh, probably at my word choice.

"You can say, making out or kissing or getting intimate-" he pestered me deliberately, as suddenly the image of him from last night occupied my mind.

Him.

Shirtless.

Perfect Abs.

Messy hair.

Crimson lips.

Frack. Frack. Frack.

I could feel the blood pumping into my cheeks as drops of sweat rolled down my forehead. I nervously put my hand in my hair and looked anywhere but at him, I could feel his gaze at me which just made everything worse.

Think about something else!

Are he and that boy dating?

Geez, not anything related to him!

"Tim and me, I think are just a one-time thing," he shrugged and I looked at him with my eyes widened as he smiled softly at me. Did he just read my mind?

"Cool," I said shaking my head acting unbothered. Wait, I am UN BOTHERED! Why would I say 'act'?

There was a moment of calmness before I asked him a question I always wanted to ask, "How did your family react to you coming out?"

By hearing the question he let out a small chuckle, gazing down and fiddling with a broken twig in his hand he said, "Just the way I expected them to... Not supportive."

"It's okay if you don't wanna-" I suggested, maybe it's something personal or uncomfortable to talk about, and maybe I'm overstepping boundaries?

"No, it's fine."

I just nodded slowly as he sighed and proceeded, "They tried everything in their will to change my thoughts. Offering me to buy the latest video games, increased monthly allowance. Hell, they took me to Sunday church for three weeks."

"It's absurd if you think discovering out who you are, which is not easy I must add, is just a 'phase', 'disease' or some sort of 'rebellious behavior' which will just 'pass'."

"I was thirteen when I found out and told them, for more than six months they tried to brainwash me into not be who I am, just for their own beliefs and social stereotypes. " he slurred, still fiddling with the twig as his voice lowered with every word, ache clear in his every syllable.

"I'm sorry that happened to you..."

He shook his head disappointedly and gave me a tight lip smile, "It's them who should be, they disowned a son for the crime; he wanted to be himself."

"I moved out and started staying with Andy, we dutch the rent and pay it off by doing jobs after school. I swear I don't regret a thing."

I was quiet, I didn't know how to react to everything he told me. My heart swelled as I thought about what must've gone through, I hate his parents for how they treated him, their blood...

After taking the rest we got up and started hiking up the hill, having light conversations and banters. It was almost an hour when we reached the hilltop, we both were pretty tired as we took in a deep refreshing breath. Lush green grass covered my sight, birds were chirping in a melodious tone as they flew to their homes, the sun was bigger than ever, I broadened my arms and the senses of standing here were breathtaking. I stepped a bit further and took my phone to click a photo of this view.

"Ethan, isn't this beautiful-" I turned around to see no sign of him behind me, I furrowed my eyebrows as I looked around the small area, "Ethan?"

"Boo!"

I shrieked as Ethan appeared out of nowhere and everything happened so quickly. My ankle twisted, I lost balance and was falling over the cliff with just to my luck that my hand grabbed his during the fall. I was hanging in the air, above death with just his hand as life support.

Oh my God!

"Don't let go!" I practically yelled at top of my lungs. While I tried to grip his hand tightly, which was an effort due to all the sweat accumulating in my palms.

Now is not the time you stupid glands!

"Never..." he murmured looking directly into my eyes as I felt that one word had a much deeper meaning.

I put all my energy as I clung to his arms for my dear life, a loud grunt left his lips as he put all of his force as he slowly dragged me up. The moment my feet touched the ground, I felt a sharp sting ran through my body as I collapsed on the ground with a thud. I groaned in unbearable pain as I saw trails of blood trailing from my right leg, making me dizzy with just a glimpse of it.

"Oh, my-shit!" I heard Ethan gasp with his eyes widened while staring at my leg. At that moment I knew it was something worse than I thought. His eyes were carefully focused on my legs as he helped me drag my body a bit away from the cliff.

He helped me sit on a stone curb as he nervously walked in circles keeping his watch fixed on the bloody mess. I looked down to see a wooden piece was pierced deep into my calve. He thought something to himself before he squatted right in front of me, near the leg, and extended his arm.

"Oh no, don't you dare touch it. It hurts like hell!" I warned him, giving my intimidating broad eye, tight lips look in an attempt to sway him away.

He laughed and surrendered his hands in the air before saying, "I'm not gonna touch you. Give me your phone, I'll make a call for help,"

I nodded and looked around my pockets to find my phone, only to realize it fell on the ground with me. I peered and saw it a few meters away from where I was sitting.

Suddenly I felt a sharp pain in my leg, I brought my attention back, to see Ethan holding the whole piece almost the size of my palm in his hands as a proud smile covered his face, while blood flew out of it like Niagara Falls as I could feel my eyes and brain shutting down due to all the blood.

His eyes expanded as he immediately removed his black shirt over his head and wrapped it tightly around my leg. My brain was getting too confused about what to react to... Him getting half-naked and showing his abs covered in slight sweat or the throbbing pain in my head or the bloody Niagara Falls.

"Come on we gotta get you to back to camp before this gets worse," he said in a panicked voice as he swung one of my arms over his shoulder, talking almost all of my body weight and helped me get on my feet.

The whole way back to the camp was nothing but a blur, the last thing I remember was getting bandaged by a female doctor and gulping a few pain killers while I laid down on a soft mattress, half-conscious.

I opened my eyes in an unknown clean room with walls painted light blue, I got a bit upon my elbows as I acknowledged that this wasn't the tent, it was the teacher's cabin. The room was quite small with a bed in the middle and a tiny coffee table near a window huge enough to cover half of the wall.

The wooden door on my right flew open as I heard a very familiar deep voice, "You're up from the beauty sleep?"

Ethan walked in with his hands occupied by a plate full of food and a mug containing hot chocolate, I presume? A gentle smile played on his lips as he kept the things on the things on the tiny table. He walked over and helped me get up properly by taking support of the wall behind me and some cushions, before taking a seat near the edge of the bed.

"I'm sorry-"

"We're past apologies, you threw me off a cliff, and I died bleeding!" I exclaimed throwing my hands in the air, raising my voice.

"I pulled you up too and 'almost' died." he corrected me with a silly grin, before he said, "You owe me for saving your life,"

"Which was in danger because of you."

"Yeah..." he tilted his head jokingly while dragging the words. I couldn't help but laugh at how today turned out... I almost died twice, by falling off a cliff and by bleeding myself out. All because of him.

"How are you feeling? you scared the frack outta me when you passed out," he said a bit seriously while I couldn't smile at how he used the word which he made fun of like it's no biggie.

He just grinned warmly at me, like he was studying my face. His tan skin shone under the bright light as I found myself getting lost in his eyes which were so close to mine.

Frack, those goddamn eyes!

It made me realize how close he was sitting to me. The room was dead silent, with my ears listening just my heartbeat, beating so loudly because of him. Our breath was almost syncing as without realizing it, the distance between us started diminishing, his eyes broke the contact as it lowered and landed on my lips...

Suddenly the door of the room opened as both of our eyes instantly landed on it, to see Brianna sprinting into the room. He immediately backed up and get off the bed.

"I'll see you later," he slurred almost breathless, peering at the ground before leaving the room in a hurry. My eyes trailed him and he departed the room before they landed on Brianna who was standing next to me with a worried expression covering her face.

She was saying something but I was too preoccupied to pay attention, I licked my lips as my mouth went dry, thinking way too much about what happened or was about to happen...

Something's going on with me and I just can't understand why!

Is it because of him?

Or am I going insane?

Lovelies, there can be a delay in the next chapter due to some personal issues I'm going through. This chapter was already written and edited so it wasn't a hassle.

What are these foreign feelings that are engulfing Chris?

Will he be able to figure it out on his own?

Or it'll be just mere feelings?

Stay tuned for the next chapters of Teenage Mind!