CHAPTER 13

Camp: Department Soul Retreat

Everyone already arriving on the University Bus as they prepare to leave for their department camp. Kythem was already on the bus so she looked for her friends and she did not mistake because the bus she chose was her friends also aboard.

" Can I sit beside you?" she delightful said to her friend who was already sitting.

" It has been reserved for Munic." Veira directly replied to what she asked and after a while, Munic also arrived.

" Kythem here, just sit beside me." Vins interrupted her and Kyle just arrived and witness this. Vins pulled Kythem to the back of the bus where they were positioned in two pairs of seats.

Kythem felt different about how Veira replied to her, she felt that Veira was annoyed based on how it spoke to her but she just ignored what she was thinking knowing that she might misinterpret her friend.

"Kyle there was a vacant seat here!" one of his classmates told so she went next to his two female classmates where they're parallel with Vins and Kythem position. He can't longer sit down with his friend because someone was sitting next to Lester.

They arrive safely at their destination. After a little chat about the rules and the things, they will do and don't they started their first activity. Their first activity was cleaning the place first where they would stay so each of them was cleaning and picking up trash. When Kythem has a chance to talk with Veira she comes.

" Veira let's just share later with my tent!" She offered.

" Sorry but I already shared with them," Veira replied and continued to pick up the junk until Kythem sees her deliberately got away from her while Lyka followed Veira asking herself, why it goes this way.

She confirmed that Veira was avoiding her but she could not think of any reason why she was acting like that to her. She deeply thought that she had done nothing about why her friend avoids her.

" I also don't know why she acts like that to you but she will talk to you soon. Let herself cool down first, then I know you can talk after. Veira can't endure you, your bestfriend loves you very much! It will be fine too, just have hope!" Munic said as she also notices this while she caressed Kythem's back. Kythem's agreed because she knows that it will not take long.

"By the way, it looks like you and Vins are close, is he flirting with you?" Munic asked her while pinching his waist.

"I have already rejected the one I love, how about the person I consider as just my friend?" but Kythem answers her this way.

"I see. But you already found out that he also loves you and why did you refuse it?"Munic asked her again as they continued their work which picking the trash on the ground.

"I thought if I did that everything would be fine. You are aware that my answer to him was wrong but I can do nothing but accept my decision! I also wanted it!" she answered but it shows how pain she felt was with her voice.

" What if he asks you again, will your answer to him will change?" Munic asked her again but still, she doesn't know how to reply if it is will happen. She was disgusted with herself.

" Eyyyy ... It's good that your crush noticed you already! " She cut her thoughts when freshmen students like them catch her attention, who are talking loudly behind them.

"This hoodie, he owns this. I felt cold inside the bus and he noticed it so she lent it to me." said one of their companions that tends the rest to tease her. While she handed over this to her comrades, Kythem only found out that this woman was Munic classmates, who one of them earlier sat next to Kyle on the bus.

" Not all of them not suitable for him because destiny itself gives them an ex. Experience!" they heard these words boldly on one of the girls that were on their back.

" They was just ahead than me but as we can see, I will assure that I will be his end!" another one also stretched it.

" I thought Kyle was collecting toxic. No, I was wrong because now he collects a flower." also one of the appendix.

" Is garbage also collects itself?" the recent one who said still adds this.

"Don't even ask that, there is already evidence. A rare view of trash picking itself!" said the woman who had a crush on Kyle, the one who was sitting next to Kyle earlier in the bus. Munic's head suddenly heated up because of it and she was about to stand up but Kythem just stopped her. To let this happen goes. When Vins suddenly came with handed of water for her. She still even heard someone that says she is a flirtatious woman while she was drinking the water that Vins give to her.

"Vins, Munic do you smell anything? It's an awful and disgusting kind of smell. As far as I know, we are on the mountain why I can smell rotting fish shops. The sun was shining brightly but why are the frogs are croaking! There is no even pond her!" Kythem said this to turned them back same as what they do. She doesn't want to hear anything from that woman. So they left the women's and got even more annoyed with her.

Vins did not know what she was saying and look Kythem funny in that way.

"Nice shot. I don't even know you just have a side like that. I thought you would just ignore them even you heard that give a badmouth for you! " Munic said proudly after tapping Kythems shoulder.

"They shouldn't anger the lion that was resting!" but she just says this way and Vins gets now already what's going on.

It was already afternoon when everyone had set up their tent in their chosen place, it can reach three people in each tent but Kythem didn't have, she even thought that Veira would be her companion. Her three friends were together in the same tent so even though it hurt her, she just didn't mind about it thoughts because she didn't want to hurt herself with her prediction. She can't hide from herself the feeling of envy and pain because her friends avoid her, especially Veira her bestfriend, who is happy while seeing it working together to tie up their tent. Her chest tightened at that kind of sight because it felt like she was out of place again. So she just made her focus on what she was doing that was not even started compared to others who were already finishing tying their tent. Except for being out of place, she does not experience such an event in her life, she has never even tied a tent also knowing it would get shelter in the meantime. She was a bit nervous and excited because finally, she can experience this kind of thing in her life. She just lends her mind to think about how to do the process to assemble the tent-like what her cousin Reig taught her.

" Looks like you need a handsome Vins for that!" He joked when he arrived in Kythems direction.

" I will do it!" He said kindly and took Kythem's hand holding the tent that was still not fixed and she started assembling the parts of it and Kythem's just found out that Vins was already finishing fixing it.

"Looks like you're really good and experience in camp!" Kythem commented to him.

" Yes especially camping under the light of the moon!" he grinned as he mentioned these words.

" You're crazy, by the way, thank you!" she just replied and shared the chocolate she ate at the same time but she didn't expect that Vins would drink from the bottle of water she drank or she already used.

" Bastard, what if I have a contagious disease so you will be infected with me." Kythem reminded him while he was drinking it.

"In other words, you're tense with our indirect kiss!" but Vins replied to her this way that he was just teasing Kythem, after drinking and handed it back to her and accepted as well the drinkable bottle of water.

" Kyle!" but they were stopped talking when someone spoke behind them. They both looked at it and Kythem caught Kyle looking in their direction before it turned back to someone who called him.

"Can you help me to tie up our tent? Our instructor ordered something with my companions so I have no assistant to do it!" Gem asked him, the woman that has a crush on Kyle, the one Kyle who was sat beside him on the University Bus while heading it here. No doubt he agreed and they started walking. They even passed in front of Vins and Kythem and they also witnessed Kyle giving a grape refreshing juice to Gem which also made the woman happy. While, also Veira, Lyka, and Munic witness such kind of tension between the four.

At dawn they already do their next activity which is FACE YOUR STRANGER: Sharing about yourself followed by a question, wanting your stranger to know about you? They believe that it's a lot of benefit doing this activity, like not being afraid of a stranger talking or asking something, also it gaining new friends because at this generation their thoughts in their minds went with the flow in life instead of expressing your self to that day. Their theme was: A better way of expressing our true self is on a stranger. In another way, it helps to see that what comes with you unexpectedly, don't be afraid to face it. It helps too, in being a stronger one what consequences may appear in once self.

After picking a number you must find the pair itself in two and a half minutes or else you can't say no to a consequence. Every section with 18-25 students per year but the same grade level will have the same number, same as with their seniors who also join this camp. Everyone is in a hurry in finding their stranger, others were doing their strategy to finish early their step one, like in our life it depends on you on how you handle it or the way to find a solution. And not being careful also leads to a new problem. Kythem pick number nine so it's hard for her to find her stranger also because all were messes, everything surrounds her was too loud and crowded because everyone was determined to find their stranger. Knowing that in this life all was fighting what truth it was. She won't let herself lose because no one knows what consequences were waiting for them so she calms herself.

She just standing instead of roaming around and thinking of a better way to find it in this kind of situation. She thinks that if she does the same way she can't do her task, it tells her that she makes her own decisions instead of following what others want her to be done, so she raised her hand straightly and also her fingers look like a child counting it on the number she picked. She waits and looking around for a second if someone will catch her attention because if it's not a good way she will do her next strategy or option.

Until she saw Kyle was looking for her and a second it turns it in her direction. Her heart was pounding rapidly because of Kyle's presence that was leading in her direction and she can't hear anything of sounds surrounds her because it is only she can hear her heart that was trembling to lead her pause.

"Kythem you pick also a number nine?" But it was cut when Vins interrupt her. She was mute for the meantime so Vins pick the paper in her hands and seeing that they were strangers so he hugs Kythem because they were saved for the consequences. Meanwhile, Kythem wasn't on her mind while she tried to calm down after she saw that Kyle and Munic were strangers to each other on the activities and not her.

"Sir this is the papers from St. Largavista University!" Mr. De Castro's secretary said as he gives the papers. Mr. De Castro knows it already so he hands it so that he will finally off to work after signing this because he will have a night date with his wife.

"Two weeks from now she will celebrate her 20th birthday you used already your gift for your daughter!" his secretary interrupt him but he continues and smile.

" She will manage all this soon so I will let her signature stamp be used to mark all the papers. I already gifted this University to her so I used it already too!" he casually told it and after a while, she keeps the signature stamp that he will give to his daughter.

"Have a nice and lovely night date sir!" his secretary said as Mr. De Castro left his office and he also gives a warm greeting to his secretary before he finally leaves.

Kythem and Vins were sitting on the grass face with each other the same with other students. Vins was the one who shared first about his life. What Kythem just thought in his revelation was that when the man truly hit by love would do anything to despise or get it because Vins fell in love with someone older than him. But sadly based on what Vins told her they were ended with nothing. So Kythem just followed a question who was this woman who let Vins life goes like this.

" She's Amnesty!" Vins answered her directly.

"Amnesty?" she thinks that Amnesty was Vins said was not the person same as what she thought.

"You have a picture of her. Can I see?" but her mouth can stop in knowing it, to confirm the answer she was thought of.

"Yes of course I have but I planning to delete it because she was happily married now with the guy she chooses than me!" In these words that Vins told her it's a clue for her that Amnesty they were talking about was the same but still she won't believe unless she will see the image of a woman.

"Presenting my first love!" Vins kiddingly way said as he showed to Kythem the picture on his cellphone.

"Take a good look because I will delete it after!" Vins spoke this to her but he was surprised when Kythem suddenly laughed. So he was asking himself why this woman act this way.

" A little world again!" Kythem said as she was laughing because the Amnesty they were talking about was the same. This Amnesty that Vins' first love is the wife of her ex-boyfriend now. A chosen one over her so they both laughed when Kythem said that to him. So Kythem continues telling her side story about this past but in the end, they're happy for Amnesty and Kythem ex-boyfriend.

Meanwhile, Kyle and Munic also started their task. Kyle knows that Munic is a daughter of a successful businessman in their country so it surprised him why at this average kind of University she entered instead in a well-known or in privileged school where all students can afford to study at that kind of school.

"So why did you choose here to study?" Kyle followed the question.

"Because I have something to take back here that mines. And I won't let anyone take it to me like back then." Munic determined on what answer she answered to Kyle.

"That something was probably, it's the name of love, so who he is?" Kyle asked if he hasn't a chance to know it because it was a personal kind of question to answer.

"That's turn to another question it's my turn now to heard your side!" but Munic just giggled in response to him. Kyle told Munic what her mother past job, his mother was a prostitute woman before that ended that he was born without knowing who was his biological father is but still thankful because his grandparents and her mother were there who supports and love everything about him.

"Despite that situation, you are still blessed and lucky but I will ask irrelevant questions on another side of your life. Are you still determined to get in someone you love even she was happy with others now?" Munic asked him and let their eyes look on the two people who were sitting on the right side a meter far from them who were talking and laughing.

It was 10 in the evening when they end their first day of activity. It was a time for their sleep session. Gem and her friend already finished their set on their night routine.

They were coming back to their tent and after Gem open their tent it leads them to scream loud because of what they saw after so everyone was looking at them why they react like that.

Meanwhile, Vins accompanied Kythem back to his tent because a minute after it's time for their sleep session.

" By the way thanks for this joyful night, again!" she said as she smiles while calmly hold her breath after they run.

" We don't know what may happen tomorrow so we must be enjoyed today! And it's fun accompanying you too, thanks also!" Vins replied and they stop walking.

" By the way here it is!" Kythem said as she off the yellow cap on her head and pass it on the head of Vins and accidentally, their face was inches away from them because Kythem put it properly in front and back of his head.

Vins for the first time heard his heartbeat fast and loud as they were in that kind of position that tends him to pause for a while. For him, it is not an ordinary experience he had.

" Have a nice night Vins!" she said as she steps back and gives a hand bye wave.

"Goodnight Ky!" Vins said before returning to their proper place and still, he can't hold his heart calm for what happened. Kythem even waved to Vins because he was still staring at her so she signed and she pretended to drive Vins away.

Even wrong What the two of them she will admit that she was happy what they do. It was also her first time to do that thing. They spend their left time to enjoy than mingling with their classmates. Vins was careful. So they weren't caught until they returned.

Vins was already left when suddenly someone shouted Kythem's name and she was about to turn around when suddenly someone pulled her clothes from behind to cause her to be strangled. She tried to loosen it but the collar of her wearing dress continued to tighten around her neck.