The excitement was palpable the moment the announcement was made. Crosswood High, the elite high school where rich kids roamed freely, had decided to take a weekend camping trip. Of course, no one cared about the camping part. It was all about the gossip, the drama, and—let's be honest—the group photos for Instagram.
Maya was having none of it, though. Eddie had already told her he wasn't coming, and that bummed her out more than she wanted to admit. So, as the bus pulled up and the kids flooded in, she felt the familiar sting of disappointment. She could see all the girls already eyeing their crushes, girls whispering excitedly as they scouted for the perfect seats.
Maya squeezed her way into the bus, scanning for Eddie, but he wasn't there. Her heart sank just a little. She sighed and took a seat by the window, trying not to look too defeated.
That's when Vic appeared.
"Yo, Maya!" Vic's grin stretched wide as he made his way down the aisle, clearly looking for an empty seat—and it just had to be the one next to her.
Maya couldn't help but roll her eyes. "Not today, Vic," she muttered, half under her breath.
But just as he made a move to sit beside her, a tall figure appeared out of nowhere.
Eddie.
"Move along, Vic," Eddie said with a smirk, sliding into the seat next to Maya before Vic could say anything. His eyes flicked to Maya, and his smile softened, though it didn't quite mask the tension in his shoulders.
Vic wasn't happy about this. "You gotta be kidding me," he muttered, but Eddie just shrugged, unbothered.
"Guess I'm stuck with Jackie," Vic grumbled, walking past Maya and plopping down beside her stepsister, Jackie.
Jackie was, as always, trying too hard. "So, Vic, been keeping busy?" she asked, her voice dripping with sweetness.
Vic, however, wasn't listening. His eyes kept darting back to Maya, who was trying to ignore him.
Meanwhile, Sally had just climbed aboard the bus, and her gaze immediately zeroed in on Zeke. She froze, her face a mix of disbelief and anger. Zeke was sitting next to another girl—his arm casually draped across the back of her seat, laughing at something she said.
Sally's temper flared. She stomped down the aisle, muttering under her breath. "I can't believe this. Seriously? You've gotta be kidding me, Zeke."
Zeke barely looked up, still in his little bubble with the girl. "Hey, Sal! What's up?" he said casually, like there wasn't a betrayal in the air.
Sally's nostrils flared. "Oh, so now I'm just invisible, huh?" She threw her bag onto the seat next to him, her voice escalating with every word. "I see you're too busy to even notice I'm here. Wow. Just wow."
Zeke's face fell as he finally noticed the storm brewing in Sally's eyes. "What's going on? It's not like that—"
"No! Don't even start," she interrupted, her voice cracking a little. "You're sitting here, flirting with her like I don't exist. What am I supposed to think, Zeke?"
"I didn't—"
Before he could finish, Sally spun on her heel, practically throwing herself into the seat next to Eddie. "Hey, Eddie," she sniffed, wiping her eyes dramatically, "Can you switch with me? I need to sit with Maya. Zeke's over there, totally ignoring me." She glanced over her shoulder at Zeke with a look of betrayal.
Eddie raised an eyebrow, confused. "Uh, what? You want me to sit with Zeke?"
"Yes," she practically pleaded. "I'm not dealing with him right now."
Eddie chuckled, glancing at Maya. "Well, I'm not sure what's going on, but alright, if you really want me to."
Sally flopped into the seat next to Maya, her pout full-on. "He's such a jerk, you know?" she sniffed. "Flirting with some random girl, and he doesn't even notice me. I've had enough, Maya. I seriously have had enough."
Maya raised her eyebrows, trying to suppress a smile. "You guys haven't even talked about it yet?"
"No," Sally groaned. "Because he's too busy being oblivious. And now I'm stuck on this stupid bus with him."
Meanwhile, Zeke stood at the front of the bus, shifting uncomfortably as he stared at Eddie. "What the hell just happened?"
"You don't even know, do you?" Eddie said, smirking as he leaned back. "Sally's mad at you."
Zeke blinked, still processing the fact that Sally had just flipped out on him for no reason he could grasp. He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "Well, what do you want me to do about it, man?"
"How about talk to her?" Eddie suggested, not that he was really interested in helping Zeke.
Back at their seats, Sally had started crying into Maya's shoulder. "I don't even know what's wrong with him, Maya. Why does he always do this? I can't even get mad without looking crazy."
"Well," Maya said, her voice calm and teasing, "Maybe you should tell him how you feel, instead of… throwing tantrums on the bus."
"Ugh, I hate when you're right."
After a while, the bus ride settled into the usual chaotic buzz of high school students being, well, high school students. As they finally arrived at the campsite, the situation didn't improve. Sally clung to Maya like a shadow, and Zeke wasn't much better, trailing behind Eddie like a lost puppy. Both of them whined constantly, and Eddie, exasperated, just gave Maya a look.
"This is insane," he muttered. "You know, I came here hoping to have some fun, but it's like… baby-sitting."
Maya shot him a glance. "You think you're the only one? I've been stuck with Sally all day."
"I get it. I mean, I love her, but this? This is not the trip I signed up for."
Maya laughed, the sound almost therapeutic after the tension on the bus. "At least we get to play some games."
And that's when Luna, who'd been mostly quiet, spoke up with a mischievous grin. "Why don't we play Truth or Dare?"
Everyone agreed, and soon, the four of them were gathered around a campfire. But as Sally and Zeke continued their fight, Luna and Maya decided it was time to separate them—again.
"You two," Luna pointed, "are going to a room to talk this out. The rest of us will play a real game."
With Sally and Zeke locked inside, the others played a few rounds of Truth or Dare. It wasn't long before Luna's boyfriend, Ezekiel, entered the scene, adding more to the mix.
"Alright, alright. So, who's next?" Luna asked, nudging Maya and Eddie.
But when they weren't looking, Luna and Ezekiel slipped away to another room, leaving Maya and Eddie alone.
The tension between them was undeniable. Eddie couldn't seem to stop looking at her, and Maya wasn't sure if it was the growing closeness or the fact that she wanted to feel something, anything, after the chaos of the day, but when Eddie leaned in… she didn't pull away.
The kiss was slow at first, tentative, as if neither of them quite believed it was happening. But then the world seemed to fade around them, and it was just the two of them. When they pulled apart, Eddie's face flushed red.
As Maya pulled back, Eddie looked at her with wide eyes, his hand dramatically placed over his heart. "You—" He chuckled, shaking his head in disbelief. "You did it again… You took away my innocence."
Maya raised an eyebrow, her lips curving into a teasing smile. "What? You think I'm some kind of dangerous woman now?"
Eddie threw his hands up, acting like he'd been irrevocably changed. "Well, yeah. One kiss and bam—you've just corrupted me! I was all pure and untainted, and now… now I'm all vulnerable and stuff."
Maya laughed, clearly amused. "Oh, please. You? Vulnerable?"
Zeke and Sally had finally decided to test the locked door, only to find it wasn't locked at all. They opened it—and there they were.
Maya and Eddie, lips still red from the kiss, staring back at them.
Sally's mouth dropped. Zeke's eyes widened.
Sally, ever the dramatic one, immediately pulled out her phone and texted Luna.
"Guess what just happened…"