Chapter Thirty Three - Skincare Skills

"Quit moping already, Becks." Cheryl rolled her eyes as she shoved a jacket in her bag. Honestly, I didn't think she could fit any more clothes in that bag, but that was before she'd somehow made space for three more t-shirts and that jacket.

"I still can't believe Rebecca did that, and everyone accepted it..." I clicked my fingers. "...just like that."

"At least we know why she did it. You should be proud of yourself." She flashed her phone screen at me, playing a familiar video, and once again, I was at a loss. That was how I felt every single time I saw it ever since it had been uploaded.

It was the video of Matt and me singing karaoke at 'Food n More'. Someone from the staff must've recorded it, and later, they must've discovered who Matt was and about his growing YouTube channel. On our way back home, they'd called him and requested a collab post of that video on Instagram. He'd told them he would think about it and hung up, and when I'd asked him if he was actually interested, he'd straight up declined.

So, I wondered what had made him change his mind and agree to do it on the exact morning of the challenge between me and Rebecca.

Even though it was stupid, I just couldn't shake off the feeling he'd done it with the intention of Rebecca seeing it and realizing I was better than she'd been expecting and... what? Postpone the challenge like she did? But it didn't make any sense. Matt wouldn't want that, right?

Unless... he'd somehow developed mutual discontent about our training coming to an end.

See? I knew it sounded stupid. There's overthinking, and then, there's this. A whole new level of delusion. I shook my head to myself, dismissing the possibility for the nth time ever since I'd discovered that video online.

"R-right," I stuttered as my eyes remained glued to the screen. It was at the part where I'd smacked his chest, and he'd grabbed my arm. We both were looking so...lost in each other. No wonder the audience got the impression we were about to kiss.

I forced my eyes to Cheryl's face and sighed. "But I worked so hard for the challenge, Cher."

"It hasn't gone to waste. You'll still sing after six months. You just got more time."

"I know, but ugh." I buried my face in the pillow to muffle my scream of frustration. "Imagine you study really hard for a test and feel like you're gonna ace it, but the teacher says it's postponed to next week. What if you don't perform as good as you were supposed to before because now you won't work as hard?"

"Then, don't make that mista—"

"You two are giving me a headache," Meera sighed from Cheryl's bed. "And why are you packing so many clothes, Cher? The camping trip's only one night and two days? How many clothes do you need for that?"

Cheryl and I exchanged a glance, then frowned at her.

"How many did you pack?" I eyed her slim backpack.

"Just one pair of pants and a t-shirt."

"No extras?" I deadpanned.

"No."

"Oh my God, Mee. We're literally going to camp in a swamp. I don't know how many times I'm gonna need a shower and change my clothes. I packed four sets. I agree Cheryl's doing a bit much, but you definitely underdid it."

"Four?" She blinked. "For one day?"

"Yes. Never mind now. You can borrow from me if you need."

"I can assure you I won't." She patted her backpack, which was lying next to her on Cheryl's bed.

We were supposed to leave for the annual junior-senior school camping trip the next morning. Since we had to reach the school early, we'd decided to stay over at Cheryl's so Mack wouldn't have to waste his time picking me and Meera up separately.

I could've gone with Matt, but I didn't wanna ask him for a ride. Things had been quiet between us since Rebecca's act four days ago. Or maybe we just hadn't gotten a chance to talk.

I had been looking forward to the camping trip ever since I'd made it to high school and last year, when I realized Sean would be there too, I was ecstatic and thought I'd be so happy when it would finally happen. But now, reality was different. I was excited, sure, but not over the moon.

"Now, who wants to listen to scary podcasts?" Meera tapped at her phone screen with an evil smile.

Cheryl shook her head. "I think we should save it for camping. Right now, we should be going to sleep if we wanna make it to school on time tomorrow."

Meera and I pouted but nodded anyway. She was right.

*****

Two separate buses for juniors and seniors were stationed in the school parking lot. There was so much excitement among everyone while the teachers looked stressed already, busy counting the students and getting them in the buses.

As much as I didn't mean to, my eyes started searching for a particular senior.

"Are you looking for Sean?" Meera wiggled her brows.

"Sean." I blinked, then chuckled. "Of course. Who else?"

She smirked and narrowed her eyes playfully but chose not to say whatever was on her mind. And since I already knew what it was, I didn't dare snap a 'what'.

"I saw him getting in the bus when I was coming back from the bathroom," she said.

"Oh, okay."

"I haven't seen Matt, though."

I narrowed my eyes. "I never asked."

"My bad." With a little chuckle, she started walking.

I started taking small steps with her towards the bus for juniors while I looked around with a frown. Matt wouldn't miss the trip, would he? I was so sure everyone was so excited; I didn't even think anyone would miss it. But now, when I couldn't find him anywhere, I believed he'd decided to pass.

A little hesitantly, I started to search for Rebecca. As much as it annoyed me, I couldn't deny the fact that if I wanted to look for him, I just had to look for her.

I saw a flare of red and lifted myself up on my tiptoes. Yes, it was Rebecca. She'd just stepped out of a black car. I anxiously waited for Matt to step out, but the car sped away just as the window rolled down, and a woman hollered something and waved at Rebecca. I sighed in relief. It was probably her mother.

"Are you having second thoughts about the trip?" Meera raised a brow.

"No. Why?"

"Then what the hell are you waiting for? Let's get on the bus."

I realized we were blocking the entrance of the vehicle. "Let's go."

I quickly boarded the bus after helping her in. The moment I settled in my seat, my eyes were back to scanning the parking lot. I was so lost that I didn't realize when the bus started moving until a loud cheer of excitement erupted around me.

"Who's up for crackers?" Meera looked between me and Cheryl with a sly grin as she unzipped her backpack and revealed all the snacks she was carrying along with her single set of clothes.

We spent the next few hours binge eating crackers and drinking sodas, and playing group games with our classmates.

Three hours later, we made a stop. Since the three of us hadn't bothered to read the itinerary, Mack told us that we were going to stop for about four hours until we had the permission to go ahead since the area where we were headed had certain restrictions and only allowed passing sometime after noon. That was how it was every year.

So, to make the most of those four hours, the school rented the same property every year with a giant two storey house that might as well pass up for a dystopian tragedy. On the outside, there was an endless farm with a big man-made lake.

"Is there some kind of sleeping arrangement here?" I yawned, and since Cheryl had been looking at me, after two seconds, she yawned as well.

"Of course. Let me just get someone to take you to your chambers, princess." Mack bowed at me, rolling his eyes.

I only gave him a scowl in response.

Meera and I should've listened to Cheryl and gone to sleep last night but instead, we'd kept her up too and decided to talk about stuff with a big tub of ice cream between us until we passed out right on her bedroom floor.

When we were woken up by her alarm, I could've sworn we'd just gone to sleep a minute ago.

"How about a bathroom, Jeeves?" I slapped back.

"Should be somewhere over there." He pointed down the left hall. Thankfully, there wasn't a queue yet.

"I'm coming along," Cheryl said, just as Meera's shoulders slumped after a big yawn. "Me too."

I was kind of thankful; as lively as the farm and lake outside looked, the inside of the old house had a creepy vibe to it. I doubted anyone ever visited it, and by the faint hint of dirt in the air whenever I inhaled, I could tell the place was usually kept locked up and only cleaned for visitors once in a while.

"I feel exhausted already, and I just wanna go home and sleep it off. I'm not even excited about the trip anymore." I let out a cry while washing my face before patting it dry with a paper towel and applying my roll-on sunscreen. I was exhausted enough to skip the moisturizer. For some reason, the trip wasn't interesting to me anymore.

"Same." Meera sighed. "I think I'm gonna go to that creepy ass drawing room and find some dusty old furniture to rest on for a while."

"I'm with you," Cheryl said. Mack frowned at her.

I was feeling sleepy as well, and even though the trip had lost its essence for me, I still wanted to explore the property, especially the lake, which I was sure was swarming with students already.

"I'm gonna go explore the outsides. In here, it looks depressing."

Mack's eyes lit up. "I can always count on you, Becks. Let's go."

He looped his arm through mine.

"Don't let him do anything stupid," Cheryl said to me.

"Like what?" we asked in unison. While I had asked out of curiosity, Mack had sounded a little offended.

"I don't know. He always figures something out."

"Love you too, babe," he called over his shoulder while dragging me away.

She chuckled. "Love you, Macky."

"Aw! Macky." I pouted. "Look at you blushing."

"Shut up," he said with a grin.

We stepped out into the bright sun, and coming from the gloomy house, it felt like somebody had shone a flashlight right into my face. It blinded me for a moment, and I had to cover my eyes. But the raucous noise from the direction of the lake immediately caught my attention, and I saw almost every single student either hanging around the lake or swimming in it.

Some had even rolled out picnic blankets on the grass and were enjoying chips and sodas while sunbathing.

I got a glimpse of a shirtless Sean swimming in the lake.

At this point, I'd accepted that Matt had decided to skip the trip, and I was a little pissed. What kind of idiot skips a school camping trip?

"Hey! Quit it!" came a warning.

I turned my head to find Chris and Chad nearing us while playfully landing punches in each other's stomach, which was immediately followed by a warning for the other to stop.

"Hey guys." Chris was the first to notice us and quit the scuffle.

"Hey!" I greeted while Mack gave him a fist bump.

"Hey, Becks." Chad looked somewhere behind me with searching eyes. "Where's Meera?"

"In the house." I pointed my thumb back towards the house and smiled when he made a beeline for it without another word.

"Are you guys coming in the water?" Chris asked.

"I am." Mack pulled his t-shirt over his head and tossed it on the ground. He started walking, but something made him slow down and frown at it.

I sighed. "I'm not. Give it to me."

His eyes lit up with gratitude, and he quickly fetched his t-shirt from the ground and handed it to me. I didn't blame him. I'd hate to leave my clothes on the grass, too, when we were surrounded by so many people who could trample all over it.

"Let's go, dork." Chris ruffled Mack's hair with a laugh, and he swatted his hand away.

"Call me that again, and I'll push you in the lake when you're least expecting it."

"You need to work on your threats, dude. I'm not your girlfriend."

Their bicker slowly faded as they moved away from me. I lowkey wanted to lay out Mack's t-shirt on the grass and use it as my own picnic blanket. His face would be priceless upon discovering it. I dismissed the idea with a chuckle.

"Becks!"

My eyes averted to the person walking up to me with a harrowing grin that somehow always made him look out of his gourds. I cursed under my breath.

"Steve," I said through gritted teeth. I wondered if he ever noticed my hostility towards him. Even if he did, he didn't care.

"You getting in the water or what?"

"Nope. I'm good."

"Come on!" he drawled with a pout. "It'll be fun."

"Nope. Still good."

"Do I have to pick you up and throw you in?" he teased.

I jerked backward when he suddenly lunged forward to grab my legs, but he straightened up and barked out a laugh. "Just kidding."

In the very next instant, an evil smile fell upon his lips. "Or am I?"

He widened his arms with a grin, leaned forward, and lunged for me again. This time, my legs were almost in his grip when I moved back further.

"Seriously, Steve? Take a fucking hint," I snapped in annoyance. I always thought he turned into a douchebag after a few drinks but right then, I decided I absolutely despised both drunk and sober versions of him. Though judging by the subtle redness in his eyes, I wouldn't be surprised if he was stoned already.

"Come on, Becks. It's just wate—" he stopped talking abruptly, the wide grin on his face replaced by a blank look as he stared at something behind me. Then, without another word, he recovered his facial expression, took three steps back while holding his hands up in surrender before spinning on his heel and bolting like a bat out of hell.

Suddenly, I could feel a presence behind me.

And I had a feeling I knew exactly who it was. But the last time something like that had happened, I'd found Sean instead of Matt.

I didn't want that to happen again. I gave a quick once-over at the lake and to my surprising disappointment, couldn't find Sean anywhere.

Which meant he could be the one standing behind me. Or it could also be Matt or anyone else. Only one way to find out. Slowly and hopefully, I turned around.

And my eyes grew a little wide when I found Matt standing there, eyes glaring in the direction where Steve had scurried off to before they averted to mine and eased a little. Just a little. He still looked mad. But I couldn't suppress the feeling of joy that took over me at the sight of him. He was there. He wasn't missing the trip.

The realization made a smile reach my lips. It would've been a full-fledged grin if I didn't bite my lip to stifle it.

"Hey," I muttered.

One of his brows lifted and I could suddenly sense a bit of resentment.

"Hey," he replied and it had sounded more like a question. If I hadn't come to know him so well, I wouldn't have been able to decipher it: You pretend I don't exist for four days and break the ice with a hey?

But shortly after that, there was a hint of incredulity in his eyes, too, as they ran over my face. Oh God! Please don't let him figure out I'm happy to see him... that is, if he hasn't already.

"I thought you'd skipped the trip," I finally spoke.

"Why on earth would I skip a camping trip?"

"Good point."

Silence fell between us, but it was the one that I wanted to break with a playful punch on his shoulder while saying, 'can't believe you're here, Williams.'

What is wrong with you, Becks?

He cocked his head and observed me from head to toe. "Let me guess. Seasonal allergies again?"

I frowned. "No."

"Got injured during PE?"

"What? No. Why?" I looked down at myself. "I'm completely fine."

"Oh, are you?" His brown eyes narrowed.

My brows pulled together. "Does it look like something's wrong with me?"

"I just figured there had to be since you haven't shown up at my house in four days."

Oh!

I opened my mouth to speak but was cut off by him.

"No call. No text. Just became a no-show." His eyes held me in an accusing stare. "So, obviously, there has to be something wrong with you."

"Well." I crossed my arms defensively, mirroring his hostile attitude. "I didn't think you'd still be up for training me for six more months, considering I could barely get you to agree for six weeks."

"Well, I am."

I'd been expecting to make him falter with my question, but I was the one left struggling with his answer. No bullshit. Just a straight up I am.

"I see." I cleared my throat. "And what do you want this time?"

His brows furrowed.

"Well, you know?" I shrugged. "To keep the scores even."

"Right." He nodded slowly as a muscle in his jaw twitched. "I'll let you know."

"Okay then. I'll show up—"

"Baby," a loud, obnoxious voice cut me off as Rebecca appeared from behind him like a ghost and snaked an arm around his torso while propping her chin on his shoulder. "I'm tired. This is so exhausting."

Then she placed a kiss on his cheek.

I felt a burn in my chest. Did I have burritos again?

"Look what I got you." She held up a bottle of lotion to his face. It made him frown while swinging her arm off him. She did not like that, but said nothing.

"Me? I thought you were getting stuff for yourself."

"I was, but then I recalled you wanted to take a dip in the lake, and I seriously doubted you were carrying sunscreen. I'd let you use mine but it's nearly finished. I didn't want you to get sunburned." With that, she pulled out a credit card from her jeans pocket and handed it to him along with the lotion bottle.

Then she finally pretended to notice me as she smiled big, but her eyes perfectly displayed her resentment. "Hey, Becks."

"Rebecca," I said as an only greeting, still bitter about her pushing the challenge.

"I'm good." Matt almost handed her the bottle back, but she stopped him.

"Okay. Then you can rub it all over me. I've found us the perfect spot in the house. Come find me after two minutes." She winked and walked two steps backward before turning completely, but not before giving him a lasting, lustful look.

I didn't want to look at Matt's face and find the longing for her, but I still risked it. But his face was giving nothing away. In fact, he seemed a little thoughtful. I hated considering the fact that he was busy thinking about the things they would be doing soon.

Swallowing, I started to leave, but he stepped in my way, snapping out of his thoughts. And suddenly, I could see an impish look falling in his eyes.

"You wanted to keep the scores even, you were saying?"

I raised a brow. "Yes."

"Then why don't you start by rubbing this lotion on my back?"

In one swift move, he pulled his t-shirt over his head and tossed the lotion bottle towards me. I caught it while trying my best to keep my jaw from slacking. He looked straight out of some movie with those abs and shoulders glistening under the sun.

"Are you serious?"

"Completely. She was right. I'd hate to get sunburned."

"Then why not just ask her to do it?" I smiled sarcastically.

"She's not the one who owes me, is she?" He gave a sly shrug before turning his back to me. "Come on, Andrews. I don't have all day."

"This takes slavery to a whole new level." I broke the seal of the bottle and squeezed it. The lotion spurted out, and a bit hesitantly, I reached forward and splayed it across his shoulders and back with my fingers remaining just above the surface.

"You're not supposed to coat it, Andrews. I thought it was supposed to be massaged a little on the skin." He clicked his tongue as if mocking me. "I'd at least expect you to do this right."

Oh, you didn't.

"Don't teach a girl how to apply sun lotion." I draped Mack's t-shirt over my shoulder so I could use both hands to rub the lotion in. Fuck the hesitation. You want a nice layer of sunscreen massaged on your back; I'll give you just that but never ever doubt my skincare skills again.

My palms glided over the ridges of his hard back and I eyed him suspiciously to check if he was flexing but he was not. Damn! If that's his back without flexing, imagine what it would feel like if he were flexing. I didn't want to imagine it but I did it anyway. It would feel very good.

Right then, I understood where Rebecca was coming from and didn't blame her for wanting to do this.

Shut the fuck up, Becks. What is wrong with you?

I cleared my throat. "So, Rebecca uses your credit card. Sounds like a relationship FYI."

He threw me a glance over his shoulder.

"She got her period and didn't have enough money on herself to buy the stuff she needed. She asked me to shop with her. I did myself a favour by handing her my credit card and asking her to buy whatever the hell she wanted for herself."

Period on a trip? Sucks to be her.

"And she hasn't robbed you blind?"

"Surprisingly, no."

"Did you check?"

"Of course I did."

"She's too nice." I chuckled to myself.

"What would you have done?"

"Exactly what she didn't. Robbed you blind, Williams."

There was a pause. "I have no doubt, Andrews."

I splat some more lotion on my palms, rubbed them together and splayed it on areas that had been left out the first time. I'd never touched him so wholly. It was a new feeling but not a weird one. I could tell he was just as comfortable with me gliding my hands over him as I was.

I smiled. When did we get here?

"Ohhh! That's right, Williams. Get it!" My head snapped towards the side to find Steve nodding his head towards us with that disgusting grin he always managed to pull off. Yep! Definitely stoned.

My hands froze on his back, watching Steve walk away while nodding his head some more and chuckling to himself.

Matt looked at me over his shoulder and held up his index finger. "I'll be right back. Don't go anywhere."

"Actually..." He came to a halt at my voice. "I'm done here and I was on my way inside the house to my friends anyway. I'm sure you can manage the front."

I tossed the bottle at him and started towards the house. Five feet away from him and I was already looking over my shoulder to check if he had taken Rebecca up on her offer and was on his way to find her.

But he was striding towards the lake. No, towards Steve.

The guy was bobbing his head to some imaginary music playing in his head when Matt put his hand on his shoulder and started to lead him somewhere with him.

"Becks?"

I spun around to find Cheryl.

"Hey, Cher."

"What are you doing here all alone?"

"Nothing just..." I trailed off when I turned around, and my searching eyes could not locate Matt or Steve anywhere. They were just there a second ago.

"Where's Mack?" Cheryl's question caught my attention.

"He went for a swim. Where's Meera?"

"With Chad." She smiled. "So, I decided to give them some privacy. Are you still up for exploring the property?"

"Yep. I'm pretty sure I heard someone mention some old rides in the back."

"Let's go then."