3 years ago ? Summer Camp

Addison sits on the floor, covered in flour from head to toe. She tries to shake it off but that hardly helps. She claps her hands roughly to dust off the flour and uses them to brush off what was left on her hair and face. As she opens her eyes, she sees a tall, slender boy rush in through the kitchen door.

"Are you okay? What happened?" he asks.

His questions remind Addison of her embarrassing, little accident from a few minutes ago, and she gets visibly red. Her white flour-caked face doesn't help her hide it either. She lowers her head, not to look at the guy when she tells him the truth.

"There was a small accident," she lowers her head further before continuing, "You see, I was trying to get something from the top shelf but I couldn't reach it. So, I went on my tip-toes and stretched my hand as far as I could to get it. But I lost balance and grabbed whatever I could. Guess what I grabbed?" Weakly laughing with nervousness she waits for his reply.

He kneels down to examine her. "You aren't hurt, are you?"

"No, I'm fine, but the kitchen isn't. I'm sorry," Addison grows redder by the second.

Feeling relieved that she didn't get hurt, a chuckle finally escapes his mouth. It was almost inaudible, but it was loud and clear to Addison. She immediately looks up to confirm if he was laughing at her and catches him, red-handed.

"I'm sorry," he tries to conceal his laughs, "I really am, but this is just, it's just hilarious." He finally breaks out in a fit of laughter while Addison just stares at him in disbelief. After that, it doesn't take long for her embarrassment to turn into rage.

"I could have hurt myself, and you are laughing?"

"I confirmed you weren't hurt first, didn't I?" he replies, still fighting to control his laughter. "I'm sorry, I really am. But look at yourself."

She listens to him and finally looks at herself. Her legs were laid stretched out, slightly apart, and between them, her hands were holding her weight from falling forward. She saw the mess she was in and couldn't help but join him, laughing out loud.

"You better help me clean this or I'll tell the head counselor you were bullying me," Addison threatens the nameless boy in between her laughs. He simply nods in agreement, grinning from ear to ear. Soon, they start sweeping the floor and wiping the counters and shelves to collect the spilled flour. Between the cleaning, they exchange names and become friends.

"I'm Jade," he extends a hand. She shakes it, "Addison."

"I had kitchen duty today, and I thought I could make something before the cooks came. I wanted to impress them," she tells him, sitting on the wooden stairs outside the little cabin they called a kitchen. He was standing in front of her, waiting for the cooks or any other elders to show up before he could leave. "From what I saw, you should not even go near the kitchen door let alone help anyone cook meals," he states.

"I just knocked down some flour, idiot! Anyone could make that mistake," she defends herself.

"Uh-huh. What if it wasn't flour? What if it was something solid and heavy? In the worst-case scenario, it could have been something sharp and you would have cut yourself," Jade explains further, trying to drive his point home. She understands his concern but brushes it off to not lose face, "Whatever."

Two big figures approach them from afar. "The cooks are here. Listen, help them with whatever you can, and don't get hurt. I'll ask Dad to never assign you kitchen duty ever again. You can do something else instead," Jade informs her.

"Dad? Is he the Camp Director?" she asks in confusion.

"Yup. Also, I am not attending. Technically, I'm helping him out. So, you better show your counselor some respect, okay?" he smiles at her with a boyish charm.

She studies him for a minute to consider his request but decides he's not worthy of that title or her respect, "Nope."

"Fine. We'll see. Catch you later, bye," he waves goodbye as he runs away towards the lake. The cooks arrive and she tells them about the little incident in the kitchen.

"It's fine, sweetheart. Just don't do that again, alright?" One of them reassures her.

"Let's double-check if the door is locked next time. I'll keep the keys with me. It could have been dangerous," the other adds as he walks into the cabin.

Present ? Supermarket

"It has only been two weeks since school started, and I am already in hell," Addison groans in her pillow. She throws her limbs around the bed in frustration but stops when she hears a knock on the door. Before she could reply, her mother peeks in.

"Sweetie, I was going to the supermarket, will you give me a hand?" she asks with a childish grin.

"Mom!" Addison groans a little more before caving in. "Fine, gimme a minute."

Her mother leaves the room, and she walks to her drawers to pull out her basics. After, she walks down the stairs and out the front door to wait near her mother's car.

"You should have waited inside," her mother scolds her as they get in the car and leave for the supermarket. They quickly get their groceries for the week. Addison walks towards the dairy products to get the last item on the list-cheese.

"Addison? Addison! Addy!" she hears someone call her from a few aisles ahead. As she looks up, she sees him walking towards her, just like that day in the camp.

"I almost didn't recognize you. What's up with the outfit? Are you planning to rob the place?" he shouts carelessly, still a few feet away. This earns Addison some suspicious looks from the passersby as she stands there in her all-black outfit with an oversized hoodie, yoga pants, and thick sneakers. She covers her face in embarrassment.

"What? Really?" Jade asks with amused suspicion as he finally stands in front of her.

"Of course not, idiot!" she replied immediately with anger.

"Aw, the little hamster's angry," he coos at her. Instinctively, she punches him in his abdomen.

"What the hell, Addy?" he bends forward in pain, mumbling out his words.

"What? You asked for it," she replies in a casual tone and walks past him.

"You're not gonna ask me anything? Well, you don't have to, I'll tell you anyway. We moved here last week. I really didn't think I'll meet you though. We lost touch after the camp, didn't we? Anyway, which school you go to?" he bombards her with questions as he runs after her.

She stops in her tracks and turns around to fully look at him for the first time since she spotted him. "It's like you just won't stop growing. So, what, you want to be 8-feet?"

"Oh, stop exaggerating. Just because you're 4 doesn't make me 8. I'm only 6-2," his reply earns him another punch.

"I'm 5," she replies with a tight lip.

"Fine. Fine, I understand height is a touchy topic for you but you can't make me your punching bag without giving me a fair warning," he groans in pain as he grabs his abdomen, now with both hands.

"Listen, before you punch me anymore, can you answer my question? I promise I'll let you hit me as much as you want," he begs with an offer.

"St. Mary's High," she looks at him with a devilish smile, "You just volunteered to become a tribute, and I am going to eat you alive."

"What? I'm not weak, and I am definitely not scared. You just caught me off guard," he stands up straight. Addison just smiles at his weak act. "I swear, for someone's who's horrible at acting how you call yourself an actor is beyond me."

"You don't know that. You've never been to one of my plays," Jade replies and follows Addison. "Maybe you can see me this year," he suggests and Addison immediately shoots him down, "Fat chance."

"Well, you will definitely get fat if you eat that much cheese," he points out to her basket, half-filled with cheese.

"Don't ask for more, Romeo." Her words make him take a few steps back as a precautionary measure.

"Why you being so hostile, young lady?" he taunts her. Before he can get a reply, his mother calls out to him. "Jade, come to the checkout, we are leaving."

"Coming!" he shouts back and looks at Addison for the last time. "Listen, whatever it is, let's talk on Monday. I'll see you. Take care." Before leaving he pulls her in for a hug and wraps his arms around her. Although reluctant at first, she slowly eases into his arms and returns his embrace. And then, he's gone.

Wait a minute, how the frick will he meet me on Monday when he didn't even take my number? Doofus.