Ronnie's Song Ch. 05

The next instalment in the series. I don't plan to have many chapters following this one, but I don't intend this to be my last story. Thanks again to all dedicated followers of the series!

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Waking up with Nate had to have been one of the best feelings I'd had in a long time. The feel of his arm draped over me, clutching me to his body - I could feel the hard planes of his abdomen against my back. His face was pressed lightly into the back of my head, inhaling the aroma of my shampoo as he breathed, deeply asleep.

As I shifted slightly, attempting to wiggle free so that I could get up to use the bathroom, he unconsciously clutched me tighter, before relaxing again.

I slipped from his arms, put on his oversized t-shirt from earlier in the day and made my way to the bathroom. When I'd finished I looked at the clock perched on his bedside table - 6 o'clock. We'd slept right through the rest of the day's activities.

Smiling, I made my way to the edge of the bed where Nate was still sleeping, his arm outstretched where I had been resting beside him. I folded my arms, leant my weight on one leg and just stared at him. Nate was everything. He was good looking, funny, charming, and he was a hell of a lover - I blushed slightly at the memory. I still couldn't shake the feeling however, that there was something missing...a longing I didn't know was there. I frowned slightly.

"Are you just going to stand there and stare, or are you going to get your beautiful little ass back into bed?" Nate said, cracking open an eyelid to look at me. I squeaked slightly as his voice startled me, and averted my gaze hastily.

"I-uh...I thought you were asleep," I said, sheepishly.

He only laughed, and reached out a hand to yank me down beside him. With me facing him, he laid his hand lazily on my hip, and dragged me in for a long, drugging kiss. My eyes fluttered closed as his lips claimed mine.

Eventually, he stopped kissing me, and I reddened when I realised I was slightly breathless. He looked at me hungrily.

"I like seeing you dressed in my t-shirt..." he whispered. "It's sexy."

I looked away from him. "We should go and grab dinner," I said, getting out of bed to get dressed.

As I went to pull off Nate's t-shirt, I felt him pin my arms to my sides as he stood pressed behind me. He whispered directly into my ear, "Fine...but keep the shirt on."

I laughed, stepped out of his embrace and reached to pull on my discarded panties and jeans. Checking to see that Nate was otherwise occupied, I reached under my pillow for my book, and tucked it into the top band of my jeans, and placed my pen into my jean pocket.

A short while later, we were both making our way to the food hall, hand in hand. We didn't speak - we didn't have to. Everything was perfect.

That was, until we reached the doors of the food hall. As quick as lightening, Nate dropped my hand and walked through the double doors, leaving me outside the hall, alone. Confused, I followed him into the hall.

I scanned the room for Nate, and found him sitting at a table with Michael, Josh, Tiernan and Riley, along with a few of the girls that came to the camp on our bus.

I paused briefly at the door, staring in disbelief at Nate; but he didn't look up. He was laughing and smiling with his friends like nothing had ever happened. I pushed back tears.

It was then that the growling of my stomach reminded me of my pending hunger. I walked towards the sandwich bar, grabbed a chicken sandwich, paid and sat at a vacant table.

I ate in silence, mulling the day's events over in my head. Surely Nate hadn't meant anything by it. That afternoon he had been caring...loving even. He had been the perfect gentleman. What if it had all been a lie? A ruse to get into my pants...I felt ashamed.

I registered someone sitting down opposite me. I looked up - it was Riley, Nate and Michael's friend.

"You ok, Ronnie?" he said, sounding genuinely concerned. Then again, Nate had seemed genuine too.

I plastered on a fake smile, "Yeah I'm fine."

He looked at me with concern. "You know you can talk to any of us Ronnie? Especially Michael. You don't seem like you've been having the best time here."

"Yeah, you wouldn't either if you'd just been through what I have," I replied mentally, my silent retort dripping with sarcasm.

I laughed lightly, and returned my gaze to my food. Riley was sweet - yet another of my brother's friends that I'd grown up around. Like Aaron, Riley was like a brother to me, only he lacked a certain quality that Aaron possessed. I didn't know what it was, but there had always been something about Aaron that was different to all of Michael's friends. Riley clearing his throat brought me out of my thoughts.

My eyes snapped up to meet his, and I saw the confused, rather embarrassed look on his face. It was then I remembered that I had gone off in a daydream. Blushing, I murmured an apology.

"Just...promise me that you'll talk to someone Ronnie," he said, gently. With that, he got up off his seat, made his way to my side of the table and grabbed me into a rib-cracking hug. I returned the hug whole-heartedly. I hadn't seen or spoken to Riley in about a year - he and Michael had drifted last summer. I had forgotten how much he used to mean to me. I could never see Riley in a romantic setting - always a big brother figure...unlike some people I knew. It was then that I realised I was becoming obsessed with Aaron. I needed a distraction.

And it just turned out that distraction came in the form of Sam.

"Jeez Ronnie, try not to crush him to death! Clingy much? Riley, you should maybe step back before she mistakes kindness for a marriage proposal," she bit, cruelly.

I jumped apart from Riley, looking directly into Sam's cold eyes.

"Jeez Sam, bitchy much?" I started, hiding my own shock at my words behind my mask of bravery. The whole hall seemed to have gone silent. Sam's eyes widened, then narrowed.

"I don't know who you think you are," she whispered furiously, "but no-one talks to me like that." Her whisper seemed to boom in the deafening silence that surrounded us.

"Well clearly, I just did," I stated, boldly.

If it was possible for Sam's expression to darken even more, it would have.

Uh-oh.

"Look at the mouse developing a mouth! How dare you. You're a fat, useless wannabe. I feel sorry for you. No real friends, no personality. If I were you, I'd just hurry up and end myself!" she all but screamed. My bravado quickly faded. Without looking to see the reaction of the people in the room, I turned swiftly on my heel and walked briskly from the hall, refusing to succumb to my tears.

I made my way to the gym, where we were to be playing dodge ball the next day - I hated dodge ball. Sinking onto one of the soft mats, I withdrew my book and pen from my jeans and wrote. As always, the stress seemed to melt away and I could feel my body relaxing against the wall beside the mat I was sitting on.

The next thing I knew, a hand was gently shaking me, and I opened my eyes to realise that it was dark out. I blinked rapidly, attempting to see the figure in front of me - Aaron.

"Hey..." he said, tucking his hands into his jeans' pockets and scuffing the toe of his converse along the floor. He reminded me of a toddler who had just been told off. I laughed.

He looked at me questioningly.

"You look like a child standing like that," I explained. He smiled - that smile.

"Well, you looked like a child curled up on that mat sleeping - I looked everywhere for you. So did Michael and Riley," he said.

"But not Nate," I couldn't help but bitterly add inside my head. The memory of what happened inside the food hall made me flush with embarrassment. I had openly slagged his girlfriend - he was probably furious with me.

"Ronnie - I'm sorry," he said, the pleading note in his voice startling me.

"What for?" I asked, confused.

"For Sam. It was totally uncalled for. What she said..." he trailed off, shaking his head. "I hope you know that everything she said was complete bullshit, she's just not used to anyone standing up to her...let alone you."

His last words angered me slightly.

"What? Little mousey Ronnie can't stand up for herself once in a while without it shocking everyone to their cores? Well guess what? I gave up waiting on a knight in shining armour to stick up for me a long time ago, and I'm not about to just roll over and take everything that's thrown at me!" I rambled, getting to my feet, pushing past Aaron and heading straight for the gym doors.

"Wait! Ronnie!" Aaron called, running up behind me and grabbing my arm to turn me to face him.

"I never said you couldn't stick up for yourself. It was just so...out of character. You surprised everyone," he rushed, almost seeming desperate for me to understand his point of view.

"Why are you even here?" I spat at him. "I don't need a lecture from you about how I shouldn't have spoken to your girlfriend the way I did or whatever."

He looked at me like I had slapped him. I hated that look on his face. I only wanted to see him smile.

"Do you honestly think that I came in here to have a go at you? I came to make sure you were all right. You did nothing wrong...and I've already given Sam the lecture so I think you're off the hook." His jokey tone at the end lightened the mood in the gym significantly. I looked up at him. His right eyebrow was raised and his mouth was set in his ever-famous crooked smile. I smiled back.

As quick as it appeared, my smile vanished. "What do you mean you gave Sam a lecture?" I asked.

He sighed, "I got tired of the way she was treating everyone - especially you. I told her that she was a cold-hearted bitch. I finished with her."

I was stunned.

"But she's Sam! Beautiful, blonde, skinny Sam. She's perfect," I shrieked at him, failing miserably at hiding my obvious envy.

"Why are you bigging her up?" Aaron said, seemingly angry. "She may be all those things to some people Ronnie, but she has a horrible personality as I'm sure you've noticed." I snorted.

"She's bitchy and horrible and not a very nice person in general," he said. "She hasn't got half of the good qualities you have. You're so much better." I swallowed, hard. The reminder of our moment on the cliff seemed to register on both of our faces, and we unconsciously took a few steps back from each other. He cleared his throat.

"So...you plan on telling me what has got you so upset over the past couple of days? It wasn't...me?" he asked, changing the subject rather abruptly.

Yes.

"No," I lied. I realised that he wasn't going to settle for one word answers. "It's nothing, really. It's not a problem any more.

"It's not Nate is it?" he guessed.

How was I going to wheedle my way out of this one?

"Because I know you've been spending a lot of time with him," he said through gritted teeth.

I shrugged.

"What happened, Ron?" he asked, reaching to tuck a loose strand of my hair behind my ear. His touch took my breath away.

"It's fiiiine," I assured him. "Yes I have been spending a lot of time with Nate but seriously I'm ok. I-We just...God, never mind it's not even...a problem..." I stuttered, fading off into silence as I saw the expression on his face turn like thunder.

"Did he hurt you?" he growled, his protective instincts as sharp as always.

"God, no!" I exclaimed, his expression seeming to lighten considerably. "Honestly Aaron can you just drop it! I don't really want to go into all the details of what happened and I'm sure you wouldn't want to hear them either so just leave it! It won't happen again anyway and I've said I'm fine so..." I stopped when I realised what I had said. As always, I had no control over my mouth.

Aaron's face fell, and he stepped forward, cupping his hands under my chin and lifting my gaze to his.

"Ronnie...please...tell me you didn't..." he whispered. I looked at him, my eyes wide. When I slowly closed my eyes and let out a large breath of air, I felt his own sharp exhale of disbelief, and the quick removal of his hands from my face. I already missed his contact.

"I'll kill him!" he hissed, and by the time I opened my eyes to ask what he meant, he was already turned and walking towards the gym doors, his shoulders set in a firm line.

"Aaron!" I called after him.

I ran to keep up with his long strides. "Aaron this is crazy! What do you think you're going to do?" I pleaded with him, panting slightly.

He ignored me.

Aaron all but sprinted towards the lake, where an orange glow of a bonfire could be seen. Shadows all around it showed that almost the whole camp was gathered around it. When we finally reached the gathering, Aaron paused, and looked around him.

"Aaron...! I began, stopping as he took off again. I sighed. I didn't bother to follow him. Although I wish I had.

He marched straight up to Nate, hauled him to eye-level by the front of his t-shirt and punched him square in the face, allowing him to fall back to the ground with a grunt.

"Woah woah, Aaron! What's your problem?" I heard Michael exclaim. Aaron ignored him.

Instead, he knelt down beside Nate, crouched close in front of his face and said, "Never touch her again...or I'll end you." All eyes seemed to swivel to face me. With that, Aaron stood up, took one final look at me and turned to walk into the darkness.

I'd seen that look in his eyes before. Only it had never been directed at me. It was the one emotion that I was glad I could never extract from Aaron, and it only served to prove how strong our bond had developed over the last few years. And as he looked at me with that exact emotion, my heart broke and I threatened to burst out in tears in front of the entire camp.

For the first time in my life...I had disappointed him...