Kelly whines as she plops my bright pink duffle bag on the sidewalk outside, tossing my pillow on top with a grunt, as if they were that heavy. Dressed in her favorite yoga capris and a bright PINK t-shirt, her hair piled in a sloppy bun on top of her head, she looks nearly identical to the Kelly I met last year. Our friendship has changed tremendously in that time, practically solidifying her as the sister I always wanted.
There isn’t anything I wouldn’t do for her, and she obviously feels the same since she’s covering for me, feeding into the lie that I’m spending my summer working alongside her and all her sisters at her grandparents’ summer camp. I realize with a pang of sadness that I’m not going to see her in person for weeks.
“You’re sure you have everything?” she asks for what I’m sure must be the fifth time.
“I’m not going to drive across the country to bring you your toothbrush unless you really beg. I’m talking down on your knees, real tears flowing.”
I wheel my carry-on suitcase over to the duffle bag, setting my cross body purse and computer bag next to them. “Everything I could fit into these bags. I don’t need a new outfit for every single day like you. I plan to use a washing machine at least once a week.”
“Make sure Adam doesn’t make you wash his clothes.” Her face scrunches up. “If you start doing his laundry, it will definitely violate the friendship line he’s so adamant on drawing. Friends don’t wash other friends’ underwear.”
“You’ve washed mine.”
Crossing her arms, she shrugs. “That’s different. I don’t secretly want in your underwear.”
“Seriously?” I click my tongue, pretending to be offended. “But you’re always telling me I’m so hot.”
“Sorry, Peterson. You just don’t have the necessary parts to rock my world.”
A bright blue pickup, shiny despite looking at least a decade old, pulls up to the curb.
Stickers of various bands decorate the back window. Adam honks wildly, pumping his fist into the air and grinning at us before hopping out the door.
“God, he’s weird, but still crazy ass hot,” Kelly says with a small smirk. “Are you sure you want to be alone with this guy the new few months? How are you going to keep your hands off him?”
“No talking her out of it now, Kel,” Adam cuts in, appearing beside me. “She’s mine.”
Once I realize there’s no way he heard what Kelly just said, I internally relish the sight of him in a faded Badgers t-shirt and cargo shorts. His brown hair has grown out since we met, curling ever so slightly around his ears.
I nudge him gently in the side. “Besides, we made a blood pact.”
Kelly gapes at us, eyes wide, mouth making a near perfect “O.”
“What?” Adam asks, playing into the lie. “It’s not like we shared dirty needles.”
Kelly rolls her eyes and squirms like she’s grossed out. “You two freaks of nature deserve each other. I mean, really.”
With a deep chuckle, Adam grabs my duffle bag, throwing it in the backseat of the crew cab where there seems to be ample room for all our luggage. A large, black duffle bag rests in a heaping pile beside two sleeping bags and a blow-up mattress—all still brand new and in their packages.
I eye the back-end of the pickup. The bed’s a bit wider than I pictured, although still small enough to make our planned sleeping arrangements make me flush with anticipation. It will be nearly impossible to be that close to Adam if he expects us to stick to his plans for a platonic friendship.
Adam closes the back door, then opens mine, waiting as I slide in before shutting it. I rest my arms over the open window frame as Kelly steps over.
“Always the freaking gentleman, isn’t he?” She rolls her eyes as if she thinks he’s gross, but I know she’s crazy about him, too. “You seriously need to send me pictures every single day, lady. In fact, you better send some that look like you’re camping out in the woods so you can show your parents what ‘camp’ looks like.” She sighs dramatically. “This is going to be like the longest summer ever without getting to hang out with my bestie.”
Adam leans over my seat, grinning at Kelly. “There’s always FaceTime. We’ll take you up to the Empire State Building and shit.”
Kelly huffs. “It may be as close as I ever get to going anywhere awesome. She leans in to kiss my cheek. “Love ya, girl. I’m so glad you’ve done away with your old self and decided to take this trip. Have a fabulous time for the both of us.”
With my back to Adam, I bite my lip and widen my eyes in a silent, nervous plea.