My Romance Life System

The orientation was held in the main lodge, where Ms. Lail stood at the front with a microphone. "Alright, everyone, welcome to Lakeview." The students sat on the floor, Kofi's group forming a circle near the back. Thea sat between Kofi and Nina, her knees drawn to her chest. Ms. Lail outlined the schedule for the next three days, mentioning a guided hike, a campfire, and a free day for kayaking or fishing, then concluded with instructions to meet back in thirty minutes.

As the other students began to move, Nina took command. "Okay, team, hydration is key. Ruby, you and Jake go fill up our water bottles at the fountain. Kofi, you're on snack duty. Thea and I will hold down the fort." She looked toward the other side of the room where Jessica and her friends were located.

Jake accepted his mission. "You got it. Operation: Hydration is a go." He turned to Ruby. "Shall we?"

Ruby nodded, then followed him toward the water fountain.

Kofi watched them go. 'Okay, he's talking to her. And he hasn't mentioned any food groups yet. This is progress.' He pulled a pack of chocolate biscuits from his bag.

"You're a terrible commander, you know that?" he addressed Nina. "You just assigned the two most socially awkward people to a solo mission."

"It's called exposure therapy, dumbass," she countered, taking the biscuit pack from him. "Besides, it gives us a chance to talk." She looked over at Thea. "So, Thea, have you ever been on a hike before?"

Thea shook her head, her gaze fixed on the floor.

"Well, you're in for a treat," Nina continued. "The view from the top is supposed to be amazing. And there are birds. Kofi said there might be eagles."

Thea's head came up slightly, a flicker of interest in her eyes.

'She's listening. That's a good sign,' Nina thought.

Jake and Ruby returned with the water bottles just as the group for the hike began to assemble. Their team gathered their things and joined the other students at the trailhead, where a guide led them onto a path that went up the side of the mountain. Jake and Ruby walked in front, their conversation moving from maps to historical periods, followed by Nina, with Kofi and Thea at the rear.

"So," Nina began, her voice low. "About that whole foster brother thing. Are you actually okay with it?"

"It's just a title," he replied. "It doesn't change anything."

"Liar. It changes everything. You're like a dad now. A very young, very awkward dad."

"Please don't call me that."

"Okay, okay. How about 'Brother-Commander'?"

He shook his head. "Just stick with dumbass. I'm used to it."

The path grew steeper, and Thea began to breathe heavily, her pace slowing. Kofi matched her speed, creating a small gap between them and Nina.

"You okay?"

She just nodded, her eyes on the trail.

'She's not okay. She's exhausted.' He remembered the doctor's report. Malnutrition. Anemia. This hike would be difficult for her. He stopped walking. "Let's take a break."

She looked up at him. He gestured to a large, flat rock on the side of the trail, and they sat down. The rest of the students moved past them. Nina looked back and he shook his head slightly, so Nina understood and turned to catch up with Jake and Ruby.

They sat for a few minutes, surrounded by the sounds of the forest. Thea's breathing returned to normal. Kofi pulled a water bottle from his bag and held it out to her, she took it and drank, then handed it back. Her gaze drifted up into the trees, where a large, dark hawk was perched on a branch. Thea was completely captivated. The hawk launched itself from the branch and soared out over the valley. She watched until it was just a speck in the distance. When she finally looked back at Kofi, the guarded look in her eyes was gone.

"Wow," she whispered.

He nodded, then reached into his bag and pulled out the new sketchbook and the tin box of drawing pencils, holding them out to her.

She looked from the sketchbook to his face.

"I thought you might want to draw it," he said. "Before you forget."

She took the sketchbook, her fingers tracing the cover. She opened it to the first blank page. She then looked up at him.

"Thank you, Kofi."

Yuna walked on a different trail, a more difficult one. 'No people. No noise.' She reached a ridge with a clear view of the valley, and from there she could see the other students on the easier path below. A figure appeared on the trail ahead, coming down toward her. It was Ren. He moved with an effortless gait, and he did not slow as he approached.

Yuna froze. 'Just keep walking. He's just a person. He doesn't even remember.' Her feet did not move.

He stopped a few feet in front of her. "You're on the wrong trail." His voice was quiet and low. "This one is too difficult for you. You'll get hurt."

'Too difficult for me? You have no idea what I can do.' A surge of anger broke through her paralysis.

"I can handle it," she said.

He looked at her for a moment. "You're slower than you used to be."

"Things change," she replied.

"Yes," he agreed. "They do." He stepped to the side, clearing the path. "Just be careful. It's a long way down." He started to walk past her, his shoulder brushing against hers. Yuna flinched. He did not look back, continuing down the trail until he was gone.

Yuna stood on the ridge for a long time, then took a breath and continued her climb.

Kofi and Thea reached the Eagle Point lookout, a clearing at the top of a cliff. Nina, Jake, and Ruby were sitting on a bench.

"There you are!" Nina called out. "We were starting to think you got eaten by a bear."

"We just took a break," Kofi replied, sitting on the grass. Thea sat beside him, the sketchbook in her lap.

"Did you see it?" Jake asked. "An eagle. A real, live bald eagle. It was huge."

"We saw a hawk," Kofi said.

Thea opened her sketchbook, showing them a rough sketch of the hawk's shape and beak.

Ruby leaned over. "Wow, Thea. That's really good."

Thea's cheeks went pink, and she quickly closed the sketchbook.

"Hey, that's amazing," Nina added. "You're like, a real artist."

Thea looked down at her lap.

At that moment, Jessica arrived with her two friends. "Well, well," she said, her voice loud in the quiet clearing. "If it isn't the freak show on tour. I'm surprised you all made it up the hill without one of you having a complete mental breakdown."

Nina stood up. "You know, for someone who spends so much time looking in the mirror, you'd think you'd have noticed what a truly ugly person you are on the inside."

Jessica laughed. "Oh, please, Shoka. Save the heroic speeches. We all know you're just slumming it with these losers because your real friends finally got tired of you."

Before Nina could respond, Kofi stood beside her. "Let it go, Nina."

Jessica's smirk widened. "That's right, listen to your guard dog." Her gaze shifted to Thea. "Still hiding behind other people, I see. Some things never change."

"Leave her alone, Jessica," Ruby said, her voice quiet but firm.

Jessica rolled her eyes. "Oh, look, the quiet one has a voice. This is getting more pathetic by the second."

The guide noticed the tension and walked over. "Alright, girls, that's enough. We're here to enjoy the view, not to start drama."

Jessica gave the guide an innocent smile. "We were just talking." She gave their group one last look, then turned and walked away.

"I hate her," Nina muttered.

Kofi looked over at Thea, who was staring at the ground, her face pale. The sketchbook was held tightly in her hands. The hike back down the mountain was quiet.

That evening, a large campfire was lit in a clearing. Kofi's group sat on a log bench, away from the main crowd. Nina organized the s'mores, Jake toasted the marshmallows, and Ruby distributed the chocolate and graham crackers. Kofi handed a set to Thea, who sat beside him, her gaze fixed on the fire.

He leaned in. "Hey. Don't let her get to you. She's just… loud."

Thea shook her head. 'She's not just loud. She's right. I am pathetic. I am a ghost. I am hiding.'

A teacher pulled out a guitar and began to play a quiet folk song. A few students began to sing. The sound triggered a memory for Thea. A summer camp, when she was ten. Her father playing a guitar, her mother singing, and Jessica, her best friend, sitting right next to her. The memory was a sudden, sharp pain. She stood up abruptly.

"I… I have to go," she whispered, then turned and walked into the darkness beyond the clearing.

Kofi stood up. "Thea, wait!"

Nina put a hand on his arm. "Let her go, Kofi. She needs to be alone right now."

He knew she was right, but the thought of Thea out there by herself was a heavy weight. He sat back down. The rest of the group was silent.

Ruby, who had been watching, finally spoke. "Jessica used to be her best friend, you know. A long time ago, in elementary school. I think… I think what Jessica is doing now is so cruel because she knows exactly where all of Thea's weak spots are."

The campfire felt colder after that.

After some time, Thea returned from the darkness. Her face was pale and her eyes were red-rimmed, but she was calm. She sat back down beside Kofi without a word. He offered her a new, untoasted marshmallow on a stick. She took it and held it over the fire. The teacher finished his song, and a quiet peace settled over the clearing. Thea looked up at the stars. The marshmallow she was holding caught fire, and she pulled it back quickly, blowing on the charred mess. It was a sad, broken, beautiful night. And for now, it was enough.