The pile of empty beer cans slowly began to look like Mount Everest. Sitting on top of Julie’s car, Simon could see the entire area of the Gorge. He could see everything from the main stage down the hill, where somebody Simon and Julie didn’t recognize was performing in front of a crowd, to the tributaries that are fed by the Columbia River. Simon couldn’t imagine how much of a mess would be left over after everyone left. Watershed was one of the state’s premier festivals. Thousands of people make the trip to Gorge in Washington for the concert; no one cleaned up after themselves though. With the sun casting a warm shadow across the sea of tents, he broached the subject.
“So, Julie, I need to tell you something,”
“Wh-what?”
“We’ve been great friends since we first met-”
He was interrupted by a heavy set college student stumbling into their campsite, fumbling for a ping pong ball that had been thrown in their direction. He appeared to have the physique of a farmer, his broad arms larger than his entire torso. After spending about five minutes drunkenly crawling around, he managed to find it. Standing up quickly, he began to sway dangerously from side to side, threatening to fall over. Regaining his composure while giggling uncontrollably, he strolled back to his campsite two spaces over. Simon could hear the other members of his camp celebrate his return.
Simon began again, “We’ve been friends since we first met, and I just wanted to say…. That…. That I’ve had feelings for you ever since we met back at orientation.” Simon felt as though he would vomit. From the beer or the confession, he wasn’t sure, but he came drastically close.
Julie was taken aback. “Oh…… well……..”
Oh no, oh no, oh no. Bad move, bad move.
Fingering the lid of her can, she started, “I don’t think I could reach that level with you. I mean, we’ve been through so much this past year and a half. Remember when we were at that party and that guy was trying to hook up with me, but you stepped in and steered him away, and all those times we’ve spent at each other’s houses? I can’t go there, because you’re like my brother, Simon. I could never do that to you.”
Simon felt as though he’d been flattened by a semi truck when she uttered those words. Leaving him speechless, Julie got up from her seat and proceeded to make her way through the junk yard of chairs to another camp where she had a couple friends camped out. She must’ve looked back at him over five times before settling down at the other camp space. Simon felt like the biggest failure on the beach. To lay everything out on the line like that and become trapped in the friend zone, it was his worst nightmare come true. Poised like a statue, he sat there for a good seven minutes before he decided to pull his own cooler out from the car.
