"Oh my god, I am a banana." 

- John Green

"I'M TELLING you that humans are 50 percent banana." Chase was saying as he held up a banana in front of him, eyeing it suspiciously. "Seriously. Like, if you were to dissolve us into two parts, one whole part of it could be made into a banana."

Levi laughed, choking on his dinner. "You're an idiot Chase. You're getting it confused."

"No, I'm not." Chase frowned. "I found it online."

"Humans share 50 percent of their DNA with a banana. That doesn't mean we are actually 50 percent banana."

Chase hesitated for a minute, taking in Levi's revelation. Then he scowled, groaned, and peeled his banana, taking a large bite out of it angrily. "Well just because the tooth fairy "doesn't exist" doesn't mean it doesn't exist."

Ember rolled her eyes at him, diving her nose back into her book.

They were back at Camp Juvy, relaxing at the weekend after their field trip the day before. The weather was still hot, but it was beginning to get cooler as the day descended into night. Around the tables the campmates sat eating their dinner; Chase had strangely picked up a banana from the food buffet and nothing else. 

He really has some weird obsession with bananas, Iris thought, thinking about Chase's many stories. 

Banana-crazy or not, Chase was bored, clearly, after Ember had decided not to talk to him that day; they had an argument over Chase accidentally pushing Ember over into a pile of mud, consequently getting it in her hair.

Ember still had specs of crusted mud in her dark strands, but nobody could dare to tell her – she was in one of those moods of snapping at anyone who spoke to her, her mouth pulled into a scowl, body turned away from them as if in repulse.

She'll get over it, Chase mouthed, resting his chin on his hands exasperatedly.

After everyone had finished their food, the group decided to part their separate ways and head to their tents, Chase attempting to hug his girlfriend, who shoulder-shoved him whilst carrying on reading at the same time. Levi blew a kiss to Iris, who pretended to ignore it, before he smirked, shaking his head.

"I'm done." Ember said as soon as the boys were out of earshot, slamming her book together, her piercing eyes flashing.

Iris sighed. "You literally said that the other day."

"I'm sick of him. It's like me trying to get myself to like parmesan cheese even though it tastes like vomit. Yeah, it's cheese, and some cheese can go well with stuff, but this particular cheese – nope. I'm done. Capiche."

Iris stifled a laugh, unsure of how much of a joking matter this really was to Ember. Yes, she was strangely using a metaphor about food to describe her relationship, but she equally seemed distant; hurt, almost. After all, Ember was certainly not the type of person to talk about her feelings – unless they were filled with hate. Occasionally she did project some love towards Chase, but that wasn't very often at all.

"Why don't you just break up with him then?" Iris suggested as they reached their tent, the girls beginning to take out their pyjamas and get changed. She didn't feel tired today – but she wasn't exactly sure why. Thoughts of Levi were spinning around her mind, and all she wanted was for them to disappear.

"It's not that simple." Ember huffed. "Like, part of me does actually care about him. Just, not in that way anymore."

"How long have you felt like this?"

"You sound like a therapist. Actually, you sound like freaking John."

"How long?"

Ember let out a low groan, flinging herself on her bed so her dark hair flew behind her like a veil. She rested her head against the foot of her bed, staring up at the ceiling of the tent, her face barely lit by the last remnants of light left outside. "For a while now. Like, a month or so."

"Damn!" Iris laughed, pulling her shirt over her head. "You don't really act on your emotions, do you?"

"Huh, that's easy for you to say." Ember sat up, a pointed look on her face.

"What?"

"Levi? Duh." She turned away from Iris, crossing her arms over her shoulders and making kissing noises.

Iris shook her head. "Real mature."

"I'm serious though." Ember pivoted back around, hugging her knees to her chest. "You've never once spoken about your feelings for him."

"I don't have feelings for him."

"Yes, you do."

"No, I don't."

"Ohhh, you do."

"Ohhh, I don't."

"Uh huh."

Iris let out a loud screech, picking up her pillow and squeezing it with frustration. Ember, by contrast, sat with a sly smile spreading over her lips, still and silent but equally aware of what she was doing to Iris.

"Okay, say I had feelings for him," Iris said quietly, "Say I said it – not that I actually do – say I had feelings for him, what would happen? Like, we go back to our own homes at the end of the next term, me on once side of the country and him on the other. I mean, talk about long distance for Gods' sake. And, I don't even know if he likes me, it could be completely unrequited for all I know-"

"Iris. It's not that deep." Ember stated plainly.

"But it is to me. I've never had shit like that before. I've only ever been friends with guys. It's just weird."

Uncrossing her legs and standing up, Ember moved towards Iris, putting her hands on her shoulders. Softly, she shook Iris as if trying to get some sense into her. "Go outside and think. You're clearly conflicted about this. Plus, you're annoying me and I can't be bothered to speak to anyone right now."

Iris laughed, breaking away and deciding to take Ember's advice – whether it would be helpful or not. Truthfully, she did need to think seriously about this. Because she'd never really experienced anything like it, how would she know whether she had feelings for Levi or not?

Walking down the path towards the lake, Iris followed one of the strings of light that were dotted around the camp, holding her shoes in her hand as she walked barefoot, humming silently to herself and attempting to balance on a straight line. It was tranquil, that night; only a soft murmur of voices sang from behind her, the campmates settling down for bed and the rest of the world only a small, blinking light in the distance. For the first time she began to not feel isolated there – she was just in a new place, as if Camp Juvy was a small pocket: her little dome of safety. She hated to admit it, but this whole experience really was a good idea. Not that it was changing who she really was, but it was making her think in another way. And she refused to believe it was her parents' doing, either – all they wanted was for her to be gone. They didn't really care whether she would come back the same, hate fuelled girl that she used to be, or a completely new person. Unless that person was ready to be submissive and obey their every command.

Iris' thoughts were cut off by two voices who were close by. As she tiptoed closer, a blonde head came into light, broad shoulders; a tall, lean body.

Levi. Iris smiled. She could recognise him from a mile away.

But then she saw who he was with.

Next to Levi, with long, mousey brown hair and a petite figure, was another girl. The sounds of laughter wafted over to her, but each giggle seemed to fly into her chest with such force that it felt as if they were stabbing her themselves.

He said he was done with that. Iris thought. He said...

How could she be so stupid? Of course he wouldn't change. Of course he would be the same as he used to be, the guy that made girls think that they were special. She wasn't special to him; no, she was the same as all the other girls in that camp. Or all the other girls he'd ever been with.

And now she was hurt. She'd let herself get hurt by him. That was the reason why she never let herself catch feelings. It always ended in-

Her foot landed on a twig and it snapped, louder than she'd expected. In fact, the sound was so loud that Levi and the girl turned around by impulse, their heads swivelling to her direction.

"Iris?" Levi called out, his voice unsteady.

She didn't know what to do. She felt frozen, her foot still resting on the broken twig, leg poised. She never acted like this; it was weird. Often she knew what to do the second something unexpected occurred. But with Levi, as it often did, life had changed.

He was already moving closer to her – the girl was still in the same spot, crossing her arms, staring at them with a look Iris couldn't see because of the shadows – but Levi was advancing in faster than she had time to think, so she did what she could only think was possible: running away like a coward in the other direction.

"Iris, stop," Levi panted, his voice sounding louder. Why was he so fast today? Why did he have to reach her before she could wallow in her own misery?

Two arms wrapped around her waist, stopping her mid step. "I said stop, Jesus, Iris."

Iris was locked against him, her back pressed against his chest, feeling his breath on her neck as they both panted in unison. Then, as he let go, she turned around. "Who were you with?"

Levi's eyes scanned her face. "Why do you care?"

"Just tell me, Levi. I want to know."

"This girl called Edie." Levi stated, one hand held mid-air as if he were trying to reach her. He seemed sad, strangely, which irritated Iris even more. Why was he the one allowed to be sad? If anything, she should be sad. Even though she didn't quite know what that sadness really meant.

Iris stepped back. "Look, I'm sorry for interrupting whatever that was-"

"It was nothing. She cut her leg when running and I was helping her, so we got talking." Levi interrupted, grabbing her wrist.

"Bullshit."

"It's not, seriously. I don't want you to think that it was-"

Iris twisted her wrist so that his was in hers, and with lightening speed, she pinned it against his back. "Touch me again, and you're dead. Leave me alone."

"Damn, angry much?" Levi laughed, flipping around so that his arm was against her neck, and her back was once again pressed to his rock-hard chest.

Iris let out a groan and kicked out her leg so that he was forced to let go, before she charged at him, knocking him onto the floor and straddling her legs against his torso. "I said, leave me alone."

Levi's hands squeezed her legs and he thrashed. "You're hot when you're angry sunshine."

Then, with a burst of strength, he managed to turn the tables over, with her back on the floor and his body on top of hers, face dangerously close as both of their breaths mingled together. "She meant nothing, Iris. You think I would...when...?"

Her heart was beating terribly fast and terribly hard. "Think you would what?"

Hazel eyes focused on her lips, Levi seemed to be fixated on her, as if everything else around them had disappeared and she was all there was. Moving one of his hands so that he was holding his body weight with only one arm, Levi reached out and held a strand of her hair in his fingers, stroking it softly before tucking it out of her face. Iris gazed back, suddenly wanting him as close as he could be. Ember was right, she did like him – because now, looking up at his carved face, the way his lower eyelashes brushed against his softly blushed cheeks; his glowing skin with the moonlight beginning to brighten, and his warm body holding her safely, Iris knew that she had fallen deeply for him, so deep that she couldn't comprehend falling out of those feelings.

Levi leant closer, his lips brushing hers with the softest of impact.

And then-

"Of course I won't." A voice broke them out of their daze, a harsh, jolting impact that ripped apart the tension hanging in the air. "I like this, anyway. It's different."

Ember and what looked like Chase had entered, hand in hand and locked against a tree nearby.

Talk about a killjoy.

"What the-" Levi cut Iris off by placing his hand against her lips. His body was still against hers, and, like protective shell, his hands closed around her waist.

"We can't let them see us." Levi whispered.

Iris frowned, her hushed voice muffled against his fingers. "Why not?"

"I want to see how this plays out." Levi added. Then, with a smirk, he said, "Plus, I'm really enjoying the lack of space between us and so I'm not ready to move yet."

Iris whacked his arm lightly but stayed quiet nonetheless, both of them watching the pair up ahead as if waiting for something to happen.

And then it did.

Ember and Chase moved into a ray of one of the fairy lights above, and with a burst of energy, they fell into an embrace, pressing their lips together.

But that wasn't what shocked Iris.

No.

Because it wasn't Chase who Ember was kissing.

It was Wrench. 

♡♡♡♡♡♡♡

AUTHORS NOTE: I was going to say good morning bc I literally woke up like two hours ago but it's 3 in the afternoon here soooo afternoon I guess? Even though most of you are probably somewhere far far away!

What time is it for you right now?

Oops sorry lol got a bit distracted anyways EMBER AND WRENCH huh!!!!!!!!?????? What did you think of THAT one? Do u like them together? Do you not? Hmmmmmm???

Let me knowwww!!! :) :) :) 

(Also I laughed at that John Green quote I thought I might as well add it seeing as Chase keeps talking about bananas lmaoooo)

New update coming soon, 

Love,