fandomhighdorms | Flamingo Campfire

"Hey, Veronica," Piper said, approaching her friend. "Need help with that?"

Veronica looked up. "Thanks, but I'm determined to get this on my own this time," she said. "I'm trying to remember exactly how Anakin arranged the wood last time."

She fiddled with the configuration some more and leaned back on her heels to study it. "What's up?"

Phoebe had managed to avoid most people after she got out of detention and had walked in the woods to get back to the camp.

She stood at Koala, but didn't walk into it. She wasn't sure she could handle being in there right now with the things that were on her mind.

She looked around the camp... and saw Veronica over by her cabin's fire.

Taking a deep breath and trying to swallow any concern or jealousy that she was feeling, she walked over to her.

"Hey."

"Hey," Veronica greeted Phoebe. "I did that by myself," she said, pointing to the fire. "How are you?"

"Congrats," she said with a smile. "I had to cheat and use a zippo until I got the hang of it."

The question cut a little deep and Phoebe was silent for a moment. "If I said perfectly fine, would you believe me?"

"Well, let me know if you can't figure it out. I never did get a chance to start one with my power," Piper said, almost pouting.

"So, radio was interesting last night," she continued.

Veronica gave Phoebe a concerned look. "Probably not, since I heard what happened in your cabin the other night. What's up?"

Veronica moved a couple more sticks around and added some wadded up paper to use as kindling.

"I cannot believe they broke into the radio station and did the broadcast!" she ranted. "I wasn't even that late."

Phoebe was generally better at this, but this time she was hurt and confused...and a little jealous.

"Veronica... are you and Cole..."

It took a moment for Veronica to recall that Cole was Bel. And another moment for her to figure out what Phoebe had just asked.

"NO!" she exclaimed. "So many kinds of no! Why would you even think that?"

Phoebe shook her head to try to blink back tears.

"The radio broadcast for one... but it's more the hearing that you guys are talking a lot and usually that would be great but..."

"Last night's radio? Those girls were insane," Veronica said disdainfully.

Her tone softened. "And, yeah, we've been talking lately. Bel's in my workshop," she explained.

Phoebe's face crumpled and inwardly she cursed herself. She hadn't broken down in front of Piper or with Lana... but she was now.

"That's not the problem," she said. "And it was less painful thinking you guys were sleeping together than to admit that he just doesn't trust me."

Irrational and emo seventeen year old thy name is Phoebe.

"Yeah, that was pretty crazy...especially some of the things they said. Guess I can't blame them for what's written in the notes, though," Piper said.

"What?" Veronica asked. "First of all, we are most emphatically not sleeping together. And second, why would you think he doesn't trust you?"

"I swear sometimes I think the informants really are woodland creatures," Veronica said. "The notes can be really illegible and non-sensical sometimes."

She bit her lip as she studied the configuration in front of her. She hoped this worked. She grabbed the box of kitchen matches, struck one on the box and tossed it in the fire.

Phoebe looked at Veronica in misery and that's when the tears started.

"There are things bothering him and they add up. Everytime I ask him what's going on, he tries to placate me or soothe me... but is shutting me out. He knows I can feel when he's hiding something and he's not that good at being evasive." She sat down on one of the logs. "I just don't understand what I've done to make him not trust me or shut me out."

Oh hell, Veronica thought when Phoebe started crying. Looked like she was going to have to have another chat with Bel.

"Phoebe, I don't know why he's not talking to you, but I'm sure it's not because he doesn't trust you," Veronica said gently. "Maybe he just needs some space to figure out what's bothering him before he talks about it."

There was no way in hell Veronica was going to mention the Angel thing to Phoebe. That wasn't her business to tell.

"Woodland creatures? Around here, I really wouldn't be surprised," Piper said, snickering slightly. Then she got serious. "So, you and Bel were just talking, right?"

She didn't intend to come right out and ask that question. It just sort of happened.

Veronica was so excited to see the fire starting to catch that it took a minute for Piper's question to register.

She turned and gave her friend a look. "Of course we were just talking," she replied. "Why would you think we were doing anything else?"

"He'll talk to you about it," she pointed out, trying to wipe her eyes and failing to stop the tears.

"That he loves me, I have no doubt. That he won't let anything happen to me, I know. He'll talk to me about us or nonsensical things. He'll tallk about my safety and how he won't let anyone mess with that." She swallowed.

"But when it comes to the important things? He shuts me out."

Veronica sighed. She was going to kill him for putting her in this position.

"He has talked to me about some stuff," Veronica admitted. "And I'm honestly not sure why. Maybe because he doesn't care what I think of him so if I have a negative reaction to something he says, it won't matter as much as if you did?"

"They said you were talking, but apparently there was something weird with the notes. Guess because of the woodland creatures," Piper said quickly, instantly regretting asking about it. She couldn't help feeling concerned for Phoebe's sake, though.

"By now he should know better," Phoebe said, looking down at the ground. "Look at everything we have been through in the last damn year --- hell in the last two months."

She sighed, wrapping her arms around her waist. "If he hadn't been there Thursday night so much worse could have happened. But yet, he's upset and he shut me down when I asked. He's done it before and it just keeps adding up."

"I listened to the broadcast. Several times, in fact. But why would you of all people believe something like that?" Veronica asked.

Flamingo Campfire - Saturday Evening

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