Supper was with James and Billy this time, and inside. To achieve this, the teens ate at a foldable table in the living room, and the adults at the main table. It wasn't cooked food, but rather, Domino's pizza, where every family wanted to contribute, but James offered to go to the gate to pick it up, and then, refused to take anyone's money.

It created a minor fight between the adults, but we didn't care, we had pizza!

Mindy didn't even wait for Clara to thank the lord.

But James, had better news for all of us. The weather front had moved, and it was now somewhat comfortable nude outside, the rain had also completely stopped. It would return during the night, but we had a pause.

The sun was already down, so it's not like it was warm, but now, it was in nude in front of a camp fire territory instead of freezing in a coat. Even the wind was down.

We ate for dessert more pumpkin pie, but Edith and I shared another pastry from the morning. I even ate another piece of pizza after the 3 I had eaten and the two pieces of pumpkin pies.

The plan, was simple. To get in front of the fire, do somebody painting and grill marshmallows or do s'mores, all while eating Pringles and whatever remained of the red licorice.

Well, that was the plan. We were out of red licorice, but no one wanted to admit to digging into it. I know it wasn't Edith, since she was surprise it was empty, but no one offered to confess. I knew it wasn't me, as I only took two. The one with Lucy, and another one when playing Mario Kart, but Edith had gone in the kitchen to grab 4, one for each of us, but since Billy doesn't really like them, she took two.

Then, there were still a dozen pieces, so it's the adults who most likely finished it, probably absent-mindedly.

Right, my parents had come back and Clara was up from her nap by then. I wrote a long time...

We cleaned the house, including putting the folding table back under Clara and Peter's bed.

Outside, it wasn't warm, but I could last for the few minutes until the fire, already started by Peter and James, would be stronger.

My mother, however, had another plan.

"Kiddo, can you do in the trailer, find in the kitchen drawer, I think I saw two paintbrushes"

"Huh?"

She got closer to me.

"Just an excuse to go take your pill, it might end late here."

"Oh, right, thanks, I was completely forgetting"

"Hey, that's what moms are for", she says, kissing me on the head.

Both Clara and my mom were still fully clothed, unlike the men and the teenagers.

I ran to the trailer, retrieved the key we hid nearby, and took my pill. I also take a second to get warm, as the electric heater kept the trailer warmer than outside.

I regretted not bringing my notebook, but made a mental note to do so.

I do find the paint brushes, but honestly? I have no idea why we have them. These are not wall painting brushes, more like painting brushes.

I also grab a Pringles container, lock the door, hide the key, and run toward the campfire...

When I arrive, I find that Lucy and Clark arrived meanwhile, both nude!

I am delighted to see her, and after giving the Pringles to Edith, the brushes to my mother, I find Lucy alone with Clark and whisper to her.

"Thanks for the introverted burn-out trick. I also wrote, and it helped me"

She smiles.

"I found that for me, writing fiction is the best way to get me rolling again."

"Oh, I was writing a diary of what I lived since I discovered my family were naturists a few months ago"

"Oh, I don't know that story. Tell me one day, better yet, call me this week and tell it me. But Ji, now, it's time for body painting. What do you want to be?", she says, looking at me.

"Lucy, I will shock you, but after years of putting on a costume, and wearing one to school yesterday, I want to dress up as a naturist"

"But you are like that already"

"I know. I think I need to be myself more than I need to get costumed"

She turns to Clark. "I told you that Ji was wise", she says.

"I never doubted you", said Clark, who ran his fingers through my hair.

It wasn't the first time he did, but this time, perhaps because I wasn't looking directly at him, but rather absent-mindedly at Lucy, I felt something.

It's challenging to explain. I think that if I had looked at him, I would have realized "the boyfriend of my mentor is playing with my hair", and instead, my body said "a boy is playing with my hair"

Was this the first signs that I was waking up?

This could be great news.

Clark decided that the first order of business was painting Lucy like anck su namun, but I didn't pay much attention to it.

All I know, is that Edith, with the Pringles's can by her side, grabbed a paintbrush and gave another to Clark.

Clara, meanwhile, was in a much better mood and decided that "Panda" wasn't too hard for her for Mindy, but that Billy couldn't help paint his girlfriend.

I was asked by my mother if I wanted something, and I reaffirmed my commitment to "nudist look", instead, she ended up painting whiskers on Billy, who didn't want to at first, but Mindy insisted.

At first, Mindy only got face painting as Clara spent a lot of time on it, but then, she applied black painting on the arms and legs of her daughter, and then, white on her abdomen. It took a lot of paint, but guess who imported body painting paints? Well, you guessed wrong. It wasn't my parents. It was actually bought by the resort for kids attending the party, and kids didn't show up because of the storm front.

My parent's company isn't always the answer to our problems!

I couldn't help with body painting, and I didn't want any, so I found a stick, and grilled some marshmallows, but soon enough, I was making some for Edith, Mindy and even for Lucy, often grilling several with a few sticks.

I even managed to adapt to how grilled and burnt they are. Mindy wanted them all soft, almost lava like, but white. I wanted them only reheated a little, Lucy wanted them brown and Edith, to my horror, wanted them only after they caught on fire, giving them a burnt taste.

Now, this is all good, but the reality isn't that I adapted to each person, but rather that I did my best, and just distributed them according to the result.

What were the fathers doing? Well, James actually helped with the body painting. Not by painting a lot by himself, but by moving from the three, and then two body painting stations, and bringing supplies and anything else that was needed. According to Edith later, he was instrumental.

My mom didn't take too much time on Billy, so he ended up helping Clara with Mindy.

Peter, had a very crucial job: keeping the fire blazing, and seeing him go, it wasn't an easy job. It was almost a bonfire, more than a campfire.

My father, was a lamppost. Don't laugh, it's the joke he made, several times, to get a reaction, and no one laughed.

He took a flashlight in each hand, and pointed each to a body painting station.

Everyone was busy, except Lucy and Mindy, who were just canvases.

Only... my father decided that he had another role.

He would tell horror stories, and jokes, with varying success.

I noted in my notebook, the next day, two of the jokes. I didn't note any of the horror stories. I guess it tells you which one I preferred.

He explained that in Las Vegas, they are more Catholic Churches than Casinos, so some of the people going to church give casino chips instead of cash at the service. All the churches collect those chips, and send them to a nearby monastery where they are sorted, and taken to their casinos to be cashed in. This is done... by the chip monks.

Ok, fine, it's mostly funny for a 12-year-old who saw the chipmunk movie, but even Lucy laughed.

His best one, was a series of puns. Even most of the adults laughed at most of them.

He made it better than I can repeat it, but I'll try.

"I was at a funeral for a friend of mine, and his widow asked me if I could say a quick word. I went to the microphone, and said plethora. She replies, that meant a lot to me"

I didn't get it, but remembered that plethora means, a lot. So laughed, with a slight delay.

But he kept going.

"His sister came, and said "Earth", to which the widow replied, That means the world to me"

Most of us laughed. Especially with his deadpan delivery.

"His brother-in-law came, and said Water hole", so the widow replied, Thank you, I know you meant well"

I think that was the funniest.

"His former boss said "Totally", to which the widow replied, that means everything to me"

People laughed, but the water hole was funnier.

"Their neighbor came and said "Underestimate"

My father took a pause. People tried to make sense of it, and he came in with "That means more than you know to me"

That got the biggest laugh. Probably because of his play on timing.

The last one was more modest in reaction.

"The priest came and said "Bargain", to which the widow said, thanks, that means a great deal"

I know he took a pause, and told others. There was one with a guy betting with his friend, for a hat? I don't think I followed it, but it got a good reaction from those who did. I was just stuck with a marshmallow for Edith that just couldn't stop the fire. It's James who helped me.

The horror stories are the standard tropes he always gives. A guy in the wood alone, a monster creeping along, with the punch line usually a scream or a joke. He didn't play with the fire: we were too close, and it was too big.

It was actually a little too hot. I was grilling too, not just the marshmallows.

All was interrupted by Lucy.

She had complained a few times that Clark was messing everything up, but at that point, she had enough and stood up.

I looked, and could see the issue. Edith was doing the left side, and Clark the right side. Edith had put a sort of pattern on the lines, while Clark had solid lines.

"You had to do your part, couldn't you see how much better Edith was going? Couldn't you like, let her finish the top, no, you had to paint around my breasts, you couldn't let a girl do it? God, you can suck so much sometimes, Clark"

"I am doing all that I can!"

"Well, it's not enough. I am going to wash this off."

"I'll go help you"

"Didn't you help enough already?"

"Lucy, I am so sorry"

"You are always sorry."

"We did your back, you can't see, let me help"

"Ji can help"

I was watching, but not watching. I didn't like that they were fighting. Lucy and Clark were role models, not quite parents, but rather, like guides. Still, it wasn't fun to see.

"Lucy"

"Why don't you go see our parents. They wanted us there, you wanted to be there after we were done here, and it looks like we are done here. Well, you are done here"

"Lucy, how can you turn from warm to cold like that"

"I said, you are done here. I'll talk to you tomorrow"

"Fine"

But when she turns to me, I don't see rage in her eyes, I see some panic. I see distress. I see shame.

Edith too, I think. I fear that she sees some of her mother in those eyes because she grabs my hand.

"Can you help me wash this, Ji?"

"Sure"

I know, I should have asked my parents, but it's not like I asked for other things.

At the resort, we are safe, and I would be with Lucy.

Clark was gone, she turned to me. "I know a cabin that isn't locked and has a shower"

Only, Edith didn't want to let go of my hand, so we ended up going, the three of us.

My father had sort of shied away from lighting Lucy's body painting when the fight occurred. Don't blame him, the vast majority of people avoid looking at a couple fighting. My mother and Clara were putting the final touches on Mindy's body painting, James was having a conversation with this son, and it didn't look pleasant. Did Billy do something wrong?

As for Peter, he was gone for a few minutes to grab more logs to burn.

The two of us followed Lucy. I put my towel on my shoulder, but also Lucy's as she was focused on the mission to erase her boyfriend's incompetence.

Edith whispered to me. "It's my fault, I should have followed his lead"

But I whispered back. "I think something bigger is happening. Don't blame yourself"

"But", says Edith, but I shut her down: "Little sis, trust me, when something like this occurs, there is a more profound problem. You didn't cause this"

That, seemed to do the trick.

The cabin was indeed unlocked, and well, Lucy found soap in the restroom, and went to shower with the door closed to the restroom, only calling me in to check her back.

The soap did the work, but needed some scrubbing. I helped her a little for the back, but I could see that she was still bothered.

Once she was free of the painting, we dried ourselves with the towels, but they were sitting towels, not large ones. We were still a little wet, and it was cold outside without the fire.

Lucy sat on one of the beds, this cabin had two full beds, and such opened the floodgates, crying with her face in her hands.

I sat next to her, and sort of held her. She put her arm around me and held me. It was reassuring. It's like she welcomed me in this dark time.

Edith sat by my side, putting her head against my other shoulder.

I didn't say anything. I didn't know anything, but, here is the thing. Lucy told me about introverted burn out, and I had no idea if this was it, or if it was something else.

I figured I would give her time to talk about it, to open up. Time to calm down.

I realized that Edith, fell asleep. Not at once, at first, I could feel she was heavier, like her muscles had just gone soft and her weight was on me.

It's when she had weird muscle spams that I realized.

I whispered to Lucy. "Edith fell asleep"

This made Lucy laugh. "I love you girls. Life is so simple at your age."

"She is just one year younger than you"

"Julie, age is more than your birth year."

She helped me move Edith into a more comfortable position. We thought it would wake her up, but no.

"We can't just leave her here", I said.

"Maybe we can nap, and when she wakes up, we'll get back to our families?", says Lucy.

I was tired. Perhaps a nap will help.

Lucy turned her back to me, but then, she sort of backed a little, while making sure we're under the sheets.

It was just a sleepover, but unlike Mindy, she made new efforts to put a sheet between us.

I didn't mind, I was exhausted, and Edith was now holding me. I was pinned anyway!

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