Euphoria a word so powerful and raw with emotions. I think it might be the most beautiful word in the world( if words could be called beautiful
After I was done with middle school and was about to go to senior high school, my mum signed me up for a youth camp meeting . I hadn't planned on going but I had to remain open minded, it wasn't like I would get the chance to go for another one plus you only live once.
The town where the supposed camp meeting was held was at a country side and I together with several teens from both my church and neighborhood, had to endure six hours in a bus cramped with teenagers and the most painful part was we weren't allowed the luxuries of out phones , tablets , smart watches , laptops and all the good stuff.
After the dreadful six hours of waiting , discreet swearing and sweating we finally arrived at our much awaited campsite.
It was a boarding school of sorts with dorms which had this unusual touch of nostalgia, they actually looked like houses from one of those old movies but bigger, to top it all of they had valleys and mountains which were carpeted with trim green grass, it was around this area that the communal park was found.
There was also a dinning hall, an assembly hall , a arts and crafts center , a library, a basketball court( which would be the undoing of my wimpy-self) and to crown it all a tuck shop.
We arrived around for pm and with a prayer from the official/unofficial youth leader we got out of the monstrosity we arrived in and were met by a big crowd, I mean like more than a thousand people.
I stretched my sore limbs(and they were very sore from the little fat kid sitting on me for almost half of the journey), and tried to orient myself to my surroundings. I looked around and felt a little intimidated "because heaven forbid I could be crowned the most attractive guy there"
Anyway we didn't get rooms so we had to share a dorm room with some guys from another town. This is how my time at summer camp started.
A few days later I actually collided with the girl who changed everything. Mary Angelo was not your average girl. She was a dark skinned beauty, plumb and curly hair.
I was walking around trying to remember the lyrics for big hero six "immortals"( like totally legendary song), she was also rushing to God knows where and we "COLLIDED". She fell down with some grace ( which I still don't know how she managed to do) . She got up brushing away my outstretched hand while uttering some foul words which would make Nicki Minaj look like an innocent child. " Watch where you going next time a&?hole" and then she was off running. This is the part where people usually say they fell in "LOVE" and then there is a whole montage, but I was actually pissed she didn't say sorry for bumping into me.
A few days later we had a program which was hosted at night and all the good seats were taken as usual. I was feeling impatient and slightly annoyed for arriving late, and as fate would have it the only seat around was next to her, Mary Angelo. I walked over to her and asked " Can I have this seat" . " You can't have this seat " she retorted with a smirk. Heaven knows I almost lost my cool but I managed to feel it all in and begged for the seat. We both struck a wager. She could ask me for anything and I couldn't refuse( that was the worst thing I could do), anyway the program went on without incident and I actually liked her, she seemed real and genuine, how wrong I was.
It wasn't long before we started sneaking away from programs to run in the fields and talk and laugh and live. I remember the first time I ever smoked was with her(I only did it on that trip).
I became all the clichés I never wanted to be. Mary Angelo seemed toughed on the outside but she was actually a ginormous softy on the inside. Like all love stories ours didn't last.
Mary Angelo told me a lot of things but what she forgot to tell me was that she had a boyfriend. Her boyfriend was a few weeks late for the youth camp meeting and just after his arrival everything changed.We stopped sneaking out into the fields to run and laugh and stare at the skies at night. We stopped smoking and laughing at the silly things we say when we were high. The part of my soul which had joy died.
On the very last day of the youth camp meeting I said all my goodbyes( well I didn't really want to but I had to say something).
As I was getting unboard the monstrosity of a bus we drove to the camp site , I felt a tug on my sleeve ,it was strong but delicate, it was Mary Angelo. She kissed me, passionately ( I mean that was the best kiss I have ever had) our lips lingered for a while but we eventually ended the kiss. "I'm really sorry, I wish things were different" and like a lightening bolt she was gone.
The last word I saw before leaving the youth camp was "Euphoria" it was sprawled all over a wall. In that moment I knew Mary Angelo had become the reason I chose to be happy each day.
But like every feeling in the world she never lasted forever. She became my Euphoria.

Pls don't forget to vote and comment on this chapter and if you managed to read my book this far I am eternally grateful 🙏🙏😻😻🥺🥺

Alabascious out 〽️