Camp Boyfriend (8 page)

She definitely had us there. Hannah’s cabin had won our bracket every year and loved flaunting their trophy. Sometimes they brought it to meals and hummed “We Are the Champions” when they walked by. We all hated it, but I think it burned Jackie the most since she was the only dedicated athlete in our group.

I grabbed the pen and scribbled our names, resenting Hannah all the more this year after the Matt incident. The Divas’ Den girls were so going down. “Piper, what do you want?”

She rearranged the order of the boy band bracelets on her wrist and lifted her large brown eyes. “Oh I already told Gollum we’d clean up the campfire area during our free time, so you pick, Lauren.”

The group sighed. Piper loved volunteering us for the most heinous jobs in the name of saving Mother Earth.

My eyes lit on an activity we’d never tried before.

“Let’s do dance.” Since joining the cheer squad last year, I’d taken lessons and loved it.

Jackie laughed. “You’re kidding, right?”

“No. Why?”

“Because Hannah’s group always does dance.” Trinity’s voice sounded muffled as she pulled off her hemp cover-up in the warming morning air.

I shrugged. After Texas, I could handle Hannah’s crowd. “So? We’ll ignore them.”

“Like they’ll let us.” Jackie wrote our names on the sheet. “But if Lauren wants it, then we’ll make it work. We’d better get changed if we want to make the rope course.”

As I turned to go, I nearly ran into Matt. His eyes were wide, his jaw tense.

“Who is Seth?”

I stepped back. “Can we talk later, Matt?” I stepped back and lowered my voice. “When we’re alone.”

“Later? Are you kidding? Some guy takes off because of you and all you can say is
later
?” His shoulders bunched and a twitch appeared high in his cheek.

So much for not taking this public. Although, to his credit, at least he cared that I’d had a relationship with someone else. Enough that he wanted to talk about it. Seth, on the other hand…I hated that we hadn’t figured out anything. That he’d taken off instead.

I searched for the right words and drew a blank in the sorry-for-effing-up-your-summer department. I should have been cruel to be kind and now it was too late.

One of the Warriors sauntered up to Matt. “Dude—whitewater rafting starts in like ten minutes. Let’s go.” He gave me a once-over. “Looking good, Lauren.”

I ignored him. “Matt, go ahead. Please. We’ll talk tonight.”

Matt shook his head and followed his friends outside.

I bit my lip and watched him go.

I was 0 for 2.

Chapter Five

As we trekked from our beach volleyball practice, I made a mental list of all the ways my camp experience had fallen sucked so far.

1. My friends seemed frustrated with me for upsetting Seth, letting Matt treat me like that. (They’d said that
Seth
wouldn’t have gotten in my face like that in a million years.)

2. I got stuck in the “spider web” portion of the low ropes course and stayed there for a long time, since no one seemed in a great hurry to untangle me. See #1.

3. Gollum called me into his office during lunch for an interrogation about Seth. He was not happy to have the owner’s grandkid ditching camp on the first day, and seemed convinced that I knew more than I was telling.

4. I hadn’t eaten lunch. See #3.

5. Since I still sucked at volleyball, I hadn’t won any points with my friends there.

6. Seth wasn’t here.

7. Matt had glared at me both times he saw me during the day.

8. My friends were grumbling big-time about the dance class.

I didn’t know how to fix anything, either. At home at least I knew how to keep the peace between Kellianne and my mother, acting as mediator when they got mad each other or at Dad for his long absences from the family. Here, I was out of my element for the first time in all my years of summer camp. I was starting to feel like I didn’t belong. I’d hoped to talk about Macbeth essays and science projects with Siobhan in between helping Trinity paint and Piper save the earth.

Damn it, what was happening to everyone?

Arriving at the theater and dance studio on top of a hill behind the girls’ cabins, I braced myself for a far bigger round of confrontations. Hannah and the other girls from the Divas’ Den cabin were already in the studio. Of course, they’d all brought cute dance outfits from home, while the girls from our cabin still wore shorts and T-shirts from volleyball.

“Nice shirt, Jackie,” Hannah remarked mildly from her spot at the barre in front of the mirror. “Although the jean shorts kind of make you look like a truck driver. No offense.”

Jackie stretched her long legs and volleyball-toned arms in her white tank top. “Nice leotard, Hannah. It makes you look like you’re shrink-wrapped in Pepto-Bismol. Oh wait, that’s probably what you’re going for since you make everyone sick.” Jackie then kicked off her shoes and stood in the back of the studio with her arms crossed. My other friends did the same.

“Maybe we should warm up a little,” I encouraged them, taking off my shoes, too. “Loosen up.”

I really wished they’d just give dance a try and stay open-minded. Sitting down on the floor, I ran through some of my normal stretches, hoping they’d follow suit. Siobhan joined me, perhaps spotting that a few of the moves were yoga.

“Hello class!” The dance instructor, Leslie Kim, padded in on silent, bare feet. She was all of five feet tall and a former gymnast. I’d seen her around camp other years and had always wanted to take a class with her. She looked energetic and fun.

And wasn’t I here to have fun? At least I wasn’t settling arguments about lipstick shades for the wedding.

I faced forward and kept my focus on Leslie while she led us through some basic moves. We did some chassés and pliés and worked on our posture. Very basic. Very easy. Except that Alex had a hard time being still and focusing on her breathing. I thought she’d lose it when the instructor asked her to take out her gum. After the first twenty minutes, we turned on some music and did the Thriller dance, which everyone knew. Even Jackie made a half-hearted attempt to do the zombie hands and make like the undead. Or maybe she just wanted to strangle Hannah.

Things were looking up until Piper stepped on another girl’s toes.

“Do you not know your right from your left?” a Divas’ Den member huffed, her high ponytail flouncing around her ears.

“Now ladies,” Leslie Kim warned, turning down the music since we’d all stopped to watch the confrontation anyhow. “This is a beginners’ class.”

The girl fisted her hands and put them on her hips. “Only because no advanced classes are offered the first week. But you know us. Why do we have to do the same moves as the geek squad who don’t know a plié from a scissor kick?”

Piper’s face flushed. My blood boiled, since I’d assured my friends we’d be able to avoid dumb confrontations like this. But our cabins had a history. Hannah and the other Divas’ Den girls burst into laughter while our teacher’s brows drew together.

“I’ll see you after the activity period is over. For now, I need you to wait for me outside so you can cool off and think about your rudeness.”

I was somewhat soothed by this. But when Leslie moved toward the windows to crank them open more, the Divas took turns high-fiving each other in silent mode. They seemed to smack hands in slow-motion, deliberately goading us as their friend sashayed her way out of the studio.

Dance class went downhill from there. My friends glared at me while we slogged through the cool-down workout ten minutes later. I was doing my neck rolls when Kayla, a Divas’ Den girl obsessed with designer labels, poked me in the arm.

If I’d had any martial arts training, I would have gotten into a fighting stance. I was that on edge.

“You have amazing posture.” Kayla wore a bright canary T-shirt off the shoulder with the words “Juicy” in glitter letters. She hitched at the strap of the turquoise dance leotard she wore underneath. “And your chassés were awesome.”

“Thank you,” I muttered, too surprised to think through any possible ulterior motives on Kayla’s part. “I started taking dance last summer to help with cheerleading.”

“She’s a cheerleader now too?” Piper remarked darkly from somewhere behind me.

“Is that a crime?” Spinning on my heel, I faced her as Leslie Kim dismissed us.

“No,” Piper shot back, her over-sized green recycling T-shirt almost swallowing her whole. “But you used to talk about science fairs and honor society instead of high kicks. Remember?”

She stomped to the back of the studio to retrieve her bag. It clinked with recovered cans which, for some reason, struck me harder than her words. Piper was passionately dedicated to a cause. Every year that I’d come to camp, she’d been saving the earth, whether by planting trees or convincing Gollum to offer a sustainable garden. Year in and year out, she was the same Piper.

Unlike me.

I’d come to camp a different person and expected everything to be the same.

“See you tomorrow,” Kayla said out of the blue. I’d forgotten she’d been standing next to me. She gave a wave as she went off with her friends.

While her group filed out of the dance studio, my friends put their shoes on.

“I still like science,” I said, to myself as much as anyone else. If Dad had gotten the letter of reference for me, I might have e-mailed my NASA Aerospace Scholars application early. When he hadn’t come home in time to say goodbye, I’d left the file open on his computer. Hopefully he got my silent message.

“You still like science, but you liked Matt more. Maybe that’s why a summer boyfriend is a good thing.” Siobhan handed me my bag.

“What do you mean?” We walked out into the sunshine. Jackie had jogged ahead to catch up with Piper, who was halfway back to the cabins.

Trinity and Alex stayed with us, although I think that was because the boys from Seth’s cabin were playing lacrosse on the field outside the dance studio. Alex waved to Vijay, who was tossing the ball back and forth with Julian.

“I mean summer is a good time for having fun.” Siobhan paused next to Alex to watch the guys. “It’s one thing to date during the summer when classes are out. But during the school year, boyfriends steal focus.”

“And how would you know?” Alex teased over her shoulder. She’d found her pack of gum by now, and was back to chewing with enthusiasm.

“I have eyes.” Siobhan poked Alex in the shoulder. “I don’t need to date to know my mom is right on this one. Guys are a distraction.”

As if hearing her mother’s voice in her head, she turned on her heel and headed back toward Munchies’ Manor, perhaps remembering some homework she needed to tackle. I went too, sad to think about Seth missing these moments with his friends.

Alex and Trinity followed as a group of junior campers streaked by on a scavenger hunt. A few of them wore floral crowns, a craft I used to love. One year, all of my cabin mates and I made matching wreaths out of maple leaves instead of flowers. We wore them for two weeks until they were nothing more than twigs and Gollum made us stop.

“You’ve changed a lot for Matt.” Trinity breezed ahead of me as we reached the girls’ cabins. “We’re worried.” The screen door rattled shut behind her.

I flopped on the porch’s wood-slatted rocker and fanned myself with a fly swatter. Alex leaned against the railing and crossed her arms.

“I didn’t change for Matt.” My fingers drummed on the chair arms. “There’ve just been a lot of changes in my life. Period. Like my dad is never around, and when he is, it’s like he’s not really there.”

“But I thought you two were tight.” Alex held up twined fingers, the friendship bracelet that matched mine sliding down her slim arm.

My laugh ended in a watery hiccup. Was I really this close to losing it? What was it about good friends that made it impossible to lie…to them…or yourself?

“Not anymore. The only people that notice me are my mom and Kellianne…and that’s if my outfits aren’t coordinated.” My feet pushed the rocker back and forth, the runners squeaking.

“So no one really talks to you? Asks what you care about?” Alex lowered her sunglasses, her expression understanding.

My eyes slid from hers. She could see too much.

Alex gripped the rocker and stopped my momentum. “I know how you feel. All my parents care about is that I act like a lady at their promo events, dress like I’m eighty years old in their photo-ops, and attend our youth group meetings. They talk, but don’t listen. Ever.”

My breath caught. I so got that. Our parents might have different expectations, but they were still the same. They molded us into the people they wanted to be instead of helping us become ourselves.

“It sucks.” I unwound my hair from its too-tight bun.

“Is that why you dated Matt? Because your mom liked him?”

My fingers froze as I combed out my tangled locks. “Maybe. Though my mom married a scientist, not an athlete.”

Alex’s shoulders shifted as she shrugged. “And I’m definitely not marrying a do-gooder who cares more about his Twitter followers than his family.”

“I wanted to come back here and be with Seth… with all of you…and now nothing is the same.” My calf stung and I swatted it automatically, leaving a squashed mosquito and a splat of blood. Gross.

Alex cocked her heart-shaped face and studied me. “So what are you going to do about Matt?”

“I don’t know.” I leaned my head against the high-backed rocker and stared up at our cobwebbed ceiling.

Alex flung her tiny self in my lap and wrapped her arms around me. “At least we’ve got each other.”

“Ewwwww—get a room,” Jackie hooted from the window beside us.

Alex put her hand over my mouth and gave it a passionate kiss before she leaped off of me and rushed inside. I smiled when I heard Jackie’s shrieks as Alex chased her around the cabin. This was exactly how my summer was supposed to be.

Only it wasn’t.

* * *

After dinner, I plodded back to the cabins with my friends and debated what to do that night. The camp was operating on half-manpower while Gollum took turns interviewing the counselors about Seth’s departure. Apparently, he thought Seth’s disappearing act might hurt his record as camp director. Another time, I might have found Gollum’s freak-out funny. But right now, I still needed to speak to Matt privately. Apologize. Tell him I’d made a huge mistake by bringing him here, and that I loved Seth. Face the anger I deserved.