First Kiss

by C. L. Stone

  The man at the table smiled and waved at us to join him.

  “Come on girls,” he said. “Does anyone want to fish? Don’t be shy. I should have enough poles or we can share.”

  Carla said something inaudible. The rest shrugged but seemed uninterested in fishing. I wasn’t, either, but mostly because I was starving and wanted to find the guys and get lunch.

  But then I spotted Silas, who had been facing the water and I didn’t recognize him until he turned toward us. He had some string in his hand. The string was stretched out into the water, tugged taut by something on the other end. He held the string and was slowly dragging it in. Standing beside him was Ian, wearing the same Yankees cap from the night before. He watched Silas pull the string in.

  “You got him?” Ian asked Silas.

  Silas nodded but didn’t say anything. Something tugged at the string and jerked it in another direction, but he held on, and slowly reeled it in. Just a bare string? Why didn’t he have a pole? It took me a minute to figure out others around him had only strings, too. A few had poles, but they had split off to go further up the river. Silas’s group all fished with their hands.

  I peeled myself away from the girl group, grateful that we had permission to split up. I hoped Mrs. Rose would come to me if she still needed my help.

  When I walked toward Silas, Lake followed, which I didn’t mind. Then Carla followed her, seeming curious as well. Once she did, the other five girls followed her. I wondered if they had gotten used to following me and simply stuck close by. I imagined if they were dropped off and didn’t see someone they recognized, they wanted to stick with someone familiar. I knew the feeling.

  Mrs. Rose remained by the table, talking to the man in charge of the fishing station. He read her signing, nodding along, so I knew she didn’t need me right now.

  I walked up to Ian, who smiled at me. “I recognize you. How’d it go?”

  “We took a hike,” I said. “Almost got stuck in a cave. Ran into some nettle. But we made it.” I was on a roll with talking all of a sudden. Was it because they were Academy that I was able to talk more? Also, with Silas right there, I was feeling a little braver. I was relieved that I could join with him or any of the other guys. I was off duty for the day.

  “You let Mrs. Rose in a cave?” Silas said over his shoulder. “Didn’t anyone warn you?”

  “Yeah,” I said and stepped up beside him. “She had asked a ranger about the caves and led us right to it before we even realized.” I paused as he was easing the string in. “What are you doing?”

  Silas continued to pull the string, focusing on where it dipped into the water. “Hopefully, you’ll see in a minute.”

  Lake, Carla and the other girls shifted around Silas, watching.

  Something white appeared connected to the string. As it was still under the water, it was hard to tell, but it looked like a raw chicken leg, bone and all.

  “You feed the fish with chicken?” I asked.

  “It’s not fish,” Silas said. “Girls, step back. I don’t want him to pinch.”

  The girls pulled back, as did I. Ian stepped up beside Silas, reaching a net out into the water.

  When the net came up, it caught Silas’s chicken, but attached to it was a blue crab. I hadn’t even seen it in the water; it blended so well until it had nearly surfaced.

  The crab dangled in the net, hanging on to the kitchen with legs wriggling.

  “I’d rather eat the chicken,” Lake said.

  “Crabs aren’t my favorite food, either,” Ian said. He held the net carefully and swung it wide, bringing it over to a cooler that one of his team members had been sitting on. I couldn’t remember his name. He opened the lid of the cooler quickly when he saw the crab coming his way. Ian dumped the crab inside. “But they’re fun to catch.”

  “I’ll eat one or two,” Silas said. “They’re good. Hard to find good blue crabs. This river is full of them today, though.”

  “Come here, girls,” Ian said, waving us toward the cooler. “Come see this.” His friend held it open so we could see.

  We peered in, looking at a blue crab with its pinchers open and active. It had released the chicken and looked like it was feeling threatened and ready to strike. It backed up into the side of the cooler, its hard shell meeting up with the plastic wall.

  “Aw, it’s a girl,” Ian said. “Pregnant, too.”

  I studied the crab, but couldn’t tell how they knew it was a girl, or pregnant.

  “Got to throw it back,” Silas said.

  “Why?” Lake asked. “Why not just eat it?”

  “Because she’ll have babies,” Silas said. “She’ll make more crabs for us to eat.”

  “We only want the big boys or the girls without babies,” Ian said. He dropped the net and helped his friend bring the cooler back toward the river. They carefully tipped it until they dropped the crab into the water. The crab took its chicken and disappeared back into the depths.

  “I don’t want crab,” one of the girls said. “Is this lunch?”

  “I’m hungry,” another one said. “We need real food.”

  “If you go down to the beach, there’s a group making hamburgers and baked potatoes,” Silas said. “Enough for everyone for lunch.” He rubbed his stomach. “I had some, but I left room for a crab.”

  “Can we go?” one of the girls asked, looking to me, Lake and Carla.

  The three of us looked at each other and shrugged.

  “You don’t need our permission,” Lake said.

  Still the girls waited. “Shouldn’t we stay together?”

  Carla and Lake again shared a look with me. Maybe they needed help finding their way around. I was hungry, too, though, so I didn’t mind walking with them to lunch. “I could use a hamburger,” I said.

  “Might as well go,” Lake said.

  The guys waved goodbye to us.

  We found the same grill the guys had used the night before, and it was surrounded by more tables dragged in from other camps. There was a pile of hamburgers already cooked, along with potatoes, all stacked in coolers with other supplies.

  A woman was stationed there, in charge of directing us to eat and where to throw our trash. We sat together at one of the tables. I didn’t see any of the other boys here and wondered if Luke and Nathan were still following and would they come out to eat, or if they had stopped following after we got back to the general camp area.

  After eating, we explored different stations, one was first aid training, which was busy as Dr. Green and a couple other people taught people how to check vital signs is someone was unconscious. He was so busy directing the talks, he didn’t see me. I didn’t want to distract him, so I stayed in the background.

  We were going to do a full circle of the entire camp until one of the girls said they were tired of walking. The others agreed with her.

  “I’ve been up since four this morning,” one of them said.

  I shared a look with Carla, who shrugged. Lake nodded. “Me, too, actually,” she said. “The people who brought me in had to give me the lecture on secrecy before we even got here. And I live over in Georgetown. It took a few hours to get here.”

  Carla checked her map. “Why don’t we try the craft section?” she asked, glancing up at Lake and me. “That should give us a place to sit and still participate while giving us an opportunity to sort out who doesn’t have a place to sleep tonight.”

  That made sense. Hopefully, they’d make friends with other Academy members, too, and they’d feel more comfortable going off together. I thought that was the point of the different booths: To get to know other people.

  We stopped by the latrine for a break, but then followed the road that led to the designated arts and craft tables. Soon we came across another pole, this one flying a flag that had a paint brush on it.

  The area was inside a pavilion, with a concrete floor and a wooden roof overhead set up on pillars, but was otherwise open. There was a stage made out of wood, where a
few tables were set up.

  On the concrete slab under the roof, there were dozens of tables set up in rows, and each row appeared to feature a different craft to work on.

  A couple of older members stood and watched over the group, speaking to the people at the tables—giving guidance and advice, I assumed.

  We didn’t really look at the craft options, just for a spot where we could all sit. I scanned the tables for familiar faces, and I didn’t see anyone. Carla pointed out a table with room for all of us.

  We weaved our way through to get to it. It was covered in a bright yellow tablecloth and had several small buckets containing seed beads, fishing string, and some tools and clasps.

  “Necklace or bracelet making?” one of the girls asked.

  “Looks like,” Carla said.

  “It doesn’t seem like Academy training,” Lake said.

  One of the gentlemen passing by to give assistance smiled at Lake’s comment. “Some of the crafts do require more skill and perhaps a lesson. And some are just meant to be a break from lessons and just for fun. Take everything at your own pace.” He motioned to the empty areas we had been walking toward. “Have fun.”

  I sat on the end of one bench. Lake sat next to me and Carla sat next to her. Another girl took up the spot next to Carla, and the other side filled in with the other girls.

  I looked over our supplies. Besides the buckets, there were craft organizing kits filled with different sized and colored beads. Some were painted with designs and many with letters and charms, too.

  One of the girls wiped her forehead. “Can we just stay here and make bracelets until it’s time to go to sleep?”

  I didn’t have a problem with that. After all the hiking and excitement, I couldn’t wait until it was time to sleep.

  It was Carla who taught us how to start off a bracelet. She didn’t make one herself but spent her time checking knots in strings, going over the hundreds of charm options and finding colors for people.

  I stood a little, with a knee in my seat, bending over the supplies, looking for different colors. I was thinking of making a bracelet one of the guys when I felt my hair clip loosen and get plucked away.

  I whipped around, at first getting hair in my face, but already grinning. “Hey,” I said.

  Gabriel stood behind our seat in jeans and a neon orange sweater. He leaned forward to snap the clip at my face like teeth. “Worst camping buddy, ever,” he said, pinching the clip so it would ‘talk’ along with his words. He was frowning but his crystal eyes were lit up.

  “Meanie,” I said. I tried to make a glare, but a smile spread across my lips at the sight of him. I missed him, too.

  “Where have you been, Trouble?” He looked down at my clothes and then up to my face. “What the shit fuck...shoot…fudge...” He glanced over his shoulder and then at the girls. Then he leaned in to talk to me quietly. “God damn my mouth. But what happened to your clothes?”

  “There was a cave,” I said, looking him over. There were a few paint drops on his rolled-up sleeves, making me wonder where he’d been. He didn’t have his hat on now, so the blond was hanging around his temples and the russet was brushed back.

  Relief washed over me once again. The boys were here. I’d be fine.

  “Aw fuck,” he said. “We told you about her and caves.”

  I nodded. “You following me?”

  “I’ve been here all morning,” he said and pointed across the way to where there was a group of people sitting at easels set up outside the picnic area. An elderly woman was directing a painting class. “I had the morning shift. But I’m off duty now.” He nudged me in the elbow. “Scoot your ass down. I’m tired of painting. I want to do something else.”

  I scooted, sitting closer to Lake than I was comfortable with, but Carla moved down, allowing Lake to make room.

  “Prin—Sang,” Victor’s voice called, but I didn’t see him until he was walking up behind the girls in front of us and waved to me. He had on a gray sweater and jeans, his hair a little messy. His fire eyes were curious, and his smile was small, fox-like. His cheeks flushed as if he’d been exerting himself. I had a feeling he had taken over for Luke and Nathan since we’d returned.

  I was so happy to see him, too. I smiled and shared a look with him, wishing I could hug them both, but keeping my distance.

  I quickly touched my finger to my lips, making sure he saw.

  He quickly did the same and then dropped his hands. “Having fun?”

  “Who are you?” one of the girls asked, turning to look up at him where he stood behind her.

  One of the girls who had been in the pit with me leaned in to whisper to her but we all heard. “He’s not here,” she said. “Don’t tell anyone.”

  I had a feeling despite saying not to tell the other girls, that all the girls knew about Nathan and Luke following us and how they had pulled us out of the pit.

  Victor’s eyebrows went up and the fire ignited as he shot me silent questions. I giggled, unsure how to explain.

  “I don’t think it matters right now,” Lake said.

  The girls looked to me for confirmation and I shrugged. “It’s camp,” I said. “We’re supposed to meet new people and get to know others, right?”

  “May I join you all?” Victor asked. He moved to the end close where I was sitting, across the table. The girls made room for him so he could sit across from Gabriel.

  Once we were settled, Gabriel reached for a bucket of beads. “Aw yeah,” he said. “Bracelet-making. This is great.”

  “You want an orange one?” I asked. “I’ll make you one.”

  “I was going to make you one,” Gabriel said. He scanned through beads. “Pink and...something. Some color...”

  “I’ll make her one,” Victor said.

  I realized then that if I made one for Gabriel, I’d probably have to make one for everyone. “Gabriel,” I said. “We have to make nine.”

  “I was thinking the same thing,” he said. He snapped his fingers and pointed to Victor. “I’ll make yours and Sang’s. You should make mine and Kota’s. Sang, you make...”

  “I want to make Sang’s,” Victor said. “And I can make one for me.”

  “Don’t make your own. Defeats the purpose.”

  “There’s a purpose?”

  The girls giggled. Their eyes were wide, watching the boys. Lake squinted a look at the guys but then continued with her bracelet-making.

  Carla waved to the girls to get their attention. “Come on,” she said. “Make your bracelets. Ignore the boys.”

  I wasn’t sure why she would say that. I knew the guys already, but it wasn’t supposed to be ‘us versus them.' Socializing was supposed to happen. They were supposed to get to know other team members and perhaps find their own team somewhere.

  Gabriel waved a hand toward the girls over his head while he was focused on looking at a box of charms. “Yeah, yeah, pretend we’re not here.”

  “Besides,” Carla said. “We have to sort out where everyone’s sleeping.”

  I remembered April and Taylor and Emma their tent. It was big like my group’s tent, but they had plenty of room to spare since it was only the three of them. “Actually, I might have a solution. Gabriel, do you know where Taylor is? Or April or Emma?”

  “Those girls? Uh...” His head shot up, and locks of blond hair fell in his face as he looked around. “I thought I saw one of them here earlier.”

  Victor stood up, scanning the area. “I think I see one. Want me to grab her?”

  “Yeah,” I said. “Bring her over so we can ask if we can fill in some girls in their tent.”

  “Sure,” he said and started off, winding his way around tables and disappearing among the group.

  If nine could easily fit into the boys’ tent, then there should be plenty of room for the other girls. That way, I could still spend the night with Kota in the spare tent.

  “And then maybe we girls should make a bracelet together. Make ones for each other
,” Carla said. She looked at Gabriel. “If that’s how it works?”

  Gabriel shrugged, picking out beads from a bucket. “It’s always better if you do things for other people.”

  “I’ll make one for Sang!” one of the girls called out.

  “I’ve got Lake’s,” another one said.

  This started a chain until they had picked out who would make for who. I had Carla.

  She spoke to Gabriel. “You boys can make your own for each other.”

  I bit my lip, glancing at Gabriel. Carla didn’t seem to like Gabriel being there.

  When Carla was busy directing the girls, Gabriel leaned into me. “Is she grumpy?”

  I leaned into him to whisper. “No idea,” I said. I thought someone needed to talk to her, but I wasn’t sure I was the one to do it. Carla was older than me, probably eighteen from what I could guess, and had known of the Academy longer than I’d known about it.

  But hadn’t she said it took two years for her to get invited? Maybe she didn’t know as much as she thought she did. I might be loyal to my team, but I wouldn’t make anyone feel excluded.

  I was thinking about this and picking out beads for Carla’s bracelet, still intending to make nice ones for Gabriel and Victor, when Victor returned, trailed by Emma. She was wearing all black and with her dark hair, her blue eyes were very striking.

  She was followed by Taylor.

  “Hey, girl!” Taylor waved to me. Emma waved, too and to Gabriel as well. “Do I see a new girl group here? This is so cool. I almost wish it was my first year.”

  “First year was a lot of fun,” Emma said. “But it’s still fun.”

  Carla stood, wiping her hands on her sweater. “It’s great, but some of us were brought in and weren’t told it was camping. We don’t have supplies but Sang said you might have room?”

  Both of the girls nodded enthusiastically. “Sure! You can camp out with us,” Taylor said. “We might need to ask around for more sleeping bags.”

  “We’ve got some,” Victor said. “And extra air mattresses.”

  “I guess that’ll be okay.” Carla seemed to be unsure as she looked toward Taylor. “Do you have room for everyone?”