Camp Forget-Me-Not

by J. K. Rock

  “No, sweetie. In fact, you can stop packing.” A splashing sound and the clink of a glass being set down came through the receiver. “I have some good news.”

  I sat up straight, my smile matching the one that grew on Gollum’s face. It was like he knew what she was going to say.

  “You got a new job!” I leaned forward, knee jittering. Hallelujah. Now we wouldn’t have to hunt for a cheaper apartment. I could hang out in Park Slope, catch up on my reading…suddenly this summer was looking up.

  My shoulders dropped at her long sigh, along with my stomach. “I’m searching, but nothing yet.”

  “Oh.” I would have slid down in my seat if my thighs weren’t stuck. “Did you find a new place for us?”

  “No. But I’ve got good news.” My mother’s voice brightened. “You don’t have to leave camp after all.”

  I shot to my feet, momentarily taking the chair with me until it thunked back to the floor. “What do you mean?” I paced as far as the phone cord allowed.

  “Your father is covering the rest of your camp tuition for you.” I heard ice cubes clink against the sides of a glass and pictured her getting a refill from our fridge’s water dispenser. “Isn’t that wonderful?”

  “Of course,” I repeated automatically, although I wondered why my dad was ponying up money for me now. He’d given my mother a hard time about any extra expenses for me over the years, even though he made plenty of money as a restaurateur with two very successful businesses. I didn’t want to be the source of frustration between my mom and dad. Plus, I didn’t want to stay here and be Nick’s target.

  “But Mom, I want to come home.” I flinched as Gollum’s thick eyebrows met over his beak of a nose. “I mean, I would love to stay since camp is awesome…” I gave our camp director a thumbs-up. “…but you need me.”

  Mom cleared her throat. “Actually, a friend invited me to the Hamptons. After I got off the phone with Mr. Woodrow, I accepted so I’m all set for a change of scenery. In the meantime, my real estate agent can show our loft while I’m gone.”

  “Can I go with you?” The question jumped out of me just as it had a million times growing up. My executive mother had many functions, events, and even weekend trips that excluded me through the years. Because it was her job, I never complained. In fact, I’d learned to hide my feelings so I wouldn’t make her feel guilty.

  “Honey, I’m afraid there isn’t room in the rental. But you still like it at camp, don’t you?” Uncertainty entered her voice, and I glanced at a whistle-polishing Gollum. When his beady eyes met mine, my fingers tightened on the receiver.

  “I love it here. I just wanted to make sure you were okay—which it sounds like you are—so I guess we’re all good then…” I watched a group of Warriors shove and wrestle each other as they trailed their super-hot counselor, Rob, to the dining hall. For a brief second, Nick’s eyes met mine through the window before a friend’s push made him stumble.

  “Great.” Her voice came out in a breathy rush of relief. “There’s a good chance I’ll be able to attend some parties with industry people, so it’s a much better job-networking place for me right now. It’s a win-win for both us, right?”

  “Win.” I forced a smile at a beaming Gollum. He placed his whistle around his neck and popped a butterscotch candy in his mouth before sliding the jar my way.

  “I love you so much, sweetie, and you should call your father soon to thank him for this. Okay?”

  “Okay.” I did my best to keep the sigh out of my voice. It sucked that we only had one hour a week for electronics, including cell phones. I unwrapped a butterscotch nugget to distract myself.

  “You don’t sound happy, Kayla.”

  “I’m happy.” I spoke around the mouthful of candy. “It’s just that my cabin’s on their way to dinner and I’ve got to go.” It was actually kind of the truth since I could hear Brooke singing, “Now you know we’re through—so not into you…”

  Gollum’s high tenor joined hers on the last line. I blinked at him in surprise.

  “Great song,” he mouthed at me.

  Seriously? Even our camp director was a member of the Brooke White Fan Club. She was as catchy as poison ivy and twice as irritating.

  “All right. If you’re sure. But call me if anything comes up.”

  “Promise. Love you.”

  I hung up and watched Hannah, our former cabin Queen B, trail behind the rest of the group until a hand snaked out from some pine bushes and pulled her, giggling, behind them.

  Julian. It’d taken me a few weeks, but I was finally getting used to seeing her with our camp’s reigning Dungeons & Dragons champ. The rest of the Divas, however, hadn’t accepted her dating a guy from the Wander Inn, a cabin they’d once nicknamed “Freaks and Geeks.”

  Brooke had announced that Wander Inn boys were bad for her image. When she threatened to exclude any Divas hanging out with them from her next video, my cabin had joined her in ignoring Hannah. As for me, I tried to stay out of it.

  “Thank you, Mr. Woodrow. I appreciate this opportunity.”

  His narrow chest swelled. “We’re glad to keep a nice girl like you at Camp Juniper Point, Kayla.” His eyes wandered out the window as first Hannah then Julian stumbled out of the bushes and onto the path. “Now hurry along and catch up to Hannah, young lady. Please tell her I’d like a word with her and Julian after dinner.”

  The door swung shut behind me, and in a few steps, I’d caught up to the hand-holding pair. With Hannah’s bright red head on Julian’s Lord of the Ring’s caped shoulder, they made a cute couple.

  “Hi, Kayla.” Hannah gave me a small smile. It was the least confident she’d ever looked and the happiest.

  “Hey, guys.” I fell into step with them, glad not to enter the mess hall alone. “Gollum wants to talk to you after dinner before you go back to your cabins.”

  Julian’s jaw tightened and he nodded. “Fine with me. Been spending less time at the cabin anyway. The guys still won’t accept Hannah, and I’m not hanging out with them until they do.”

  Hannah nodded. “Same here. No offense, Kayla, but you guys have been, like, totally rude to Julian.”

  “Hello? I’m here. Talking to you, right?” Not that I mattered as much as my roommates did to Hannah. She’d always been tighter with them before Brooke came to camp.

  Hannah slipped an arm through mine. “You’re the only one, Kayla. After what you went through with Nick, I knew you’d understand.”

  I almost spit out what was left of my butterscotch. She’d made me ditch Nick three years ago. What a hypocrite. Resentment rose, but like everything else, I stuffed it down deep and kept my face neutral.

  “Right. Divas don’t date geeks. It’s our number one rule.” I tugged Julian’s cape. “Sorry, Julian. I don’t mean you.”

  His lips lifted in a half-smile. “It’s cool. If by geek you mean an interesting, enlightened, thoughtful person, then yeah. I’m good with that.”

  I smiled. Julian was awesome.

  Hannah gazed up at him with large, brown eyes. “Me too. Stupid girls and their stupid rules. And Brooke is the most Diva-ish Diva ever. She’s horrible.”

  “Hannah…” Julian cautioned.

  “Fine.” Hannah sighed and snuggled against Julian’s side. “No trash talking. But still…”

  I met her eye roll and raised an eyebrow in return. I might like this new Hannah, but siding with her meant making the other girls angry and I couldn’t risk that. She had Julian and I had no one. Plus, I couldn’t forget that she’d made up the rules in the first place, especially the one that nearly ruined my life.

  My mind skipped back to Nick and how hard it’d been to follow that rule when I’d first joined the cabin. He’d been so hurt when I ignored him. Looking at Julian reminded me of the old Nick and how things could have been. But I’d done what I had to do and now it was my turn to suffer.

  I’d hurt Nick’s feelings long ago and he hadn’t deserved that. Now bad camp karma swi
rled around me like mosquitoes at night, and there wasn’t a damn thing I could do to escape.

  Chapter Two

  FOUR YEARS AGO

  “…I can’t do it.” I was scared and humiliated. I didn’t want my friends to see me struggle and fail to scale Tennent Mountain’s peak. Out of shape and out of breath, I’d trailed behind them as we’d climbed all morning. I’d pushed myself hard just to keep them in sight. But this steep vertical looked impossible, my fear turning into full-blown panic. Everyone would reach the top, and I’d be left behind, noticed in the worst possible way.

  “Hurry up, Kayla!” one of the other girls hissed as she climbed past me, her tennis shoes moving over slippery rocks easily. “We’re always waiting for you.”

  Panic and embarrassment would not make me go any faster. But the girl who’d hassled me—Rachel, I think her name was—would never get that. She was always winning races.

  Forcing one foot forward, I tightened my grip on a vine growing over the edge of the cliff face we were climbing. Where was a counselor when you needed one? I swear mine was avoiding me.

  I tugged the vine harder and tried to lift myself up. Except the vine gave way. My arms spiraled through empty air, hands grasping for anything to break my fall.

  “No worries.” A boy’s voice said in my ear just as wiry arms wrapped around my waist. “I’m here.”

  He caught me as if he’d been waiting for me. I had a vision of what I must have looked like falling backward, a chubby girl who couldn’t pull her own weight. Literally.

  “I’m sorry,” I croaked as I wriggled free and stood on my own two feet.

  Facing him.

  He was cute. Half my size, with wiry arms and springy dark curls. His smile was crooked, and he looked so proud to have saved me that I felt bad for nearly crushing him.

  “Why are you sorry? You fell.” He pointed to the right. “Go this way and you can get up the hill without climbing such a steep slope. It’s easy.”

  I wanted to argue—nothing was easy for me—but he darted away so fast I didn’t have time.

  Damn it.

  Hurrying after him, I realized I hadn’t thanked him. Or found out his name. Of course, it would be better if I never saw him again since I’d nearly flattened him.

  “Hey,” I called, realizing I’d really, really like to see that path he’d mentioned. “Are you sure it’s safe?”

  I rounded a corner and nearly slammed into him. Poor kid. But he was light on his feet and just bounced ahead a step.

  “Here. Look.” He pointed to a dirt path that looked better than that cliff face. “I can help you.”

  “Thank you,” I managed to say through my burning throat. I closed my eyes, wishing I were invisible, that no one could see me. Not even this helpful boy who made me feel even more self-conscious.

  “Er…uh…sure,” the boy said and his tone sounded funny.

  Then, suddenly, he was prying my eyelid open.

  “You in there?” he asked, leaning too close and peering into my eyeball as if I was a science project.

  “What are you doing?” I leaped back, away from his touch, blinking to fix my eyelid. It felt all weird now.

  “You were closing your eyes,” he explained, his own hazel eyes serious. “I didn’t know if you were okay.”

  “Oh.” I could hear other people calling my name on the hilltop, and I knew I should hurry. But something about this boy’s worried expression made me feel funny inside. Happy, I guess. “Sometimes I close my eyes when I want to disappear.”

  His grin returned, but I could tell he wasn’t laughing at me. I don’t know how I could tell. I guess because I’d seen enough people making fun of me before.

  “It doesn’t work so well,” he told me, laughing a little as he held out his hand. “Come on. I’ll help you up.”

  His fingers were sticky, and the glitter on his thumbnail meant he probably hadn’t washed them after arts and crafts. But I was happy for the extra grip anyway.

  “I’m Kayla,” I told him while he steered me up the easiest part of the path.

  “I know who you are.” He pointed to a group of girls in my cabin when we got to the top of the hill. “Your friends are over there.”

  How did he know my cabin?

  He started to dart away again, but I grabbed his hand once more.

  “They’re not my friends.” Every one of them had passed me on that hill.

  “I am.” He stared down at my hand on his, and I saw a little half-smile curl his lips. “I’m Nick Desanti.”

  No one smiled when I touched them. According to the boys at school, I’d had cooties for the past two years. So even if Nick hadn’t helped me today, I would have liked him for that.

  “Well, Nick Desanti, I make the best friendship bracelets ever and I’m making you one.” I edged my backpack higher on my shoulder. If I didn’t join my cabin soon, they’d start making embarrassing catcalls about me talking to a boy.

  “Sounds cool.” He let go of my hand and held up his sparkle-covered nails. “I suck at arts and crafts.”

  “See you, Nick.” I could have talked to him all day, but I needed to go.

  It was the happiest day I’d had in a long, long time…

  TODAY

  “Kiss her, you wimp!”

  “Or bite her!”

  I glanced from the flickering movie projected on the side of our rec room to the talkative boy squished against me later that night. He stuffed another handful of popcorn in his mouth, kernels falling from his smacking lips.

  Ewww.

  He thrust his bucket at me, his greasy smile full of metal and white bits. “Want some?”

  I inhaled the salty butter and tightened my stomach before it growled. “No thanks. I’ve had plenty.” I brushed his half-chewed bits off my lap and stood.

  “Hey! Down in front!” someone yelled.

  I ducked my head and stepped over the campers sprawled on the lawn for tonight’s Movie Under the Stars. Another vampire flick. Surprise.

  I found a spot behind the Divas and settled in quietly. Only Nick turned, but Brooke got his attention back by grabbing his hand and putting it over her eyes.

  “Tell me when this part’s over.” She rested her head on his shoulder. “If you weren’t here, I’d be terrified.”

  Oh, puh-lease. A drop in Brooke’s YouTube channel subscriber numbers scared her way more than sexy vampires. This was exactly why I hadn’t sat with the Warriors and Divas. Watching girls flirt with Nick made me feel worse than ever.

  Nick smoothed the top of Brooke’s head. “No worries. I’m here.”

  The timbre of his voice made me shiver. He used to say those words to me. Now Brooke got his comfort. I met his over-the-shoulder look then forced my eyes away.

  Yeah. Message received. Nick had moved on since I’d broken things off with him. As I watched the movie, I felt his stare. What was he hoping for? That I’d look upset? Ask him for forgiveness? If he hadn’t acted so mean when he’d returned to camp, I might have. I would have told him the truth and that I wished I’d handled things better.

  Brooke twined a finger in one of Nick’s short, dark curls. “Some of us are meeting at the dock at midnight to swim,” she whispered loud enough for me to hear. “Wanna come?”

  A night swim? I pulled my knees to my chest and swallowed hard. No one had mentioned it when we got ready for the movie. Were my friends leaving me out on purpose?

  “What about Victoria?” Nick lowered his voice and glanced at our counselor. She’d propped herself against a nearby tree, her eyes obscured by dark glasses.

  “She sleeps like a trucker. After eleven, we could throw a party in our cabin and she wouldn’t wake up.”

  Brooke was exaggerating, but she was mostly right. We’d been getting away with stuff for years. And up until now, they’d always included me. I blinked back the sting in my eyes.

  “So who’s coming?” The rising moon outlined Nick’s handsome profile. His light eyes slid my way ag
ain, his stare steady and assessing. Was he trying to intimidate me? Keep me from joining the group?

  Brooke leaned closer and whispered in his ear. My stomach knotted. I imagined her reeling off a list of names that didn’t include mine.

  She pulled back after a second and smiled, her teeth whiter than the rising moon. “So you’ll make it, right? I’ve got this sick bikini…”

  Satisfaction swept through me when he pulled her hand off his leg and dropped it back in her lap. “It’ll depend on what Rob’s up to tonight.”

  “Duh. It’s Friday. I heard he goes out late on the weekends.”

  Cameron leaned over. “Only once in a while, but tonight he’s definitely got a date. I heard him making plans with Jim, the counselor from the Human Habitat cabin, to cover for him. Since Jim usually stops in just after lights out, we’re covered. Dude.” Cameron punched Nick’s arm. “Can’t believe you didn’t notice.”

  “I’ve had other things on my mind.”

  I dodged a look he sent me, then startled when someone shook my shoulder.

  “Which one of you is Brooke?” asked a middler counselor I didn’t recognize.

  Brooke tossed her hair and reached for the purple marker and heart-shaped notebook she kept handy for autographs. “Who should I make it out to?”

  The counselor’s brow furrowed. “Huh?”

  “What can we do for you?” I asked. The young woman’s serious expression did not exactly shout Brooke White Fan Club.

  “Nia hurt her arm, and she’s in the infirmary. She’s asking for her best friend, Brooke.” The counselor beckoned to Brooke. “Would you please come?”

  Despite our whispers, the rest of the Warriors and Divas—except Hannah and Julian, who’d found their own spot—turned.

  Brooke closed her notepad with a snap and crossed her arms. “I’m not her best friend. Did she break it?”

  The counselor extended a hand to help Brooke up. “No. It’s a sprain. But still, it’s painful.”

  “Please.” Brooke rolled her eyes and ignored the counselor’s hand. “You don’t know Nia. She’s a major drama queen and does everything to get my attention since I’m famous.” She ran her fingertips up Nick’s arm. “You understand about that whole fangirl thing, right?”