“Um, that is not a definite,” Nat said.
“Have you talked about—”
“Excuse me.” Chelsea’s next question was cut off by Dr. Steve’s voice as he strode up to the microphone. Everyone turned around to look at him. What was up?
“I have an announcement to make,” Dr. Steve continued. Actually, now that Tori had a good look at him, she realized that he looked kind of upset. Or nervous or something. He kept fiddling with his sleeve, not quite making eye contact with any of the campers. “We’ll have an emergency assembly right after dinner, here in the cafeteria. All campers, counselors, and CITs will attend.” He paused. “Thank you.” With that, he moved away from the microphone, still not meeting anyone’s eyes.
“Whoa,” breathed Jenna.
“Whoa is right,” Brynn agreed. “What do you think we’re in trouble for now?”
Everyone piped up with an idea, talking over one another in their excitement.
“Maybe someone stole something? Something important. Something of Dr. Steve’s!”
“Maybe a prank war got out of control.”
“Maybe we’re being too cliquey again,” Alex suggested with a roll of her eyes.
“Maybe it’s a good thing,” Val spoke up, a smile spreading over her face. “A field trip! Or a concert! Or the camp is getting a new swimming pool or something!”
Sloan glanced over at Becky and Dahlia, their counselor and CIT. “Do you guys know?”
Becky shook her head. “Nope.”
Gaby smiled. “If you did, would you tell us?”
Becky shook her head again. “Nope.” She took a sip of water. “But seriously, I don’t know. We just heard there would be an assembly tonight after dinner.”
As dinner wound to a close, the girls kept piping up with new, increasingly out-there ideas of what the assembly could be for.
“Maybe Camp Lakeview is going to start allowing pets!”
“Maybe we’re going on a field trip to New York!”
“Maybe someone flooded the lake with purple dye and now they’re in huge trouble!”
“Jenna.” Becky glanced over at her most prank-loving camper, trying to look concerned. “Is there something I should know about?”
Jenna rolled her eyes. “It’s just an idea.” She paused and in a quieter voice added, “Though it would be cool.”
Tori was having so much fun listening to her friends’ ideas and coming up with more of her own, she almost forgot about the weird convo with Nat and the funny feeling it gave her in the pit of her stomach. Almost. Until Nat took a last sip of bug juice, wiped her lips, and looked over at Becky. “Okay if I go sit with Logan’s bunk for a minute?”
Tori was usually happy for her friends’ romantic success, but something about Nat constantly seeking out Logan worked her last nerve. Maybe it had something to do with Nat getting so uppity with her for wanting to spend a summer away from their friends when Nat was ditching them all the time to hang with Logan. “Have fun,” she told her friend sarcastically as Becky nodded and Nat went to take off. “Don’t miss us too much during the assembly.”
Nat glanced back at Tori, a question in her eyes. But Tori just looked away.
A few minutes later, the dull roar of conversations died down as people spotted Dr. Steve walking up to the microphone again. By the time he reached it, the whole dining hall was nearly silent. Clearly 6B wasn’t the only bunk dying to find out what was so important that they needed an all-camp assembly.
“Friends,” Dr. Steve began, “Camp Lakeview has been open for ninety-two years. In that time generations of campers have come and gone through our gates, enjoying our beautiful grounds, our dedicated staff, and, most importantly, the lifelong friendships that Camp Lakeview creates.”
Tori glanced around at her bunkmates. Lifelong. See? She could miss one summer and not mess anything up—she knew she would keep in touch with these girls her whole life.
“I have some news.” Dr. Steve’s voice stumbled, and he paused. “It’s difficult to share with you.”
Tori felt all of her fellow campers leaning in, feeling concerned. Dr. Steve never got emotional like this. Was there something wrong with Dr. Steve? Was he or someone in his family sick?
Dr. Steve looked around the room, then leaned back into the microphone, speaking quickly. “After ninety-two years, Camp Lakeview will close its doors in two weeks. Camp Lakeview has to close, kids. I’m sorry to tell you that this will be the last summer.”
Tori felt her mouth drop open. I must have heard that wrong, she thought. But then she turned back to the table and faced all of her friends, all with the same expression she had.
“Camp Lakeview is closing?” hissed Brynn. She looked heartbroken—not the heartbroken look she often wore when she was acting, but a real, stunned, helpless look of horror.
“Camp Lakeview is closing,” Dr. Steve repeated, looking around at a sea of stunned faces. “I’m so sorry, kids.”
chapter TWO
Nat felt like her heart had exploded. Closing? she thought. Closing for good? That’s impossible!
She looked at Logan, hoping to meet his eye and see that he was as upset about all this as she was. But he was still turned away, waiting for Dr. Steve to go on.
The dining hall was buzzing now. Now that the initial shock had worn off, the campers were all turning to one another, expressing their dismay, throwing out their theories for what went wrong. After a few seconds of this, Dr. Steve tapped on the mike.
“Kids,” he said. “Guys. Campers. Let me explain.”
The noise died down almost instantly.
Dr. Steve sighed. “As anyone who’s come to Camp Lakeview for several years has probably noticed, the surrounding towns have built up quite a lot.”
Nat sighed. Yeah, there seemed to be more people and houses around. But the town still didn’t have a Loehmann’s or a Sephora, which, in her mind, placed it squarely in the “backwoods” category.
“The state needs roads for those people to drive on,” Dr. Steve went on. “The little one- and two-lane streets around here aren’t cutting it anymore. The state of Pennsylvania has decided to build a state highway, and unfortunately, the plan that makes the most sense for the area cuts right through the center of Camp Lakeview.”
The room was filled with indignant gasps. “They can’t do that!” one of the older boys yelled.
“Yeah,” a familiar voice agreed. Nat turned around and realized it was Adam, Jenna’s brother. “Camp Lakeview owns this land, right? They can’t just build a highway through it without your permission! So just don’t give it.”
Dr. Steve shook his head. “I’m afraid you’re mistaken, Adam,” he said sadly. “The government has a special right, called eminent domain. If something needs building that would be in the public’s best interest, the government has the right to seize private property, as long as they pay for it.” He sighed. “I’m very sorry, kids. We’ve been going back and forth with state senators all summer, hoping to work out a compromise. But it just doesn’t seem possible. The state needs the road, and this is the only way.”
“Why don’t you move it?” Nat spoke up before she even realized she was thinking it. Stunned and a little nervous to hear her own voice rising above the crowd, she reached out for Logan’s hand. He took hers and squeezed it. “I mean . . . does Camp Lakeview have to be in Pennsylvania? Maybe you could rebuild a totally awesome camp somewhere else and bring back all the same people.”
Dr. Steve looked sad. “That’s a nice idea, but Camp Lakeview has stood in this spot for ninety-two years. Moving and rebuilding would be expensive, and we’d lose some people, whether we wanted to or not. I’m sorry, kids.” He sighed again and rubbed his eyes. “I’m very sorry to spring this news on you so late in the summer and without any options. Just know that we, the staff of Camp Lakeview, are just as saddened by this decision as you are.” He paused and looked behind him, where Nat now realized some dining hall workers were arranging something
on a table. Dr. Steve turned back to the microphone. “I know it’s not enough to make it better, but we’re going to have a little make-your-own sundae ice cream social to cheer ourselves up.”
Dr. Steve gestured to the table behind him, now laden with huge tubs of ice cream, hot fudge, and all kinds of toppings. Nat barely registered that no one cheered. No one made a sound. It was maybe the first time in history that sundaes were met with silence at Camp Lakeview.
“Wow,” Logan said. He turned to Nat, dropping her hand in the process, and Nat realized that she’d been holding on to it pretty hard.
“Wow,” Nat echoed. “I just. I can’t even . . .”
“What a shock,” Logan went on, shaking his head in wonder. “I thought this place would be around forever. Long after we stopped coming, you know? I thought I could send my kids here.”
Nat nodded. It was silly, she knew, but the first thing she thought of was her and Logan, ten or twenty years in the future, sending their daughter off to camp. Now that wouldn’t be possible.
“I just,” Nat said again, but she couldn’t continue. Her mind was racing. Ever since she and Logan had gotten back together, things had been so good between them. Better than good. Better than ever, actually. She knew they weren’t “official” yet—they weren’t calling themselves boyfriend and girlfriend—but she was so, so into him. All of Tori’s talk about getting older and growing up made Nat wonder—could Logan be it for her? Could he be her first serious, long-term boyfriend?
Of course they hadn’t talked about it. Not in so many words. Officially, they were still “testing the waters”—enjoying each other’s company until camp ended and they had to make a decision. Still, Nat couldn’t possibly imagine that Logan didn’t feel the vibe between them. They were clicking so well, finishing each other’s thoughts before the first person had even finished. He had to notice. And she was sure he felt the same.
Nat shook her head to clear it and a few tears leaked out of her eyes. “I just can’t believe we won’t be here next year, together,” she said quietly.
Logan nodded solemnly and brushed her hair out of her eyes. “It’ll be tough,” he agreed. “I might go to this soccer camp. Honestly, I was thinking about it even before we found this out, but now it looks a lot more likely.” He chuckled nervously.
It took a few seconds for that to register. I was thinking about it even before we found this out. Nat’s head snapped up. “You were thinking you might not come back next year, anyway?” she asked.
Logan nodded, not picking up on the urgency in her voice. “Just something in the back of my mind,” he agreed. “I mean, I love Camp Lakeview. But we’re getting kind of old for it, and I might learn something useful at soccer camp.”
Nat’s mouth dropped open. Something useful? Something more useful than spending time with her? Was everyone around her secretly plotting to leave camp when she felt like she’d never survive the next summer without it?
She felt like Logan had reached into her exploded heart and ripped out what remained.
Nat heard sobbing and realized that a couple of the younger kids in Logan’s bunk—he was a CIT this year—were crying. Logan leaped up.
“I’d better comfort these guys, Nat,” he said with a sheepish smile. “I’ll talk to you later.”
Nat didn’t reply. She got up quietly, trying to collect herself, and started walking back to her friends at 6B’s table. He doesn’t want to see me Next summer, she thought without wanting to. How can he feel the same way I do and Not want to see me Next summer? Nat felt more tears well up behind her eyes and pushed the thoughts away. Deal with that later. One crisis at a time.
Approaching their table, Nat saw that all the girls from 6B were standing together in one big, messy group hug. Candace, Brynn, and Alyssa all seemed to be crying, and the girls who weren’t crying seemed to be trying really hard not to. They all patted each other’s backs, murmuring comforting things. Nat let out a sigh of relief.
This is where I belong.
Spotting Nat, Alyssa let out another sob and held out her arms. Nat rushed toward her and was immediately enveloped in the huge group hug. Nat felt the tears start again and wasn’t sure whether they were the same ones she’d felt thinking about Logan or whether these were totally new, separate-issue tears. She decided it didn’t matter.
It’s all one huge mess.
After a few minutes of hugging and crying, Nat felt better. It was a huge relief to see that her bunkmates were as wrecked by the camp closing as she was. Finally, all the ice cream had been consumed—albeit reluctantly—and Becky suggested that 6B head back to the cabin.
Leaving the dining hall, Nat caught sight of Tori, who’d somehow remained just outside Nat’s hugging range through the whole ice-cream-and-tears debacle. Nat saw that her friend’s eyes were red from crying, although now, Tori was facing straight ahead, a determined expression on her face. Remembering that awkward conversation before dinner and Tori’s bizarro suggestion that they go to surfing camp next summer, of all things, Nat sighed. At least there’s one Upside to this whole situation, she thought, running to catch up to her friend and grabbing her shoulder.
Tori whirled around, looking annoyed. “Oh, it’s you. What?”
Nat tried to smile. “Well,” she said with false cheer. “I guess the good news in all of this is, we can check out that surfing camp you mentioned next summer, guilt-free!”
For an instant, Nat thought she saw Tori’s lip curl. But then Tori’s expression slackened and she shrugged, looking away. “I guess,” she replied.
“I guess?” Nat frowned. “You guess? I thought this was something you really wanted to do.”
Tori’s expression was cold. “Whatever,” she replied. “I didn’t want the whole camp to close to make that happen, you know.”
“I know.” Nat looked at her friend, stunned. “I never said you did.”
Tori shrugged again. “Forget it,” she said.
And she sped up, leaving Nat on her own.
For all her tears before, Nat wasn’t sure what to do when they got back to the cabin and suddenly it seemed like everyone was crying. Maybe it was being in their own private space. Or maybe the girls were feeding off of each other’s sorrow, realizing just how important camp had become to all of them. Whatever the reason, an hour later, all of 6B was sitting in a messy circle on the floor of Becky’s room, passing around a box of Kleenex from Tori’s care package.
“It’s so weird,” Alex was saying, wiping her eyes. “I’ve been coming to this camp as long as I can remember. I almost can’t remember what I did with my summers before.”
“I feel like I’ve known you guys my whole life,” Val added, sniffling. “You guys are summer to me. What am I going to do without you?”
Jenna sighed, but Nat noticed that her eyes were dry also. “Don’t worry, Val. It’s not like we’re going to die,” she said sensibly. “We’ll all stay in touch. We’ll keep the blog going. We’ll see each other again.”
Brynn shook her head and reached for another Kleenex. “It won’t be the same,” she said, letting out a sob. “We won’t all be together. And we won’t be here. Even when we get together during the school year, it’s something different. It’s still fun. But it’s not camp.” She sobbed again.
Nat bit her lip. She felt tears behind her eyes again, and a part of her felt like one wrong move and she’d be bawling her eyes out with all of these guys. There would be no coming back from that. If she really let out all the sadness she felt inside, she was afraid she wouldn’t recover for weeks.
Instead she cleared her throat and said, “But guys, we’re getting older.” She looked around the room and saw a sea of confused, wet faces. “Life goes on. Things change, right? Even if the camp was still open, we probably wouldn’t be coming to camp much longer.” She paused, glancing at Tori across the circle. “I mean, we’re going to be in high school.”
Nobody responded. That is, nobody said anything. But Nat heard a few sob
s around the circle and saw a few people turn away with hurt expressions. It was like she’d said the worst-possible thing. Nat looked at Tori, expecting to see her nodding and agreeing.
But Tori was glaring at her. And after a few seconds, she looked away.
chapter THREE
Jenna sat blinking in her bunk, slowly registering the warm sunlight streaming in through the windows. Somehow she’d slept a little later than normal. She sat up, rubbing her eyes, remembering the strange dreams that had plagued her the night before. She’d been back at school, but somehow the roles of all her friends back home were played by friends from camp. And they wouldn’t talk to her. She’d done something to them—she forgot what it was now—and they were all mad at her. She remembered sitting alone at lunch in her dream, watching all her camp friends laughing hysterically as they sat at a table together.
Jenna looked around and dangled her legs off the edge of her bunk. Whatever. Time to get Up.
In the bathroom, Jenna noticed that it was quieter than normal. Lots of her friends had tired-looking eyes, red-rimmed from crying the night before. Jenna sighed, remembering last night’s emotional conversation as she stood under the shower. She’d been stunned to hear that Camp Lakeview was closing, too, and she’d shed a tear or two at the sundae party. But something about her friends’ reactions bothered her. There was letting out sadness, and then there was wallowing in sadness, and Jenna was afraid they were veering toward the latter.
She was dreading the next couple of weeks. She had the feeling it was going to be a pity party of epic proportions. Everyone crying and whining and pleading with the camp officials to open up again, blowing everything out of proportion and ruining their last two weeks of camp. Sure, it was a bummer that camp was closing. Didn’t Jenna know that better than anyone, having come to Camp Lakeview every summer for as long as she could remember? But by spending all their time worrying about what they’d be losing, they’d completely waste the last two weeks of camp.
Once everyone was dressed and ready, it was a quiet procession outside and toward the dining hall.
Suddenly Last Summer #20 Page 2
