“Sure,” I say, because I don’t want to be a downer. The fire was nice, but my mattress is saggy, I miss my boyfriend, and I’m cold. And it’s hard to fall asleep in a new place. I know in a few nights, it will feel normal, but right now it still feels strange. Right now, I can’t help but wonder if I made the right choice coming here. What if I hate it and I’m not good at being a counselor?
“It’s going to be an excellent summer,” Janelle says happily.
“I hope so,” I say.
My phone lights up. A text from Eli? I reach over to see. But it’s nothing. Just a phantom light. My heart sinks. He’d still be on the plane anyway. I turn over the phone so it’s facedown, close my eyes, and try to fall sleep.
“Good morning, ladies!”
I open my eyes and see that our room is bathed in light, since apparently, the white sheet hanging over our window is not the world’s best shade.
Danish has the door sheet to our room pulled back. “Rise and shine! Flagpole in fifteen!”
This room could really use blinds—and doors.
My cheeks are ice cold. It’s freezing. I forgot that camp mornings were cold, especially at the start of the summer. Need coffee. What time is it? I click on my phone. It’s eight thirty.
No texts. No signal.
Eli is in Europe! He landed! It’s after lunch there! I hate that I have no signal.
I get up and start rifling through my cubby.
Janelle groans from her bed. She’s facedown, with the pillow over her head.
“Everyone just wears their pj’s in the morning,” Talia tells me, securing her curly hair into a bun on top of her head. “So don’t feel the need to get fancy.”
“I remember that,” I say. “Vaguely.”
“Although Janelle should probably put on some pants,” she adds.
I stand up and throw a red zip-up hoodie over my shirt. I keep on my sweatpants, and find my sneakers under my bed. Just need to brush my teeth and I’m ready to go. I’m not looking my most glam, but it’s just camp breakfast.
Cold toilet seat. Cold water. Cold teeth.
I head back to our room and Janelle is still under her pillow. “Hey,” I tell her. “Janelle? Time for flagpole.”
No response.
“Janelle?”
“Grrrst,” she mumbles.
“C’mon, she’ll meet us out there,” Talia says, and pushes her way out of the room.
I head out onto the porch, and see that a group of counselors are already standing around the flagpole area.
“Morning, everyone!” says Botts. He’s wearing jeans and a zip-up sweatshirt, and his reddish hair is wet, like he’s already showered or gone for a swim. “Welcome to our first flagpole! Woot! When the kids are here, please make sure they get into their bunk lines as quickly and quietly as possible so we can start. Then we’ll call up a camper to raise the flag in the morning and lower it at night. We sing the national anthem in the morning and ‘Taps’ at night. Today, we’ll have”—he looks around at all of us and stops at me—“Rosenspan! Rosenspan’s here! Do you all know Sam Rosenspan? She got here last night, but she was here with me when we were kids. Welcome back, Rosenspan! She’s a counselor in the junior section. Everyone say hello to Sam!”
Oh no. Please, no.
“Hello, Sam,” everyone mumbles.
“Come raise the flag, Rosenspan,” Botts says.
Oh God, I’m not even wearing a bra! What the hell? Why am I not wearing a bra? It’s like I’m asking for Porny to come back!
But no one says anything. No one seems to be pointing and whispering either as I shuffle to the flagpole.
Just in case, I make sure to have my back to the counselors as I tug on the rope.
I find coffee immediately. It is hot and it is free-flowing and it is located right inside the kitchen. Great coffee it’s not, but it is strong enough to get the job done. Once I find the Splenda, I am good to go. Ah.
There are also slightly soggy waffles, melon, bananas, and Greek yogurts in all types of flavors. Also every table is given two different boxes of sugary cereals and a container of milk.
“I haven’t had Froot Loops since I was seven,” I say. “But I am looking forward to changing that immediately.”
“Yesterday we got Lucky Charms,” Talia says. “Those were fantastic.”
“Bunk Seven has them today, if you miss them,” Lis says.
“I do miss them,” Talia says solemnly. “I really do. But I am too lazy to stand up. I will just hope that the box returns to us at some point in the future.”
“Keep the faith,” I say.
I am halfway through my bowl of sugar when Janelle marches through the doors.
“These mornings are killers,” she says, standing by our table. She’s not wearing a bra either. She’s also not wearing a sweatshirt, just a thin T-shirt. Her boobs are everywhere.
“Wait till the kids get here,” Lis says. “They’re up at, like, six.”
“Ugh,” Janelle groans. “So what do we have after breakfast? Nap time?”
“Swim test,” Talia says.
“Noooooo!” Lis cries.
“Yes,” Talia says. “And I have worse news.”
“What?”
She sighs. “It’s in the lake.”
“This is cruel and unusual punishment,” Talia huffs as I push myself to the dock for the tenth time.
“It’s like an ice box,” I say.
“It really is,” Marissa calls out. She’s the head of swimming. I remember her from when I was a camper—she was a CIT with Danish. Maybe that’s when they dated. Marissa is wearing a bright yellow one-piece and a whistle around her neck. “I’m sorry! But there’s something wrong with the chlorine in the pool, and we can’t get off schedule—”
“We better not be the only section taking the swim tests in the lake!” Lis cries.
“The juniors always get screwed,” grumbles Talia.
“No we don’t,” says Danish, who is swimming beside me. “It’s going to be terrific to be a counselor for juniors this year! You’ll see! Terrific! Go, juniors!”
“It doesn’t seem terrific,” Lis says. “It seems freezing.”
“I am actually finding the water refreshing!” Janelle says as she glides across the lake. Her strokes are long and fluid. Unlike the rest of us, she is an excellent swimmer.
I like swimming, I just haven’t done it in a while.
“Janelle, you’re done,” Marissa says.
“Wahoo!” she cheers. She steps up onto the ladder and grabs her towel from the dock.
“Danish, you have two left and the rest of you slowpokes have four,” Marissa says.
“I hate you right now,” Talia says. “Just thought you should know.”
Cold, cold, still cold. Will this ever end?
Four laps later, we plant our feet in the sandy shore.
“Way to go, ladies!” Marissa says. “You passed. You are allowed to do all boating activities and swim in the deep section of the lake!”
“What if we hadn’t passed?” Talia asks. “Would we get to skip all those activities?”