Over Rebekah’s shoulder I see Olly walk in. The khaki shorts and white T-shirt look great on him. He scans the room and his bluey-green eyes settle on us. I get a mild electric shock.
“Olly’s here,” I say as he makes his way toward us.
Rebekah takes a quick look and turns back. “He so likes ya,” she sings quietly.
I wide-eye her, telling her to shush as he approaches.
“Morning.” He sits down next to me. “You two okay?”
“Yep,” we reply at the exact same time.
His smile widens. “How’s the coffee?”
“It’s fine,” I reply.
Rebekah adds, “It’s no Starbucks, right, Esme?”
I groan. “Don’t remind me about Starbucks. I would kill for a vanilla latte.”
“Kill is a little strong, isn’t it?” Olly asks, lifting his eyebrow.
“No, I don’t think so.”
Rebekah eats her banana in silence, watching us like we’re in a play.
“We have a whole day to hang out…and do final final checks, apparently. I’m going to grab some food, and then we’ll head out there, yeah?” Olly says.
“Sure,” I reply as he heads for the cereal.
Rebekah smirks.
“Don’t say a word.” I’m pretty sure I’m blushing a very unflattering shade of red.
She puts her banana peel in her bowl. “Okay, I’m going to see if Tia is up. Meet you at the dock?”
I know exactly what she’s doing.
“Rebekah!”
Laughing, she adds, “Enjoy breakfast.”
She leaves just as Olly puts down a bowl and coffee. He sits. “Hey, where’s she going?”
“To find Tia.”
To leave us alone. Why? What does she think is going to happen over breakfast? He kisses me? Announces love at first sight? No. Insta love is dumb.
“Do you know what jobs we have to do today?” I ask.
“I don’t think we’ve been assigned anything yet. Andy did say we could get on the lake, explore the camp and the forest if we want, get to know the place before the campers arrive.”
We have a grand total of seven cabins. I don’t think anyone is getting lost.
I nod. “Good. I’m going to spend the whole day chilling around camp. There won’t be much chance for that later.”
“That’s true. What have you and Rebekah been doing this morning?”
“Not much, I haven’t been up long. She seems really nice.”
Nice and…something. I haven’t figured it out. It’s probably her shy nature and desire to please. When someone is like that, it’s hard to know the real them.
4
My eyes are saucers.
That is a lot of children.
Today the campers are arriving—all fifty-six of them. Although I knew how many were coming, actually seeing them all in one place makes it seem like a lot more.
I tie my hair on top of my head and smell the coconut-scented SPF 50 on my skin.
I’m both excited and nervous. Then I suddenly realize that I’m one of the people responsible for keeping all these kids alive for six whole weeks. My chest tightens.
What if I lose one on a hike? What if one drowns?
They’re everywhere, hugging parents and chatting enthusiastically with their new camp friends. Andy and his clipboard are out in force. He’s frantically ticking people off and telling them where to take their things. No one else has been trusted to do that. He’s a bit of a control freak, I think.
The camp is buzzing with excitement and nerves.
“What were you expecting?” Kayla asks, taking in my panicked expression.
I shake my head. “I don’t know.”
She laughs, wrapping an arm around my shoulders. “We’re going to be fine. We’ll have a small group each and be with counselors the whole time.”
“You look like you’re going to pass out,” Olly says, stopping beside Kayla and me. “Second thoughts, or Andy’s cooking last night?”
“No, I’m good. Got a little worried there, but I’m over it now. I will not lose a child,” I say.
He dips his chin. “Good. That’s good.”
While the campers get settled and say their final goodbyes, half of the counselors stay outside and half are in the cabins helping. We want it to look like there are plenty of CITs and counselors. The parents of these children are trusting us.
My eyes drift to the shortcut through the woods. Are we terribly irresponsible to sneak off? I mean, we’re not on duty every night.
Stop overthinking!
A little girl, probably eight or nine, clings to her mom’s waist. Her big green eyes shed tear after tear while her mom tries to reassure her that she’ll have a good time.
A lot of the parents are leaving or have already left.
In the clear blue sky, the sun shines down, making this the most beautiful day for the campers to arrive. The whole camp looks bright and inviting.
“Hi,” I say, walking over to the little girl and her mom. “I’m Esme.”
The mom looks up. “Oh, Esme. Andy just told us that you’re Isabel’s CIT.”
I smile, trying to look friendly and reassuring. “Hi, Isabel. This is my first time being a counselor here, so you’re not alone, okay? It’s new for me, too.” Her eyes meet mine, but she still keeps a tight grip on her mom’s T-shirt. “We’re going to have the best summer ever. Remember you can write your mom anytime you like, so you’re not saying goodbye right now, you’re only saying see you later. Would you like to come with me?”
Isabel presses her lips together, completely unsure.
I add, “I think we’re going to do some ‘getting to know you’ games before we cook a welcome lunch on the campfire. You could help me until you feel like joining in, if you like?”
“Go on, Isabel. You’ll be fine, my darling,” her mom prompts.
“The trees are scary,” Isabel says.
I shake my head. “I promise you, there is nothing scary in the woods.”
“Okay.” Isabel lets go of her mom, giving her one last kiss on the cheek before she leaves.
“Let’s go find the rest of our group. We’re looking for Maisie, Addison and Audrey,” I tell her.