You were the best thing that ever happened to me. I never dreamed it would end with the worst.
Love,
Kayla
August 14
Channel 5 News
“Developing news we’re following closely tonight: Police in Maplewash County are asking parents and campers to remain calm and stay put as they investigate the circumstances of a teenage camper’s death that occurred late last night or early this morning at Camp Cavanick on Jaspertown Lake. There has been no official statement from Camp Cavanick administrators to the media as of yet, but concerned parents of the approximately two hundred thirteen-to-seventeen-year-olds at the camp say they were notified at around noon today of the unfathomable tragedy that occurred overnight, only one and a half days before the eight-week session was to end.
“Here’s what some parents on the scene, awaiting news from their campers, had to say about it.”
“The email said almost nothing. Just that a camper had died but it wasn’t our kid, and police and grief counselors were there, and more information would be forthcoming. But nothing has been forthcoming yet; we’re just hearing a lot of rumors. The kids are in shock. They’re all grieving.”
“We got right in the car the minute we got the email. A thing like that happens, you want to make sure your kid is safe—to hold them in your arms and know it’s true. Camp phone lines were jammed and most phones don’t get good service here; you can only get through on text. So we drove right up, three and a half hours, my wife redialing the whole time, but not until we arrived did we get to talk to her. They don’t want us to take them home yet, say it’s best for them all to stay put. Well, they don’t get to decide what’s right for my family, my kid. That’s my decision to make as a parent.”
“You send your kid off to camp, it’s just the last thing you expect. This is so traumatic for the kids—someone they knew, spent all summer with, for a thing like this to happen. I hope the people in charge know good lawyers because I can’t be the only one who heard this news and thought, My kid shows any harm, any damage from this, one hair out of place, and I’ll sue. Just imagine what the parents of the dead kid are thinking. It’s every parent’s nightmare, I’ll tell you that.”
“We don’t have a lot of information. They say the police are still interviewing everyone and I guess a few kids already gave statements and were cleared to leave and pack up, but they expect to let most of us take our kids home tomorrow. So until then, we’re here. We’re here for them, and we’ll wait.”
“But one camper will not be returning home tomorrow, or ever again. Police are still conducting preliminary interviews with any and all individuals who might have relevant information to share, and awaiting results of an autopsy. At this time, they say they are investigating all leads and are unable to yet rule out any possible scenarios for the cause of death, including suicide, tragic accident, or foul play.
“We’ll share more details as the story continues.”
August 14, 12:14 p.m.
Oh my god, Kayla
We got an email from the camp. What is going on there?
Please tell us you’re okay
I’m not ok
Oh, honey. Your dad and I will be there soon.
no
We’re coming to get you
don’t
mom
I can’t leave her
I don’t want to go
Camper and Counselor Interviews, Statements, and Posts
August 14–November 24
“Sure, I knew them. Everyone did. Lainie, Kayla, and Jackson were Camp Famous. Everyone knew who they were and what they’d been up to. We were all watching and talking about them, long before anything bad happened.”
“Lainie and Kayla were joined at the hip from day one. Got in all sorts of trouble together. I figured they knew each other from before, but I guess they just insta-bonded or whatever. At first I kind of thought they were a couple, before Jackson came along.”
“Lainie and Kayla were just this unit. You would have thought they’d been friends for years, though camp time is like that. One week at camp is like six months in the real world. And at the same time, it flies by so quickly. It’s weird. I have friends I was tight with only the last ten days of camp and I know them better than people I’ve been friends with all of high school. You kind of have to experience it to know about it, but it’s true.”
“Yeah, Lainie. She and Kayla had this totally codependent relationship. Like . . . what’s the thing they talk about in Biology? Where two different organisms have to feed off each other to survive? Symbiosis! They were like that. Inseparable. You’d have thought they were one being, like lichen or some shit . . . at least until Lainie met Jackson and started siphoning off him instead.
“Wait, is it called something different if one of the organisms destroys the other?”
“I feel really bad for Kayla in all this. I mean, that was her best friend. I saw her the day after and she looked completely devastated. We all were, but especially her. She was broken over it, and just . . . lost. And looking back now, I wonder if some part of her saw it coming. If she knew before the rest of us that it wasn’t a terrible accident. Based on something she saw, or something Lainie had told her. Or gut instinct. It would be awful, as the best friend, to carry that.”
August 31
Dear Lainie,
The second rule of crime is Always Dress to Kill (dark clothing; no flip-flops), but I will not be killing it the first day of school, as I’ve forgotten how to wear anything besides this one grubby top I’ve had on for three days and the flannel PJ bottoms I accidentally stole from you (sorry), though I’m guessing you haven’t missed them. I still haven’t fully unpacked my bags from camp, nor tried on the clothes Adele bought. She knew better than to drag me back-to-school shopping, all things considered. Instead the entire J.Crew catalog has shown up on my doorstep, and I’m too depressed to point out that’s her style, not mine. But I’ll probably wear it. All that stuff from summer is stained with too many memories. It still smells like the lake.
Flip-flops are verboten at my high school anyway.
I will never forget the way you arched a single eyebrow and shot down the boys with a “Really? Audible footwear?” the first time they snuck out with us. It was a miracle they’d made it as far as the lake without waking a counselor with the slaps of their steps—and Jackson wore a bright white shirt that glowed like a spotlight. You looked them up and down, and shook your head with part pity, part amusement. “Amateurs,” you said.
Nitin’s smile back was bashfully apologetic. Jackson’s shrug looked semi-defiant. You made them take off their flip-flops before we continued onto the dock, and Jackson his T-shirt too. He pulled it off slowly and smirked.
“A little overdressed now, aren’t you?” he challenged. You slipped off your tank top and eyed his shorts—it was strip poker without the poker—and you both jumped in in your underwear.
Nitin and I stood there, fully clothed—except his feet—awkwardly watching-not-watching the two of you splash around, until I decided fuck this and dove in too. (Not a real dive—everyone knew there were rocks and shallow spots there, and diving head-first would be dangerous.) After a moment’s hesitation, Nitin joined us with a perfect cannonball. I admit I enjoyed how much of it splashed in Jackson’s face.