Summer by the Lake

by Kay Gordon

  Two hours later, my brown hair was shiny and straight, thanks to whatever products Hannah had added to it, and I had more make-up on than I’d worn since my freshman year of college. We ate with Aubrey and Joanne before heading to the shuttle. I’d just climbed in the backseat next to Joanne when Christy, Jordan, and Drew showed up, too.

  “Is there room for us in here?” Jordan asked as he stuck his head in the van.

  Kurt, the shuttle driver, counted before nodding. “I can take seven of you so you just made it.”

  “I can sit on Drew’s lap if you need me to,” Christy said with a giggle and Joanne made a noise that she quickly turned into a cough. I looked at her and had to mash my lips together to avoid laughing out loud.

  Jordan climbed in the seat in front of me, next to Hannah, and I watched as Drew opened the front door and gestured to Christy.

  “Take the front, Chris.”

  She gave him a smile as she stepped up to get in. Drew closed her door and got in the back, shutting the door before taking the seat on my right. Christy turned around in her seat to say something when she realized that Drew was sitting next to me. Her smile immediately dropped as she shot me a dirty look. I was happy when Jordan leaned over to say something to Hannah and his head blocked out Christy’s obnoxious face.

  “Where are you girls going?” Drew asked me as he grabbed his seatbelt. I pushed into Joanne so he could buckle it in between the two of us without touching me.

  “We haven’t made a plan,” Joanne said as she turned around to give Drew a smile from her seat. “We were going to grab some drinks and maybe go dancing. Someplace that allows underage patrons, too. What about you guys?”

  “We’re getting a room, right, Drew?” Christy asked from the front seat and Drew’s shoulder brushed mine when he shrugged.

  “I don’t know. We’ll see.”

  Kurt pulled the shuttle van up to the curb outside of a restaurant in downtown Harrelsburg. “Okay. Do you all have your cell phones?”

  Everyone answered yes and he recited a phone number to us. “That’s for camp dispatch. When you’re ready to be picked up, call and I’ll come get you. Just let them know where you are and I’ll pick you up there. No need to meet here. I will come, day or night, but if you’re coming back to camp, I’d prefer to have all pickups done by midnight. Just know that if you need me at three in the morning, I will come. Maybe unhappily, but I will just the same.”

  He grinned at us, told us to be careful, and pulled away once we were all out of the van. Hannah clapped her hands together and smiled at me.

  “It’s early, so I think we should start at this sports bar I found online. There’s a basketball game on tonight, though, so it might be busy.”

  “That works for me,” I replied as I double checked that my ID was in my back pocket. “You lead and I will follow.”

  Aubrey and Joanne vocalized their agreement and Hannah looked to Jordan.

  “You guys want to come?”

  Jordan looked at Drew but he was occupied with Christy whispered exuberantly into his ear. When Jordan called Drew’s name, he finally pulled away from Christy with a grin.

  “Sorry, what?”

  “They’re going to that Lucky’s Sports Bar. Want to go?”

  Drew shrugged his shoulders and dropped his arm around Christy’s shoulders. “Sure.”

  We all started the walk to the place that Hannah had pointed out and she led the way with Jordan by her side. They spoke quietly, in their own little bubble, and I walked behind them with Joanne and Aubrey. Aubrey was telling us a story about the farm she lived on in Texas but her quiet voice was hard to hear over Christy’s giggling.

  Christy and Drew had positioned themselves behind me, so close that one of them kept almost stepping on my heel, and I was far too sober to deal with them for the rest of the night.

  When we finally walked into a sports bar with a sign full of shamrocks, I sighed in relief. Not only was it cool inside, but the buzz of all of the other patrons drowned out the twin idiots.

  Aubrey and Christy were both branded with hand stamps that declared they were underage, being only nineteen and twenty respectively, and we found a large, round table that could seat us all.

  When a waitress showed up, I ordered a beer and turned my eyes to the Stanley Cup Final game that was on the TV. Over the next two hours, I had three beers and conversed with our little group as we all compared stories from college. Everyone in our little group was working on their undergrad degree with the exception of Drew. I was surprised to learn that he was in grad school, getting ready to finish his final year in Counseling and Educational Psychology. When I gave him an impressed look, he just smirked.

  “You assumed that I had my degree in surfing or something?”

  I nodded and took a drink of my beer. “Basket weaving, actually, but I could see surfing, too.”

  Drew chuckled and held up his beer in a mock toast. “Nice.”

  I’d just finished my fourth beer when Joanne turned green across the table from me. She and Hannah had been doing shots and were both sloppy drunk. I stared at Joanne for a moment before jumping off of my stool and grabbing her hand. I pulled her into the bathroom as fast as I possibly could and pushed her into a stall. Seconds later, she lost all of the contents of her stomach as she kneeled over the toilet.

  I stood behind her, holding her auburn curls away from her face, and rubbed her back for ten minutes until she was dry heaving. She collapsed on the floor of the stall with a groan and I bent down to wipe her face with some toilet paper.

  “I’m going to get you some water, okay? Don’t move.”

  I stepped out of the bathroom but refused to leave the doorway, not wanting anyone else to go in there while Joanne was like that. I glanced towards our table in hopes that someone was looking my way but they weren’t. I pulled out my phone but realized I didn’t have anyone’s number.

  “She okay?” a voice asked behind me and I jumped slightly before turning to see Drew coming out of the men’s room. I nodded and looked back to the table.

  “She needs to go back to camp. Can you ask Hannah or Aubrey to get her some water? Joanne’s pretty out of it and I don’t want to leave her alone.”

  Drew nodded and disappeared towards the table. I went back in the bathroom and wet a paper towel before walking into the stall. Joanne was still sitting against the wall with her eyes closed and I used the towel to wipe down her face.

  “I’m going to call Kurt and we’ll get you back to camp, okay?”

  “I just called him,” Drew said as he appeared in the stall with a glass of water in his hand, completely uncaring of the fact that he was in the women’s restroom. “He’s on his way.”

  I took the water when he handed it to me and gave him a small smile. “Thanks.” I held up the straw for Joanne but she had turned a lovely shade of green again so I moved her until she was back over the toilet.

  “Can you hold this for a second?” I asked as I handed Drew the water. He took it immediately so I could grab Joanne’s hair. She heaved for a moment but didn’t vomit anymore so I helped her sit back down after a few minutes and took the water again.

  “One small sip, just to wash out your mouth,” I whispered as I put the straw to her lips. She took a drink and gave me such a pathetic look.

  “So sorry, Shaylee,” she slurred and I shook my head with a small smile.

  “Don’t apologize. It’s really okay.”

  “Kurt’s here, Shay,” Drew said quietly behind me. “I’ll get her.”

  I stepped back so he could get Joanne to her feet and he wrapped his arm around her waist as she stumbled out of the bathroom. I grabbed her other arm to help him and put the glass of water on the first table as we left the bathroom.

  “I just need to pay for our drinks and I’ll be right out,” I told Drew and he shook his head.

  “I’ve got them.”

  I didn’t listen to him, th
ough, and let him shoulder all of Joanne’s weight. I walked back to the table and saw that Hannah was nearing the drunken state where Joanne was already. I met Aubrey’s gaze and she nodded at my silent question when I gestured to the exit.

  I found the server and asked her to close the tabs the four of us had opened before I looked at Hannah.

  “We’re going to go, Han. Hop on up.”

  Jordan, who was pretty toasted himself, attempted to help but was useless. The server dropped off the tickets and debit cards for the four of us and I signed for Hannah and Joanne as well as myself before pocketing all three cards. Aubrey signed hers and looked at Jordan.

  “You ready to go, too, Jordan?”

  He nodded and smiled. “Just waiting for my check.”

  “Where the hell is Drew?” Christy asked as she looked up from her phone.

  “He took Joanne out to the shuttle,” I replied quietly as Hannah leaned into my shoulder. Christy gave me a look that said she wasn’t asking me but I just rolled my eyes. “Come on, Han.”

  Aubrey and I walked out the shuttle with the second drunkard between us and Drew was just buckling Joanne into the backseat while Kurt watched, ready to help. He turned when he heard us coming and helped Hannah in but she was able to get her own belt on after three tries.

  “Well, this is a party,” I said with a small laugh as Aubrey took the seat next to Hannah.

  Drew nodded and grinned at me. “You girls sure know how to hang.”

  “Oh, before you start on ‘us girls’ you might want to check out your boy.” I turned and gestured to Jordan as he stumbled out of the bar. Drew and I watched him climb into the seat next to Aubrey and immediately drop his head to the window with his eyes closed.

  “I stand corrected.” Drew nudged me with his shoulder. “Are you going to be okay getting them to their cabins?”

  “I’ll help her, Drew,” Kurt said as he clapped him on the shoulder. “Go have fun.”

  I nodded in agreement. “Thanks for your help, Drew. Christy’s waiting for you inside, though. Be safe tonight.” I turned and climbed inside the van to sit next to Joanne. Drew stepped back so Kurt could shut the sliding door but his eyes didn’t leave mine. I offered him a small smile and a wave as Kurt took the driver’s seat. Drew stayed in place until we’d pulled away from the curb.

  Chapter Five

  I made Joanne sleep in my bed with me that night, just in case, but she slept like a rock. Both she and Hannah were still asleep when I pulled on a pair of pants and a t-shirt that morning, but I wasn’t surprised. I left them there and went to the dining hall to eat on my own.

  The dining hall was a good size with fifteen tables that sat twelve. Each cabin had their own assigned table and would be eating their meals together for the duration of the summer. The food was set up buffet style, allowing the campers to take what they wanted, and there were so many different kinds of juices available to drink. Soda wasn’t something Camp Holcomb offered but they did have coffee for those over the age of eighteen. Thank goodness.

  I grabbed a tray and dished up my plate with waffles and fruit before sitting at a table with Cameron, Mike, and another counselor named Tammi.

  “Good morning, guys,” I said with a grin as I poured syrup over my waffles. “How are you?”

  Mike was definitely hungover and he just grunted at me while Cameron and Tammi laughed.

  “Seems to be a common theme around here this morning.” Cameron gestured to Mike. “A lot of people went to town and got shitfaced last night.

  I nodded, swallowing my bite of food. “I had the pleasure of holding hair back last night. I don’t envy them today.”

  “What are your plans for the day, Shaylee?” Tammi asked as she put her fork down and sat back in her chair.

  “I was going to take a horse out,” I replied before picking up my orange juice. “Then I might swim for a bit.”

  “Come find us when you’re ready to swim.” Cameron started to gather the empty dishes. “I think we’re going to go play in the obstacle center for a while.”

  “Sounds good. Have fun, guys.”

  I watched as all three of them stood from the table and I finished my own food before dropping off my dirty dishes. The equestrian center was off to the side of the camp so it took me about fifteen minutes to get there.

  Ted greeted me when I showed up and oversaw me as I saddled up Ranger. He made me put on a riding helmet before allowing me to mount the horse and smiled as he stepped back.

  “He definitely remembers you. You and your sister were some of his favorites. You remember your way around the riding trails, Shaylee?”

  I nodded and gave him a grin. “Yeah, we’ll be fine. Thanks, Ted.”

  He waved as I clicked my tongue and Ranger immediately started walking out of the corral. Once we were free of the fences, I encouraged him to trot and we took off down the forest trail.

  It had been a while but I was able to follow the marked trail until I found the small, unmarked path that forked off into a different direction. It took a few more minutes but Ranger and I finally found the small creek I’d been looking for.

  I had only been out to it twice before and both times Kira had shown me the way. Ranger stepped into the creek bed until all four hooves were in the two-inch deep water and he took a long drink. When his thirst was satisfied, I led him to the shade of a tree and climbed off of him before tying his reins to the trunk.

  “Give me a minute, boy.”

  I unclasped my helmet, took off my shoes, and rolled up my pant legs before walking in the creek myself. The water was cool against my skin and I crouched down to cup some it in my palms. Little minnows and tadpoles could be seen at the bottom and I allowed myself a moment to be sad.

  The creek wasn’t technically on the trail and I wasn’t supposed to be there. Kira had called it her ‘secret spot’ and only brought me out there the first time to try and help me acclimate to the camp. I knew she didn’t want me to go home and was pulling out all of the stops.

  I wasn’t big into horseback riding and didn’t ever attempt to find the creek again by myself. The second time we’d come was the last summer she’d attended camp. We both had known it would be the last summer we would ever be together so we spent a whole Sunday at that creek. She’d given me every piece of sisterly advice she could think of and we’d cried together until we didn’t have any more tears to shed. Despite our three year age difference, Kira had been my best friend in the entire world.

  “Promise me you’ll come back next year.” Kira looked over at me, fixing her blue eyes on mine as we sat on some rocks in the middle of the creek, our bare feet in the streaming water. “I know it will be hard without me but even if I wasn’t, you know, you’d be without me anyway.”

  “I know but there’s a difference between you aging out and you…” Dying. God, I hated that stupid word. Kira understood, of course, and she just nodded her head.

  “Yeah, there is a difference but you will still be here and I know you love this place.”

  I did. After getting over my initial homesickness five years before, Camp Holcomb had become my second home. “I’ll keep coming until I age out.”

  “And you’ll come be a counselor when you’re in school, right?” When I didn’t answer right away, Kira kept talking. “For me. I want to be a counselor so bad but I obviously won’t get that chance. Do it for me. At least one summer. Don’t let the stupid cancer take that away completely.”

  “Maybe.”

  “No. Promise me, Lee.”

  “Fine,” I huffed, slightly irritated by her demands. She knew I’d agree because I’d do anything for her. “I promise. I’ll come back next summer and I’ll come back to be a counselor at least once.”

  “Good.” She gave me a satisfied smile before looking back at the water. She let her head drop to my shoulder and we both stared at nothing in silence as silent tears streamed down my cheeks.

  “Ev
en though I won’t be here, I’ll always be with you in some way, Lee. For infinity.”

  I nodded and swallowed back a sob. “For infinity.”

  I didn’t even realize I was crying until a tear dropped from my chin and hit my wrist. I’d managed to sit on the same rocks Kira and I had been on in my memory and water was lapping at the hem of my jeans. I straightened up and wiped my face furiously before grabbing the necklace to make sure it was still on my neck. I let my thumb brush against the inscription that held those same two words we’d spoken to each other all those years before.

  I took a few deep breaths to steady myself and walked out of the creek, avoiding the deeper areas while I did. I sat on the bank for some time, completely lost in thought, and only stood when my horse began to get impatient. Once my shoes and helmet were back on, I untied Ranger and climbed back on him.

  It took me about twenty minutes to get him back to camp and I spent another thirty minutes untacking and grooming him. Once he was back in his stable with a fresh sugar cube, I kissed his muzzle and waved to Ted.

  I stopped by my cabin to change into my bathing suit and gently woke up Hannah and Joanne, telling them both to get up so they could eat lunch. Hannah threatened me with bodily harm and Joanne just nodded, telling me she’d be up soon.

  I pulled some shorts and a shirt over my suit, grabbed my swim bag, and left the two of them in the cabin as I went to the pool. I knew everyone would be at the lake but I still wanted to enjoy the moment alone while I could. The pool was empty so I took some time to swim laps and jump from the high dive several times. I’d just broken the surface of the water after jumping again when I heard someone speak from outside the fence.

  “Little Shaylee Butler. When did you grow up?”

  I whipped my head towards the owner of the voice and I studied the man at the fence. I pulled myself up and out of the pool, still trying to figure out who he was.

  “Oh, man. You wound me,” he said with a grin before moving his sunglasses to the top of his head. After another second, I gasped and walked towards the fence.