The Last July: A New Adult Romance

by Breanna Mounce

  Once I hear the door to the cabin finally shut, I lay in bed for an hour, just staring at the ceiling. My phone vibrates on the dresser and I don’t drag myself out of bed until it vibrates for the fourth time.

  The first three texts are from Kenny, the fourth from Sampson.

  “How could you leave me alone?”

  “Seriously, these girls are going to eat me alive. What happened, raft buddy?”

  “Penelope, are you okay?”

  “I’m not mad at you,” says the text from Sampson. “I just think I deserve the truth.”

  I text back a simple sorry to both of them, knowing they won’t be able to respond anyway. They should already be at the raft facility gearing up. I head to the bathroom, only being excited that I won’t have to time my shower since everyone is gone and I’m not sharing the room with ten other girls.

  It feels good to just stand under the shower head even though the water pressure is limited and the ‘hot water’ is more like room temperature than anything. I wash off and take my time getting dressed for the day. I slide my sandals on and head back to grab my phone. No more missed texts.

  I snag one of the protein bars we stash in the closet and put on my backpack, not knowing where I’m going, just wanting some fresh air and some ‘me time’. I take the back loop of camp and end up at the old log cabin. I remember when I was younger they used to bring us out here and tell ghost stories about how the camp ended up owning the cabin and moving it onto the land, before they owned it, it was part of the Underground Railroad. Supposedly, at night, you can hear the lost souls humming an old song.

  My first year here, I almost left in tears because of the ghost stories. As it turns out, the cabin was never actually lived in, not even part of the Underground Railroad, it was just an actual model size cabin to show what it was like years ago to fit a family into a one room cabin. Ghost free zone.

  Yet, it still creeps me out as I walk by it. It feels like someone’s watching when I pass by. Gravel crunches under tires, and I turn to see a dusty Rav4 heading down the road toward me.

  It slows to a stop and the Mrs. Garreth rolls down the window.

  She smiles at me and I step closer to the car, the AC blowing full blast inside.

  “Hey, Molly,” I say with a wave.

  “Where you headed, sweetie?” she asks.

  I shrug my shoulders and put my hands in my pockets. “Honestly, I don’t know.”

  “Hop in,” she says. “I have some ice cream in the trunk, we can sneak some before Sam gets back.”

  Ice cream sounds pretty good. I get in the car and accept her company with an open mind.

  “I heard about what happened. We don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to,” Mrs. Garreth says, pushing a bowl full of chocolate chip ice cream toward me.

  I put a spoon full of it into my mouth and give myself time to formulate a response. “It’s not just that. This summer isn’t anything that I planned on it being. It’s been kind of awful if I’m being honest. This is supposed to be the best summer of my life, right? The summer before I become and adult and start college is supposed to be awesome.”

  “Sampson told me about your parents,” she says. “I’m sorry that’s happening.”

  “Again, it’s not just that.”

  “What else is there?” she asks, standing at the counter eating her own bowl of ice cream.

  I hesitate. I can’t tell her the truth. I can’t tell her that I’ve known her son’s girlfriend has been cheating on him since the beginning of camp.

  “If you knew something bad that a friend of yours should know, would you tell them? Even if it would probably hurt them badly?” I ask.

  Instead of immediately saying yes like I think she will, she thinks through it. I can practically see the wheels in her head turning it over and over.

  “I think keeping it in would be worse, but I understand not wanting to hurt the person. Obviously there are a lot of variables, but honey, you’ve got to stop trying to fix everyone. I’ve noticed you losing that light in your eyes this summer.”

  “You have?” I ask.

  “I’m a mother, Penelope,” she smiles. “Of course I notice. You’re wearing yourself too thin, you’re too young to be solving everyone’s problems. Let them figure it out.”

  “I… it’s complicated…” I say, a tear falling down my cheek. I can’t tell her about Viv’s infidelity to her son. “I don’t know what to do.”

  She comes over and grabs my ice cream. “Let’s do what every normal human does when they need a mental health day. Let’s binge watch those crappy daytime talk shows and kill this ice cream.”

  “Mom, you here?”

  Shit!

  Looks like everyone has returned from the rafting trip and Sampson decided to come home for a little bit. I must have fallen asleep on the couch watching an afternoon cooking show. The TV has been turned off and I hear Mrs. Garreth shush Sampson from the kitchen. I don’t dare open my eyes.

  When most animals feel attacked, they play dead-- well, possums mostly. Me, currently. Or at least pretending that I’m a heavy sleeper.

  “We have a guest,” Molly says, and I imagine her pointing her finger toward me on the couch, covered in a blanket. “We had a little bit of a girl’s day.”

  I hear a bar stool being pulled from the counter. It must be Sampson sitting down as he asks, “Did she talk to you about anything?”

  “She seems to have a lot of stuff going on personally, honey. I wouldn’t take it to heart.”

  “I just don’t understand why she keeps shutting me out. One minute we’re best friends and the next she’s ignoring me.”

  There’s a pause.

  “Don’t look at me like that,” he continues. “We’re just friends.”

  “Sampson, I see the way you look at that girl in there and honestly, it’s not the way you look at...”

  “Not the way I look at what, mom? My girlfriend?” He asks. “I don’t--”

  They’re both quiet for a moment, but I don’t risk opening my eyes.

  “Fine,” he says finally. “Maybe you’re right. What if I do like her? I’m with Viv, I have to work the rest of the summer with both of them.”

  And that’s why you don’t mix business with pleasure.

  I let out a fake cough and stretch out on the leather couch, trying to make as much subtle noise as possible instead of just getting up and leaving. I stand up slowly and head to the kitchen to grab my backpack, pretending like I heard nothing.

  “Oh, hey,” I say to Sampson. “How was the rafting trip?”

  He gives me a small smile. “Fun, everyone missed you though. Sophia especially.”

  And you?

  “There’s always next year,” I say to him and then turn to Mrs. Garreth. “Thank you for letting me crash on your couch and watch your cable. You have no idea how much I needed that. It’s nice to occasionally reconnect with the real world.”

  “Anytime, sweetie,” she says, coming over to wrap me up in a hug. “You’re always welcome. It’s nice to have another lady around.”

  I nod and smile. “I better get back. I’ll see ya.”

  As I’m walking out the front door, Sampson catches up to me and opens it for me, but also comes out, closing the door behind us. “Can I talk to you?”

  “I really don’t feel like it…” I say, brushing a stray piece of hair out of my eyes.

  “You haven’t felt like it, I just need to know that we’re okay,” he says.

  “And if we’re not?” Did I just say that?

  “Then I’ll do anything to fix it. I know you’re not telling me something and it’s putting a strain on our friendship.”

  I shake my head and start to walk away but turn around to face him again. “Just remember that I’m not the bad guy.”

  “Then who is? That’s all I need to know. Please.”

  I glance inside, seeing Mrs. Garreth walking by the front door. “Not here. I’ll tell you tomorrow, at th
e sleepover. Once all the kids are asleep, we’ll talk then. Okay?”

  “Okay,” he says, some tension leaving his shoulders.

  “Just promise you won’t be mad at me.”

  “I promise,” he says.

  It’s pouring outside.

  The weather report says it’s going to rain all day, which means all outdoor activities are cancelled until the rain is over. I was supposed to be doing the clay wall hike today, which is usually a blast for the campers because they use the clay we find as ‘war paint’, but now I’m supposed to report to the nature center after breakfast. I’m scheduled to work there with another counselor and then after lunch switch off and do sing along time with most of the younger kids.

  I hate the nature center, but only because of all the creepy crawlers in there. If they were left in their cages and tanks, it wouldn’t be so bad. It’s when the campers start handling them that I get a little bit uneasy. Snakes, mice, tarantula, salamanders, iguana, why can’t we just have a nature center filled with kittens? That’s therapeutic, right?

  I eagerly volunteer to dispense hand sanitizer and constantly remind the campers to keep their hands moist with the water bottle when handling the salamander.

  If one of them drops the snake though, I’m out of here.

  Sophia squeaks as the snake tries to slither up her arm. It’s a small one, but still terrifying to me.

  She hands it off to me but I shake my head. “Pass it on to Daisy, please.”

  “You don’t want to hold it, Miss Penelope?” she asks.

  “Nope, I’m fine. Thank you though.”

  “Alright, kids,” says Ben, putting away one of the snakes. “We have five minutes left in here, then we have to head to our next activity for the day. Get your raincoats on and meet Penelope at the door when you’re ready to go.”

  I nod at him and tell him a silent ‘thank you’ with my lips. There’s no way I will put all these animals away. Especially the snakes.

  “How’d you get stuck coming to the nature center?” he asks, putting a rat away in its cage next to me, I slide away a little bit.

  Ben, Dora and five of the other staff members are the ones who handle the Nature Center on a daily basis, they each switch off on a different days. Most of the animals don’t need that much attention, just a check on their food and water supply.

  “I think Viv has it out of me,” I tease. “She seems to assign me to all the things she doesn’t want to do.”

  “Let’s be honest, she has it out for everyone,” he says.

  I laugh. “How do you handle her? Give me some tips. I mean, she’s your best friend's girlfriend. I’m sure you have to be around her a lot.”

  “Let’s just say I don’t see him much now. I thought us working together would mean seeing each other more often, but not so much. She has him wrapped around her finger.”

  “Sorry,” I offer.

  He just shrugs and smiles.

  “Alright, time to line up,” I say clapping my hands. “First one in line gets to pick a song for us to sing on the way to the art center.”

  That kicks the campers into gear. They all start scrambling to get their umbrellas and rain gear ready, two of the girls almost knock each other over trying to get into line first.

  “Alright,” I say, kneeling down in front of Sophia, our new line leader. “What camp song are we singing?”

  “The ant rain song!” she squeals.

  A few of the boys groan but line up anyway.

  “How fitting!” I say. “Shall we?”

  As I open the door for them to head out, Sophia starts singing. “The ants go marching one by one.”

  The rest of the campers join in, “Hoorah, hoorah!”

  Ben heads to the front of the line and gives me a high five as he passes by. “Good job, partner.”

  “You okay?” Kelsey asks as she comes to lie down next to me on my bunk. “You haven’t seemed yourself.”

  I shrug my shoulders and stare at the bottom of the bunk above me. “I can’t discuss it with you, sorry.”

  She sighs. “I hate that you have to hold all of this in just because you’re a CIT now. We never have to keep things to ourselves.”

  Most of the girls are either reading or napping in their beds, and half of them have headphones on, listening to their iPods. Viv has decided to call dibs on our shared space for today. Who knows what she’s doing in there while I handle feet off the floor time. I should probably tell the girls they’re not supposed to have electronics, but I just don’t care, they’ve gotten this far along.

  “Come on, tell me,” Kelsey whispers. “It’ll stay between the two of us.”

  “I think…” I say, but stall on my words.

  “You think…” Kelsey says, leaning in closer to hear me.

  I turn to look at her. “I think I’ve fallen for Sampson, but it’s just so complicated.”

  “You like who you like,” she says simply, as if it should all make sense.

  “He’s with Viv, but… I don’t think she likes him as much as a girlfriend should. And then there’s Kenny. He’s been so nice to me, not like he used to be.”

  Kelsey nods. “He used to be such a pain in the ass, remember how annoying he was?”

  “Oh, believe me, I do. But honestly, other than you, he feels like the only friend I’ve had this summer.”

  “Maybe you should give him a chance then. Test the waters.”

  I shrug. “But that’s not fair to him since I think I’m falling for Sampson.”

  “I know, but think about it, he’s too stuck up Viv’s butt to realize how amazing you are. You need to keep your space from him, start giving your attention to Kenny. At least he’ll return the favor.”

  “But don’t you think it’s weird? We grew up with him.”

  “And we grew up with Lain too, but look at us! Happy as can be.”

  I roll my eyes. “I wish I were as carefree as you.”

  She leans her head on my shoulder. “Don’t worry, you’ll find your happiness one day. Be patient.”

  “Can I take my pookie bear?” Daisy asks from her bunk.

  “Ugh, don’t take that nasty thing to show off in front of camp,” grunts Ronnie, one of the older girls.

  Tonight is the camp sleepover where we round up all the campers and everyone sleeps in the welcome center. We play PG movies all night and have some board games set up. At dinner we filled all the kids up on garlic bread and spaghetti in the hopes that they’ll crash from the carbs.

  “Ronnie, be nice,” I chide. “Daisy can take her stuffed animal if she wants. Worry about packing up your sleeping bag and pillow.”

  “God, I hope the boys all wear clean socks,” Kelsey says, leaning on the floor to roll up her bag. “Last year, David McKenzie’s feet were so gross! My head was at his feet all night. He kicked me once in his sleep, or maybe he wasn’t sleeping…”

  I chuckle and toss her pillow at her. “Sucks to be you. I get to sleep on the outer perimeter since I’m a CIT.”

  “Lucky,” the five other older girls say in unison.

  “Why isn’t everyone ready yet?” Viv comes in from the door that leads outside. She said she had some errands to run.

  “We have five minutes before we need to be ready,” I say as I look up at her. “Your lipstick is smudged.”

  “Can I speak with you in the hall?” Viv asks.

  I nod and Kelsey starts helping the other girls roll up their sleeping bags.

  “You,” Viv says pointing her finger at me. “You need to mind your own business.”

  “What are you talking about?” I ask.

  “You think you’re so cute and sweet and innocent, but I see right through you.”

  “Viv, what the heck? I was just letting you know that you’re lipstick was smudged. Thought you might want to fix it.”

  “You’ve had it out for me since day one, trying to turn Sampson against me.”

  “I’ve had it out for you? You’re the one who ha
s been down my throat all summer. Sampson is yours, just leave me alone,” I fire back.

  “Whatever,” she says, flipping her hair as she walks away. “You’re going to get eaten alive in college. Grow a backbone.”

  Viv slams the door to the bathroom shut and when I turn around, Kelsey is standing behind me, eyes wide.

  “What the heck was that about?” she asks, holding her pillow to her chest.

  “I have no clue. She’s freaking insane.”

  “Everyone is ready, should we just go without her?” Kelsey asks.

  “Yeah, I think Viv needs sometime to herself. She is not a happy camper.”

  All of the girls are already lined up at the door with their pajamas and sandals on and the sight is so ridiculous it makes me smile.

  “Good job guys!” I say. “Maybe we’ll get first dibs on bedtime snacks tonight!”

  Daisy claps. “Oh, please tell me it’s candy!”

  I laugh. “If it’s not, I’ll sneak some back the next time I have a day off.”

  “Promise?” the girls all ask at the same time.

  “I promise.”

  I’m in the middle of playing Go Fish with Kelsey and some of the younger girls when I glance at the door and see Sampson staring at me. He jerks his head, trying to get me to come to the lobby and talk to him, but I shake my head. He mouths the word ‘please’ and I choose to ignore him again.

  “Don’t you need a bathroom break?” Kelsey asks. “I can stay here and sub in.”

  “No, I’m fine,” I tell her.

  She stares at me. “Go.”

  I roll my eyes and pull myself up from the floor, walking through the maze of pillows, sleeping bags and campers already conked out for the night. Sampson isn’t at the door where he was standing when he tried to get my attention. I almost turn back to return to my game.

  “Over here,” I hear him say from around the corner.

  I go over to him, but make sure to keep my distance, a good five feet should do.

  “What? Are we not friends anymore?” he asks.

  “We are, if you want to be,” I say, crossing my arms over my chest. Feeling very insecure in my Hello Kitty pajama pants and white tee.