“Well, I missed you too!” I say, rubbing my hand in her hair and messing it up. She immediately pulls away and tries to untangle her blonde locks.
Dora comes up to me with an exhausted look on her face. “Hey Pen, Mr. Garreth needs to see you in his office. I’ll take the girls to arts and crafts with my cabin.”
“What’s up?” I ask her, my voice a whisper.
“Let’s just say, it was an interesting weekend…” she says and then adds, “Good luck.”
I met with Mr. Garreth less than a week ago, it’s not time for our next meeting yet. What could we possibly need to talk about just yet? I walk as quickly as I can over to his office, dread hanging over me like a storm cloud. Did something happen at home? Did something happen with one of my campers?
I’m out of breath when I finally get into the welcome center, and I catch the sound of two male voices coming from Mr. Garreth’s office, himself… and… Sampson?
I knock on his door and walk in when he motions for me to take a seat across from his desk. Sampson’s sitting in one of the chairs and I expect him to get up and leave, but he doesn’t. In fact, he doesn’t appear to be going anywhere. Mr. Garreth extends his arm in the direction of the empty seat next to Sampson once again, and I sit down as he hangs up his phone. A smile on his face. This meeting can’t be bad then, right?
“How was your weekend?” Mr. Garreth asks, tapping his pen on the desk.
Did Sampson tell him we ran into each other at Maryville? Did he tell him about our sleepover?
“It was good,” I say, glancing from Sampson to his dad. “I’m all scheduled for the fall.”
“Fantastic,” Mr. Garreth replies, and I’m hoping that means this is a good meeting. “Did you just get back?”
“Yeah, Dora told me you needed me, so I came right over. What’s up?”
“Well, Sampson and I had a talk,” Mr. Garreth begins.
My heart falls into my stomach, and the storm cloud from moments ago lets out a lightning strike. What did they talk about? Would Sampson actually tell him about our night together? Nothing happened! Or did he tell him about the feud between me and Viv? Did they get back together in the last few hours and now Viv is convincing Sampson to get me fired?
“You’ve had a bad summer, haven’t you?” Mr. Garreth asks.
“What do you mean?” I ask skeptically.
He puts his pen down. “Penelope, it’s okay. He explained to me what happened between you and Viv, how you felt like you were being threatened to keep a secret in order to keep your job. I don’t want someone here that’s going to bully.”
“So…” I say, not following.
“We’ve let Vivian go. She packed up her things last night and received her final check. She won’t be allowed back on Camp Arthur property.”
“She’s been fired?” I ask. “What does this mean for me?”
“Well, I’m hoping you’ll finish the summer out, we only have a week and a half left.”
“Of course I’ll stay,” I say. “But what about my training? Who’s going to help me?”
“I’ve asked one of the day camp counselors to work with you for the final week with campers. She’ll be staying with us to help you in the evenings, but from seven in the morning until six at night, you’ll be on your own. It shouldn’t be too bad. You’ll have other counselors to help you.”
Sampson nods along. “And it’s only for a week. If you need any help, let us know. Me and Ben especially. We’re here for you.”
Mr. Garreth’s phone rings and he excuses himself to answer it, taking his conversation into the lobby.
I turn to Sampson, who seems to not know where he should be looking, or what he should be doing.
“Did you tell your dad about Josh too? About Viv going behind your back with him?” I ask, my eyes wide.
Sampson shakes his head. “I couldn’t do that. I was honestly embarrassed, I still am. I don’t want to admit to my dad my girlfriend cheated on me.”
“You’re just going to let him get away with it?” I whisper. How could Sampson possibly be okay with Josh keeping his job here?
“One day he’ll pay for what he did,” Sampson says. “I’m a strong believer in karma. It’ll come back on him. And I only have to see his face for less than a month anyway. Then he’s gone.”
I nod my head and relax back into my chair. I didn’t give Sampson enough credit. If it was me, I’d be seeking revenge on both Viv and Josh.
Sampson clears his throat. “So, are you okay? With finishing camp, that is? I don’t want you to feel uncomfortable.”
“Why would I be uncomfortable? With Viv gone, camp should finally be enjoyable again.”
He shakes his head. “I get that, but I meant with us. I mean, I was kind of a jerk to you when I found out. You didn’t have to let me sleepover last night, you should have kicked me to the curb for the way I reacted. Instead of being mad at Viv, I was mad at you. You were just trying to help.”
“You were,” I agree, “but it doesn’t change the fact I should have told you sooner. Viv honestly just scared me, that probably sounds stupid, but she did. I don’t know what you…”
“Saw in her?” he asks, finishing my sentence for me.
I blush and nod. “No offense.”
“None taken, I guess I thought she could eventually go back to the old Viv I knew, before she became popular amongst her sisters. People change right?”
“Sometimes for the worst, obviously.”
“Just promise me the next time I refuse to believe something that’s so painfully true, you’ll knock some sense into me.”
“Only if you promise me you won’t let there be a next time.”
“Deal,” he says and reaches out to shake my hand. I accept to agreement just as we hear his father’s footsteps coming down the hall, ending his conversation.
“Sorry about that, you two,” Mr. Garreth says, sitting his phone back on his desk. “You’re dismissed unless you have any questions.”
“I’m good,” Sampson says, and I nod my head in agreement.
“Alright, I’ll see you guys later on at dinner,” Mr. Garreth says.
“So,” I say when we step outside the building into the sunlight. “What happens now?”
“We go to our pre-lunch activities,” Sampson says, placing a hand over his forehead to block the sun from his eyes.
“No, I meant…” I begin to say, but maybe all of it was in my head, all of the sweet things he has said. “Never mind.”
Maybe I looked too far into Sampson and the signals I thought he was sending all summer. He probably did only like me as a friend. Who am I kidding? He just broke up with his girlfriend, the last thing I want to happen is to become a rebound summer girl.
“What’s up, Penelope?” Sampson asks.
I shake my head. “Nothing, I just want to make sure you enjoy your new found freedom! You’re a free man now, no more Viv the fire breathing girlfriend nipping at your feet! Congrats!”
Sampson smiles and my heart melts. “Thanks! Is it bad I’m kind of over it already?”
“Nah, it’s probably your brain going through the stages of grief.”
“Feels like I breezed right through them, I’m pretty sure I’m already on acceptance.”
I return his smile and nod my head toward the art building. “I better get going, I don’t want Dora to panic from having so many girls to take care of.”
“Kay, I’ll see you later on.”
I wave and walk away, ignoring the voice in the back of my head—the voice telling me now’s my time. Viv’s gone, it’s okay to be the rebound. I don’t want to be that girl though, the one that spent months of her life trying to convince a guy she was worthy of his attention and affection. I’m not going to grovel at his feet, begging him to be my boyfriend. I’ll let him come to me. He’ll realize I’m a catch one day, it’ll happen when it happens.
You’re not supposed to rush a good thing. So I won’t.
“You
okay?” Dora asks as I walk into the art building. The girls are working on pillowcases they’ll be tie dying later on. They’re doodling on the pillowcases, some writing their names in large print, others writing their favorite thing about Camp Arthur and trying to illustrate the activity.
“I’m okay,” I tell her, leaning against the counter in the back of the room. “I assume you know what went down?”
Dora shrugs. “Bits and pieces, mostly gossip. Some people are saying you got Viv fired because you and Sampson have a baby on the way.”
I stare at her blankly, my jaw dropping.
“Of course, that’s one of the rumors,” she says. “You don’t seem like the type of person who would go about stealing a girl's boyfriend and getting pregnant by him.”
“Well, I would hope I don’t.”
“Do you want to talk about what actually happened?” She asks.
I sigh and take a deep breath. “It’s honestly stupid, remember Casanova-- err Josh? Well, Viv and Josh were hooking up all summer and I caught them. Viv threatened that if I told Sampson, I could kiss Camp Arthur goodbye, so I kept it a secret.”
She nods. “And you told…”
I shake my head. “Nope, Sampson caught them in the act, at the sleepover.”
“Oh, shit,” she whispers. “That’s why he was moping around for a few days.”
“It would appear so,” I say. “I came clean to Sampson, told him about Viv’s threats and I guess he told his dad. Mr. Garreth doesn’t appreciate bullies, so he fired Viv.”
“Huh,” Dora says. “I haven’t heard that one floating around in the rumor mill.”
“Ah, because it’s not a rumor,” I say. “Be sure to spread it though. I’d rather the truth be out there. I don’t want to be known as a homewrecker.”
“You and Sam aren’t getting together?”
I shake my head. “No, not at all.”
Kelsey waves me over to join her and Sophia, Daisy and one of Dora’s campers. I join them and notice Sophia has taken a liking to Kelsey, she’s trying to copy everything Kelsey is drawing on her pillowcase, which is just a bunch of daisies and swirls.
“That’s so good,” I say, complementing Sophia.
“I wonder where she got the idea from,” Kelsey says sarcastically.
I kick her leg under the table and she yelps.
“I mean,” Kelsey begins to correct herself. “It’s so pretty! You’re so good at drawing flowers!”
Sophia beams. “You think so?
Kelsey and I both nod and Daisy leans over on the table to admire Sophia’s attempt at drawing daisies.
“Daisy,” Sophia says. “You’re so lucky, I wish I was in your cabin. Then I could hang out with you guys all the time.”
“Come back next year!” Daisy exclaims. “We could be bunk buddies!”
“Are you coming back next year?” Sophia asks Kelsey, looking at her with hopeful eyes.
Kelsey is coloring one of the flowerhead on one of her flowers. “I don’t think so kiddo, I’ll be old next year.”
“Old?” Gasps the girls. “You’re only 10.”
Kelsey laughs. “Hate to break it to you kiddo’s but I’m 16, I’ll be too old to be a camper next year.”
Daisy turns to Sophia and tries to whisper her question but we can still hear her. “Did you know she was that old?”
“Hey,” Kelsey says, faking offense. “Why you gotta be mean? I’m not old, old.”
The two young campers exchange a look with each other but don’t respond to Kelsey, they just go back to doodling with their sharpies on their pillowcases.
“Don’t get too offended,” I tell Kelsey. “If you’re old, I’m senile.”
“I guess the grass isn’t always greener,” she says, finishing up her pillowcase. “So, do you need to talk about what happened while you were gone?”
“Not right now,” I say, watching Sophia, Daisy and the other younger camper draw.
“When you’re ready, I’m here to listen,” Kelsey says. “I know there’s a rule about keeping stuff to yourself, but you are my friend. I’m here to help.”
I nod. “So, how are you and Lain doing? Only a few days left, what happens next?”
She sighs and rests her chin on her hands, leaning on the table. “Honestly, probably nothing. I like keeping him as my summer crush. Who knows who he is outside of camp? I like the idea of just remembering him as is.”
“I get that,” I say. “You don’t want to ruin a good thing.”
“Exactly, maybe one day we’ll cross paths at college or something, maybe not. I’m not going to force anything. Besides, I still have one year of high school left, I will not let a long-distance relationship keep me from enjoying my final year.”
I smirk at her. “You think things through, don’t you?”
“More than you know, Pen. More than you know.”
“Have you met the girl who will be helping with our cabin?”
Kelsey nods. “She’s a total witch with a B.”
My heart starts racing, I can’t go through another Viv who is power hungry and enjoys belittling others. Kelsey smiles and hugs me tight.
“I’m kidding,” she says. “She’s actually super nice, we met her last night. She let us have a ‘spa night’ and brought some activity books for the younger girls. Her name is Winnie, it’s short for something.”
“I love Winnie!” Daisy says, sitting up in her seat and presenting her nails to me. “Look, she did my nails. She made them say I love camp.”
I look at her nails, and sure enough they do say I love camp, instead of the world love, there’s a cute little heart. Daisy continues gushing over Winnie and I smile and listen to her story, she seems to have won my campers over.
“She’s not mean like, Viv,” Daisy says in a whisper. “She’s not coming back, right?”
I’m not sure what to say, so I just nod my head. “Well, I can’t wait to meet Winnie! Alright, finish up your pillowcases, it’s time to get lunch and we’re on duty to do the table settings.”
“Aww man,” Daisy says. “I hate doing table settings.”
“Well, you should clean up your bunk a little,” I say. “You know the rule, if you win the clean cabin for the day award, you don’t have to set up and clean up the mess hall that day.”
“We’ll win tomorrow,” Daisy says. “I promise to clean all the cabin tonight!”
“We’ll see about that,” Kelsey says. “I found one of your stinky socks under my bed this morning. You got a lot to clean.”
“My stocks aren’t stinky!” Daisy protests.
I burst in a fit of laughter. “Okay, okay. Let’s get this place back to the way we found it. I hear we're having chicken nuggets for lunch. That’s your favorite, right Daisy?”
“Yes!” She says and starts putting away her markers.
I grab their pillowcases and go around to the rest of the tables to collect theirs. Tomorrow morning we’re tie-dying them so they’ll be ready to take home when camp is over. Once they’re finished drying, we’ll have a day when fellow campers sign them like a yearbook for camp. It’s been a tradition for years.
“Pen,” Kelsey says. “I made one for you too. I know this was one of your favorite things to do.”
I turn to look and she’s holding up the pillowcase. It reads HOME across the center and it looks like the girls in my cabin have already signed it. I smile and take it from her, holding it up and reading some of the cute little notes they scribbled out as my girls crowd around.
“You guys, this is so sweet,” I say. “I’ll have to take this with me when I start school.”
The girls embrace me in a group hug, and a small tear trickles down my cheek. The first happy tear I’ve cried all summer. This is my home again.
Winnie is amazing. Anyone is amazing compared to what Viv has put me through this summer, but Winnie is awesome. Even though Winnie is more used to the day campers, she already seems like a great counselor for the overnight campers. She
shook my hand the second she walked in the cabin and told me how excited she was to be helping out.
“Do you have any plans for tonight?” she asks.
“Actually,” I say, “I was thinking we could take the girls out for a surprise. I found these old Chinese lanterns in the back of the closet, and I thought it would be fun to send them up and lay out under the stars. I thought it would be a fun bonding time for the girls before camp is over.”
“That sounds awesome,” she says. “Should I tell them to get their shoes on?”
I nod. “I’ll grab some spare blankets and the box of lanterns. Think you can find some matches?”
“Sure thing.”
We gather up our supplies and the girls are all beaming with excitement. We never did fun stuff with Viv in charge; she was always complaining about the bugs at night and the fact we were constantly doing things throughout the day. I take a moment to call Mr. Garreth and let him know our cabin is going on a small night walk and doing a bonding activity.
He gives the okay and tells me what a cool idea the Chinese lanterns are. I’m not sure if he’s approving it because he feels sorry about what happened with Viv, or if he actually thinks it’s a fun idea. Either way, I’m excited to finally do something fun and memorable with my cabin.
“Time to line up,” I tell the girls. “Did everyone put on some bug spray?”
I get a few sleepy nods and some excited ‘yeahs’ from the girls as they all make their way to the door. Winnie comes to the back of the line, holding some blankets and nods at me.
“Alright,” I say. “We need to stay quiet, most of camp is already asleep. Let’s head out.”
“Where are we going?” asks Chelle as we walk up the trail, my flashlight beam guiding our way.
“It’s a secret,” I say. “It’ll be fun. I promise.”
“It better,” Olive says. “My book was just getting to a cool part. Now I will spend all night wondering if the goblins won.”
“You’re such a nerd,” Brittney says.
“Am not!” Olive shouts back.
“Are too! All you’ve done this summer is read,” Brittney counters.
“Girls,” I hiss as I stop the group. “Stop picking on each other, no more bullying. We only have a few days left of camp, be nice to each other.”
The Last July: A New Adult Romance Page 18