Camp Payback

by J. K. Rock

  “Like I had a choice.”

  “Exactly.” He lay back down again and crossed his arms behind his head. Casual. Like we were talking about the weather. Nothing major. Nothing that blew my mind apart.

  My mouth opened and closed. I struggled to argue back, to deny what he suggested. But after a moment of looking like a fish out of water, I flopped back on the rocky dirt. I had nothing.

  Seriously.

  The dude had a point. And if he was right, then that meant…my mind shut the valve off of that possibility. It was too much to process. Taking care of Mom was all I knew how to do. That and cooking. Maybe I’d make her a big meal when she got out of jail. Show her what I’d learned at camp.

  “Your situation is not your destination, Javier,” rumbled Bam-Bam.

  “Huh?”

  The ex-Marine sighed. “Just think about it.” He stood, brushed the dirt off his camouflage shorts, and headed back to our packs. “I’ll get the fire started,” he added over his shoulder.

  His boots crunched away while I gnawed on the idea. What if I didn’t stay in North Carolina? What if I moved to New York like Helena wanted? Worked in her brother’s restaurant and earned enough to go to culinary school?

  Did I deserve that? After the mess I’d made of Mom’s life—no way. But another voice whispered that Bam-Bam could be right. Those were her choices. Not mine. Maybe I deserved a chance, too.

  Lightness filled me as I stared up into the darkening, early evening sky. The emptiness was vast, and I breathed it in until it pushed out my anger and guilt. I wasn’t mad at Bam-Bam. And I wasn’t mad at the world. I was mad at myself, and that was something I could control. As for the rest, I didn’t have to figure it out today.

  “Sorry,” I said when I finally joined Bam-Bam. He took the log I offered and nodded. “I’m going to do better.”

  He was quiet for so long that I wasn’t sure he heard me. At last he grunted, struck a match, and tossed it on the pile.

  “I believe you.”

  And just like that, I did, too.

  Alex

  My spoon clanged against my glass until the mess hall quieted after lunch. The meal had been less interesting with Javier gone on his hike. I tamped down my disappointment at the thought of him and my disastrous first rehearsal last night. Hopefully, this announcement would fix all of that.

  “Hey look, it’s the dictator—I mean, the director,” called Brooke. Laughter filled the room, especially when Brittany snorted milk out of her nose. All right, then.

  “Enough, people,” boomed an unrecognizably loud voice. We all turned to see Victoria, the Divas’ counselor, propped against one of the vertical wooden beams that ran in rows the length of the room. “Alex has got important news about our skit.”

  Whoa. I’d told her my plans on the way in to lunch, but since she’d only nodded, I hadn’t thought she’d heard.

  “Yes.” I cleared my throat and stood on my tiptoes since some of the taller boys blocked me. “We’ve renamed the skit West Side Scary after hearing Brittany’s excellent suggestion that we update it to a vampire/werewolf love story.”

  Some of the Warriors booed until the Divas’ crossed their arms and glared them back into silence. Brittany grinned and stood, taking a bow that revealed enough cleavage to earn a smattering of applause.

  “She’ll also be co-directing it with me and helping me hold an open audition call this afternoon. Hope to see you there.”

  “We’d better see you there!” Brittany warned, her flirty smile making more than a few male campers scurry over to the sign-up board and rewrite the names they’d crossed off.

  I sat down and returned Yasmine’s approving smile. “Phew. That went better than I expected.”

  She speared a turkey meatball with her fork and pointed it at me. “Good work, Alex.”

  I couldn’t help but glow a little. She’d been right. Including other people, using their ideas and input, might not be what I wanted, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t for the best.

  “Wonder what I’ll be?” Trinity dumped her meatballs and bit into her saucy bun.

  “A vampire,” we chorused, laughing and pointing at the red running down her chin.

  “Ewwww.I don’t even like meat.” She swiped at her chin and tossed a stray dreadlock over her shoulder.

  Jackie held up her sub. “What do you think werewolves eat?”

  Trinity shuddered and turned to me. “Are we doing anything graphic like that?”

  I glanced at Siobhan, but her attention was riveted on Rafael, who seemed to be debating something with Julian at the next table. “Ummm. Not too much. Siobhan helped me rewrite the final scene this morning. Just a beheading, I think.”

  Piper clapped her hands. “Awesome. I so want to be a werewolf.”

  Emily pulled up a chair, an overstuffed folder tucked under her arm. “And I want to be Dr. Drew. Sheesh. Do you have any clue how much work it is to help girls these days?”

  Yasmine nodded. “You are doing a good thing, Emily.”

  “What would I have done without you this summer, Yasmine?” Emily high-fived her.

  I opened my mouth to say, “Had some fun,” but closed it. Yasmine might not be the life of the party, but now that I’d started reevaluating things, maybe that wasn’t important. In fact, she was starting to feel like a friend.

  “So when does your skit meet? Sorry I’m not helping.” Emily scooped up one of Yasmine’s meatballs and popped it in her mouth.

  I shrugged. I was getting used to this go-it-alone thing. Actually starting to like it. “It’s okay. We start in…” I checked my waterproof watch. “Ohmigod. Ten minutes.”

  I stood and scanned the room for Victoria, but she’d disappeared. That figured. “I’ve got to go set up the rec room. I’ll see all of you there, right?”

  A chorus of fake snarls and gnashing teeth erupted from my friends as I wove through the tables toward the door. I smiled. They’d need a little voice coaching if they were getting parts.

  Brittany met me at the door. “You weren’t leaving without your co-director, were you?” Her fingernails, painted in ladybug patterns, tapped on the wooden frame. “I was so excited when you picked me as your partner.”

  My forehead beaded. Oops. I had promised to include her. “Of course.” I handed her the rewritten script. “Here are the new pages—pending your approval.”

  Brittany smiled, gold-colored fangs on proud display.

  Whoa.

  “You like?” She tapped her “teeth.” “My Secret Camp Angel got me a vampire grill. Emily’s idea totally rocks. Now let’s see that script.” She turned the pages as we stepped out into a day so bright the camp looked like it’d been whitewashed.

  A couple minutes later, she handed it back. “Looks fine.”

  I paused at the rec room door. “Did you read it?”

  Brittany tossed her blonde hair into a high ponytail. “Duh. I have like a photographic memory.”

  My eyes narrowed. “So what’s Camp Juniper Point’s motto? You know, the thing on the brochure they give our parents every year?”

  Brittany shifted her weight to her other foot and took in a deep breath. “At Camp Juniper Point, we embrace a holistic approach to reducing the fragmentation that exists in young lives. We empower our campers to be less busy, less formally structured, less overtly competitive, more committed to meaningful moments and attentive to the wonder that surrounds them. Our objective is to present opportunities that build into a series of personal accomplishments that accumulate during the time they are with us. The goal is that they return from Camp Juniper Point with bold hearts and strong character—”

  I held up a hand. “Enough. I’m convinced.” Wow.

  Brittany brushed by me though the door, her ponytail swishing. “Good, because we need to make changes on pages three, seven, twelve to sixteen…to start.”

  O-K. I trailed behind her into the large space. Vampires and werewolves weren’t the only beasts I’d unleashed.
>
  ……………….

  After a chaotic activity period of tryouts, followed by an afternoon spent hammering out the script and casting, Brittany and I were ready for our first after-dinner rehearsal. Luckily, Gollum had given us this extra free time or we would never have finished. I owed a lot to Brittany. Who knew giving up things would gain you more in return?

  I was sacrificing the limelight for a behind-the-scenes role. And it was…fun in a lot of ways, actually. It didn’t feel like it did when my parents ignored me or told talk show hosts to pretend I didn’t exist.

  “Cut!” hollered Brittany for the eleventh time in the last ten minutes. We were near the end of our evening rehearsal, and from the tired looks around the room, most were ready to call it a night.

  Rafael, a stand-in for our leading man, Javier, wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and glared at Brittany.

  “I’m sorry, but I certainly did not expect tongue. It wasn’t written in the stage directions.” He pushed up his wireless glasses and squinted down at the script we’d photocopied. “Besides, won’t I be wearing a wolf mask?”

  “Certainly seems logical.” Siobhan stepped in front of her fellow wolf pack members and tugged on a dog-ear flap to straighten her hat.

  Brittany, who we’d decided to cast as Maria the vampire, tapped her black high-heeled boots. “When is Javier coming back? I can’t work with a boy who’s never been kissed.”

  Several gasps echoed in the large space.

  “How dare you.” Siobhan looked ready to stake Brittany on the spot.

  Rafael hung his head, and my heart went out to him. He’d been a good sport to stand in for Javier when he clearly was more comfortable working the special effects we’d planned with him. But we’d all sacrificed today. I, for one, had given up my dream of starring in my own musical…and kissing Javier again. But Brittany had threatened to walk if she didn’t get the lead—a part she said she was clearly perfect for—and take her impressive number of friends with her. If I’d had any chance of having my skit, she was it.

  “Tell her it’s not true, Rafe.” Siobhan folded her arms across her chest, her eyes still locked with Brittany’s.

  “Enough.” I moved out of the shadows and stood under the hot spotlight. Note to self: Ask Brittany to have Vijay, our tech wiz, to turn down the watts. Second note to self: What the hell had I been thinking in letting this creep on the set? But Brittany had insisted we needed his expertise. “Look. There’s no tongue. Rafael’s right. It’s not in the script.” I returned Rafael’s relieved smile. “We’re keeping this strictly PG for the kids in the audience.”

  “What’s the dif? It’s time we spiced up Juniper Point.” Rachel, another Diva, bared her teeth in a fairly convincing vampire snarl.

  “Look, time’s almost up.” I held my thick hair off my steaming neck. “We’ve blocked the scene, and everyone’s read through the script.”

  “Everyone but lover boy Javier!” called Vijay from his state-of-the-art light and sound effects board. When he’d heard of my idea for the show, he’d had his parents express mail it from home. “How did he get the lead and not even show up?”

  Murmurs of agreement sounded. Brittany held up a hand, and the group quieted. “Yeah, Alex? Why does Javier have to play the lead? We all know you wanted to kiss him, but since you’re directing—maybe it’s time to reevaluate?”

  Despite my hot face, I marched up to her and blew a bubble so close to her nose she flinched. “Because we agreed he’s best for the part, remember? I’ll fill him in on what he missed when he gets back from his trip with Bam-Bam.”

  Vijay snickered. “I just bet you will.”

  “Shut it, Vijay,” Julian hollered. The rest of the boys from the Wander Inn jumped off the stage and crowded around him. “It’s time we talked, bud.” Julian looped a long arm around Vijay’s shoulders and guided him toward a back room while the rest of his cabin followed.

  “Bye, Alex!” called Brittany as she and the Divas wandered out the door.

  “Wait!” I looked around at the room littered with props and the beginnings of co-opted costumes. I’d be up until “Taps” cleaning up this mess. But I couldn’t stay, not when there was a chance I’d see Javier at tonight’s senior movie night—mine and my cabin’s favorite: Titanic. For the first time, Leonardo DiCaprio wouldn’t be the one I stared at. I really missed Javier, even if I could only be with him from a distance.

  “We’ll help,” offered Trinity. She peeked at Jackie’s watch, then frowned. The rest of the group shuffled around, beginning to pick up items. But I could tell from their worried glances they wanted to make the movie. It started in five minutes.

  “It’s fine, guys. Victoria will help.” I pointed to our dozing counselor who woke at her name, wiped the wet from her cheek, and sat up, holding her head.

  “See—we’ll be fine,” I continued. “Plus, I think Siobhan and Rafael are staying.” I gestured to the couple talking quietly in the corner.

  Piper hesitated while Jackie continued gathering up bits of fur.

  “Really. Go.” I pointed at the door. I was over being the needy, selfish person who only wanted fun. It was hard to believe, looking back at the start of camp, that “payback” had been my goal for the summer. Now I wanted to pay back my friends by letting them shine in the skit and by staying away from Javier, giving him the trouble-free summer he deserved.

  “We’ll save a seat for you!” Trinity called as she followed Jackie and Piper outside. Yasmine paused at the door and gave me a long look followed by a nod that could have passed for approval.

  The crowd was thinning. I wasn’t sure where the Wander Inn guys had gone, but hopefully they’d taken Vijay back to the cabin.

  “I just don’t see why you had to let her paw you like that.” Siobhan’s whisper was now audible in the nearly empty room.

  “Technically, I was the one with the paws,” Rafael pointed out matter-of-factly. His lips quirked slightly, as if enjoying this flustered, red-faced version of Siobhan. I had to admit, I did too. She was always so calm and cool. What a switch for someone else to be in the emotional hot seat for a change.

  “And the tongue.” Siobhan poked Rafael’s chest with an eraser she’d been using while helping Trinity draw the sets.

  Rafael’s laugh rang out. “Now that was hers.”

  “Whatever.” Siobhan brushed by me and stormed out the door. “Oops. Sorry,” she said when she bumped into a departing Victoria.

  The door shut with a click behind them. Rafael scratched the back of his head and peered at me. “Girls are completely illogical.”

  I grabbed a few sets of claws and stashed them in a box. “And boys are easier to understand? Please.”

  Rafael stacked some leftover scripts and put them on a table. “I just don’t understand why Siobhan’s so mad about Brittany.”

  “No?” I wanted to tell him so badly, but that would be a major breach of girl code.

  “Something isn’t computing. Siobhan doesn’t like me, does she? She—” The paper fluttered to the ground between us. “She likes me?”

  I shrugged, doing my best to keep my grin at bay given his shocked expression.

  “She likes me.” His voice rose to a squeak at the end.

  “Umm.” I blew a bubble. It was the only way to keep my mouth shut.

  “That’s why she didn’t like me kissing Brittany.” Rafael took off his steamed glasses and wiped them on his shirt.

  I nudged his shoulder as the last of the stage lights dimmed. “Why don’t you go talk to her, Sherlock?”

  Suddenly I was caught in a tight embrace and released just as quickly. “Thank you, Alex. You’re awesome!” He raced to the door, passing another, shadowed figure on his way out.

  “Have I been replaced?” spoke a deep voice I instantly recognized.

  “Javier!” Although my heart leaped, I stayed put while he crossed the room. Though the spotlights were off, the dim overhead fluorescents couldn’t hide his sinewy,
athletic walk.

  “Hey, Alex.” His smile gleamed against his tanned skin, the color darker after his mountaintop camp out. Maybe it was not seeing him for a couple days, but he looked handsomer than ever, his brown eyes sparkling, his hair so thick I wanted to run my fingers through it. “Look. I’m sorry for walking out on you the other night. If you still want me, I’ll help any way you need.”

  Wow. That trip with Bam-Bam must have been a game changer. He stood taller, had a firmer set to his chin and an open look in his eye. I couldn’t quite put my finger on it, but he was different. Better yet, he wanted to be around me by choice, not because I’d begged.

  “Of course I still want you,” I breathed, stepping closer. “We changed things a little, but you’re still the lead.”

  His fingers laced in mine, and he leaned in. “Do I still get to kiss you?”

  Our foreheads touched. His breath smelled like something spicy I really wanted to taste. “No. I gave Brittany the part.”

  “It’s too bad I won’t get to kiss you in the play.”

  “I could show you how that part goes,” I whispered.

  His hand cupped the back of my head. “I might have a few ideas of my own.”

  And suddenly our bodies and mouths fused. It was like we’d been separated for years instead of days. His hands roamed down my back, squeezing my hips and drawing me close. Our lips pressed against each other, then opened, his tongue on mine. I slid my hands along his back, and he pushed me against the stage wall.

  Suddenly a pinpoint spot of bright light cut through the dimness, followed by an unmistakable sneer. “And cut!”

  We froze, and I looked over Javier’s shoulder to see Vijay race toward the door, his right hand clutching some kind of electronic device. A phone, I guessed, judging by the square of blue light that flashed near his hand as he ran.

  Oh, God. He’d been in the building the whole time.

  “Was that—” Javier shook his head, his eyes still fuzzy.

  “Vijay?” My heart sank as I imagined the possibilities. “Yes.”