Camp Boyfriend (16 page)

“Cool.” I didn’t put my bag down though, not sure if Alex would want me to room with her. My friends and I had only recently patched things up.

“You want to share?” Alex lifted an eyebrow. “That is, unless I can convince Vijay to pay a visit.” She winked and snapped her gum with enthusiasm as she dropped her backpack on the ground outside the lean-to.

“Umm…” I hesitated, not sure if she was serious about the Vijay thing. But looking around, the other good shelters were all being claimed. “That’d be great.” I concentrated on the positive aspects of fixing a friendship, rather than the potential downside of getting bounced at midnight for the sake of a booty call.

“Excellent!” Alex tossed her sleeping bag inside the little hut, and then pulled out a glittery pink letter “A” that she always brought to camp to hang on her bunk. Now, she tied the pink ribbon straps to one of the wooden rungs up the tree, identifying the place as hers. “Vijay will know where to find me in the dark. Too bad he couldn’t share a shelter with Matt…or Seth. You could just switch places with Vijay after lights out and end up with whichever guy’s on the menu tonight.”

Her tone sounded teasing, so I ignored the jibe about Seth.

“You’re serious about Vijay?” I lowered my voice while an argument broke out between Piper and one of the Divas, who’d apparently just arrived on the island. I could tell they both wanted the same lean-to, but I couldn’t get involved in that while Alex was talking about giving it up to Vijay after dating him for all of a week.

“Duh?” She tugged on her midriff-baring T-shirt that, now that I thought about it, barely met the dress code. She was wearing earrings too, and some makeup, but then she liked to enjoy the girly stuff at camp since her parents were super strict at home.

“Alex, you only just started dating him.” As much as I wanted to get along with her, I also knew I couldn’t let a good friend make a big mistake. “Are you sure you want to get that serious with him already?”

“Have you
seen
how hot he is this year?” She didn’t seem to pay attention to the Munchies vs. Divas showdown either, her gaze wandering past them toward the boys’ camp.

Back at camp, the distance between the boys and girls involved several buildings, tree roots to the tenth power, and Gollum’s private residence. Here, there were only a couple of birch trees. We had a prime view.

“Alex, get real.” Damn it, I knew she wasn’t the kind of girl who made decisions about sex based on a guy’s abs.

At least, I thought I knew that. But what if I wasn’t the only one in Munchies’ Manor who’d had a rough year at home and was exploring a new role at camp? I’d been so focused on my issues…how much time had I spent checking in with my friends to see how things were for them beyond volleyball and bonfires?

I ducked out of the way of a Frisbee that someone sent sailing into the common area. Jackie was breaking up the lean-to squabble by spraying them both with Silly String. Luckily, all that chaos meant no one overheard Alex and me.

“What?” She frowned, her gum stilled, her arms crossed. “You already have a hot boyfriend, so don’t deny me one. Besides, how long did
you
wait before you slept with Matt?”

“For your information,” I returned hotly, “I have not slept with Matt. Not that it’s anyone’s business.” My cheeks heated when I remembered our dugout hook-up. How close we’d come to scoring.

“Okay, fine, it’s no one’s business. So neither is it any of
your
business if I sleep with Vijay.” She glared at me, not backing down. “But who is going to believe you haven’t done it with Matt? He’s the hottest guy at camp. Every girl in Hannah’s cabin has offered to hook up with him. And you expect anyone to believe you’re not putting out?” She shook her head, her sneer punctuated by a gum snap.

Had Matt really been hit on by all those girls, or was that just the latest camp rumor? I’d never thought about what he must be giving up to be with me. I still couldn’t believe he’d sacrificed his starting football position by not going to summer practice…if they’d even let him on the team at all. As for sex, he said he’d wait. I cleared my throat. “Actually, we haven’t—”

“Look, maybe we’re not as close as we used to be, so you don’t want to talk about it.” She cut me off. “Maybe you think because my parents write blogs about raising wholesome kids that I’d disapprove.” She jabbed a finger at me. “But I would never judge you, and I hope you’d never judge the person who helped you cheat to pass the swim test for three years straight. Someone who kept all the Friends Forever lanyards we made in Weaving. Not all of us got to go to pep rallies and beach parties like you this year. This is my only chance at fun and I’m taking it.”

She stalked away before I could explain that even though I’d been surrounded by ‘friends’ and a boyfriend at those parties and pep rallies, I’d always felt alone. Kind of like now.

Alex joined Trinity and Piper as they draped a daisy chain around the front door of their lean-to. Apparently Piper had won the battle for the place. Across a leaf-covered path, Siobhan picked Silly String off Jackie, who had obviously gotten a taste of her own medicine after settling the dispute. Siobhan was laughing, using the purple goo to shape a necklace and matching bracelet.

Everyone was having fun except me. Even Emily was happily distracted from her ongoing war with Rob. She stood between the girls’ huts and the boys’ shelters with Bam-Bam, the two of them looking cozy. She’d chosen the clever outdoorsman over the hot jock, even though every other Juniper Point female thought Rob was gorgeous. Maybe she knew better than to get tangled up with a guy all the girls wanted.

A sharp whistle cut through the chatter and laughter. I turned to see Rob jogging past Emily, flexing his muscles in a not-so-subtle display. He cupped his hands to his mouth now that he had everyone’s attention.

“Cliff diving!” he shouted. “Anyone who wants to jump, follow me!”

A chorus of cheers answered him as a handful of boys and a couple of girls raced toward the shore. The terrain was high on one side, providing a perfect spot for cliff jumping. Not that I’d try it. Way too scary. Besides, I was too unsettled by Alex’s comments. Did the whole camp think Matt stayed with me for sex?

God. Was that what Seth thought, too? He hadn’t said anything, but knowing him, he wouldn’t.

When I had sex it would be with someone who loved the real me and was in it for the long haul. Matt knew the cheerleader better than the astronomer, and Seth called our relationship quits at the end of every summer. Neither one had what I needed for such a big step. Feet dragging, I followed Piper and Trinity toward the water’s edge. The rest of the campers would play games down by the shore. I noticed Hannah walking down toward the shoreline too. She must have gone to the boys’ shelters first, because she matched her pace to Matt’s. He’d changed into dry clothes, his gray T-shirt tight around his wide shoulders. Hannah ate him up with her eyes while her long auburn braid swung in time to her steps.

Jealousy rose up and bit me. I felt an ugliness that I wouldn’t have dreamed of feeling until Alex had stirred the beast inside me. What if Matt was staying at camp for more reasons than just me?

What if Hannah was one of them?

Just then, Alex and Vijay jogged past, chasing each other around the trees and sneaking kisses while the counselors were preoccupied. When they got around me, they slowed down and held hands the rest of the way to the beach.

“You got a great hut,” a voice beside me said suddenly. Kayla and Brittany joined me. They were wearing matching pink T-shirts that said Divas’ Den BFFs on them in purple.

Somehow, the sight of the T-shirts brought to mind Alex’s dig about not lying to someone who kept every Friends Forever bracelet.

“Yeah,” I agreed. “It was a miracle we got to the island first this year.”

“We heard Emily wanted to show off for Rob,” Brittany volunteered. “Is that true? It looks like she’s trying to make him jealous now.” She pointed to the beach where Emily had stolen Bam-Bam’s fishing hat and wore it on her head while dragging wood into the fire pit.

“I have no idea what anyone’s thinking anymore,” I answered, too tired to play the games necessary to keep a social life afloat.

This was camp, damn it. I just wanted to sing a song and eat a freaking marshmallow. Was that so much to ask? Besides, I hated gossip and I wasn’t going to start it. I’d been bitten in the butt by it myself with this new rumor about Matt’s sex life.

“So true,” Kayla agreed, surprising me. “Take the dance, for example. I had no idea that Hannah had adding itching powder to one of my essential oils just to play a trick on you. I don’t know why she did it, but I’m sorry.”

“Really?” I hadn’t confronted Kayla or anyone else from Divas’ Den about the incident, but I appreciated the confession. “Hannah needs to grow up.”

“Totally.” Brittany adjusted the strap of a tiny backpack decorated with a full moon and a winged purple fairy. “But Eli tricked Hannah with the itching powder a few days before and she was dying to pass on the torment. I kept waiting for her to sprinkle it in my sheets.”

She gave an exaggerated shudder while we stood around the beach. Hannah worked on an elaborate French braid while openly staring as Matt and some of the guys from his cabin threw the frisbee. I was shocked he hadn’t gone cliff diving, but then Matt’s behavior continued to surprise me. Whenever I thought I had him figured out, I realized again I didn’t know him at all.

Seth, on the other hand, must have gone to the cliffs. His bunkmates Garrett and Julian had gone too, as I didn’t see them on the beach. Eli was missing from Matt’s cabin.

“What a crappy thing to do.” I thought about confronting Hannah right now, but I was afraid that, if I opened my mouth to speak to her, I’d end up accusing her of sleeping with Matt instead. My thoughts were all over the place ever since that conversation with Alex.

A whistle blew, and I turned to see Bam-Bam standing at full attention like he was back in the military. Ramrod straight, he held his hand up.

“Quiet!” he commanded in a voice that made me wonder if something was wrong.

We all shut up instantly. Sometimes you can just tell when you need to fall in line. Even Emily quit dragging her dead branches to see what he wanted.

But then, as one, we all heard a faraway sound that made my blood run cold.

“Help!” a man’s shout echoed over the island.

Bam-Bam took off at a sprint up the beach and we all followed. Emily, Vicki, and every last camper left the Frisbees and the footballs to race toward the sound.

“Help!” the hoarse shout came again. Closer. Louder.

“It sounds like Rob,” one of the boys said from nearby.

I looked for Seth, needing his reassuring strength. Could he be the one in trouble? My heart picked up speed. I spotted Matt at the front of the pack with another one of his friends and Bam-Bam. Whatever made a counselor shout for help like that had to be serious.

The trip to the cliff diving spot was a high climb and I was out of breath by the time I got there. Matt and Bam-Bam were in the water. Emily stood at the edge of the cliff, peering down into the river.

“What happened?” Brittany shrieked.

And for once, her words spoke for every last one of us. Someone squeezed my hand. Someone else gripped my shoulder. I swallowed hard as all of us seemed to hold our breath.

“It’s Eli,” Emily said, her voice raspy and her face snow-white. “He didn’t resurface.”

Chapter Twelve

I froze as Emily’s words sunk in, terrified for Eli. Hannah’s friend Rachel reacted first, her feet kicking up dirt as she sprinted to the cliff’s edge and dove. Her strong arms flashed toward the river’s center. “Eli!” she shouted, then plunged underwater. Several campers followed, including Seth. In seconds the deep blue water roiled with campers and counselors alike.

Amazing that it took an accident like this to make everyone put aside petty differences for the sake of a camp mate. Not all of us got along at Camp Juniper Point, but we
were
a family. Losing Eli would be like losing a brother, the one that put frogs down your wet swimsuit and ate all the cherry popsicles. My heart clenched at the thought of anything happening to him. The possibility was too horrible to imagine.

Brittany swiped at her damp cheeks. “He’s dead!” she wailed.

I put my arms around her, as did Kayla. “They’ll find him,” I said, feeling much less sure than I sounded. How had such a fun day dissolved into a nightmare? I looked away from the river, blotting out the image of an unconscious Eli lying on its bottom.

As I led Brittany down the cliff to the beach, I caught Alex’s questioning look. Siobhan, Trinity, and Piper stood beside her, eyes glued to Jackie who surfaced and dove with the other would-be rescuers. Alex’s face spoke volumes. She was surprised to see me with Hannah’s group instead of them. But as Eli’s girlfriend, Brittany needed me—needed us all—more.

“Oh no!” Hannah blurted suddenly.

Shocked at her uncharacteristic emotional display, I rubbed her shoulder. “It’ll be okay.”

She held up her messy French braid. “Okay? Do you know how long it took me to fix my hair? Now I’ve got to start over. Be right back, Brit.” She sprinted toward her lean-to without a backward glance.

What a friend. “Call 911.” Anger bubbled inside. “Hannah’s got a hair emergency.”

A half-sob/ half-giggle escaped Brittany. She pulled back. “Thanks, Lauren. Sometimes Hannah can be such a, a…”

“Bitch,” Kayla finished, though she looked over her shoulder before saying it.

Funny. Before this year, I’d always felt afraid of Hannah and the power she wielded over camp. I never knew her best friends felt the same way.

“No sign of him!” someone called from the river.

My heart rate picked up. What if they didn’t find Eli? I couldn’t imagine what Brittany must be feeling. If Seth or Matt was missing, I’d go crazy.

“It’s going to be okay. They’ll find him. They will,” I murmured. Kayla squeezed my arm. When I met her eyes, they were warm with gratitude.

A sudden breeze carried a familiar, whining voice.