Sabrina gave Jason a friendly pat on the back as she left him with the counselor doing the arts and crafts, whose name was Abby. She smiled and waved as she went for the door. "Bye, Jason! I gotta go help your mom. I'll see you at lunch, alright?"

He smiled back, giving her a wave in return. "Bye, Brina! See you then!" After that he turned to Abby and started asking about the activity.

Sabrina left that cabin, then looked for the kitchen. She knew where it was when she could see Pamela inside the window doing something. She hurried over and bounced through the door, allowing it to swing closed after she'd gotten in. "Good afternoon, Mrs. Voorhees!"

Pamela had been placing some hot dogs on the grill, but she stopped when Sabrina greeted her. "Oh, Sabrina dear!" She leaned over from her work and wrapped an arm around the girl in a loose hug. "I'm so glad you showed up! I could use some help, what with it being the first day and all. It's crazy, I'll tell you what." She turned away from the food and wiped her forehead with her arm, since her hands were both encased in plastic gloves. "Whew! It's hot in here. So did you come with bright eyes and a bushy tail?"

Sabrina pumped her arm in a motion across her chest and stomach. "Of course I did, Mrs. Voorhees! What do you need me to do first?"

"Ah, first of all... Mrs. Voorhees is my mother-in-law and I'd thank you not to remind me of that woman." She faked a shudder. "You just call me Pam, honey. And second, you can help me by getting started on making some macaroni and cheese. We're cooking for almost fifty kids, so you make sure there's enough."

"Sure, that sounds pretty easy." Sabrina flicked the stove on and set a pot on top. She ran some water, but noticed it was a little brown so she let it run for a minute before filling a cup with it and adding it to the pot, then doing that a few more times. She left it to boil and got the cheese out of the small refrigerator. "I make this for my little sister Willow all the time."

"Do you?" Pamela had returned to placing hot dogs on the grill, not seeming to be in any hurry. She was taking her time with it.

"Yeah. My older sister, Janine, she learned it from my mom and then she taught me one time a couple years ago when we were babysitting my sister."

"You know, recipes are usually passed down in families. Do you think your mother learned it from her mother?"

"Yeah, Gran makes this for us every time we come to visit. It's the kind that when you bake it the cheese gets all melted and gooey and it's really good."

"Mmm, I've had that kind before. I make it for my little boy sometimes and he likes it. Especially when I cut up the hot dogs and put them into it. He likes them separate, but he loves it when they're together."

"Oh!" Before Sabrina grabbed the knife to slice the block of cheese, she pointed at Pamela. "By the way, I met your son."

"Did you now?" Pamela glanced over and clicked her tongue a few times. "I think you can slice and talk at the same time, you're not blonde like I am."

"Oh! Right, of course." Sabrina started to slice the cheddar, making thick chunks she would cut up later to let melt among the macaroni. "Sorry, I've never really worked at a camp before."

"That's alright, just try not to lose a finger. Believe it or not," she joked, winking, "the kids don't usually find that appetizing."

Sabrina giggled before focusing on her task. "You're a really funny woman, Pam."

"I like to think I am. So you met my Jason?"

"Yep. He seems like a really sweet kid. He's such a cutie pie, too."

"Hmm." Pamela was still doing her own thing, but now she had a sad smile on her face. "I must say, that's a welcome change... not a lot of people think he is."

"Yeah, I mean..." Sabrina sighed. "That's something..." She tried not to let herself cry, but she could already feel the lump forming in her throat. She was going to cry sooner or later.

Pamela had stopped now, seeming concerned. "Sabrina, darling, what's the matter? Are you alright?"

Sabrina sniffled, running the back of her hand over her eyes. "When I first got here... and I went to my cabin, and I changed... and then I came back out. And I-I saw... a bunch of kids... they were standing around him. And a couple of them... they had rocks and they were hitting him with them... and I-I don't know if..." She had already begun to cry, throwing her hands over her face in shame. "It was just so awful! I've never seen anything like that, Pam!" She sobbed into her hands, feeling her shoulders shake. "I... I had to do something, but then they all looked at me like... like I was the one in the wrong..."

"Oh, Sabrina." She felt Pamela wrap her arms around her, hugging her close in an attempt to comfort her. "I know it's bad. Believe me, I know. Jason and I go through this all the time, so you can just cry. Trust me, I'm used to it. Just let it out. I know how terrible it is." She rocked side to side, rubbing Sabrina's back comfortingly. Sabrina suddenly felt a longing for her own mother; a part of her wished she'd never left home in the first place. "It's alright, Sabrina."

Sabrina pulled away from Pamela and rubbed her eyes. "I... I..." She shook her head. "Pamela, would it be alright with you if Jason and I were friends?"

Pamela laughed softly as she returned to her task, blinking her own tears away. "Oh, I'd be just fine with that, Sabrina. He doesn't get many people that understand him, you know, and I think you might be one of them." She cocked her head to the sink. "Now, why don't you wash your hands off and you can get back to work? We've only got a few hours!"

Sabrina nodded and turned the water on, lathering the soap on her hands. As she did, her mind flashed back to Jason's appearance. "Oh, Pam... I was kind of wondering... n-not to be mean or anything, but... what's the matter with Jason? Is he sick or something? Is he going to be okay?"

"Oh, I was wondering when you were going to get around to that." There was another sizzle as Pamela lifted more hot dogs onto the grill. "I could tell you wanted to know. Well, I don't remember what the doctors called it... it was something-alus, I think. I don't know. It's basically a skull deformity, which causes him to look the way he does."

"Oh, I don't think it's that bad." Sabrina turned the water off and dried her hands, blinking to keep herself from beginning to cry again. "A little hard to get used to, maybe, but... it's no reason for those kids to be calling him names and trying to hurt him."

"Did he have any bruises, did you see?"

"He had a few, I think, but he wasn't bleeding as far as I could see..."

"Did you see anything on his head? Any bruises or bumps?"

"No... no, I don't think so. I think they were mainly on his arms, but he wasn't crying or anything so I don't think they hurt him too badly. He didn't complain or anything."

Pamela shook her head. "Ah, my tough little boy. It's a shame that he's actually gotten used to it by now."

"A crying shame." Sabrina returned to slicing the block of cheese. "Well, don't worry. I'll do what I can to keep them from teasing him. I ain't afraid to put people in time-out."

"Oh-ho-ho, watch out. New cop on the block." Pamela elbowed Sabrina in the ribs, giggling. "I'm just glad someone other than me can see what a special little boy he is."

Sabrina smiled, chopping off another section of cheese. "When I grow up and I'm married, I think I want a little boy just like him. How would you like to be the godmother? If you and I are still in touch, I mean?"

"Why, I'd be honored. You'd let Jason play with him, wouldn't you? I have a feeling that Jason's going to grow up loving kids, especially kids like him."

"That's great! Of course, Jason would be, like... my childre's uncle. Right? I'd like to think of him as a brother and a friend. I don't have any brothers, you know, just my two sisters."

"You know, Jason's been asking for a little sister, but I just don't think he gets the fact that without a mommy and a daddy, he's not getting one."

"Well, where's your husband?"

"Oh... we separated a few years ago. It's been a little rough on Jason, but I think he believes his father's going to come back."

"Is he?"

"... In all honesty, I'm not holding my breath." Pamela picked the last of the hot dogs off the plate and onto the grill, then put her hands on her hips and sighed. "Sabrina, would you get me another pack of these from the fridge? I don't think this is going to be enough."

"Sure." As Sabrina got the package out and gave it to Pamela, she breathed in deeply and suddenly noticed how good they smelled. "Oh man! And lunch isn't for another two hours? Boy, am I really gonna be hungry when we're done..."

Pamela laughed. "Hey, if you don't tell anyone, I'll let you sneak a hot dog. I can always make more."

"Hey, thanks! You're great, Pam, you really are." Sabrina went over and poured some macaroni into her now-boiling water, not even attempting to hide the grin on her face.

This was going to be the summer of her life.