I'm hoping to finish this up within another five chapters…but I don't really wanna stop writing it!!


After breakfast, we all head back to the cabin to clean up. Alicia's clothes that were on the floor are now gone. Skye checks in the counselor room. "The rest of her stuff is gone, too."

"She was being such a bitch," Claire says while fluffing her pillow. "Thank god you got rid of her."

Dylan looks at me from her bed with a half smile on her face. "We done good, kid," she winks.

I laugh and head to the washroom to change into my swimsuit. This summer is going to be so amazing. I'm friends with my cabinmates, I have a gorgeous and sweet (almost) boyfriend, and I am going to have a killer tan when I go back home!

"Massie!" Claire says when I come out, holding my towel. "Do you and Derrick want to come out on the paddleboat with me and Josh?"

I shrug. "Maybe…I kinda just feel like relaxing. This morning has stressed me out."

"So…" Olivia crinkles her eyebrows slightly. "Who's going to be our counselor now?"

Oh. "Um, I don't know…"

"I hadn't even thought of us getting a new counselor, I was just focused on getting rid of Alicia." Dylan says as we walk down to the beach.

"We don't need a counselor," Olivia says. "We are so responsible!"

Skye and I burst out laughing, and Claire giggles. I look at Dylan, wondering why she hadn't laughed, and follow her gaze to Landon. He's on beach duty today, meaning he (along with the lifeguard) just lounge on the beach (and are supposed to watch us, but hey don't).

My heart breaks for her, because I know how much she just wants to love him, without keeping it a secret. This summer is definitely changing me; I don't think I've ever really cared about the well-being of someone other than myself before.


That night, I'm sitting on the porch with Derrick when he mumbles something incoherent.

"What?" I ask, and take a ginormous bite of my cookie.

"Uh…never mind," he mumbles and looks away.

"Tell me," I argue and elbow him gently in the ribs.

"Do you wanna go out with me sometime?" he says really quickly. "Maybe when camp is over you can come to Manhattan for a day and we can hang out."

"Sure," I grin. "That sounds fun! Or you can come to Westchester and meet my—" I break off, not wanting to say the word friends. Now that I've met the girls of cabin fifteen, and we're all good friends, I can't imagine going back to hanging out with Kristen.

"Uh you can meet my horse. His name is Brownie," I force a grin.

"You can meet my fish," Derrick wraps and arm around my waist. "His name is Fish."

"So original," I laugh.

And we sit like that, his arm around my waist and my head on his shoulder, until it's lights out.


I wake up to Skye blowing up a balloon and letting it fly around the cabin.

"HAPPY JULY FOURTH!" she shrieks when I sit up.

I giggle. "You too!" The rest of the girls are getting up and stretching and yawning.

"We have to wear red, blue and white today," Skye orders, and changes into her red tank top and navy shorts. "Hmm…what can I wear that's white?"

Olivia tosses her a white bandanna. "Here, it's the only white thing accessory I brought to camp."

Skye ties it around her blonde ponytail and starts bouncing on her toes. "C'mon guys! July fourth is when the good food is made! We have to hurry or it'll be gone!"

I smile and try to find any patriotic clothing. Skye turns to me with a huge grin. "The night of July fourth is always the best. There's fireworks on the beach, and Landon always makes burgers and hotdogs. I'm warning you, you might want to eat before we head down there. Landon tends to like his meat black."

I giggle and follow her out the door. We wait on the porch for the other girls. Campers are shuffling their way to the DH, birds are chirping, and before I know it, Derrick's standing in front of me, clad in navy shorts and a red t-shirt.

"Wanna sit together for the fireworks? I know how clichéd that is, but they're always great," he smiles hopefully.

I glance at Skye, who's rehanging the towels that are dangling off the railing. "Uh, sure," I say. "Unless you mind," I turn to Skye.

"Hmm?" She looks up. "Uh, no, go ahead. Claire always ditches us to sit with Josh, and Olivia like stalks Danny."

I smile up at Derrick's warm milk chocolate coloured eyes. "Then it's a date."


Skye was right when she said the fourth of July was the best! The beach is full of people's blankets spread out, with campers lounging all over the place; Landon's flipping burgers on three different barbeques (I can't help but notice how Dylan has suddenly taken an interest in ground beef); someone's iPod is blasting All Time Low; and I am holding hands with the sweetest boy ever.

I look up at the moon surrounded by twinkling starts. It couldn't have been a more perfect night for fireworks; there's not a cloud to be seen. Derrick is looking around the beach for Claire and Josh (we had promised to sit together), but I don't see them.

A breeze blows through the beach, causing me to shiver. "Cold?" Derrick raises his golden eyebrows.

"Nope," I lie, tapping my foot against the blanket to get the blood flowing.

Derrick smirks, and I know he can see right through me. "Here," he pulls of his hoody and his t-shirt rises a little. I'll admit that it did get a little hotter after seeing a sliver of his perfect abs.

I pull on his warm grey hoody, inhaling the scent of Old Spice deodorant as it slips over my head.

"Hey," a breathless Claire plops down on the fleece blanket beside me. "Ohmigod, I don't think it's ever been this busy! Has it, Josh?" she turns to her boyfriend, who's shoving a very burnt burger in his mouth.

"I dunno," his words are muffled by the food. "Maybe everyone got fatter."

"That's your third burger, Josh," Claire sighs. "If anyone is getting fatter, it's you."

Derrick and I laugh, while Josh faux-punches Claire in the arm, then wraps a tanned arm around her waist.

"WHO'S READY FOR FIREWORKS?!" Landon screams into a bullhorn.

Cries and shouts of 'me!' ring through the dark. I quickly scan the beach: Dylan's far away from the beach, almost near the paths that lead to the cabins. I guess she's waiting for Landon. Olivia is, in fact, with Danny. They're sitting beside each other, both looking awkward. And Skye is with some girls from another cabin, looking like a younger sibling that got left behind.

Before I can feel bad for her, Derrick takes my hand. "If you give me my hoody back, I'll keep you warm in my arms," he whispers, since a hush has fallen over the crowd.

My lips curl into a soft smile, and I pull of the hoody and hand it to him. After he puts it on, he wraps his arms around me from behind.

As the fireworks start up, Derrick tightens his grip around me. The sky lights up with different colours, and booms and cracks echo around the camp.

"Well," I hear Claire say to Josh. "Looks like Massie and Derrick have their own fireworks."

Cheesy as that is, I couldn't agree more.