The two and a half hour drive was over before the three of them knew it. The first two were all highway, followed by a thirty minute drive deep into the woods. A drive Morgan knew would prevent any sudden drop-ins from her mother. Even an enraged "I found your college applications in the trash again" mother.
As they passed under the large, aging wooden welcome sign, the girls raced to repack the stuff they had gotten out during the drive. The sound of the gravel crackling under the slowed tires felt like coming home, and Morgan took in a deep breath as she leaned out the now opened window. They passed the pool, classrooms, main office, and parked in the small employee parking lot near the back of the main property. Deciding to unload after orientation and bunk assignments, they made their way down the shady path to the auditorium.
They filed in and Jayden broke rank to sit with his peers, a handful of college students near the front. Serena nudged Morgan's arm when she spotted some of their fellow junior counselors she'd recognized off to the left. However, there wasn't much time for hellos. As soon as they reached their seats, they were reminded to take them by one of the camp employees' voices booming over the microphone. It was the same spiel they went over every year. Welcome back, expectations, reminders of rules, the introducing of new faces. Boring. Morgan found herself not paying much attention, instead scanning the room to see who was there and who wasn't this summer. She couldn't wait for this orientation to be over with, unpack, and get ready for the first wave of campers to arrive bright and early Monday morning. They still needed to get sorted into their groups, so everyone knew who their senior peer counselor was, the next person in their chain of command, so to speak. Kathy had been hers since she started the lifeguard program, and Morgan expected no change this year.
Her phone vibrated, derailing her from her thought train, and further distracting her from what was going on up on stage. Thank God I remembered to put you on silent, she thought as she pulled it from her pocket and flipped it open.
It was a grainy picture of the papers she threw in the trash, followed by "call me" in all caps. "Oops…" she mumbled to herself before Serena nudged her to pay attention again.
"We're group two," she leaned in and whispered.
"Thanks," she said, biting her lip, feeling a little embarrassed that even Serena was paying better attention for once, and tucked her phone away.
"And now," the boring voice continued, "A special announcement. Since Kathy has left us -"
Wait. Morgan's ears perked up.
"- our new Head Senior Peer Counselor taking her place will be none other than Kayden Anderson."
Whistles and claps erupted from the front row where all the college kids sat. Morgan sneered as the silver-haired (yes, silver, the weirdo), early 20-something stood and did a quick wave to the room. She stuck her tongue out as he looked their way. "Don't clap for that douche."
"Aw, he's not that bad," Serena replied in that all too cheerful tone. Serena loved everyone. Even stupid jerks like Kayden.
"Says you." Morgan knew the real Kayden, and he did not deserve Serena's optimism or praise.
With that, the orientation was over, and everyone picked up their paper packets, containing their schedules, bunk assignments and the like. Morgan flipped through hers as they walked to gather their things from Jayden's car. She couldn't believe she got assigned under that idiot. This was supposed to be an awesome summer before her senior year. It was supposed to be summertime fun time, not lame. Kathy was like a fun big sister. Kayden… well, he was the absolute opposite of fun. In fact, she wasn't sure he knew how to have it.
Her internal grumbling lasted all the way to the bunk house. There were six total cabins, two bigger and nicer cabins reserved for the seniors. This year, their bunk housed Serena, herself, a quiet girl she recognized from the infirmary, a tall girl that she knew worked at the stables, Molly, who was a girl Serena went to school with, and Raelynn, or Rae for short. Rae had been at camp for as long as Morgan could remember. Often, they found themselves on separate teams in competition with one another. Rae had been the only person to ever best Morgan at volleyball, and Morgan respected not only that, but also the fact that Rae never gloated about it. They'd been bunked together last year and forged a friendship.
"I get top bunk!" Serena declared as she sprung onto the top empty bunk.
"What's up, Pyro?" Morgan said casually as she dropped her duffle by the raven-haired girl's feet, trying to get her attention. She didn't even flinch. Morgan knew she wouldn't, but she always tried.
"I see you two are fashionably late again, as you like to call it," said Rae.
Morgan grinned and plopped down on her bunk, swatting one of Serena's insanely long pig tails out of her face.
Meanwhile, Serena sat up and looked down into the room, seeing who she missed as she'd raced to her prized top bunk. She beamed looking across the bunks to find Molly, who she'd known since kindergarten, sitting across from her. "Hey, Molls! How're you?"
Morgan looked over to the last of the three bunks. The quiet girl was up top, smiling as Serena turned her attention from Molly to her and started chatting. On the bottom, was the pretty girl from the stables. "Hey," she greeted. "I'm Morgan. I don't think we've met."
"Yeah, I've seen you around, though. I'm Madelyn. My friends call me Maddie."
"Cool. Well, Maddie, this cool drink of water is Rae." Morgan caught Rae rolling her eyes. "Above me chatting everyone's ear off is Serena. She's my cousin, not my sister like everyone asks. Molly is above you."
"And Amy is over Rae!" Serena added cheerfully. Introductions complete, the group of girls chattered until dinner and then again until lights out.
-.-.-.-.-.-
Saturday was filled with paperwork, yearly training, safety protocols, CPR recertifications and other boring things. It was also very hot. Morgan and Serena found themselves done for the day by 3:00. No one had remembered to leave the windows open, and their bunk room felt like an oven when they returned that afternoon.
"Gah, I can't tell if it's hotter in here or outside!" Serena wailed.
Morgan opened the final window and sat down straight in front of the oscillating fan. "I hope it's not this bad all summer," she lamented. It would be fitting, though. Hot as Hell, and it would feel like Hell working under the Camp Gargoyle all summer.
Serena pushed her out of the way, claiming she should share, but Morgan shoved her back, claiming she did all the work opening the stuck windows and deserved it first.
As they were about to rock-paper-scissors it, Morgan heard someone outside talking as they walked by, and she jumped up enthusiastically. "I have an idea!" Grabbing the other girl's wrist with her sweaty palm, Morgan yanked her to her feet, and led them outside the oppressively hot cabin, up the path to where the voice had disappeared to.
Inside his cabin, they found Jayden quietly sipping his soda, flipping through a GamePro magazine, oblivious to the door slowly creeping open, their two blonde heads appearing through the gap.
"Hey, Jayden! Just who we were looking for!"
His face scrunched up, annoyed at the sudden interruption. "Why are you two in here? Go back to your own cabin."
Serena ignored him and sprawled out on the laminate flooring, mumbling, "Can't. I'll die."
He shook his head, tossing the magazine down onto the table. "So dramatic."
Morgan helped herself to the cold water from the fridge in the small eat-in kitchen. "Your cabin has air," she said matter-of-factly.
A smug look overcame his face, and then he chuckled. "Ah. Yes. The perks of my position. You're only juniors. Stick around. Your day will come," he finished as he gestured to the most definitely bigger cabin space.
Morgan twisted the cap back on and sat across from him on the set of mismatched thrift store sofas that had probably been here since the place opened. They smelled like they belonged in her Nana's basement. "Well, I don't know about Sere here, but I don't have plans on sticking around here any longer than I have to. So, I will never know the pleasure of sleeping in such a luxurious space," she hit back, never missing the chance to engage in banter. "After this school year, I'm gone. I have bigger aspirations than a paid summer camp position." Morgan would also be 18 in a few months, not that anyone would forget as much as she talked about it, and no longer legally a minor and stuck under the thumb of her mother.
"You'll have to fill those applications out first," Serena managed to tease.
Morgan blew a raspberry. "Who says I'm wasting my time with college?" She had big plans to move out west and make it big after graduation, even if no one took them seriously. 'Really? Hollywood, Momo?' Adults in Morgan's life had often called her fickle and irresponsible, an unmotivated dreamer, indecisive, just to name a few. The truth was, she knew what she wanted to do, it was just that no one would listen.
"Not this again," Jayden said disappointedly. "I don't know if I have the energy to argue with you about this again right now." Jayden was a fierce proponent for secondary education. He never failed to bring it up whenever Morgan mentioned her plans, often leading to tense conversations and, more often than not, Morgan storming out.
The two cousins glared at each other, but were interrupted by one of the bedroom doors closing. "Why do you have girls in the cabin?" the silky baritone asked, annoyed.
Morgan shifted her gaze to the direction of the voice, and immediately scowled. "Oh, look. The new Head Boy. Ten points to Gryffindor!" Kayden didn't flinch. Damn.
"Sorry," Jayden added hurriedly. "It's just my sister and our cousin."
"I know who they are. Do you two need something? Was there something wrong with the re-cert?" He looked away now, to the other side of the room.
Serena finally had the decency to pull herself off the floor, and was dusting her clothes off as his eyes met hers. "No, everything went fine. We were done early, actually. Super smooth."
Morgan continued to stare at him defiantly, waiting for him to start listing off whatever rules they were violating. She imagined he was compiling specific articles from the handbook, readying to fire them off and look impressive. Section 3, paragraph 1, no having fun!
"I see," he said after a moment of locking stares with Morgan.
Morgan didn't get a chance to poke the bear again, a favorite pastime of hers. "Hey, don't we have that thing?" Jayden asked abruptly. Morgan couldn't tell if he genuinely forgot and suddenly remembered, or if he was just trying to defuse the situation, since Jayden knew how she felt about Kayden. Kayden, in return, gave him a look that said 'why did you think I came out here for?'. "Right, right. Okay, well you guys gotta leave anyway. We have senior stuff to do."
"But the A/C!" Serena whined in defeat.
Jayden shrugged as he jumped up from the couch. "Not my problem. Can't be in here without, suuu-peeeeer-viiiis-ioooon." He dragged that last word out as he gave Serena his most annoying older brother grin and tried to mess up her hair.
"Hey!" she swatted his hand away and grabbed Morgan's hand. "Let's go. We'll cool off somewhere else."
"Pool's off-limits, still," Kayden called out as they left.
Morgan was unable to fight the urge to respond, but before she could turn around and give that insufferable jerk a piece of her mind, Serena tugged her hand harder, dragging her out of earshot.