The bonfire had been a success, no doubt due to his immaculate planning and execution. Kayden knew how much the event meant to his grandfather, and knowing he was retiring soon, he wanted to make sure to preserve the memories of camp for him.

It was mid-week now, though, which meant campers were here, and camp was in full swing. The campfire needed to move to the back of his mind so he could focus on the new tasks.

Kayden didn't hate his summer job. He was quite good at it actually. Managing other people and solving problems were two of his strong suits. His promotion to head peer counselor was unsuspected, yet welcomed. He'd been in charge of many of these duties, but never held the title before. It was nice to feel like he had full respect. It was also good for morale that it wasn't simply handed to him just due to his family ties. He earned it.

That wasn't to say he was without his own ambitions and goals, but loyalty to family and ties to the camp, which he'd attended since he was of age, kept him here. In a perfect world, maybe he'd be spending his summers interning at some prestigious company, getting some real world skills and something a little more impressive to add to future resumes. He was needed here, however. Being the only grandchild, and his father still busy with his own career, Kayden was the only family member left to help out, and no prospective career opportunity would be valuable enough to him to have him let his family down. If Kayden was anything it was loyal to a fault.

After breakfast and cleanup, which they all pitched in with, because no one was above dish duty, he began his rounds. Everything was checking out and running smoothly until he reached the common area outside the auditorium. There was a small crowd gathering near one of the shaded picnic tables, including some of his counselors that had things they should be doing or getting ready for.

Resisting the urge to stride over there and break things up, he watched as the teen in the center continued to show off a fancy looking phone to the other teens surrounding him.

Zack, a friend of Kayden's, appeared nearly out of thin air next to him, something he did regularly which no longer creeped Kayden out, and followed the taller man's gaze to the crowd. "Is that the iPhone? I didn't think those were out yet."

Kayden glanced over after realizing Zack was there, and replied in his usual even, low tone. "I don't know what that is."

Zack gave him a good-natured slap to the back. "I didn't expect you to, caveman. They call it a smartphone."

"What makes it smart?"

"Things you won't care about."

Kayden appreciated that Zack knew him well enough to not bother elaborating. "Excuse me for not fanboying over the latest gadgets."

Zack shrugged, not fazed.

"I guess the phone explains the crowd." Kayden pointed to the kid with the phone and began flipping through papers on his clipboard. "Who is that anyway?"

"Oh? He's one of our permanent summer residents."

"He wasn't at orientation."

Zack chuckled. "Ah, that's because he is one of our affluent guests, not one of your employees. I guess this is cheaper than boarding school, or a live-in-nanny."

Jayden's voice joined the conversations from behind, as he placed a hand of each of their shoulders. "Maybe they're just afraid he'd bang a nanny. Ugh!"

Kayden pulled his elbow back from Jayden's side, hitting him not only for the comment but for sneaking up on them, while simultaneously glaring at the nameless rich kid. It was uncommon for a teenager his age to be here and not be working. There were few activities for a person his age, which meant a lot of time for him to wander and cause trouble. Kayden was instantly suspicious.

-.-.-.-.-.-

The first full week of camp was almost over. It didn't mean any days off or less work, but it was nice to say they'd made it without too many hiccups.

Mid-week, Morgan had noticed her dear cousin a little more spaced out than usual, though Serena had cited that she was just tired, having not gotten used to the bunks or lack of air conditioning yet. That, Morgan could buy into. Serena was definitely the type to need a full night's rest. She was also distracted during conversations, though, and Morgan caught her eyes wandering when they walked past the main offices on more than one occasion.

To say Morgan was suspicious was a bit of an understatement. Serena had always shared her problems and fears and insecurities with Morgan, nothing was too big or too small to talk about. They knew everything about each other. This silence and obvious mind wandering had her worried.

"Serena, would you switch shifts on Friday with me? I don't want to work the lake shift. I told Kayden this, but he doesn't care."

Serena continued to stare off.

Morgan loudly set her hands down on the picnic table. "Ser-eeena?"

Nothing.

Morgan thought maybe some key words would jolt her. "John Mayer is making a surprise appearance on Saturday right here."

Nothing.

"I got us tickets to see Beyonce."

Nada.

"There's free ice cream in the cafeteria. All you can eat."

"Hmm?" Serena didn't avert her gaze, but she had at least heard her. Morgan counted that as a small win. Leave it to ice cream to be the winning phrase. "What was that?"

"What's wrong with you, Space Case?"

Serena sheepishly turned around. "Nothing. I'm sorry. What was that about ice cream?"

"Seeeeeeere. I want you to take my lake shift! I'll work two of your normal shifts. Any day you want."

Normally, Serena might try to bargain for more, but instead, she seemed to think for just a moment and then nodded resolutely. "Works for me. Sure. Take Monday."

"Works for you? You have plans or something?" she joked suggestively.

Serena laughed. "No. No. But hey, I gotta run!"

"To wheeeere?" but Serena did not hear her, or at least, pretended not to.

After some quick interrogations lead to nothing, Morgan devised Operation Follow the White Hare. She would figure out what was going on.

-.-.-.-.-.-

The disadvantage of the bottom bunk was you could always feel the other person get in and out of bed. There were countless advantages that outweighed it, but it was bothersome. Although, Morgan thought, for her purposes, even that disadvantage had turned into something useful.

Suspicions high, she had been noticing more when Serena had disturbed her at night getting up to go to the bathroom. Rather than roll over, she'd been noting the time, and waiting for the other girl to get back. Tonight, she noticed she hadn't returned after twenty minutes. That, or she'd drifted off, and Serena had come and gone once again, or she'd read the clock wrong. Either way, it was odd, and Morgan decided she should go check on her. What if the dummy tripped in the dark and was sitting out there nursing a sprain? Or got caught getting one of her infamous midnight snacks, and needed an alibi? What kind of cousin would she be if she didn't at least go see if she was okay?

So, Morgan slipped out of her bunk and quietly tiptoed to the door, waiting to slip her sandals on outside, as not to make any unnecessary noise. The screen door latch clicked as she gently pressed it to the frame, and she trekked through the mostly dark path to the bathroom. Bugs hovered around the light by the entrance, and she swatted the swarm away as she peered inside. "Sere? You in here? You okay?" With no answer, she looked in the stalls to double check before going back outside. Where was Serena?

She wasn't getting a midnight snack. The cafeteria was empty.

She wasn't taking a midnight swim. The pool had no occupants.

Morgan was about to give up and double back when she thought she saw something out of the corner of her eye. As she got closer, she swore she heard voices. It was coming from the lake. Deciding it would be faster to take the wooded path, and not the neatly paved one further away, she made her way through the trees and underbrush until she could see what she had heard.

Serena was swimming in the lake. Her bright pink beach towel was hanging on a railing, and had been what caught Morgan's eye. And she wasn't alone. It was dark in the water, away from the light pole, but Morgan made out the face. It was the guy from the bonfire. Kayden's friend. Kayden's friend who he talked into working here. His friend who was breaking a rule. That was some juicy gossip. She let her mind wander for a moment on how she'd hang this over Kayden's stupid pretty head.

Giggles from the water broke her from her thoughts. Oh, right. She was here to do something, not fantasize about teasing Kayden.

Morgan felt unsure about what to do now that she was confronted with her cousin's whereabouts. All the spaced-out moments, quietness, side glances, and overt tiredness finally made sense. Serena was into Tall, Dark, and Handsome Gatorade Guy. And, apparently, they were meeting up at night to keep it under wraps.

Mr. Anderson was a nice person, but he had a strict no-dating policy for his staff. Maybe it was one too many teenage break ups causing drama that caused the rule? Maybe a parent complained? Morgan didn't know, but she did know what would happen if anyone got caught. She also knew that if Serena got sent home over this, there was no way in Hell her mother would let Morgan stay the rest of the summer without her. Morgan could not risk going back home, especially since the package of college admission packets delivered to her had gone back into the trash where she'd left them. Where they belonged.

Morgan was agitated and didn't want to cause a scene by confronting them both in the water. Serena she could talk to, but she didn't know this Darien guy. Would he yell back at her? Tell her she was a dumb kid? She didn't know. How could she get them out, separately? Serena would recognize her voice in an instant, and Morgan wanted them to scatter, so that would not do.

Luckily for Morgan, she had a great impression of Kayden in her toolbox, something she practiced often behind his back. Squaring her shoulders and clearing her throat, Morgan called out, using her hands cupped around her mouth to project the sound. "WHO'S OUT PAST CURFEW?!" Was her Kayden voice perfect? Probably not, but it worked. The two quickly exited the water, gathered their things, and split up after a chaste kiss on the cheek.

Morgan spied which way her cousin took and cut Serena off.

"What the hell?" Serena shrieked, cheeks flushed from running. "That was you?!" she accused.

Morgan wagged her finger back and forth, silencing her, and then rested both hands firmly on her hips. "You don't get the moral high ground here."

"You scared the crap out of us!"

"Good."

Serena huffed and bent over to slip her sandals on, having the sense to at least protect her feet now that she knew she wasn't actually in trouble, and didn't need to run away.

"You can't just break curfew to go smoosh faces with some college guy. You know what will happen!" Morgan accused. "How many times have you done this?"

"None of your business. And besides, he's not just some guy."

"He could be Jesus and it wouldn't matter."

Dry clothes draped over her shoulders, Serena mirrored her cousin's imposing stance. "No one is going to find out."

"I found out."

"Because you're a weirdo stalker who is obviously not a heavy sleeper."

"If I found out, other people can find out," Morgan began, her tone starting to mirror Jayden's when he lectured her about college. "And if other people find out, Kayden will find out. And if he finds out, you're going to be sent home. And if you get sent home, my mother will pull me for the summer, and I will never forgive you."

"They're friends! He won't CARE!" Serena's face scrunched up in anger, her cheeks reddened, and her small hands formed into fists at her sides. "You're just mad that I found someone I really like. You don't know what that's like! You're… you're jealous!"

Morgan knew her cousin was just mad, possibly a little embarrassed, and knew if she didn't hold her tongue this would get out of hand. It didn't mean it didn't sting, though. Serena knew her best. Serena knew where to strike. Morgan had made her mad, and Serena was going to make sure Morgan felt just as bad. There had only been the one time Morgan had liked someone enough to act on it, and she fell flat on her face, mortified and heartbroken. Bringing it up was a low blow. Morgan bit back her reaction and did the only thing left: she relaxed her posture, and motioned back up the path, exasperated. "Let's get back before anyone notices."