Chapter Nine;

Maura could hardly look at Jane now as she sat across from her, writing her letter to her parents. She knew that if she caught Jane's eye there would be sparks and someone would definitely have to extinguish the mattress they were both sitting on. Apart from the attraction that was sizzling between the two teens, Maura also felt she couldn't look at Jane because she was embarrassed at what they'd done, unbeknown to anybody else at camp. It was their little secret. But, that didn't matter as there were only two more weeks left of the camp season, and then they would part ways; Jane would go back to high school in Boston, and Maura would head back out to Paris to her boarding school.

Something about this Maura did not like. She was glad to be getting away from camp and to see her father for a week before she was flown back out to Paris to begin her new school year at Sacre Coeur d'Ecole les Filles. But Maura now didn't want to leave Jane. There was something about the tall, gangly brunette that Maura liked. She liked being in her company, brooding and mysterious as well as just laying together in bed and talking about baseball, and flag football. Of course, Maura had no idea of the rules or how to play these sports but she was mentally making a vow to herself that she would learn something about them.

Jane happened to glance up while Maura was looking at her, and she saw the blonde flash her eyes away and back down to her writing set. Jane sighed a little and smiled, "Maura? What's wrong?"

"I...I'm just feeling melancholy. About leaving camp." she replied softly, her voice seeming small and lost in the long, dark bunk the two were sharing.

"I thought you liked your school?"

"I do, I just...this summer has been the best summer I've ever had. There's been some amazing memories made for me, and I just worry that because we've been sent to this Isolation Bunk, will we be able to come back next year? And be together..." she tilted her head a little, something Jane noticed Maura did a lot of when she was confused or figuring something out.

"Maura, I've been in this bunk so many times since my first summer here." Jane sighed, "The girls here...they don't understand me. I like softball and basketball, but I like to dress up too. I mean it's nice to get outta sneakers and put on some flat pumps, wear a summer dress for prom..." Jane trailed off, "But instead of telling me my dress is nice or something...they tease me. Which makes me angry and I throw things at them, usually my fists."

"Which is why you end up here?"

"Yeah, you know, I'm surprised Ma hasn't had phone calls to say not to pay for my camp tuition for the next summer, I've been in here so many times." Jane chortled a little, "But I think because Frankie and Tommy are usually so good, they don't mind me being the bad apple."

"You have two brothers? I thought there was only Frankie."

"Yeah, Tommy's older, sometimes he doesn't come to camp because he does animal stuff..."

"Animal stuff?" Maura's head tilted again and it made Jane chuckle a little.

"Yeah, he does like animal rescue things with the shelter." Jane nodded a little, "He's so caring, I look up to him a lot."

"He still does this?" Maura smiled.

"Well, I think so. Ma still thinks he does, but he's like seventeen, so he's into girls and cars...you know how it is."

"Actually, I don't. Remember?"

"Yeah, sorry. Because I have brothers, I automatically think you do too, I'm sorry Maura."

"It's okay." Maura looked back down to her letter and sighed, trying to find where she was up to with her news. She let a few moments pass while she finished the sentence she'd been in the middle of writing when she'd caught Jane's eyes and she then spoke up, "I often wish I had a sibling. Not that I don't mind being alone, an only child, I just...I wonder what it's like to have someone close to your age in your house, someone who'd look out for you."

"Hey, you're welcome to one of mine." Jane joked a little and smiled before moving her head in gesture for Maura to come over to her. The blonde laid down her pen and writing set before scooting along the bed to Jane, and looking at her expectantly. Jane brought her closer, wrapping her arm around the smaller teen, "Look, having a sibling isn't all it's cracked up to be Maura, sometimes they break into your room and mess with your stuff, they break it sometimes. And you have fights, you often wonder if your parents have a favourite among you...sometimes it can be hell. I'm telling you."

"It's really that bad?"

Jane smiled and shook her head gently, "Not always. Frankie and Tommy look out for me, and because Frankie's younger, I look out for him, he's the baby." Jane chuckled, "We're really close, maybe closer now than we were when we were all small. Ma had hard time with us. We're all really close in age, so she had three kids all under the age of five at one point. Pop's a plumber so, he was hardly ever in the house during the day when Ma needed help. But still she managed, I don't know how she did it." Jane softly shook her head as she reminisced back to her childhood.

"Jane, your mother sounds amazing." Maura smiled, a little saddened Jane noted.

"She is, but that's Ma." Jane chuckled, "Hey, you wanna just lay down? The rain looks like it's on for the day, so there'll be no activities anyway."

"Sure. I'd like that."