request was followed by Duff continuing to sign as Liam whispered to the others. Of course they were still talking about boobs! Laceyâs table looked like the polar opposite to my crew. All her girls had ponytails exactly like hers. They used forks and knivesâ¦and napkins! A belch to my immediate left brought me back.
I glanced at their plates. Spencer had coated his eggs in ketchup, Liam was shoving a third Rice Krispies square in his mouth, and Duff was mashing his food into an unrecognizable slop. Only Scotty seemed to have some manners. Already feeling like the day was going to be horrible, I took my tray up to the front.
âJust Jesse,â Kirk said, slinking up behind me. What is with this guy and his surprise attacks from behind? Hadnât he ever heard of face-to-face combat? âCabin 4A didnât burn down last night.â
âNope.â I straightened up and steeled my nerves. We began our Wild West showdown again, ignoring the kids that walked around us. It was hard not getting lost in those milk chocolate eyes. But after his remarks the night before, I wanted to prove how tough I was.
He raised one eyebrow. âReady to quit?â he teased.
Dad used to ask me the same question when he could tell I was exhausted during training. And since this job was becoming more gruelling than any long run Iâd ever done, I gave Kirk the same answer I always gave my dad.
âHell no,â I said. âIâm seeing this through to the finish.â And with that super awesome, sassy retort, I strutted out of the main hall without even looking back.
After two hours of archery under the blazing sun though, I wasnât quite sure. Spencer thought it would be hilarious to reenact The Hunger Games by randomly shouting âsquirrelâ every five minutes and aiming for the nearest tree. Thank god the forest wildlife had quick reflexes. He never actually shot into the woods, but still, why did they even let the freak show near a bow and arrow?
We trudged back to Cabin 4A sweaty with our arms aching. There was an audible groan and mumbles of boredom when I announced our activity for the afternoon. According to my clipboard, we were taking water safety training with Laceyâs group. I changed into my sporty black two-piece suit and went down to the dock with the boys. Alicia was already there, so I helped her get out the equipment for the lesson.
âThis blows,â Spencer whined. âI hate water safety.â He was about to launch into another complaint, but stopped mid-sentence. Walkingâno, glidingâacross the green lawn was Lacey in a polka-dot bikini followed by her ladies-in-waiting, or as I recently began to think of them, the cupettes. It was like a mini sorority of ponytails and pink lip gloss. They oozed confidence and style. My messy ponytail waved in the wind like a feeble welcome.
Greetings. I acknowledge your superior fashion sense.
I stole a glance at the boys, who were standing a bit taller, combing their fingers through wild hair. The girls lined up on the dock opposite us.
Welcome to the bathing suit portion of our competition.
Alicia began the lesson with the usual spiel. I recognized the rescue PFD, or Personal Flotation Device, with the long rope and Velcro strap. She also had a CPR dummy.
âAnd whatâs the first thing you do when you realize someone is in trouble?â Alicia asked.
Spencer winked at one of the cupettes. âMouth to mouth,â he said.
âNo,â Alicia said. âYou call for help. Or in our case, you ring the bell.â She pointed to the brass bell at the end of the dock.
âMaybe we should just practice mouth to mouth?â Spencer joked again. All the girls rolled their eyes, except for one who held his gaze before looking down at her pink polished toenails. Clearly, she liked the rebel-without-a-cause type. I said a silent prayer for her parents.
As Alicia continued, Lacey focused on
I glanced at their plates. Spencer had coated his eggs in ketchup, Liam was shoving a third Rice Krispies square in his mouth, and Duff was mashing his food into an unrecognizable slop. Only Scotty seemed to have some manners. Already feeling like the day was going to be horrible, I took my tray up to the front.
âJust Jesse,â Kirk said, slinking up behind me. What is with this guy and his surprise attacks from behind? Hadnât he ever heard of face-to-face combat? âCabin 4A didnât burn down last night.â
âNope.â I straightened up and steeled my nerves. We began our Wild West showdown again, ignoring the kids that walked around us. It was hard not getting lost in those milk chocolate eyes. But after his remarks the night before, I wanted to prove how tough I was.
He raised one eyebrow. âReady to quit?â he teased.
Dad used to ask me the same question when he could tell I was exhausted during training. And since this job was becoming more gruelling than any long run Iâd ever done, I gave Kirk the same answer I always gave my dad.
âHell no,â I said. âIâm seeing this through to the finish.â And with that super awesome, sassy retort, I strutted out of the main hall without even looking back.
After two hours of archery under the blazing sun though, I wasnât quite sure. Spencer thought it would be hilarious to reenact The Hunger Games by randomly shouting âsquirrelâ every five minutes and aiming for the nearest tree. Thank god the forest wildlife had quick reflexes. He never actually shot into the woods, but still, why did they even let the freak show near a bow and arrow?
We trudged back to Cabin 4A sweaty with our arms aching. There was an audible groan and mumbles of boredom when I announced our activity for the afternoon. According to my clipboard, we were taking water safety training with Laceyâs group. I changed into my sporty black two-piece suit and went down to the dock with the boys. Alicia was already there, so I helped her get out the equipment for the lesson.
âThis blows,â Spencer whined. âI hate water safety.â He was about to launch into another complaint, but stopped mid-sentence. Walkingâno, glidingâacross the green lawn was Lacey in a polka-dot bikini followed by her ladies-in-waiting, or as I recently began to think of them, the cupettes. It was like a mini sorority of ponytails and pink lip gloss. They oozed confidence and style. My messy ponytail waved in the wind like a feeble welcome.
Greetings. I acknowledge your superior fashion sense.
I stole a glance at the boys, who were standing a bit taller, combing their fingers through wild hair. The girls lined up on the dock opposite us.
Welcome to the bathing suit portion of our competition.
Alicia began the lesson with the usual spiel. I recognized the rescue PFD, or Personal Flotation Device, with the long rope and Velcro strap. She also had a CPR dummy.
âAnd whatâs the first thing you do when you realize someone is in trouble?â Alicia asked.
Spencer winked at one of the cupettes. âMouth to mouth,â he said.
âNo,â Alicia said. âYou call for help. Or in our case, you ring the bell.â She pointed to the brass bell at the end of the dock.
âMaybe we should just practice mouth to mouth?â Spencer joked again. All the girls rolled their eyes, except for one who held his gaze before looking down at her pink polished toenails. Clearly, she liked the rebel-without-a-cause type. I said a silent prayer for her parents.
As Alicia continued, Lacey focused on
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