“And lastly, I would like to tell everyone,” Katie started, standing at the head of the auditorium that was off to the right of the cabins, “14 new courses have been introduced to Camp Sing-Song.” The counselor-audience burst into applause and cheering. There hadn’t been new activity-courses at Camp Sing-Song for at least five years.
“We were able to get the materials for our activities through our amazing sponsors, Brently’s Barn, Cupcakery, and Baby Art. Tomorrow, you will all be able to come down and sign up your campers for courses and activities based on their preference applications. Our training sessions will start after lunch tomorrow. And now, feel free to use the rec rooms and swim in the pool. Have fun!”
“Wanna swim?” Brody asked, jumping up from his seat.
“Let me get my suit on. I’ll meet you down there,” Velvet replied and bolted up the pavement to cabin 2A. She yanked open the screen door, brushed past the green curtain, and practically screamed when she saw Yori sitting on her bed. Velvet hadn’t expected her.
“Yori? Weren’t you at the induction?” Velvet asked, fishing through her top drawer for her one piece suit she had found in her closet from the year before.
“No,” Yori replied as if Velvet should’ve already known that.
“Who did you need to call?” Velvet asked, undressing.
“Um…hello? Protect my eyes, would you?” Yori snapped, turning away from the dressing Velvet.
“We’re gonna be sharing a room for three weeks; we’re gonna have to get used to dressing in front of each other,” Velvet commented, starting to see some truth in what Brody had said earlier—about Velvet being cheated out of a cabin.
“I was calling my mother, if you must know,” Yori responded, her voice a little softer. Wiggling into her one piece, Velvet wondered if Yori was homesick already.
“What about?” Velvet asked, swooping up her pile of clothes and stuffing them down in her drawer.
“For her to pick me up.”
“What?! You’re going home?” Velvet exclaimed, picturing the cabin without the second bed, allowing so much more room for her to move.
“No. My mom’s in Europe right now and can’t pick me up until this camp thing is over,” Yori replied, rolling her eyes and sighing in annoyance.
“Oh.” The room would stay the small, cramped and a little claustrophobic. “Too bad.”
“I know, I don’t know how long I can stay here,” Yori sneered. I meant you staying here, Velvet thought, but made sure to keep it to herself.
“This isn’t my type of place,” Yori shared, her snappy tone vanishing. Instantly, Velvet felt a bit of pity for Yori, how Velvet felt for Yori before. At least she was trying something new. Besides, benefit goes to all, in the end, when someone or something steps out of their comfort zone. Velvet’s mom would say that to Velvet in her grade school years and Velvet took to that phrase for every situation.
“You’ll get used to it. And, I’ll help you,” Velvet offered, slamming her drawer shut and walking toward the green curtain.
“Maybe,” Yori responded.
Turning at the green curtain doorway, Velvet said, “You wanna go swimming?”
“No thanks,” Yori replied, staying put on her bed.
“Yes, you do. You’re wearing your suit,” Velvet pressed, smiling.
“I’m fine.”
“Okay, well come down if you want to. Bring a towel, the water can get pretty cold in the evening,” Velvet said and walked from the cabin door, happy at her progress of turning a molasses-sticky situation into a taffy candy-sticky one.
However, what Velvet didn’t know, was that Yori still wasn’t convinced and rolled her eyes back into her head once Velvet had left the room.
“Velvet! Velvet!” Brody chanted, paddling in the close-to-freezing water.
“It’s too cold, Brody!” Velvet shouted back from the edge of the large dock.
“C’mon Velvet,” Matt called from the side of the dock, his head bobbing up and down in the miniature waves. “You usually aren’t a wimp,” he teased.
“That makes me want to jump in so bad!” Velvet called back, but still didn’t budge. “But not enough,” she admitted and took a step back.
“Well, that’s easy then!” Brody stated, pushing himself up on the deck, beads of water splashing beneath him.
“Stay back!” Velvet yelped, laughing and shuffling back from the water even more. Brody caught Velvet’s legs, picked her up, swung her over his shoulder, and let himself fall back into the water, bringing trapped Velvet with him.
“Brody!” Velvet screamed once her head rose up from the dark black lake. Velvet then started shoving water towards Brody, causing laughter between the three of them.
“Hi guys,” a voice said from the dock, ceasing the laughter and splashing. They all looked up. Yori stood, in her red and yellow bikini, a white towel draped over her arm. Her sunglasses rested on the bridge of her nose even though the sun was long gone.
“Yori! You came,” Velvet said, smiling. Velvet felt so proud of convincing Yori to come down to the lake and swim, that she could taste the taffy in her mouth already. “Jump in.”
“Jump in? And get my suit wet? No thank you.”
“Barbie doll,” Brody whisper-taunted.
“Shh!” Velvet smacked Brody away and rested her arms on the edge of the dock so she could face Yori.
“So we meet again,” Matt announced, gliding on his back to the front side of the dock, half-smiling and an eyebrow raised.
“Ew.” Yori turned around, laid out her towel, and stretched out on the dock.
“Okay, well—“ Velvet started, but stopped abruptly when she heard Yori scream. Bolting right to her feet, Yori shivered, water dripping from her hair and face to her nicely painted toes. Brody dunked and swam quickly away, leaving Matt by the side of the dock, staring up at Yori. She was boring her narrow-eyebrowed eyes into his head.
“Brody! Why did you do that?” Velvet demanded. Brody was treading water about five feet away from the commotion.
“W-what? I-I didn’t do anything,” Brody stumbled over his words, smothering his laughter. “I was splashing Matt and some dripped onto her.”
“It wasn’t me,” Matt said soberly, pleading to Yori. “Come on, man,” Matt said to Brody, shook his head and swam in the other direction toward the ladder attached to the dock to get out of the lake.
“Yori, are you okay?” Velvet asked, propping herself back up on the dock. But Yori was stalking away back up the pavement and Matt was in her place instead, drying off and not making eye contact.
Today was a little harder to get the plot going, but I think I'll be able to work off of what I've written today, tomorrow. :)
And remember guys: Writing might not be my whole life, but it makes my life whole--pssh! What am I talking about? Writing is my whole life!
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