Chapter Four: Velvet
Trick For Treat
For Velvet, the week of training passed like a montage: the clear mornings with hummingbirds, the training afternoons at the cool lake, the feeling of speeding wind on her wakeboard after Brody had gave her a few pointers, the homey smell of pies and pastries from the cooking room, the spinning pottery wheel with gray clay molded in a layered shape, the buffets of picnic food on red checkered tablecloths, and the breakfasts, lunches, and dinners that she shared with Yori, Brody, and Matt, talking and laughing.
It was Sunday, the day off of training, the day before the campers arrival, when Velvet realized something about the past week. It was that Yori was seeming to distant herself from the group. Velvet noticed by the subtle things. Yori wasn’t hinting to Velvet about Matt or trying to set the two up. Yori wouldn’t wade her feet in the lake, but just tan on the dock, sunglasses shading her eyes. Yori would listen to the instructor during the Water Sports training, even when Brody seemed to want to teach someone very badly. Yori would be asleep by the time Velvet came into the cabin and be up and showered before Velvet even had the chance to rub her eyes awake. It seemed as if Yori had just suddenly lost interest in the whole guy chase and camp experience. Velvet wasn’t too sure of what was going on, but she wanted to find out.
Yori was touching up her makeup, Sunday morning, as Velvet rushed to dress and catch up to Yori. The two were going to eat breakfast together and then meet up with Matt and Brody in the rec room to play some pool and air hockey. Velvet seized the chance to talk to Yori about the past week.
“Yori, how have you been liking camp?” Velvet asked, yanking her green shirt over her head, pushing her fallen hair out of the way.
“It’s okay,” Yori shrugged, spreading some kind of paint on her eyes.
“You’ve seemed distant lately. Is everything all right?” Velvet replied, trying to seem nonchalant about it.
“I’m not distant,” Yori said curtly, brushing on mascara, possibly to avert her eyes form Velvet.
“You just don’t seem super interested in Brody all of a sudden,” Velvet replied, tying up her blonde hair in a ponytail.
“I’m laying off a little, trying the more mellow approach, you know?” Yori responded.
“That makes sense,” Velvet commented, relieved it wasn’t something bigger.
“But you’re still going to help me get with Brody, right?” Yori asked abruptly asked, putting down her brushes and looking over at Velvet.
“Of course, why wouldn’t I?” Velvet replied, a little confused at the sudden change of conversation. Yori laughed a little.
“I don’t know, so you don’t take him for yourself or anything,” Yori laughed, finally giving Velvet a smile. Velvet smiled and they set out for the breakfast buffet.
Throughout breakfast, as the two chatted, Velvet started pondering about what Yori had said. So you don’t take him for yourself. Why would she have said that? Did something in particular make her say that? At least it was all a friendly joke.
“Hey!” Velvet said, coming up with a great idea. “Why don’t we go to the tennis courts and play doubles? You can be on Brody’s team.” Yori didn’t say anything for a moment, seemed to inspect Velvet’s creases on her face, and then brightened.
“I’ve played that before,” Yori remarked, throwing out her leftover food and placing the tray on top of the trash can.
At the rec room, Brody and Matt were playing an intense game of ping pong when the girls walked in. From the window, Velvet could see that the tennis court was free.
“Should we play tennis?” Velvet asked, once the ping pong point was over.
“Sure, I call you as my partner,” Brody said, setting down his tiny racket and leaning his elbow on Velvet’s shoulder. Velvet could feel her face growing hot so she slipped her shoulder away from Brody and tittered.
“Why don’t you be with Yori, though? She said she wanted some tips on her game and you’re pretty good,” Velvet said, looking nervously between the two.
“You think I’m good?” Brody asked smoothly. Velvet cocked her head to one side, questioning Brody’s weird actions, and hooked her arm with Matt’s.
“Matt’s my partner,” Velvet decided and paraded out of the rec room to the tennis courts.
“Fine,” Velvet heard Brody grumble and follow the two. They each grabbed a racket and a few tennis balls, Yori serving first. Velvet missed Yori’s first dead-on, fierce serve, not realizing Yori was so good. As the match continued, Yori and Brody continued to score and Velvet and Matt just kept missing Yori’s intense hits. Velvet actually sensed that Yori might be hitting the tennis ball extremely hard on purpose. But Velvet also noticed how athletic Brody was. He was light on his feet when he ran and always hit the ball over the net (even though it was usually out of court), showcasing his strength.
A few more tennis matches, a long swim in the lake, and a couple of games of ultimate Frisbee later, the evening started to close in and the four counselors met up for dinner on the main field like usual. Selecting a slice of pineapple and green pepper pizza and dishing a couple of large scoops of soaked Caesar salad, Velvet said, “Last night before the little ones come in.”
“I can’t wait to get started with the campers in the lake,” Brody said, his perky cheekbones lifting with his bright smile.
“Me either,” Yori blurted, Velvet secretly rolling her eyes, knowing about Yori’s mock interest for “other reasons.”
“One of my camper’s names is Plume,” Brody commented, attempting to suppress a chortle. “Plume. I mean, what do you say to that kid? Poor thing, must get it hard at school.” Velvet cracked up at that; Brody had such a great sense of humor. And as the night went on, all Velvet could think of was, so you don’t take him for yourself or something.
That night, Velvet tried to get ready for bed at the same pace as Yori so she could catch her before she fell fast asleep. Velvet needed to tell Yori something important.
Yori shut off the light, the two girls tucked in in their beds. They both lay there for a moment, in the illuminated darkness, the quiet seeping from the crack underneath the door and from the cobwebs in the corner.
“Yori?” Velvet called out into the endless darkness, feeling the words shiver in her throat.
“What?” Yori snapped, obviously wanting to sleep.
“I have to tell you something important…” Velvet began nervously, shifting from side to side. The creaking of her bed was killing the silence.
“Yes…?” Yori responded edgily.
“I…like Brody.” The silence returned, before the inevitable bedside light flipped on. Yori was sitting straight up in her bed, propped up on her elbows. Her eyes were nothing like Velvet had seen before. They were a glowing, steamy mad.
“You what?!” Yori barked, staring daggers into Velvet.
“I…I didn’t before, but it was just something this year that…that was different.”
“You promised, Velvet, that you would help me be a couple with Brody!” Yori pushed her covers off her legs and shot out of bed like a rocket.
“I know, and I promised before I knew I had feelings for him. But this past week, my love for him really evolved. We’ve been talking a lot and he is just so fascinating and has a great personality,” Velvet gushed, propping herself up on her elbows, her eyes following Yori’s pacing.
“Well…you’re only hurting yourself by doing that. Trust me, I know guys like Brody. He could never like someone like you,” Yori replied, her voice tone tense but knowing.
“What?” Velvet asked, feeling her inner soul deteriorating as Yori continued.
“Yeah, it’s sad, but hunky guys like him just aren’t interested in girls like you,” Yori said.
“You mean, I should change?” Velvet asked, folding back her sheets and blankets.
“No,” Velvet snapped. “You should stop trying. Just stop. Forget your dumb feelings for Brody and focus on the more important: helping me.”
“But…Brody is different. He isn’t just hunky, he’s interesting and involved and—“
“I know Brody,” Yori snapped. “I can look at a guy and know everything about him, from his past to his future. Believe me, Velvet. You’ll only going to get hurt trying for a guy so out of your league.”
“I…” Velvet was at a total loss for words. She had never had a boyfriend and really didn’t know anything about guys, so maybe Yori was right. Maybe she should have never even mentioned it.
“Now, I’ve been meaning to ask you. Is Brody allergic to anything?” Yori asked, her voice suddenly decreased to a calmed level. Velvet didn’t answer right away, she was still thinking. In fact, she was thinking a lot.
Velvet wasn’t stupid. Velvet knew exactly what was going on. Yori was trying to keep Brody for herself. Maybe Velvet wasn’t right for Brody, but that didn’t mean Velvet couldn’t change to be right for Brody. It might take a little extra effort to make anything happen, but Velvet had the will and stamina and she wasn’t just going to throw it away because Yori was jealous and competitive. Besides, she had taken too much guff off of Yori already.
“Yori, have you ever heard of the saying, two can play this game? Well, the ball is my court. Night.”
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