We Say Summer
One
"Good morning Counselors and CITs!" a brunette woman who kept her hair tied in a fishtail and stood about five feet tall spoke into a megaphone. "It's nice to see some of you again and to those of you I don't know yet, welcome to Camp Roanoke. I look forward to getting to know you all." She seemed cheery enough, but something about her struck me as hard-ass-boss-lady. Yeah I definitely didn't want to end up on her bad side. "Now there are a few things to cover today, but I want to start off with something simple. This may be camp, but we do have rules here: One, all campers must have lights out by 10 P.M. every night and counselors by 11. Two, there are to be no girls in boys' cabins or boys in girls' cabins after 9:30 P.M. ever. Three, no drugs or alcohol on camp property and yes, that does include smoking."
Damn. What could you do around here?
"Any questions?" the woman asked. No one said a word. "Great! If you haven't already, get settled into your cabins and be sure to get a good night's sleep. Campers will be arriving tomorrow morning at 10 A.M. sharp!"
***
Dragging my suitcase behind me, I tried not to trip over my duffel bag as I plowed through the door of cabin 4B—my home for the next nine weeks. The cabin across the gravel path was 4A; I imagined that was where the cabin 4 boys were staying. Inside there was a nice open area with folding tables and chairs stacked up against the wall and a decently sized kitchenette equipped with a working oven, a microwave, a refrigerator, and a sink. No dishwasher though. Maybe the campers could take on that chore.
I turned into the hallway and past the campers' quarters where two rows of four bunks lined both sides of the room. Past that were the bathroom and shower stalls and beyond that was my room. It was small—probably half the size of my room at home—and had two bunk beds and not much else. I guess I'm the first one here, I figured as I looked around. The bunks were bare and I didn't see a suitcase or bag anywhere. I threw my duffel bag up on the top bunk closest to the window. Sometimes when it rained, I liked to lie back and listen.
I began unpacking my things: laying out a sheet over the thin vinyl mattress, unrolling my sleeping bag on top of it, sorting through my clothes to pick out an outfit for the first day tomorrow. When I felt all settled and still no one else had come, I decided to pull out my iPod and relax for a bit. I didn’t bother to put in my earphones so I just let the music blast. Nothing like a little Third Eye Blind to set the mood on a nice sunny July afternoon. I was humming along to Semi-Charmed Life when I heard the door in front open and slam shut.
"It's not weird that he's living practically next door?" I overheard a girl say. There were two of them.
"I don't know…I guess not. Should it be?" the other girl replied. When they rounded the corner into our room, I sat up and offered a warm smile. I wasn't always the best with first impressions so I hoped this would go over smoothly.
"Hi," I said and the two girls smiled back at me.
"Hi," one of them, a petite brunette with wavy hair that flowed down her pink tank top replied. She'd been the one answering the other girl's question. "Is that Third Eye Blind?" she asked. I nodded. "Kara, thank God! We finally have a roommate with good taste in music!"
Well I guess this was going well so far. "I'm Jamie," I held out my hand to her which she then shook.
"Lisa, and this is my friend, Kara."
"Howdy!" Kara waved from the other side of the room. She was just starting to unpack. "Lis, can I borrow your sandals tonight?"
"What's tonight?" I asked, swinging my legs over the railing. There was already an event I wasn't unaware of? Did I already suck at my new job?
"It's just this thing all the counselors do before camp officially starts. We play music, barbeque and try to get people drunk enough to go skinny dipping in the lake," Lisa explained, a tiny hint of a smirk on her face. I guess she'd had some personal experience with that last part.
"Yeah, it's really fun," Kara added as she struggled to get her bed sheet to stay tucked at all corners. "You're coming right?"
Though I hadn't even heard of this so-called tradition until just now, I figured watching drunk people skinny dip would be more entertaining than a quiet night to myself. "Wouldn't miss it."
"Great!" Lisa smiled, turning away from me to unpack her things. Kara and Lisa were sharing a bunk, leaving the bed beneath mine empty.
"Is it just the three of us then?" I asked to no one in particular.
"Oh no," Kara answered. "Christina's staying here too. She snuck off the grounds with some of the other counselors to get the booze for tonight. You'll see her later."
I nodded and pulled back my legs to lie down. I wasn't sure what to expect of tonight or the rest of the summer for that matter. I'd taken this job for my parents because though they'd never say it directly, they were desperate to get me out of the house—or really anything that didn't require me lying in bed just staring at my ceiling. After what had happened I'd lost a bit of myself and I guess this was just my last attempt at finding it again.
Damn. What could you do around here?
"Any questions?" the woman asked. No one said a word. "Great! If you haven't already, get settled into your cabins and be sure to get a good night's sleep. Campers will be arriving tomorrow morning at 10 A.M. sharp!"
***
Dragging my suitcase behind me, I tried not to trip over my duffel bag as I plowed through the door of cabin 4B—my home for the next nine weeks. The cabin across the gravel path was 4A; I imagined that was where the cabin 4 boys were staying. Inside there was a nice open area with folding tables and chairs stacked up against the wall and a decently sized kitchenette equipped with a working oven, a microwave, a refrigerator, and a sink. No dishwasher though. Maybe the campers could take on that chore.
I turned into the hallway and past the campers' quarters where two rows of four bunks lined both sides of the room. Past that were the bathroom and shower stalls and beyond that was my room. It was small—probably half the size of my room at home—and had two bunk beds and not much else. I guess I'm the first one here, I figured as I looked around. The bunks were bare and I didn't see a suitcase or bag anywhere. I threw my duffel bag up on the top bunk closest to the window. Sometimes when it rained, I liked to lie back and listen.
I began unpacking my things: laying out a sheet over the thin vinyl mattress, unrolling my sleeping bag on top of it, sorting through my clothes to pick out an outfit for the first day tomorrow. When I felt all settled and still no one else had come, I decided to pull out my iPod and relax for a bit. I didn’t bother to put in my earphones so I just let the music blast. Nothing like a little Third Eye Blind to set the mood on a nice sunny July afternoon. I was humming along to Semi-Charmed Life when I heard the door in front open and slam shut.
"It's not weird that he's living practically next door?" I overheard a girl say. There were two of them.
"I don't know…I guess not. Should it be?" the other girl replied. When they rounded the corner into our room, I sat up and offered a warm smile. I wasn't always the best with first impressions so I hoped this would go over smoothly.
"Hi," I said and the two girls smiled back at me.
"Hi," one of them, a petite brunette with wavy hair that flowed down her pink tank top replied. She'd been the one answering the other girl's question. "Is that Third Eye Blind?" she asked. I nodded. "Kara, thank God! We finally have a roommate with good taste in music!"
Well I guess this was going well so far. "I'm Jamie," I held out my hand to her which she then shook.
"Lisa, and this is my friend, Kara."
"Howdy!" Kara waved from the other side of the room. She was just starting to unpack. "Lis, can I borrow your sandals tonight?"
"What's tonight?" I asked, swinging my legs over the railing. There was already an event I wasn't unaware of? Did I already suck at my new job?
"It's just this thing all the counselors do before camp officially starts. We play music, barbeque and try to get people drunk enough to go skinny dipping in the lake," Lisa explained, a tiny hint of a smirk on her face. I guess she'd had some personal experience with that last part.
"Yeah, it's really fun," Kara added as she struggled to get her bed sheet to stay tucked at all corners. "You're coming right?"
Though I hadn't even heard of this so-called tradition until just now, I figured watching drunk people skinny dip would be more entertaining than a quiet night to myself. "Wouldn't miss it."
"Great!" Lisa smiled, turning away from me to unpack her things. Kara and Lisa were sharing a bunk, leaving the bed beneath mine empty.
"Is it just the three of us then?" I asked to no one in particular.
"Oh no," Kara answered. "Christina's staying here too. She snuck off the grounds with some of the other counselors to get the booze for tonight. You'll see her later."
I nodded and pulled back my legs to lie down. I wasn't sure what to expect of tonight or the rest of the summer for that matter. I'd taken this job for my parents because though they'd never say it directly, they were desperate to get me out of the house—or really anything that didn't require me lying in bed just staring at my ceiling. After what had happened I'd lost a bit of myself and I guess this was just my last attempt at finding it again.
11/7/12