July 14th, 1997
The final summer as junior counselors
before their senior year of high school, before the majority of them
head to the halls of university scattered across the state and even
the country, before the real world of grown-up cares begins and
childhood is left behind. Some may choose to come back as full
counselors and yet as they head up the majority of them are thinking
that too shall be their paths. This before life leads them down
other alleyways of direction and focus. Buried within their hearts
no matter how time passes will be the memories of those summer days
tucked away in the protective seclusion of Camp Crowshaven, the
magical feeling of love and full acceptance remaining for all times
in their hearts, unaware of the affect it will make on the rest of
their lives and those with whom they come into contact.
But, for now, they board the bus,
unaware of what lies beyond the days of camp and their high school
existence, for now only focusing on the joyous week to come, filled
with the events of camp living and summer loves. Maybe this year
would be the summer, as it is the one last time, that Ruby and Les
will confess their love, or rather, their feelings. Maybe this will
be the summer that it finally happens.
Tera swung herself in the seat beside
Ruby and beamed at her friend.
“Jewels, guess what I just found
out?” She waited, baiting her friend to answer.
“Well, what?” Ruby finally relented
and asked.
“Guess whose single now?” Tera was
loving drawing out this juicy gossip that she hoped would bring glad
tidings. Ruby looked her over, quizzically and smirked.
“Who?”
Exasperated, Tera sighed and said,
“Les!”
Ruby leaned into her friend and
whispered, “What?”
“Yeah,” Tera began, relishing in
the gossip. “Jess broke up with him, saying she wanted to “pursue
other things” at least that's why she told me.”
“Other things?” Ruby questioned.
“What other things?”
“I don't know, she said just getting
ready for college and sports and stuff,” Tera began and them
smiled, “But I think there's someone back at home she likes, or
something.”
“Hmm,” was all Ruby would say.
Tera leaned in and winked at her friend.
“So?” She asked, waiting.
“So?” Ruby played coy. “Maybe
its that one guy we met at Les's party, that really smelly hippie guy
with the good weed.”
“Oh, gross,” Tera recoiled. “I
wouldn't wish that on anyone!”
They both laughed loudly and the
campers around them looked over. The girls quieted down somewhat
embarrassed. Tera looked her friend over and then said once again,
“So?”
“So, what?” Ruby repeated and
looked out the window. Tera sighed again exasperated and pushed her
friend with her shoulder.
“So, are you gonna say something?”
Tera pried. Ruby looked back at Tera and blushed.
“Um, yeah, maybe, I mean, I don't
know how he feels, so...”
“How can you be so stupid?” Tera
reprimanded her friend. “Its pretty clear you both like each
other!”
“You really think so?” Ruby raised
her eyebrows and bit her lip, hopefully.
“Yeah, so do something, this may be
the final time you ever see him!”
“Really? You think so?”
“Yeah, who knows where we are going
to be next year, with college and everything,” Tera explained. “We
all could lose track of each other.”
Both Ruby and Tera looked around at
their assembled friends scattered throughout the bus, amongst the
campers. The friends that had grown close to them, had been such a
vital part of their high school experience if only for those two
weeks every summer at camp. Those friends that had been beacons of
refuge not just in the summer but during the school year, through
good times and hard times, from prom dates to life and death calls,
with the times they'd met up for camp reunions during the year. How
would their lives be different without the familiarity of these
faces? They looked them. Near the front of the bus sat Geoff,
happy-go-lucky Geoff, tall and gangly and unaware of his
unapproachable dorkiness but always ready to please. Near by him
surrounded by adoring fan-like mini-me pre-teen girls sat beautiful
Jess, if anything destined to do the model-type walk. In the back of
the bus sat Les, looking out the windows, his blue eyes lost in
concentration of that which was not in the bus, trying to forget his
awkwardness at seeing Jess.
He hadn't thought he minded the break
up, after all it left him open to pursue other “things.” He
glanced over at Ruby and Tera, the two of them giggling and
whispering together, somewhat conspiratorially. This was the last
year, his one final time to say and do something. He studied the two
of them, envied their close relationship, surely these two would
never lose track of each other. If he kept in contact with one, he
would surely be able to find the other.
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