Camp Nityasundar

After some work, Mya and I were successful in getting the girls back to the cabin. We took a few hours and helped them all unpack.

“Alright, girls! Who wants to play a game?” Mya asked the girls. They all shrieked and gather around Mya and I. We sat them in a circle.

“So, let’s all go around the circle and say one thing about ourselves,” I said, smiling slightly.

“That’s not a game! It’s like show and tell with words,” a little blonde who was next to Mya said.

“I didn’t mean a game. I meant an activity,” Mya said, smiling.

“Then say what you mean next time,” the girl said. My eyes widened. I had no idea eleven year olds had such attitudes.

“Okay.. Well, my name is Kory and my favorite color is purple,” I said.

“My name is Mya and I have a dog named Puppy,” she said. A few of the girls giggled.

“My name is Sienna and I have a pool, a TV in my room, three dogs, six Barbie Dream Houses, and my daddy drive a Lexus,” the little blonde next to Mya said. No one said anything. It was obvious Sienna didn’t come from a struggling family. Her clothes were even nicer than mine. She did a pretty damn good job at making people feel awkward.

“I’m Mary and collect hats,” a little voice said from the opposite side of the circle. I looked over at her. She had a bright smile across her face. Her eyes were shining. She wore a pink baseball cap with the Philadelphia Eagles symbol on it.

“Well, Mary. I really like your hat. You’ll have to show me more sometime,” I said, smiling at her. She smiled back. It was radiant. I thought Misty’s smile was one in a million.. but man, was I wrong. Mary’s smile completely lit up the room.

“I’m Mikayla and I…” the girls forgot about Sienna’s comments and continued. The girls seemed to warm up to one another quickly. They giggled at everything. Except Mary. Mary kept very quiet and didn’t talk to anyone. She didn’t laugh at all, but once in a while, that radiant smile would glide across her face and she caught my eye.

Before we knew it, dinner time was upon us. The girls followed Mya and I to the dining hall. After they got their chicken tenders and fries, they separated into their little groups of friends across the dining hall. The hall was filled with boys and girls. I guess everyone decided to come to dinner at the same time.

“Mind if I sit with you?” Jersey.

“You’re rather persistent, aren’t you?” I asked him, grabbing my plate of food.

“Why shouldn’t I be?” he asked. I sighed.

“I don’t know. I’m sorry.. this just.. isn’t exactly how I planned on spending my summer before my senior year, yunno?” I said.

“I get it. I felt the same way last year. But it’s really not that bad. Think of it like a vacation. I mean, there’s a lake. Free room and board. The food’s not half bad, either,” he said.

“You just say that because your family owns this place,” I said, smiling slightly.

“I resent that,” he said, smirking. The dining hall was loud. Everything echoed. “Can I sit with you?”

“Are you even eating anything?” I asked, looking at his bare hands.

“No, but I can always just sit and talk,” he said. I looked around the dining hall for somewhere for us to sit. Then I saw her. Mary. She was sitting alone. The other girls sat multiple seats away from her. Mary seemed completely fine with it. She was reading and nibbling a small sandwich.

“Uhm..” I had almost forgotten about Jersey.

“You should go sit with Mary,” he said.

“You know her?” I asked.

“She’s been coming to this camp since she was 5. She’s special..” he said. A sparkle hit his eye when he looked at her. I smiled.

“Give me a rain check on the dinner date,” I said. Without a response, I walked over to Mary. She sat there with her legs crossed on the bench beneath her. “What are you reading?”

“A Catcher in the Rye,” she said. That book was on my summer reading list for AP English. Wow.

“Is it any good?” I asked her. She looked up at me. Her eyes were so, incredibly bright with life.

“Yeah! I’m over half way done already. I just started it two days ago,” she smiled. Oh, that smile. It was breath-taking.

“That’s great! Do you mind if I sit with you?” I asked her. She shook her head and moved her book so I could set my tray down.

“I like your name, Kory. It’s like a boy’s name, only you turned it into a girl’s name,” she said, looking up at me. I smiled.

“Well, thank you. Keep it between you and me, but my real name is Korrine. I don’t like it, so I go by Kory,” I said. She winked at me.

“My real name is Marilyn. I don’t like it either, so I go by Mary,” she said. I smiled at her. She took a bite out of her sandwich.

“How come you’re not eating chicken like the other girls, Mary?” I asked, picking at my fries.

“I’m not supposed to eat chicken anymore,” she said.

“Why not?” I asked her.

“My mom said I couldn’t after I got sick,” she said. Sick. “Hey! Your bracelet looks like mine!” Mary pointed to the orange, string bracelet my best friend made for me two years ago and held up her wrist with one that looked the same, only purple.

“Wow! It’s like we were meant to be friends,” I said, smiling at her. Then she laughed. Her laugh was so melodious. If her smile lit up a room, her laughter made flowers bloom. It was beautiful. She was beautiful.
***************************

Mya and I took the girls back to the cabin so they could get to bed by nine. After they fell asleep, I put my headphones in and blasted some Ke$ha on my iPod. I stared up at the ceiling, remembering Mary’s laughter. She was so happy, so full of life. There was something special about Mary. Something I just couldn’t figure out.