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We Say Summer
Two
The inside of the cabin wasn’t anything special. The hardwood floor was marked with shoe streaks and other stains. The windows, even from a distance, looked dirty and had dead bugs caught in the outer screen. I shivered at the sight.
Off to the side, there was a kitchenette equipped with an oven, two-bowl sink, and a mini-fridge. Right beside it, I saw my things sitting in a pile on the floor. Tucking my sleeping bag and pillow under my arms, I grabbed my suitcase and wheeled it into the hall behind me.
The counselors’ room was small—roughly half the size of my room at home. It had two twin beds, one window, and not much else. I dropped my stuff down by the foot of the bed closest to the window and got to work fitting a sheet over the mattress. Once I was all settled in, I flopped down on the bed and pulled out my iPod, putting on some Third Eye Blind.
Just as my head hit the pillow, I heard the door at the front swing open and two girls in the middle of a conversation.
“I don’t know…it’s just kinda weird, isn’t it? Being right next door to him,” one of them said.
"It's fine. We talked. Everything's cool," the other replied, sounding tired and annoyed.
"If you say so…"
They’re voices grew louder as they reached the end of the hall. I quickly glued my eyes to my iPod and pretended to be deeply invested in a game of Temple Run. When they walked in I looked up.
“Hi—”
“Is that Third Eye Blind?” one of them, a tall girl with model-long legs and hair that was fire engine red, interrupted. “I’m Naomi by the way.”
“Um, yeah,” I replied, watching as she plopped down next to me and started going through my songs list.
“Jeez Nay, you could ask before you go through her stuff,” the other scolded. She threw her bags down on the other bed and began unpacking.
“It’s fine,” I said. “So I’m guessing that you’re my roommate.”
She nodded and smiled. “I’m Lisa.”
"Jamie."
"Jamie, you have excellent taste in music," Naomi commented, putting on a Fall Out Boy song. "I hope they play some of this stuff at the bonfire tonight. If I have to listen to four hours of Rihanna or Pitbull, I may drown myself."
"There's a bonfire tonight?" I asked.
“Yup,” Naomi rolled over and walked over to Lisa’s bed, my iPod still clutched in her hand. “It’s this party we throw at the beach every year before the first day of camp. It’s a tradition.”
"Yeah, it's really fun,” Lisa added. "You should come with us."
"You should! We could make s'mores and watch drunk people skinny dip in the lake," Naomi wiggled her eyebrows.
I tensed up a little. “I don’t know. I’m not much of a party person…”
"Okay, but you'll be missing out!" Naomi sang in a high voice.
I thought back to my last session with Dr. Shea. My parents had me start seeing a therapist after my brother, Cole, died. I’d never taken much from our weekly visits before, but her voice was ringing in my mind loud and clear now.
You can't keep punishing yourself, Jamie. Sitting on the sidelines for the rest of your life…it’s going to be the biggest regret you’ll ever have, she had said.
"Fine, I’ll go," I decided, hoping I wouldn't regret it later. "What should I wear?"
Off to the side, there was a kitchenette equipped with an oven, two-bowl sink, and a mini-fridge. Right beside it, I saw my things sitting in a pile on the floor. Tucking my sleeping bag and pillow under my arms, I grabbed my suitcase and wheeled it into the hall behind me.
The counselors’ room was small—roughly half the size of my room at home. It had two twin beds, one window, and not much else. I dropped my stuff down by the foot of the bed closest to the window and got to work fitting a sheet over the mattress. Once I was all settled in, I flopped down on the bed and pulled out my iPod, putting on some Third Eye Blind.
Just as my head hit the pillow, I heard the door at the front swing open and two girls in the middle of a conversation.
“I don’t know…it’s just kinda weird, isn’t it? Being right next door to him,” one of them said.
"It's fine. We talked. Everything's cool," the other replied, sounding tired and annoyed.
"If you say so…"
They’re voices grew louder as they reached the end of the hall. I quickly glued my eyes to my iPod and pretended to be deeply invested in a game of Temple Run. When they walked in I looked up.
“Hi—”
“Is that Third Eye Blind?” one of them, a tall girl with model-long legs and hair that was fire engine red, interrupted. “I’m Naomi by the way.”
“Um, yeah,” I replied, watching as she plopped down next to me and started going through my songs list.
“Jeez Nay, you could ask before you go through her stuff,” the other scolded. She threw her bags down on the other bed and began unpacking.
“It’s fine,” I said. “So I’m guessing that you’re my roommate.”
She nodded and smiled. “I’m Lisa.”
"Jamie."
"Jamie, you have excellent taste in music," Naomi commented, putting on a Fall Out Boy song. "I hope they play some of this stuff at the bonfire tonight. If I have to listen to four hours of Rihanna or Pitbull, I may drown myself."
"There's a bonfire tonight?" I asked.
“Yup,” Naomi rolled over and walked over to Lisa’s bed, my iPod still clutched in her hand. “It’s this party we throw at the beach every year before the first day of camp. It’s a tradition.”
"Yeah, it's really fun,” Lisa added. "You should come with us."
"You should! We could make s'mores and watch drunk people skinny dip in the lake," Naomi wiggled her eyebrows.
I tensed up a little. “I don’t know. I’m not much of a party person…”
"Okay, but you'll be missing out!" Naomi sang in a high voice.
I thought back to my last session with Dr. Shea. My parents had me start seeing a therapist after my brother, Cole, died. I’d never taken much from our weekly visits before, but her voice was ringing in my mind loud and clear now.
You can't keep punishing yourself, Jamie. Sitting on the sidelines for the rest of your life…it’s going to be the biggest regret you’ll ever have, she had said.
"Fine, I’ll go," I decided, hoping I wouldn't regret it later. "What should I wear?"
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