Page 1 of Beyond the Summer

Ben

"Thecounselorsarearrivingsoon.I'm glad you're back at camp for another summer."My stepbrother, Matt, walked in front of me, juggling my suitcase as he unlocked a familiar cabin door with a flourish.He hauled the bag inside, waving me in after him.The musty, familiar smell of camp rushed at me as I dumped a box of my books on the top bunk of one of the two bunk beds in the counselors' cabin, staking my claim.

"This is my last summer, I swear.And this time, I mean it."

Matt set my duffel bag by the bed, then grabbed a rag from the cleaning supplies and wiped the dust off the dresser that sat along one wall."That's what you said last summer."

"Matt, I'm 21.Next year, I'll need to get a job in the real world."

Matt clutched his chest, pretending to be wounded."Ben!I can't believe you would say camp isn't the real world!It's the most real thing there is."

"For you, maybe."

As far as I knew, Matt had dreamed of being the camp director at Camp Eagle Ridge since he was a toddler, and he looked the part.He was precisely the kind of granola-crunchy, bearded mountain man you'd expect to find in a backwoods Washington summer camp.And his personality was an even better fit.

People loved him, kids loved him.Hell, even I loved him, and he irritated the hell out of me.But it was impossible not to love my stepbrother; he was just so… Matt.Matt was as perfect for this summer camp as I was wrong for it.He was outdoorsy; I loved to read and draw.He was friendly and outgoing, and wise beyond his 28 years; I was painfully shy and perpetually anxious.

"You could tell Dad you're done working at camp, you know," Matt said, eyes sparkling."He's not forcing you to work here.He thinks you love it!"

I gave him a friendly shove."You want to be the favorite."

Matt snorted."You're the goddamn favorite.You and your good grades, college boy."

"You, too, could have a college degree.In fact, I think you're only a few credits away from having several of them."I regretted the words the moment they slipped out of my mouth."Sorry, man, I shouldn't tease you about your ADHD stuff."

"Hey, we all have our challenges.I have ADHD, and you…" He held up one of my fantasy romance books."Are sexually attracted to ogres."

"Fuck off," I said, snatching my book with a laugh.Matt always knew how to calm me down before I spiraled into guilt and anxiety.My mom had married Walt when I was a baby, so Walt was the only dad I'd ever known, and from the start, Walt had treated me like I was his own.Matt had been seven at the time, and had adopted me just as easily.

Hell, I couldn't remember a time when Matt wasn't right there beside me, trying to get me to do horrifying stuff like socializing and talking to strangers.

He blew out a breath, then reached for the bedding we washed and stored in the closet during the off-season, tossing me a set of sheets.He grinned at me as he started making up one of the bottom bunks."This is going to be a good year, I can feel it."

"I hope so, since Dad talked me into one more year at camp," I said as I helped him spread out a fitted sheet.

"Oh no.You tried to tell him no and he gave you his puppy dog eyes."

"He gave me his puppy dog eyes.Why can't I say no to him?"I grumped, moving to the other bottom bunk and spreading out another sheet, while he worked on the top.

"Last year wasn't so bad, though, right?You made a friend!"

"Two friends," I corrected, laughing."Maybe three, if Parker counts."

"Parker Layton?Why wouldn't he count?"

"He's intimidating!"

Matt snorted."Are we talking about the same Parker?The one who was your co-counselor last year?He's a golden retriever in a human boy's body."

I laughed."A golden retriever who is much cooler and much more popular than me."

"Have you ever considered that people like Parker are popular because they're nice and enjoy having lots of friends?Including you.It's not an exclusive club."

I thought about that for a moment, then shook my head."You must be too old to remember high school."

"I'm only 28!"Matt teased."I don't have dementia yet.And I'm sure Parker likes you fine.He requested to be in your cabin again."

"He did?"I couldn't keep the hope out of my voice."He didn't mention that in the group text."

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