Page 12 of Make Out With A Merman

I raise an eyebrow. “Done with what?”

“With pretending chaos is okay just because it’s loud and people cheer for it.”

“Ouch.”

He still doesn’t look at me. “These kids trust you. That means something. Use it well. Don’t waste it trying to prove a point.”

That one lands.

I nod, quieter than usual. “Noted.”

We sit like that for a minute. Just lake breeze, distant camper laughter, and the flick of water on rock.

Then I say, “You know, if youdidwant to smile, now and then, I promise it won’t fracture your spine.”

Still nothing.

But when I stand and walk back toward camp, I swear I hear the faintest sound behind me.

A single, exhausted, barely-there laugh.

CHAPTER 6

RYDER

It’s 07:45. The lake is calm. The gear is prepped. My checklist is done.

And Callie is nowhere to be found.

Again.

The whistle hangs from my neck, untouched, like it knows there’s no point. I check the clock clipped to the lifeguard tower. Check it again. Just in case time started lying to me.

Nope. Still late.

This is the second day of our Advanced Water Skills co-lead. We’re supposed to be covering lateral rescue techniques. But right now, I’m covering the dock in increasingly aggressive pacing grooves while the campers play hacky sack with someone’s flip-flop.

Jason walks by, coffee in one hand, yogurt in the other.

“Ryder,” he says, not stopping, “your forehead vein’s about to file a restraining order.”

“Have you seen Callie?”

“Nope,” he calls over his shoulder. “But if I had to guess, I’d check the canoe shed. That’s where the glitter incident started yesterday.”

Glitter incident.

I still have specs of it embedded in my towel. It’s like her DNA is invasive.

I march toward the canoe shed, each step a silent plea to whatever higher power monitors camp discipline to give me a break today.

The door creaks open.

And there she is.

Standing on a milk crate, wrapping duct tape around what appears to be a floating obstacle shaped like a giant banana. She’s singing. Off-key. Something about friendship and jellyfish.

“Callie.”

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