Page 89 of Lady and the Camp
“Sure seems like they’re sugar coating this whole welcome to our camp thing,” Twila grumbled, suddenly beside me.
She’d been quiet this week. Which had me suspicious. It was nice to hear a catty comment so I knew she was okay.
Then I caught sight of her. Twila wore full tactical gear. Military style boots, aviator shades, cargo pants made from a synthetic lightweight material. A fitted shirt with a vest over top and an F.B.I. patch on the front. Pockets across every surface. She unzipped one and pulled out Chapstick in a hot pink tube.
“What’s with the gear?” I asked.
“Army surplus. Isn’t it great?” She turned. On the back of her vest, in a cutesy cursive font, readFBI: Figurines By Ida.
I would probably regret this. “Who’s Ida?”
“FBIis my Etsy shop. For selling figurines.”
Further regret. “But your name’s not Ida…”
“Like I’d use my real name on theinternet.” She rolled her eyes. “Come on, Lucas. That’s day one stuff.”
The rumble of our camp bus sounded. Campers poured out making excited noises at the sight of free food.
Hudson approached. “This is certainly interesting.”
My skin reacted to her closeness. It’d been a strange few days, low on anything physical with her. I missed it. I missed her. “Yeah, they sure have a handle on snacks and PA equipment.”
Her mouth quirked. “I meantthat. Look.”
I turned to where she gestured. Our campers, all teenage girls, approached the Trail Blazers, a mix of genders, all teenagers. It was like two warring factions on a battlefield, only the first strike came not from a sword, but a teen boy lifting his chin to say, “’Sup.”
Giggles erupted. Hair was tossed over shoulders. Dudes cleared throats and flexed.
I stared. “This could be a disaster.”
“You’ve made the girlssohappy.” Hudson’s smile reached through her words, but her eyes held sadness.
She said one more day. We had today.
“Thankfully, not all of the campers are obsessed with crushes and dating,” she went on. “We’ve got a few campers more excited about the games than the…merchandise.”
I laughed an uneasy laugh. The starry-eyed look some of these girls had? No. Just no. Let them stay young and curious about nature and crafts a little longer.
We had our work cut out for us. In more ways than I’d expected.
Hudson whipped off her cap and shook her hair out. I did a double take. “Your hair.” I pointed. “It’s not pink.” A soft purple-ish red colored the strands. Not bright like the pink. She of course looked incredible.
She smiled. “I asked Twila to bring me a henna box dye. Bianca’s cabin suggested an impromptu makeover night. How could I pass on that?”
“Was that hard? To use some cheap product from the drugstore?”
“Aw, you’re soconcerned. No, it’s fine. It’s a brand I’ve used before. I actually do most of my color work myself.” She paused. “The salon costs a lot.”
This coming from someone who dated a billionaire. Maybe we weren’t so far apart in our lives after all.
“Either way, you look great.”
The music cut off and Brycen grabbed a microphone. He hopped over to the lodge porch. “Hello, everyone. Welcome to the Summer Trail Games!”
Counselors and campers from both sides gathered closer, chatting and making noise.
“Some of you may remember when we were all one camp,” Brycen stated. The crowd noise died down. “It’s been a tough summer so far, and we’ve felt the loss.”
