Page 20 of The Perfect Deal
With my stuff put away, I walked through the area, checking to see if the girls needed anything. Karrie was sitting on her bed, making notes in a notebook and checking schedules. I wasn’t sure what she was preparing for. I thought everything was pretty cut and dried for tomorrow, but what did I know?
I overheard two of the girls on a top bunk talking and found myself pausing to listen in. “If you like him, you should say something. It’s been, like, four years.”
“I know, but it’s not that simple. Chase is Marco’s best friend. I can’t just expect my brother to be cool with that.”
“Oh, boy,” I muttered aloud, and both of the girls turned to look down at me. I hadn’t meant to interject myself into their conversation, but when they saw it was me, they both smiled. “Boy trouble?”
“Hey, Coach Liberty,” one of the girls with long dark hair said. “Yeah, something like that.” She’d been the one lamenting a moment ago. “It’s so complicated.”
“It’s not that complicated,” the other girl, a blonde with curly hair and bright green eyes, told me. “Elizabeth is in love with her brother’s best friend.”
Elizabeth picked up her pillow and swung it at her, hitting her in the middle, though it didn’t seem to hurt.
“Well, it’s true,” the blonde said.
“I understand,” I told them with a nod. “Mind if I join you?”
Both girls looked surprised, but Elizabeth answered. “Sure,” and scooted over on her bunk.
I kicked off my shoes and headed up the ladder at the end of the bed, finding a spot on her comforter and crossing my legs. “Well, Elizabeth, lay it on me. What’s the guy’s name?”
“Chase,” she said with a sigh. The look in her eyes made me think this kid must be something pretty special. “I’ve been in love with him forever. Since I was twelve.”
I would’ve laughed if I didn’t remember how long four years felt like when one was their age. “That is a long time.”
“And she won’t say anything to him because her brother, Marco, has made it clear that his little sister is off limits to everyone,” the other girl explained.
Before I could ask her what her name was, Elizabeth said, “Tessa thinks I should let Chase know how I feel, but I don’t want to cause trouble between him and my brother.”
“I totally understand,” I said with a nod. “Big brothers can be tough, but if your brother is anything like mine, he loves you enough to get over it. Maybe you should try talking to him first.” Here I was giving advice I couldn’t take myself.
“That sounds like a great idea,” Tessa said. “Tell Marco he should trust his friend not to be a douche.”
“I don’t know.” Elizabeth rested her head on her fist, propped up on her knee. “Maybe. I could think about it.”
“I would give it some thought. You never know. If Chase feels the same way about you, it’ll be worth it,” I told her.
“Oh, he definitely does,” Tessa said.
“You don’t know that,” Elizabeth shot back, and I couldn’t help but laugh.
Already, I was beginning to feel a connection to these kids. They were amazing. I just loved talking to them. I had a feeling I’d leave camp with a lot more than photographs. I was creating memories and friendships that would last forever.
“Oh, my gosh, Shayla!” I heard someone proclaim. “Why are you wearing my hat?”
I glanced down to see Shayla parading around with a swim cap on, though not appropriately, as well as someone’s sunglasses, and a pair of socks tossed around her neck. I began to laugh so hard, I almost fell out of the bed.
“What? You don’t like my outfit?” Shayla asked, feigning offense.
“I think you look fabulous,” another girl said, and they all started laughing.
“What’s going on?” Karrie’s voice cut through the laughter. “What are you doing?”
I saw the girls’ expressions freeze as they prepared to get in trouble, but I couldn’t let Karrie ruin their fun.
“Wait!” I said, hopping down from the bed. “Let me get my camera.”
“Seriously?” Shayla asked, smiling. “You’re going to take my picture? Wearing this?”