They repeat after me, all the way to the water.
“Everyone get a life jacket!” I say, still in Bear Hunt mode. The girls chorus it back, and Gavin gives me a funny look.
“Ready?” Gavin says. He’s standing by one of the rowboats.
“Oh yeah,” I say.
I have a flashback to rowing over here when I was a kid. That was a terrible night. But now I’m in charge. And everyone is going to have fun.
We divide into two rowboats and push off. Talia goes with Gavin, since she claims not to know how to row. Luckily, it’ll only take ten minutes to get there.
The lake is quiet and mirrorlike since it’s Dinner Washup and we’re the only ones on it. Each row sends ripples through the reflection.
I see the fireflies have come out too.
“Why are we taking a boat when we could walk?” Em asks.
“Because they want us to think it’s really far away,” Prague says. “They do this every year. Seniors get to go on actual canoe trips outside of camp.”
“New Beach is really far away,” Gavin says. His voice travels across the water.
“Liar!” Fancy exclaims.
Gavin and Talia’s boat arrives at New Beach first. He rows as close to the shore as possible and then jumps out to pull it in. The girls squeal and hop over each other to rush out.
“Take your stuff!” he calls out. “There’s no concierge service!”
Two of them are already out of sight, but the other two take their backpacks and garbage bags. Gavin pulls my boat in next.
“Thank you!” I say as he helps my girls out. We pass them their bags and knapsacks.
“I totally remember this place,” I say. “And it looks exactly the same.”
“Why do they call it New Beach?” Lily asks, the last one in the boat.
“Because this piece of property used to be owned by another family, and camp just bought it about twenty years ago,” Prague says.
“Is that true?” I ask Gavin.
“Probably,” he says. He takes my hand and helps me out of the boat.
We’re holding hands, we’re holding hands, we’re holding hands!
Kind of.
Could my camp boyfriend be any cuter? I don’t think so.
Right by the water is a clearing where we’ll have our bonfire tonight, and then farther to the left is where the two tents are already set up. To the right is the path to Bunk 11, which I’m hoping the girls don’t notice.
I can’t believe I’m back here. Last time I was on New Beach was one of the worst days of my summer. But this time could be one of my best?
“Okay, ladies,” I say. “First let’s set up your sleeping bags. Three girls per tent plus one counselor! Take out your clothes so you can change right after you swim. Not your pj’s! We are only putting those on right before bed. We want to keep them clean and tick-free!”
We find the tent area, and Talia and I unroll their sleeping bags and help the girls find spots for their flashlights and stuffed animals.
“Who wants to swim?” I yell out.
“Me! Me!” I hear back. The kids are already wearing their bathing suits, so they strip off any extra clothes, completely messing up our organized tents, and run into the water.
“I’m too cold to swim,” Prague says, lagging behind the rest.
We step into the clearing.
“Me too,” I say.
“You can help me get wood,” Gavin offers.
“Get wood?” I say under my breath, and give him a look.
He laughs. “Dirty mind.”
“Attention, all campers and counselors,” we hear in the distance. “Attention, all campers and counselors. It is now the end of Dinner Washup. Please proceed to the flagpole.”
The girls all stop splashing and laugh.
“Oh yeah, we’re really far from camp,” Fancy says.
“I don’t hear anything,” I say. “Talia, do you hear anything?”
“Nothing at all,” she says. “Gavin?”
“Nothing at all!”
“You guys are such liars!” Fancy calls out.
“You have to believe for it to be true,” I say.
“That’s what my mom says about the tooth fairy,” Slugger says.
“You don’t believe in the tooth fairy?” I ask.
“Of course not!” Fancy says.
“There is definitely a tooth fairy,” I tell them. “She’s just not interested in any of your teeth because of all the candy you eat.”
Gavin snorts.
When the girls are ready to come out, we walk over with their towels and wrap them each up. Giggling, they sprint to the tents to change.
“Don’t come here, Gavin!” Fancy says.
“I won’t,” he says, rolling his eyes.
“Sam, make sure he doesn’t come!” Lily says.
“I’ll guard the tents with my life,” I tell them.
We hear a lot of squealing and then one by one they join us back in the clearing.
“I have to pee,” Shira says. “Sam, can you come with me?”
“Sure,” I say. “Who is ready to pee in the woods?”
I grab the toilet paper and one of the seven hand sanitizers Talia packed in our supply bag. “Whoever has to pee, follow me!”
“I just went in the lake!” Fancy says.
“That’s so gross!” Shira tells her.
“Why is that any grosser than going in the forest?” she barks back.
“Because we’re all in the water,” Em says.
“We’re all in the forest!”
“We don’t swim in the forest,” she explains.
“Okay! Whoever has to pee, follow me,” I say again, and lead them to a tree that has some space around it. “This is a good spot. This is the official bathroom. Everyone watch where you step.”
“No pooping!” Prague says.
“If you gotta go, you gotta go,” I say. “But it might be easier to wait to poop until tomorrow morning, if you have a choice in the matter.”
The girls all laugh hysterically.
“I’m peeing!” Prague says. “Easy-peasy pumpkin squeezy!”
“I can’t do it with everyone here!” Em says.
“Then move more into the forest,” I say.
“I’m too scared. I don’t want to get a tick in my patoota.”
“Your patoota?” Shira giggles.
“Yes! My patooooooooota.”
“Okay, everyone close your eyes so Em can pee,” I order.
“Eyes closed!” Prague says.
“Can you go?” I ask her, my eyes closed too.
“I need everyone to close their ears and their eyes. And someone has to hold my lion.”
I hold the lion. “Okay, everyone, close your ears!” I say. “Now can you?”
“Maybe . . . almost.”
We all wait. And wait.
“I did it!”
“Hooray!” we all cheer.
“But I got some on my bathing suit.”
I hand her the toilet paper roll. “It’s fine. Pee comes out in the wash.”
“I miss our toilets,” Prague says. “Our short, gross, never flush all the way toilets.”