New York

chapter 6

AGE 10 (flashbacks)

Right off the bat, the boys were a unit. Chase was the leader. His word was pretty much law. Cayden was his second in command, and Cody was the jester. That first night, Chase decided that the boys were going to sleep on the beach in sleeping bags and make a fire. He was a Boy Scout; he knew all about that kind of stuff.

Jealously, I watched them plan. Especially when they packed the graham crackers and marshmallows. Don't take the whole box, I wanted to tell them. I didn't, though--it wasn't my place. It wasn't even my house.

"Cayden, make sure you bring the flashlight," Chase directed. Cayden nodded quickly. I had never seen him follow orders before. He looked up to Chase, who was eight months older; it had always been that way.

Everybody had somebody but me. I wished I was at home, making butterscotch sundaes with my dad and eating them on our living room floor.

"Cody, don't forget the cards," Chase added, rolling up a sleeping bag.

Cody saluted him and danced a little jig, which made me giggle. "Sir, yes, sir." He turned to me on the couch and said, "Chase is bossy like our dad. Don't feel like you have to listen to him or anything."

Cody talking to me made me feel brave enough to say, "Can I come too?"

Right away Cayden said, "No. Guys only. Right, Chasey?"

Chase hesitated. "Sorry, Cass," he said, and he really did look sorry for a second. Two seconds, even. Then he went back to rolling his sleeping bag.

I turned away from them and faced the TV. "That's okay. I don't really care anyway."

"Ooh, watch out, Cassie's gonna cry,"Cayden said joyously. To Cody and Chase he said, "When she doesn't get her way, she cries. Our dad always falls for it."

"Shut up,Cayden!" I yelled. I was worried I really might cry. The last thing I needed was to be a cry baby on our first night. Then they'd never take me along for real.

"Cassie's gonna cry," Cayden said in a singsong voice. Then he and Cody started to dance a jig together.

"Leave her alone," Chase said.

Cayden stopped dancing. "What?" he said, confused.

"You guys are so immature," Chase said, shaking his head.

I watched them pick up their gear and get ready to leave. I was about to lose my chance to camp, to be a part of the gang. Quickly I said, "Cayden, if you don't let me go, I'll tell Mom."

Cayden's face twisted. "No, you won't. Mom hates it when you tattletale."

It was true, my mother hated it when I told on Cayden for things like this. She'd say he needed his own time, that I could go the next time around, that it would be more fun at the house with her and Susannah anyway. I sank into the couch, arms crossed. I'd lost my chance. Now I just looked like a tattletale, a baby.

On the way out Cody turned around and danced a quick jig for me, and I couldn't help it, I laughed. Over his shoulder Chaes said, "Good night, Cassie."

And that was it. I was in love.