Family + Camp (working title)

Chapter 19 Part 2: The Haunted Lake

Nell imagined the lake must have a scary ghost story attached to it. She would have to ask Cash later.

She stopped in her tracks. Why was she thinking of asking Cash later? She could ask anyone who had been attending this camp as long as that boy had, or longer. She could ask Fred, for chrissakes. She could ask her new supervisor right now, in fact!

Nell's dad swung open the chainlink gate leading to the pool area. The fencing around it was twelve feet high—they really didn't want anyone sneaking in and drowning. That would be a PR nightmare.

A woman in a white polo and red running shorts was hosing down the pool deck. She was older, maybe her dad's age, but her body was youthful. She had graying blonde hair swept up in a bun, and she wore flip flops.

"Sybil," Morrie called out. "This is my daughter, Nell."

Sybil looked up and smiled, but she didn't put down the hose. "Great to meet you, Nell! Heard you have loads of lifeguarding experience."

"Nice to meet you, too," Nell said. To the comment, she shrugged. "I guarded last year at Camp Fields. And I clocked hours at the Portland Guardian pool during the school year."

"Faaaan-tastic," Sybil replied, drawing out fan like a drawl.

Morrie and Sybil exchanged a few words before he turned back to his daughter.

"We good here? You're officially on the clock, Nellie."

She saluted him casually. "Aye-aye, captain."

"That's my girl." He squeezed her shoulder gently for a moment. "I'll see you both at lunch."

Sybil moved around the deck moving the water back and forth, back and forth. She checked a fat diver's watch on her wrist. "The other two should be here soon. Then we can get started. You have any questions for me?"

Nell started to say no, then remembered. "Yeah. Have you been working here long?"

"Every summer for ten years. I love it."

Nell raised her eyebrows. "That's—wow. That's—wow."

Sybil nodded, raising her eyebrows with a bemused smile. "It is wow."

But what Nell was thinking was, a seasonal job for a decade? At Sybil's age? Nell tried not to be judgey, but...come on. Then she chastised herself for being judgey and setting judgey parameters. But at least she hadn't said any of that out loud.

"Do you lifeguard when you're—when you're not at Camp Morgan?"

"I'm a high school gym teacher and coach of the swim team. So this job is perfect for me."

Ah ha. Nell was on he high school swim team, but she never thought about her coach's life outside of being her coach and...yes, actually, one of the gym teachers. Nell found herself wanting to be Sybil when she grew up. Thinking about her her Collins High coach, Coach Lee, the thought of becoming him had never occurred to her, probably because he was a guy who was bossy and not particularly cool or nice.

But Sybil! Sure, they had met literally a minute ago but...Sybil was a role model. Nell was sure of it. She was a mentor without even trying. Maybe Sybil's life was a blueprint for Nell's life! Sure. She could become a teacher and then come back to camp during the summers to help out her dad. It would be kind of perfect. Not a gym teacher, though. Even though she was a lifeguard, Nell had realized you didn't have to be a super strong swimmer to do so. She was a decent swimmer— no Olympian—but she seemed to be of Olympic caliber compared to some of the folks who were in her lifeguard training cohort last year. She'd been surprised when they all had passed the class, feeling nervous about needing to save them sometimes. The world must be in dire need of lifeguards if some of those choking, sputtering slowpokes had been certified.