"Another?" Nell checked her watch.
"Isn't this great?" Izzy had found her. She was breathing hard and fanning her face with her hand. Delicate beads of perspiration rimmed her hairline like dew.
"That was fun," Nell agreed.
"I love me a good square dance."
Morland Harte had them get in a big circle.
"This is a classic," he intoned into the mic. "Who here knows the Hokey Pokey?"
Everyone hollered and whooped in response.
"Perfect," he said. "That's what I thought."
They got ready to hokey and pokey, and Nell's dad sang the directions into the mic as Strider strummed his guitar.
You put your right foot in
You put your right foot out
You put your right foot in
And you shake it all about
You do the hokey pokey
And you turn yourself around
That's what it's all about!
They stomped their feet twice without instruction, like a collective mind hive.
As they began to repeat the process with their left feet, Nell's gaze fell on Cash as he shook it all about. Something in her belly yo-yoed. Who knew that doing the hokey pokey could be sexy?
Sexy?
Oh, shit.
She did like like him!
Argh.
###
They danced on and on, and Nell loved every minute of it. Too soon, Morrie and Rob dismissed everyone so they could rest up or take care of whatever needed taking care of before dinner time. Nell beelined it to her bicycle and then home. She ignored all the people who walked in groups or pairs. She was stronger alone!
Her bedroom was nice and cool. Things had gotten sticky, even moist in the meeting hall, what with all of that dancing, movement, and sweat. Nell was not one to be overly into hygiene, but she gladly stripped off her clothes and got into a semi-warm shower. She'd been in the pool that morning, and at this moment, realized how truly uncomfortable her damp swimsuit bottom under her shorts and t-shirt actually were. Why hadn't she changed when she'd gone home before lunch? As a child, hell, even just last summer, she hadn't really noticed such things, or at least, she'd successfully ignore them if something more important was going on such as a ping-pong tournament or ice cream social.
This was probably a sign she was growing up, not being able to handle damp shorts. Next time, she'd change into underwear before heading to a staff meeting. She didn't bother washing her hair—it would be washed too much this summer as it was because of all the time she'd be in the pool. She had twisted it into a French knot with a barrette, yet the spray from the shower had managed to dampen her hair in a way that felt cleansing without going overboard. After she got out, she moisturized and put on more deodorant. She'd have to shower again later—she didn't like to go to bed with dirty feet nor dirty pits. Nell wiped off the moisture on the medicine cabinet's mirror and stared for a moment at her face. She was getting a zit on her temple. Maybe some coverup. Maybe some mascara?
==
Wattpad readers: Have you ever danced the hokey pokey, maybe at camp or at an ice or roller rink? More importantly, did you ever find it sexy?
YOU ARE READING
Family + Camp (working title)
Dla nastolatkówIt's 1990, and Penelope Annabelle Min-Yi Harte, known to her friends and family as Nell, is not at all thrilled to be starting over. It's the summer before her senior year-at a new camp. That's right: nearly all of her life, Nell's dad has run a sum...
