Camp Crestfalls

Chapter 1

Who was it that said, "One should look for the good in every bad situation"—or something like that? Well I knew my bad situation started as soon as my alarm went off this morning announcing the day I had been dreading since school went out for the summer. My parents were going on a six week tour of Europe without me. They thought I would find everything "boring", so to save my "sanity", as they called it, they were sending me to summer camp. What 14-year-old girl would rather go to summer camp than touring Europe?! I tried every argument and means of persuasion I had in me, but they were still set on me going on my own adventure. The conversation still plays in my head like a hoedown set on repeat.

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Two days before the end of the school year, the bus pulled up in front of my large, colonial style house, like it has been doing the whole school year, to let me and three other kids from my street, May, Lana and Jonas, off before continuing on with its route. Living in the suburbs of Belle Meade, Tennessee I had gotten used to my parents still being at work when I got home. My mom, Joy Morgan, worked in advertisement, which is pretty cool. My dad, James Morgan, was a lawyer. They worked pretty normal hours most of the time, but it still meant they didn't get home until around dinner time. The housekeeper, Sukie, was always there to greet me with an after school snack and to make sure I got a start on my homework. Then she would have dinner ready and finish the last of the cleaning right as my parents got home. There would be the odd time I would ask her for help with homework or advice about something that happened at school. I have known Sukie for my whole life and we were pretty close. Well as close as one could be with their housekeeper.

Oddly, my parents were home early from their jobs today and Sukie was standing on our almost wrap around porch with the front door open behind her waiting for me to approach the house.

"Katie, sweetheart, your parents are waitin' for you in the kitchen," I heard Sukie call in her slight southern accent. My eyes went wide in alarm as I hurried up our gorgeous garden path my mom liked to tend to on weekends to the door slinging my backpack on my back as I went. I could hear the bus pulling away down the street and Lana saying goodbye to me before talking about summer plans to May and Jonas behind me as I went.

"Is everything all right? Are my parents okay?" I asked rushing up the front steps.

"Everythin' is fine, darlin'. Your parents have some excitin' news!" I had every form of news flying through my head as I dropped my backpack to the floor and kicked off my shoes. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary at first glance as I walked across the foyer pass the staircase, through the dining room leading toward the kitchen. Could mom be pregnant? Was someone getting married—Cousin Maddy by chance? I had no idea as I reached the threshold of the kitchen by my parents' closed bedroom door and entered to find my parents at the island laughing as they poured over some papers and a couple of brochures.

"Katie, you're home!" My mom hopped off the stool she had been sitting on and came forward, sweeping me into her creme coloured pants suit for a quick hug. I could smell her expensive Chanel perfume and a slight vanilla smell that I knew so well. The comforting yet professional smells that made my mother, Joy Morgan: executive in advertising and just, Mom.

"Yeah, I am home. Sukie said y'all had some excitin' news to tell me?" My mom beamed at someone over my shoulder and I turned to see Sukie wink and wave then she left the room. Turning to face my parents again, I eyed them both expectantly. My dad, in his crisp, navy blue business suit, motioned for me to take a seat at the kitchen island and my mom came and sat where she had been previously. They both stared at me for a few moments and I was about to ask if someone was pregnant when I got a look at some of the maps strewn on the island surface before us.