Summer Days: Jewish Teen Style

Chapter 2

Sunday: June 1, 2014 8:45 p.m.

"The speeches, opening ceremony and performance by the counselors were really something, Don't you think so, James?" Emma asks me. I look back at her with the biggest fake smile I could muster and in my most sarcastic tone "Yes, they were the best part of my day." After I said it, I realize how it was the best part of my day. No crazy mother around, no annoyingly smart little sister and best of all no boy drama, just listening and taking in the speeches and introductions.

All of us are walking into the dining hall, that is filled with rectangular tables for us to sit at during meals and three or four long rows of tables for the food buffet style. We don't have to sit with our cabins tonight because the counselors wanted a chance to meet them first. I'm walking with Maggie, Lori, and Emma. We all sit down at a table and the greek g-d like boy, Blake joins our table, he sits directly across from me. I figure I should be friendly so I look at him, smile with my newly braceless teeth and say "Hi, I'm Jamie." He smiles at me and I swear his perfectly smooth white smile was so bright it blinded me. "I'm Blake," He says in possibly the deepest, most perfect voice. I'm pretty sure I just melted like butter. Not only does he have his chocolate eyes, and beautiful smile but he has an amazing voice too. I can feel my face getting warm. I stand up to go to the bathroom before I get the chance to embarrass myself. I start to walk forward, not paying any attention to where I'm going, I walk right into somebody.

I soak in what the obstacle looks like, first he has this soft, wavy dark brown hair, second his perfectly sculpted body, third his gorgeous face, and last but not least his aqua eyes neither green nor blue and so much like the ocean you could swim in them for days. He wasn't sun-kissed like Blake, and he looked like he spent a lot of his time indoors. He extends his giant arms just enough to where his muscles are showing. I can tell he works out but not like an athlete. He places his calloused hands on my cheeks looks into my eyes, like he's searching for my soul. I feel like he's slowly leaning in closer to kiss me. Why he's leaning in to kiss me, my guess is he wants to show me exactly who he is, a player. I know he won't actually kiss me because everyone in the dining hall can see us. As soon as his face is close enough to mine to where I can feel his warm breath on my face, sending chills throughout my body, He smirks and says "Hey, I'm Chris." I quickly pull his hands away from face to cover my mouth from laughing. " You...... have....to.....be.....joking," I'm trying to speak in between my laughter. Chris lets me stop laughing, "You can't be serious that your name is Chris and that you're at Jewish camp?" He looks at me and sighs "I know, I know. My parents adopted me and my birth parents named me. They were not Jewish and Yes, I am full Jewish, but because of my adopted parents. What's your name?" I take in a deep breath and say "I'm Jamie, but everyone calls me J, nice to meet you Chris." He looks me up and down until his stare goes around me and looks at the table I just came from.

"Do you think I could sit with you and your friends? Blake and I are close friends." My jaw drops, of course the two good-looking dudes are best friends. "Ummm, Sure." I reply to his question. I turn back around and go sit back down in my sit across from Blake. Chris goes around the table to sit next to him. Blake stands up and Chris and him do the usual bro-hug and whisper a few words to each other. "Guys, this is Chris, Yes, that's his name and Yes, he's Jewish. He's one of my friends from elementary school, until he moved away in 7th grade." Oh jeez, the voice of heaven is back. Everyone responds "Hi, Chris." "I didn't realize I was being introduced to an AA meeting" said Chris. We all start laughing.

I feel my face heating again, this time I get up but to go get food. Chris sits down but realizes I'm standing and he walks around to walk with me. He reaches me where we are far enough away from the table that no head counselors, campers or CIT's can see us. He grabs my arm, turns me around, leans in close to my ears and whispers, "Why'd you walk away so fast?" I lean in close enough where I breathe on his neck and whisper "Because I know exactly what you are playing at." I know what he's doing and I'm too young for the games, but not too young to know them and plus I'm really actually hungry. I lean out, smirk and tap a few times on his rock solid chest, and whip around so my hair hits him in his face. I walk away to get my food. I can tell I left him in a stupor, I bet no girls have ever rejected him. I doubt he realizes I'm only 14. I know I look older but I'm not old enough for him.