Summer Camp

When A Door Closes

"What if Dylan thinks I'm an idiot?" Em muttered from her bunk bed.

"Everyone thinks you're an idiot, Em, it's fine," Chloe blatantly muttered out.

Em threw a pillow at her and Raquel and I just laughed. We were talking about ways for Em to get closer to Dylan, and Raquel suggested she do something spontaneous like a dance show just for him.

"It's pretty embarrassing too," Em added. "Because I can't even dance."

"You don't have to dance, Emma. It was just a suggestion."

We all stayed quiet for another moment before Chloe blurred out, "You can write him little notes, and like, in the end secretly meet up with him to confess your love or something."

Em glared at her and Chloe defensively shrugged. "I'm just saying."

"What if you just talk to him, Em?" I tried. Emma sighed and rubbed her face with her hands.

"Why is this so hard?" She complained.

Just then, our counselor walked in.

"Hey girls," she said. We all blurted out tired responses. "Lights are out in five, so be ready."

She walked back out, probably to tell the other bunks what she had warned us about.

"It's just hard to tell you what to do, Em," Chloe started as she turned off the lights and walked back to her spot on the floor. "Because you're so shy and stuff. Just do what feels right and I promise you it'll work."

"Wow Chloe," Raquel muttered out, "you finally sounded smart for once."

We all laughed as Chloe flipped Raquel off.

"But she's right," I added after my giggles stop. "Just do what feels right."

"I guess," she answered, already yawning. "Goodnight guys."

"Goodnight," we all answered. After a few minutes of silence, Chloe spoke up.

"I feel like a lot of us are changing."

"What do you mean?" Raquel asked as I saw Chloe's shadow stand up and move to her bed.

"I mean that some of us are speaking with the enemy."

Though I had an idea of what she was talking about, I decided to stay quiet.

"What are you talking about?" Raquel questioned.

"I'm talking about Rosie and Ashley getting all friendly."

"We're not getting friendly," I chimed in.

"Really? Because recently you've both seemed pretty close."

"It's for something totally worth it, but it's definitely not because we like each other. In fact, we can't stand each other."

"So you're just hanging out with her for sabotage?"

"No! It's....personal issues. But it's still important-"

"Why won't you tell us the personal issues? What's so secret about them that-"

"My mom and her dad are fucking, is that what you wanted?" I nearly yelled out.

The bunk stayed completely silent. It was almost as if right after I had said that everyone had decided to go to sleep. The silence was ominous, and in pretty sure they could hear the thudding of my heart.

"Wow," Raquel spoke up for the first time since our debate.

"Yeah," I said. "Wow."

Chloe sighed and I heard her move around a bit in her bed.