The Secret to Summer

Chapter One

Hey guys! I'm very excited to announce that I've been commissioned by the Schick Quattro YOU™campaign (@QuattroYou) to bring you this short story! I hope you liked the first chapter! Please leave a comment with your thoughts! #SchickAmbassador

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Bug spray?

Check.

            Bikini?

            Check.

            Flip-flops?

            Check.

            Toothbrush?

            I paused, searching through the jumble of items on my bed for my little baggy of hygiene products. The last thing I wanted was to go away for the summer and have stinky breath every day. "Ling, have you seen the bag with my toothbrush?"

            My best friend and roommate popped her head into my bedroom, her long, black hair spilling over her shoulder as she raised her eyebrows at me. "You left it in the bathroom along with a huge mess of make-up."

            I grinned sheepishly. "Oops. I was looking for my favorite primer and ended up going through everything."

            "You mean like you always do when you touch your makeup?"

            "I'm trying to find things that won't melt off in the heat. I was watching videos on YouTube earlier and most of them recommended primer and liquid concealer but I have so many primers and I'm not sure which would be the best— and you don't care about makeup that much so I'm probably boring you."

            She smiled. "You're not boring me. I enjoy when people talk about their passions. Their faces light up."

            "You're a true friend," I said, heading over to the door and moving past her to check out the bathroom.

            "As your true friend, please tell me you have some razors I can borrow. I totally forgot to buy some while I was out and I don't have enough time to go back to the store," she said, following me around the corner.

            I nodded, opening one of the sink drawers, pulling out a brand new package of Schick Quattro You™ razors. "I've so graciously thought ahead for the both of us. I'm more than happy to share. I just started using these and I'm in love.

            "You're a life saver," she said, taking the package from me. "I've never used this brand before."

            "You'll thank me again after you do," I told her, turning my attention to the makeup scattered about. The YouTube tutorials had been informative, but I still wasn't too sure. So I decided to pack most of it, just in case. Doing make-up was something I enjoyed and I wanted to make sure I would be able to, even at the summer camp.

            Ah, Camp Grey Ledge. It was a nostalgic place. My friends and I had been working there every summer for the past six years, ever since we were juniors in high school. This year would be our last year there, so we were extra excited to go back. Because after that...

            I subconsciously looked at my phone, my stomach twisting at the thought of a specific e-mail sitting in my folder. A chance at my dream job, where I'd be teaching special needs students at a private school. One of their teachers was retiring next year and my professor was good friends with the headmaster, so he put in a good word for me. The location was beautiful, the staff to student ratio was amazing, the possibilities were endless... but there was one problem.