Summer Dream

Chapter 9

By the time morning rolled around, Aspen was wide awake. She had hardly slept the night before. Her mind was running a thousand miles an hour with thoughts of Michael and if they had a future together. The day was gloomy and rainy, so the kids were less energetic than usual. "Why did our game time have to be inside? It's hardly raining?" One kid asked as thunder boomed outside.

"That's why." Calum chuckled. "And, we don't have to walk across the whole camp to get to craft now."

"Calum's right. We'd have to do a lot more walking and a lot more complaining." Aspen smiled and walked into the craft room. "I'm so excited for today's craft. It's my favorite one we do." Aspen giggled.

"It's your favorite because people give you attention." Audrey mumbled, earning a glare from Aspen.

"What is today's craft?" Michael asked.

"Lanyards. It's as summer camp as crafts get." Zack smiled. "And, Aspen is a master of lanyards."

"Last summer, she made us all friendship lanyards with our favorite colors. I put mine on my keychain." Cher smiled.

"Mine's on the end of my bass." Zack grinned. "Alex claims his is now a buttplug, but you can't take anything he says seriously."

"Ooh, make me a lanyard!" Michael grinned at her.

"I'll start one after I help the kids get started." Aspen smiled and helped Cher and Zack pass out colors. Michael grabbed his and tried to watch the demonstration on how to start it.

"That looks so easy when you guys do it." Michael sighed, trying to start his. "Aspen, help me!" Michael whined.

"In a minute, honey. I'm helping the kids." Aspen smiled at him. Michael almost giggled out loud. Ever since the night before, he had started thinking about how domestic Aspen could be and how much he wanted to be with her.

"I'll start yours." Audrey said, talking his cords. It took her a lot longer than it would've taken Aspen, but she got it started.

"What colors do you want for your friendship lanyard, Mike?" Aspen asked.

"Uh, do black and blue. The colors of a bruise." He chuckled.

"Alright, but that means you and Rian and Leigh Anne all have the same colors." Aspen said, wondering if he'd change his mind.

"That's fine, I'll know which one is mine if they ever get mixed up."

"Oh, yeah? How are you gonna do that? They'll look identical." Aspen cut her desired length.

"Mine will be made with love." Michael said, placing his hand over his heart.

"Now I'm not making you one." Aspen teased.

"Don't be mean to me." Michael pouted. "I just want a friendship lanyard."

"Okay, fine, I'll still make it." She smiled and sat next to Calum. She began working on it, really focusing on making it perfect.

"Hey, how did you get it to go like that?" Calum asked, looking at the lanyard. "Witchcraft!"

"It's not witchcraft." Aspen laughed.

"What'd she do?" Michael asked, straining to look.

"She made it circular." Calum said, holding Aspen's arm up so Michael could see.

"Woah! I wanna do that." Michael smiled. "Teach me."

"Sorry, you have to be a level 7 counselor before you can learn this technique." Aspen joked.

"Stop being mean." Michael said, fake crying.

"She's the only one here that knows how to do it." Zack said. "She refuses to teach anybody how to do it."

"But, you'll make an exception for me, won't you?" Michael asked her, a big smile on his face.

"I guess so. I'll teach you during freetime." Aspen smiled.

"He's hanging out with me during freetime. Find another time." Audrey said, smirking at Aspen.

"Fine," she rolled her eyes. "I'll teach you when the kids are having chapel."

"Scandalous. You're supposed to listen during chapel too." Cher joked.

"I do not. I already know who the gods of music are and this camp teaches it wrong." Aspen huffed.

"Really? Who are the gods of music?" Cher challenged.

"Clearly, it's 5 Seconds of Summer." Michael said. "Right, Aspen?"

"Absolutely not." Aspen laughed. "The gods of music are Big Time Rush and Jesse McCartney."

"Ooh, Big Time Rush. I agree with you there." Zack smiled. "Jesse McCartney, though? Not a chance." He shook his head. "If your gods of music don't include Blink-182 and All Time Low, you're not worshipping the right gods."

"If Blink-182 are gods of music, then so is my favorite man on earth, Luke Bryan." Aspen said, continuing to work on her lanyard.

"You only like him because he has a pretty face and a nice butt." Cher laughed.

"That's all the qualities I look for in a man." Aspen laughed. "And, he sings country music."

"What about that guy you did backing vocals for. The Bentley guy." Zack said. "Isn't he a music god for you?"

"Dierks Bentley? No, he's just a source of income." Aspen said. "He's a great guy, but he's always singing about the wrong alcohol. Bourbon is only so good, rum is where it's at."

"Wow, you sound just like your mother." Audrey smirked at her. The room went silent at Audrey's comment. Michael widened his eyes and looked at Aspen. He had never seen such fire in someone's eyes.

"Take a deep breath. Count backwards from 10." Calum whispered to her. Aspen nodded and closed her eyes, taking a deep breath.

"Okay, I'm calm. Not even worried about it." She shrugged and went back to working on her lanyard. "Karma will find her soon enough." Karma would find Audrey, but not in the way Aspen had hoped.