The Kids Aren't Alright

Chapter 16: Jasper

I'm stuck deep in a nightmare involving Karen and Owen, both of whom are chasing me through the Alaskan wilderness and armed with some kind of megaphone/bazooka hybrids, when the sound of the counselor knocking on the cabin door finally reaches my ears. I'm a sound sleeper so at first I think the noise is only coming from my dream, but then I hear these words, clear as day outside my door, "Jasper Sostenuto and Levi Hoffman? Wake up, it's time for morning call!"

My eyes fly open. I glance over at Levi, but he's still sound asleep and buried under a heavy-duty layer of blankets. "Levi," I whisper. "Levi." I don't think my roommate sleeps— he hibernates. "Wake up Levi, the counselor is here."

"Go away," my roommate mumbles, somewhat incoherently. The lump of blankets shifts like a miniature avalanche as he moves to yank the pillow over his face. "I'm playing Macbeth."

"Levi, there's somebody at the front door."

"Indeed. Something wicked this way comes...."

The counselor knocks again, louder this time. "Hello? Anybody awake in there?"

"You— are— useless!" I exclaim, pulling on a different article of clothing between each word. The knocking continues while I get dressed, but I don't let it rush me— there's no way in Hell that I'm about to greet a camp counselor half-naked.

I grab one of the blankets off my bed and wrap it around my torso like a robe. Then I dash to the front door.

I fling the door open, only to immediately arrive face-to-face with Jackson, the short, dark-haired counselor with the crooked teeth. His hand is still raised, poised to knock. There's a blue drawstring-bag hanging over his shoulder— more camp t-shirts, maybe?

Jackson gives me a quick appraisal. He doesn't look very happy with what he sees.

"I've been waiting here for five minutes," he says. 

I feel myself cringe at his harsh tone of voice. I've never been any good at talking to adults, especially ones that are already annoyed at me. "I'm sorry to keep you waiting, so sorry, but we don't have an alarm clock and my roommate is still asleep and I didn't hear you knocking...." Jackson raises an eyebrow at me. "Aaand you don't care. Gotcha. Sorry. Uh, what were you going to say?

"I have your activity schedules for the summer." Jackson reaches into the drawstring and pulls out two booklets, one with my name on it and one with Levi's. He hands them to me. "They include all of the times and dates that you'll need. Breakfast starts in about fifteen minutes, so it would be in your best interest to get ready and go eat now so you can be on time for your first activity this morning. I believe that you are both slotted for 'Sharing Circle'."

I don't want to share anything with these strangers. Nevertheless, I force a smile at the counselor and take the booklets from his hand. "Thanks so much for stopping by. And once again, I'm sorry for making you wait."

The counselor slings his bag back over his shoulder. "Don't let it happen again, Sostenuto." He turns away from the cabin and strides off down the path without so much as a wave. My heart sinks a little as I watch him disappear into the trees.

I just don't get it. Why would the counselors want to work at this summer camp, if it's obvious that they don't like teenagers? I don't see how it's productive for us to be spiritually "healed" at a place where all the adults already consider us to be failures. I mean, not that I need to be healed. I didn't do anything worth mentioning to get sent to Lightlake. I just messed up. Made one stupid mistake and happened to be caught doing it. Compared to the rest of the campers here, my crime was pretty minor— a waste of a summer, really.