Camp Counselor

Chapter 22

The walk back to Camp Maverick was a lot louder than the walk there, which is new. Usually you always have more to talk about on the way there, but throughout the weekend I feel like I was really able to bond with the counselors, including James and Monel when I wasn't screaming at them, and more especially Kara.

Whenever I look at her a heavy feeling in my gut comes about but I crave the feeling, I crave her. I walked side by side with Kara, every now and then our hands would brush against one another and for that split second it felt like the world stopped around us and the only thing that matters was us. Our body's. Touching. It felt like the world had finally become connected with the core, the soul, of the earth. It felt like everything was finally at peace with all else. The purest of happinesses.

Along the way home, well to the camp but if I'm being honest, it may as well be home, we made up games along the way. Oddly the walk back seemed to be longer than the way there. Perhaps I just don't want to go back. After spending time with Kara and my friends together was perfect in itself. I wish life could consist of just those 2 days, over and over again. I think I could be happy with that.

At first Monel had decided that we play a game he used to play with his family during "Family Fitness Fun or FFF" Monel called it. We lined up in a single filed line and began to walk, although whenever we heard a bird chirp the person in the front of the line had to run to the back of the line and so on. Which was fun and all until chaos took over.

"Bird!" Emily called out as she was in third in line.

"I didn't hear any bird!" Shouted Winn from the front.

"There was a bird, run back!" Emily retaliated even louder than Winn.

"Bird!" Jennifer called out.

"All I hear is Emily!" Winn bickered back. By the end of it nobody could hear any birds and so that game ended.

The second game was intended to just keep us busy and talking. We had to each say a letter that would make a word but with 15 of us, we came up with words like. "Fatazzle" "Poborick" and "Guilop". So that was another game that went out and didn't really help pass time.

Finally by the end of it we were just counting our steps as we walking in two lines going back and forth. Emily leading the first line said "One." Followed by Jennifer, who was right beside Emily, leading the second line said,

"Two." And so on and so on which stuck, for a while. Once we got closer to camp we broke off into conversations about what we were gonna do when we get back to camp. While me and Kara were flanking in the back of the line we shared small, genuine conversations which gave the walk a memorable touch to it.

When we finally got back to camp I was hit with a rush of nostalgia when I heard the sound of kids running around expressing laughter and freedom. Something my childhood lacked but I got to know that feeling well throughout these past months.

Me and Kara were walking back to our cabins when all of a sudden a loud screech nearly blew out my eardrum. It took my brain a few moments to register where the sound was coming from, and a few more seconds to process Kara's immediate change in demeanor. I didn't know what to do.

Coming into vision was a tall woman with short auburn colored hair. She wore a maroon jacket over a black top and light blue washed skinny jeans, topping her appearance off with a pair of short black heel boots. Beside that woman was a shorter woman with darker and longer hair, she seemed to be wearing a badge but with her leather jacket it was hard to make out what department.

The woman and Kara both ran into each other with a hug, and I couldn't help but feel jealous as this woman completely stole Kara's attention from me. I don't know who this woman is and why she's been hugging Kara for what's going on for two minutes now!