The Art of Being Alone (Together)

11 | Operation Panty Planting

Like any good secret mission, Operation Panty Planting has been planned to the last detail. On paper, the steps are simple enough.

1. Lizzie, Zack and I set our phones to vibrate at 1 AM on the dot. We get dressed in our darkest clothing, tuck ourselves in before curfew, and wait for the hours to pass.

This is obviously the easiest part of our plan, but also the most excruciating-- thanks to all the somersaults my stomach is doing, it isn't like I can get any sleep, and the anticipation has my adrenaline running on high as I lay in bed, staring at the ceiling and wishing I could press fast forward.

2. At 1:00, the three of us sneak out of our cabins and meet in the sparse woods near the start of the girls' area.

Again, easy enough. Lizzie and I tiptoe our way out of our cabin and over to the meeting spot, where Zack is already waiting. I can barely see him as we approach, thanks to the fact that we're all dressed in our darkest clothing, trying to blend in with the night as much as possible. The moon overhead casts long shadows from the trees and buildings, and the night is silent apart from crickets and the soft lapping of Lake Kintaw against the shore.

He whispers a greeting when we get to where he's standing. There are a few seconds of awkward hesitation, where I'm guessing their thoughts are probably the same as mine: are we really going to do this?

After all, the next step is where things start to get complicated.

3. Sneak into Rita and Mei's cabin without waking anyone up, acquire undergarments, and get the hell out.

"Okay." I tighten my ponytail, trying to act more confident than I feel. I just have to remind myself why we're doing this, and all the angry motivation comes right back, blocking out the nerves enough to convince me to keep going. "We all know what we're doing, right?"

Zack nods. "I'll keep a lookout here and call Lizzie's cell if I see anyone coming."

"I follow you and keep a lookout near the cabin while you go inside," Lizzie continues.

"I get the goods, and the three of us meet back here for phase two."

"You're sure you're okay with being the one who goes inside?" Lizzie asks, not for the first time.

I nod, knowing I'm probably the best choice. If Zack got caught sneaking around in one of the girls' cabins in the middle of the night, he'd be kicked out of camp before sunrise. And from what I've seen of Lizzie so far, she's... well, endearingly clumsy is one way of putting it. We need someone who's light on their feet and can be in and out as neatly as possible. 

"I'll be fine," I say, hoping it's the truth.

Lizzie and I sneak our way back to cabin nine, and I make my way up the stairs as quietly as possible. For safety reasons, the cabins don't have locks on their doors, which makes my job a lot easier. I'm able to walk right in, the door creaking softly as I step inside.

The moon lights the room from behind the tartan curtains, providing me with enough light to see the five campers. Three are girls I've never seen before, and the other two are girls I'd like to suffocate with the pillows they're resting their heads on.

I tiptoe over to Rita, who's black hair is scattered across her pillow in loose curlers, eyes covered with a fuzzy sleeping mask. She's the definition of "glamping" if I've ever seen it. Her bedside dresser is decorated with various lotions and a sparkly bag of toiletries, as well as her iPhone. The thought of grabbing it is tempting, but it'd be useless without knowing her password, and I'd rather not get charged with a misdemeanor over stealing it unless we've got a worthwhile plan.