A Silver Summer

Chapter 28

Chapter twenty eight

"What last minute things can take this long?" Keira shuffled in anxiety where she stood by the side of their usual table in the cafeteria. Gelsey ordered everyone to the cafeteria so all the staff could add their 'finishing touches.'

The lights were shut off but the sun was still about an hour from setting so it's rays were partially lighting up the room.

"It's their surprise." Ivy spoke up, her cheeks a light rosy red as she sat in Skinner's lap. Due to having every kid in the cafeteria, the room was a little cramped and Skinner had automatically drawn the small pink haired girl onto him by her waist.

"Surprise?" Anika asked from and seat.

Ivy shrugged. "Yeah. Last year was the obstacle course blow up."

"That's cool." Mel said with her eyes trained on the door. When it flew open, Mel and about half of the rest of the cafeteria stood up at Gelsey's entrance. The blond lady wore a bright smile. The closest kid to her offered his chair which caused a few laughs since Gelsey now had a streak of standing on chairs to get everyone's attention.

"Sorry for the short wait, but I'm afraid you won't be seeing the surprise until after dinner." Gelsey shook her head at the groans. "So without further a-due, please enjoy this night because you have all worked so hard and it looks amazing!" Anika's ears rung with the level of cheers and hollers in the room.

"Now, dinner is served!" Gelsey hopped off the chair and pointed to the serving stations where the cafeteria ladies wore white chef hats that someone had bought them.

Gelsey flipped the light switch on and gasps bounced across the room as the black light in every light fixture made everyone's clothes glow brightly.

Slowly, Anika and her friends made their way into the line and up to the first food station. In a basket next to the trays, were the white and glow in the dark bracelets that the 'string' girls had made. As you took a tray, you could also pick a bracelet.

"These are cool." Skinner slipped a glowing bracelet over his hand and held it away from him to expect it.

"They did a good job." Anika gave them credit and started to hand the trays out to her friends.

Some of the food glowed under the light as well as the ladies' chef hats and wide smiles. In fact, everyone look to be sporting a freaky bright smile.

"Come on, it's less crowed outside." Ivy led the way through the sea of glowing kids until they reached the outside patio with a few picnic tables. The air outside was cooler than the stuffy air inside and the group took in the soft breeze with long sighs. At the opening of each path, Anika spotted a glow in the dark stick hanging over the path dangling from the branches on a string and an arrow painted on the ground with directions in glow in the dark paint to where it led.

The group finished their food quickly and dropped their trays off at the return station so they could start the night off early. Anika now noticed the sound of music playing as it drifted through the trees from the clearing.

"Oh, wow." Keira took in the field with a wide, eager smile. The field was the largest open area in the camp but tonight, it looked nothing like the clearing that they were so used to playing activities in. Through the trees, Anika could catch the flickers of flames in the fire pits scattered around the bon fire area.

To keep the bugs away, tiki torches were lit around the perimeter of the field and cast a soft glow on the ground compared to the neon bright glow the black light lamps gave off around the area. The DJ booth stood at the opposite side of the field from the bon fire area and the young guy behind the table pressed a thick head phone ear piece to his ear while bobbing his head to the song that was currently steaming from the speakers standing around the clearing. Behind him was the banner Anika had made with her spray painting skill. 'Camp Silver Lake' dominated the brown paper in glow in the dark spray paint and Anika smiled at the attention it was receiving. A