Dead of Summer

“Couldn’t stay in bed any longer,” I admit, shrugging one shoulder. “I don’t know, I’m just kind of wired this morning. Weird, right?”

“Maybe weird for you,” Liza allows, continuing to pick up litter where she finds it. She also tosses sticks toward the large fire pit, throwing them either in the pit itself or onto the large pile of wood nearby, depending on their size. “But I’m always up this early. Daniel usually is, too. I figured you were him, actually.”

“Daniel gets up this early?” My brows flick upward in surprise. “That’s shocking. I always figured he slept until the last possible moment and his boys had to get him up in the mornings.” It’s not an insult, and I’m not trying to be mean about it. But Daniel has never inspired confidence in me of his ability to get up and take care of shit if he needs to.

Maybe I’m just a hypocrite.

“Usually,” Liza says with a quick nod. “You slept okay, though? I thought maybe you’d be up all night.” She pins me with her gaze, but I give her the same baleful look back.

“Oh yeah? I’m the one who was in danger of being up all night?” There’s a teasing, goading edge in my voice, and I wiggle my eyebrows at Camp Crestview’s nurse.

She, of course, doesn’t look phased by what I’m implying. If anything, her grin turns sly, and Liza tilts her head to the side as if she’s considering my words. “What makes you think I wasn’t up all night with a certain best friend of yours?”

Oh, Liza is better at this than I am. I stare at her, just a touch flustered, before my grin widens to match hers. “Maybe I never went to sleep, and that’s why I’m up this early,” I reply with my own suggestion, though it’s far from the truth.

“Where’s Kayde then?” she asks with a tilt of her head. “Surely he didn’t let you just leave your bed without him.”

“Where’s Kins?” I retort, hand on my hip. It’s fun to debate with Liza this way, and new. I’ve definitely never had someone to talk so freely with, other than my best friend, and Liza is nothing like Kinsley. Not that it’s a bad thing, under any circumstances.

More and more lately, I’m realizing that Liza isn’t just the friendly camp nurse who patches me up after a questionable decision made on my part. She’s kind, funny, and I’m sure I’d like hanging out with her outside of here, if Kinsley and her last that long.

God, I really hope they’re in it for the long run. I’ve met Kinsley’s girlfriends before this, and while I’ve liked a few of them enough, none of them were like Liza.

When Liza starts speaking, I realize I’d asked her a question, and I pull myself out of my thoughts to listen, gaze finding her soft, affectionate smile.

“Kins is in her cabin. She wanted to stay all night with me, but I don’t like waking her up early by accident. She’s such a light sleeper,” Liza laments, a worried frown touching her lips. “And she has kids to look after, unlike me. So I try to let her sleep when I can. At least some.” Her smile turns heavy with double meaning again, and it just prompts me to roll my eyes, a scoff leaving me.

“So kind of you to let my best friend shut her eyes at some point,” I can’t help but tease. My eyes scour the surrounding grass, and I pick up a stray stick to toss into the fire pit as Liza had. By now, we’re closer to when the kids wake up, though I doubt any of the girls in Redtail are conscious yet, unless they’re planning something nefarious.

But today is an easy day, in my opinion. With the talent show happening tonight, the kids get free time in the morning before they’ll take the afternoon to plan what they’ll do, create props for it, and run through their act. With the prize being an actual trophy and t-shirts that declare them Camp Crestview Talent Show Winners, they always put more effort into the talent show than I expect them to.

Secretly, I’m begging for my girls to win this year. In my opinion, we were cheated out of the win last year when I had part of this same group of girls. Plus, I know for a fact Melody won’t take the loss two years in a row without a fight.

Or murder. Depending on who we potentially lose to.

“Nice of Kayde to let you shut your eyes at some point. Should I ask him how much sleep he let you get?” Her teasing words confuse me, since I can’t figure out if she’s going to just waltz up to him in the middle of the day to ask if Kayde let me sleep. It seems random, at best.

Until Liza nods over my shoulder in the face of my confusion.

I turn, nonplussed, until I can see Kayde casually striding up from the direction of the lake, dressed in a pair of loose fitting sweatpants and a Camp Crestview t-shirt. Like me, he’d probably been given a lifetime supply of them from Mr. Fink, who prefers us to wear them while we’re here in case any of the kids need a trusted adult.

Not that I think the kids would have any problem identifying a counselor, since we’re double their height, more than double their age, and usually the ones giving orders or speaking the loudest when something’s happening. But I’ve never argued with Mr. Fink’s ‘wisdom’ and never really plan to. Not when he mostly leaves us to run the camp as we see fit.

“Kayde?” I can’t help but ask, the word slipping out before I can stop myself.

Kayde, apparently having no idea that we were here until this moment, snaps his head up to look at me, eyes wide. He stops walking, hands curling and uncurling at his sides, and in this entire week I’ve never seen him look so…flustered.

Like we’ve caught him at a bad time and he’s embarrassed over it. But it’s not like he’s doing anything wrong or humiliating. Is he?

“Summer,” he breathes, then turns his head to nod at Liza as well. “Hey Liza,” he greets, some of his normal mask flooding back through his expression. “Aren’t you two up a little early?” He directs it to both of us, but his eyes are fixed on mine when he asks, brows knit together.

“Summer says she got a full night’s sleep.” Liza is quick to reply before me, and the undertone of wicked teasing is heavy in her words. “I told her I was surprised and thought I’d ask you if she’s lying to me.”

Kayde’s head tilts just a touch, just enough for me to see the question in his eyes as he steps closer. Close enough for me to see the dark circles under his eyes, and the way he looks like he hasn’t slept at all.

A stab of worry goes through me, but I’m quick to strangle it and toss it down into the abyss of inappropriate feelings where it belongs. Had I done something wrong last night, or something to upset him?

Or had he done something during the night that’s going to upset me today?