The Summer at Camazotz

Twenty-Four

The last week of camp goes by in a blur.

The Cabin Face-Off celebrations seemed to last forever that Saturday night and all of the next day. Grizzly Cabin had decided on a day of swimming and relaxing under the summer sun, to which no one complained. That same day, Jordan and his ten campers decorated a banner that read, CABIN OF THE SUMMER 2020. Everyone cheered as they hung the banner in the hall of the main lodge later that evening.

Over the following days, the entire camp makes it a goal to not let a minute go to waste. It's clear that my friends and I aren't the only ones who are going to miss this place. The kids who had cried before coming to camp are now the ones who want to extend their stay at Camazotz.

At some point in the middle of the week, Hannah presents us with a wooden paddle, the name of the camp and the year etched into the wood. Instructing us all to not write too big, the fifty of us scribble our names onto the paddle, effectively leaving our mark.

There's an odd feeling of warmth in my chest as I write my name. Knowing that a part of me will always be at this camp relieves me of the sadness that had been weighing me down. Looking at all of the names reminds me of how many people really made my summer; how many changed my life in one way or another.

And although I've never been a huge fan of arts and crafts, I find myself eager to help out with the decorating of this year's camp banner. I add some stick people and a shining sun to the crisp white sheet, complimenting the boys and girls painting next to me as I do.

Jordan joins in at some point. I hardly notice him next to me as I focus on filling the empty spaces. It's not until I feel something cold against my skin that I jump in surprise. I look down at my hand where Jordan has smeared red paint. I waste no time in flicking my brush at him, splattering him with some blue. A paint fight breaks out between us, both of us trying to cover the other in as much paint as possible. Astrid shrieks and yanks the banner away, muttering something about ruining what we've spent hours on.

Some of the campers join in, realizing how much fun it is to throw paint at someone. A handful of us are covered in head to toe in a variety of colours by the time Joan notices the commotion. Rather than getting upset, she just smiles and shakes her head at us before picking up a cup of white paint and dumping it on my and Jordan's heads.

"Hey!" Jordan exclaims. "Aren't you supposed to be on our side?"

"No." she grins and sets the cup down. "You two go clean yourselves up. I'll deal with the kids."

We don't hesitate to hurry out of the lodge.

I suggest taking a detour by the lake to get away from prying eyes which Jordan happily agrees to. We make our way down the winding path through the trees until the water comes into view. Knowing there won't be anyone around, I take his hand in mine and we walk in silence until we reach the dock.

Jordan doesn't let go of my hand as he kicks off his shoes and pulls off his socks. For a moment I think he's going to strip down to the bare minimum, but his shirt and shorts remain on his body.

"Come on, hurry up," he says, now releasing my hand from his grip.

"We have to go shower, Jordan."

"Yeah, and we will." He takes a few steps backward, closer to the edge of the dock. "But we gotta wash our clothes first."

I shake my head at what he's implying, but go to remove my shoes and socks anyway. "You're something else."

I move our shoes to the end of the dock to keep them from getting splashed. Then, I turn around and walk over to Jordan who's looking at me expectantly.