“Right, right,” Clark agreed. “Totally.”
And maybe it was because Lisa had been gone for so long or because fumes were leaking from the van’s potentially toxic motor, but that was the night Solomon realized how he really felt about Clark Robbins. He’d ignored it for weeks—that feeling he got in his stomach when Clark was around, that rushing in his chest that he’d mistaken for panic so many times, but had actually been something else, something he hadn’t felt before. Clark didn’t care where he was or where he was going. And even though Solomon was afraid to call it love, what else could it be? It was there. It was real. And if he didn’t watch out, it would eventually find a way to ruin everything.
EIGHTEEN
LISA PRAYTOR
Summer camp had been so much fun when Lisa was younger. She’d get to meet interesting girls from faraway places like Phoenix or Salt Lake City and their cabins would come up with secret little languages and songs about the wilderness. But as she grew older, and reached that pivotal age where being a counselor was her only choice, Lisa found herself constantly nostalgic for the way it once was.
Now, as a junior counselor, she was in charge of her own cabin, complete with ten girls and one senior counselor. That senior counselor was Janis. And she had a hard time forgetting that this camp, one of the three she counseled at every summer, wasn’t a Christian one like the other two.
“Let us pray,” she said on the third night just before lights-out.
“Keep it secular,” Lisa whispered from the bunk beneath her.
“I mean . . . sweet dreams, campers.”
The first week of camp went by pretty quietly, with only one canoe mishap and no reports of stomach bugs from the other bunks. And even though she wondered how Clark and Solomon were doing without her, Lisa was having fun being around some other girls for a change. She hadn’t heard the words Star Trek in seven days and it felt amazing.
The only thing that was a little off was Janis. Lisa knew it wouldn’t be easy, but she’d thought setting aside her very important time with Solomon to come to camp last minute would put the things back to normal between them. She was wrong. Janis was still pouting about it, constantly making little jokes about Lisa disappearing or being flaky. She kept her mouth shut, not wanting to argue in front of the young campers, but now Lisa was starting to get pissed. Still, though, she knew the last week of camp would be much easier if she tried to keep the peace—at least for as long as Janis would let her.
“Listen,” Lisa said, sitting down across from Janis in the mess hall, “we’ve got to talk to Chloe. If she doesn’t learn to steer a canoe, she’ll have to take the class all over again next summer.”
“Lisa, just do it for her. We’re not training her for the Olympics.”
“I can’t do that and you know it. Where’s your Camp Elizabeth pride?”
“Sorry. But, the girl’s hopeless. She sunk three canoes and a kayak last summer.”
“Oh, I remember that.”
“So, are you having a good time? Glad you came?” Janis asked blandly.
“Maybe,” Lisa said.
“It was the least you could do, really.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“You know exactly what it means,” Janis said. “Plus, I’m trying to save you from that crazy kid. I’m sure you needed a break.”
“He’s not crazy,” she said. “And I do not need you to save me from anything.”
“You know, maybe I’m too normal to be your friend. Not enough problems for you to fix, Lisa?”
“You’ve got plenty of problems, believe me.”
Janis was completely caught off guard that Lisa had finally stood up for herself. She leaned closer, putting her palms on the table, and with that mean look in her eyes, the one she used to get before she found Jesus, Janis smiled a little before she began to speak.
“Don’t take out all your anger on me. I can’t help it if your boyfriend’s in love with that crazy kid. I tried to warn you.”
“You’re ridiculous.”
“You act so smart, Lisa. You’re always talking about how you want to help people and become this amazing psychiatrist someday, but you can’t even see what’s going on right in front of you. Where do you think Clark is right now?”
“He’s with his friend. Our friend. Don’t make stuff up just because you’re jealous.”
“All right. I’m out,” Janis said loudly, throwing her hands up.
“You’re out?”