Lauren Roberts
Professor Stolar
October 30th, 2014
Story 2 Draft 1
That summer at the Lake
The sound of children’s voices could be heard from streets away. Four girls in the
middle of the cove playing hopscotch with ribbons tied to their ponytails and Velcro
shoes on. Herds of boys running from sidewalk to sidewalk chasing each other
through brownish green grass with finger guns. The last of the snow had just melted
weeks ago, and the kids on Winburn Drive where in a hurry to shed layers and be
outside. Maine had a particularly cold and harsh winter. Sitting on the curb was four
girls not running around and not playing hopscotch. As the leaves changed in winter
from green to brown, so did Anne-Marie, Laura, Nikki and Christina from girls to
pree- teens.
“ My mom refuses to let me get my skirt hemmed for school. Instead she says we
need to go to Parker uniform and have them take the hem out so its even lower past
my knee cap. Who is going to ask me to the back to school dance when my skirt is so
long it touches the ground?”
“ Christina you’re not putting your eyeliner on even at all.” Anne –Marie handed
her a wet cloth.
“ I know Anne- Marie thanks! I shouldn’t put it on anyway my dad gets mad when I
have makeup on, we aren’t allowed to wear makeup until we are in 8th grade.”
Christina had a compact mirror in front of her and was wiping off her eyeliner.
“ Yeah my dad doesn’t like it either you guys, and I need to go back into my house
and wipe this off before dinner.” Nikki picked up her bag of nail polish, which were
all neutral colors.
“ Bye Nikki see you tomorrow.”
“ Yeah, I need to get back in the house before my mom notices we stole her
eyeliner. Christina can you give me back her little mirror?”
“ Ya here you go Laura, you’re so lucky your dads not around. Your mom is so cool.
And she’s letting you go to summer camp like you can sneak around with boys.”
Anne-Marie’s dad left when she was two years old to go back to France. He had
come over to go to school in America and fell in love with her mother Kim. They met
at the age of 18, engaged at 19, pregnant at 20, with a child at 21, and he was gone
by 23. Everything Anne-Marie ever knew about boys was that they sucked, and they
put her mom in one of her moods. She picked up her Teen Vogue magazines and
walked inside to her house.
“ What do you want for dinner kiddo, Taco bell, Pizza Hut, I just clipped coupons
for a family bucket at KFC?”
Kim was sitting on the counter when her daughter walked in.
“ Why would we need a family bucket there’s only two of us?”
“ Everything ok Annie- girl?”
“ Yes mom.”
“ Anything happen while you where outside? You seem a little rattled.”
“ Mom, do you think dad would let me wear makeup if he was here?”
Kim jumped off the counter and walked over to her easel, which was placed next to
the kitchen table.
“What are the three things you should always stay away from Anne-Marie?”
“ Ugh Mom, French boys, French, fries and French toast”
“ Nothing good could possibly come from France, Anne- Marie minus you, but you
are only half French, but you are the best thing to come from France.”
Kim was in one of her rants. Paint was stained to what used to be hardwood floor.
Tiny blobs of pink, blue, and a lot of black paint dots covered their dining room.
Kim’s jeans were flared at the bottom, and looked like they had been through a
cheese grader from all the holes. Her flannel shirt hung open. Kim was an artist but
never completed any of her projects.
“ Do you have a flashlight, bug spray, blankets, band aids, did you pack sports bras?
You need to start wearing them every day.”
“ Mom I know stop!”
“ Oh am I embarrassing you in front of our furniture? This is the first summer you
will be away from me Anne-Marie, and I don’t want to worry every day while you
are three hours away at camp Lauren. “
“ Its called camp Laurel Mom.” Anne –Marie took her teen bop magazines to her
room, and began to finish packing things into duffel bags.
She looked outside her bedroom window. She could directly see into Nikki’s kitchen
window. Her mom, Mrs. Koppers was wearing a dress and the whole family was
gathered around the table. Nikki had three other sisters. I wonder if mom wished we
had that.
The door quickly swung open and Kim stood in the threshold eating a cold piece of
pizza.
“ You need to enjoy your nice comfy bed tonight Annie girl because tomorrow
you’ll be at camp, missing your mom and your bed!”
“ I will be fine mom, it’s only a month! I’m going to go to bed now.”
“ When did my little girl get so independent? Night love you see you in the a.m.”
I wonder if I will meet a boy at camp this summer? Nikki would be so jealous. I
wonder what it would be like to have a boy friend, I wonder if boys are as awful as
mom says. I wonder if mom will ever find anyone.
The next morning their red Subaru was filled in the back with Anne-Maries camp
bags, backpack and boxes of goldfish, animal crackers, and cookies. Laura, Nikki and
Christina stood outside on the driveway.
“ I’ll write you everyday while you’re at camp. Don’t forget about me!” Nikki's red
hair looked surprisingly strawberry blonde in the sun that finally graced Maine’s
presence.
“ You guys I’ll be gone a month! Don’t finish all the seventh grade summer
homework without me. You guys know I can’t do the math portion.” Anne-Marie
said.
“ Well if your lucky enough, the math portion will already be done and you can just
copy my answers. We have been out of school what, two weeks? My dad yesterday
at dinner was already on me that I need to get going on the summer homework.”
Christina twisted her hair through her fingers.
“ Tell us what the boys are like! I can’t believe your going to be around boys for a
whole month! It’s probably going to be weird when you come back and our
classroom is only filled with girls. Hey Anne-Marie can I read your teen vogue issues
while your gone?” Laura already had the magazines in her hand.
“ Alright we gotta go we are going to miss check in time Anne-Marie!” Kim came
out in light washed flannel jeans and a white camisole you could see her bra straps
perfectly, and she had a scruncy holding up her greasy hair.
“ Shoot, forgot to wash this paint off my hands, whatever Anne –Marie we gotta go,
bye girls, I’ll still be here if you want to hang out!”
The red Subaru started and Kim put on the Barenaked Ladies Greatest hits cd
from 1999-2001, and they drove for what seemed like six hours, before pulling up to
a huge pine tree and a banner in between it that said, “ Welcome to Camp Laurel.”
“ Hi welcome to camp Laurel, I’m Stacey!”
Anne-Marie was holding her backpack and pillow and was the only camper with
three duffel bags.
“ I’m Anne-Marie Albracht.”
“ Ah that makes it easy, you are at the top of the list. You’re in Cabin 1; your camp
counselor Michael will take you there. But you should say bye to your mom here,
only campers are allowed past the check in.”
Tears filled the rims of Kim's eyes. This would be the first time since she was 18
that she would be living alone.
“ Are you sure your going to be ok? Like I’m fine if we just hop back in the car I
wont tell you that you wasted my money. “
“ Mom I love you its only a month!”
Kim bent down and hugged Anne-Marie.
“ What are you doing Anne-Marie I’m trying to hug you?”
“ I’m tucking in your bra straps they are sticking out.”
Not much later the announcement was made that Cabin 1 is headed back to their
cabin. Anne- Marie let go and picked up her backpack and one duffel bag. Camp
counselors had to carry the other two and her pillow. Her face t
Anne-Marie started to unpack her bags and a post it notes fell out of her bag with
hearts drawn on them. I wonder what moms doing on the ride home; jeez I hope she’s
ok.
“Girls in Cabin 1, you are paired with the boys in Cabin 2, you guys will have a few
activities tonight, but at dinner get to know one another. I want to win the camp
challenges this month!” Michael yelled from his mega phone.
Instantly Anne-Marie’s eyes fell on the boy with hazel eyes and skin that was a
carmel color. His arms where hairy and so where his legs. His hair was dark brown.
He had on long athletic shorts and a grey t-shirt He was playing soccer with the
other boys. Oh my gosh If Laura, Nikki, and Christiana could see this boy.
An announcement came over the speaker shortly after. Dinner will be served now
be sure to sit with your paired cabin for the first night, to get to know everyone
around you.
Anne-Marie walked to the cafeteria. The soccer boy was in front of her. Say hi, or
wait was it in Teen Vogue that said if a boy was interested they would say hi first?
Shoot.
The soccer boy turned around and made eye contact with Anne-Marie.
“ Are you in cabin one, do you know where the guys sit?”
“ Um I think we all sit together.” Anne-Maries flesh turned salmon pink.
“ Cool I’m Jean- Philippe.”
He’s French. Oh my god.
“ Is that French?” Anne –Marie said
“ Um ya. My parents are French, they are actually first generation immigrants from
France.”
No French boys, no French-fries, no French toast. Mom would kill me right now.
“ I’m French also. Well half my dad was from France.”
“ Oh cool you ever been? I went last summer that’s why I wasn’t at camp.”
“ No my mom doesn’t really like to go France, it’s um, well such a long plane ride.”
Jean Philippe had walked off to cut the line when he spotted his guy friends.
“ So, you already know who you want to kiss at the end of the year bonfire.” A girl
with soffee shorts and a shirt that said New England Patriots with a pony tail and a
yellow ribbon was to the side of Anne-Marie.
“ Hey I’m Jenny.”
“ I’m Anne-Marie, you think he likes me?”
Jenny was rolling her shorts one more time, “ eh there’s potential.”
“ How do you know?” Anne- Marie was frantically looking to see where he had
walked off too in the cafeteria.
“ I know guys, lets be sure to sit at their table.” Jenny led the way no problem.
After dinner the girls went back to cabin 1 to get set up and meet one another.
Bedtime was early on the first night because tomorrow breakfast was served at 6
am.
“ So tomorrow are you going to try and pair up with Jean Philippe for water
balloon toss?”
“ I don’t know we only spoke like three sentences to one another, I don’t know.”
“ He’s never going to know you like him unless you act like it. My boyfriend and I
have been dating for like um, wow six months now because I talked to him everyday
and flirted with him at the lockers.”
“ Well I don’t have boys at my school so.”
Jenny shot up in her bed. Her mouth hanging open and her eyes huge, she screamed
at the top of her lungs,
“ You go to one of those freaky all girl schools! I will teach you everything I know.”
The next day was the water balloon toss. Anne-Marie stayed close to Jean Philippe in
hopes he would ask her to be his partner.
“ It needs to be one boy and girl for teams, last team winning gets to be first for
lunch today.” Michael was on his mega phone again.
He was passing out balloons the only girl that was standing next to Jean- Philippe
was Anne-Marie.
“ You two look like a good match, you guys are partners.” Michael handed them a
balloon.
My mom was wrong about French boys.
The pair stood across from each other and with each successful pass Jean-Philippe
scooted away from Anne-Marie. She was focused so hard on catching the water
balloon she didn’t notice that they had won the event.
“ Our winners are Anne-Marie and Jean Philippe! You guys are first in line for
lunch today!” Michael raised both of their arms up in the air.
“ Anne-Marie you have great hand eye coordination for a girl!” Jean Philippe
squeezed her shoulders and their bodies quickly touched. From the balloon toss on
Anne-Marie and Jean Philippe were partners for every event.
“ What time are you going to swimming today Anne- Marie?” Jean Philippe was
standing outside the girls cabin.
“ I’m getting ready now, I’ll meet you at the lake!” Anne- Marie threw her hair up in
a ponytail.
“ Anne-Marie he so likes you!” Jenny was putting on sunscreen.
“ You think? I can’t tell.”
“ I know boys Anne-Marie, they don’t wait around for nothing.” Jenny was walking
out the door to the lake.
Slivers of sunlight sliced the water. Perfection. More perfection: dark green
Bermuda grass next to smooth blue water. The lake brings people together. Jean
Philippe was already in the lake when Anne-Marie arrived. She climbed down the
ladder on the dock into the lake and Jean Philippe grabbed her hips and dunked her
under water. It was the first time a boy had ever touched her.
“ Hey Anne-Marie, are you going to the end of the year bonfire tonight?”
Oh my gosh. Anne-Marie tell him yes, but say it cool like you are thinking about it. Oh
my gosh.
“ Yeah I’m thinking about it.”
“ What else would you be doing?”
“ Nothing I’m going.” Anne- Marie dried off with her towel.
“ Do you want to go together?” Jean Philippe has his hands on his hips standing in
front of her.
Is he asking me on a date? Crap crap why is Laura, Nikki and Christina here. I can’t
believe this is happening.
“ Yeah I’ll meet you outside the picnic tables!”
The bonfire was located deep in the woods. A dirt path with old tall powerful pine
trees on each side lead to a circle in the ground with rocks around it, and wood in
the center. Maine was a great place to loose yourself in quiet woods. The only thing
you heard was footsteps, and an occasional crack of the fire. Jean Philippe had
brought a flashlight in his pocket but didn’t bring it out of his pocket, and him and
Anne-Marie had fallen much farther behind the group.
“ Can you see at all? The moon isn’t very bright tonight and the trees are to tall.”
“ Not really, and I think my shoes untied.” Anne-Marie stopped and was about to
bend down.
“ I’ll help you.”
Anne-Maries hand was suddenly touching his. His finger sliced though hers and the
tips of his fingers laid on her knuckles. As they approached the bon fire he dropped
her had gently and took a seat on the log. Anne- Marie took a seat next to Jenny.
“ Jenny! Jenny! I’m so confused Jean-Philippe and I just help hands all the way here.”
“ Yeah so what? I figured you guys would be doing something, you where so far
behind. He is probably going to make out with you at the end of the night. When we
are all walking back.”
“ Wait what, you think? Why, why do you think that Jenny?”
“ Chill, I know guys I have had a boyfriend for six months just linger around him
Anne-Marie.”
Marshmallows and sticks where passed around the bonfire, but Anne-Maries
hands were too sweaty to grip anything right now. Jean Philippe would look at her
and she would pretend to be in serious conversation with Jenny. The fire started to
fade and not much later the last crack of the fire was heard.
“ Well guys, just like that fire summer camp has come to an end. Hand me your
sticks and walk back to your cabin I’ll be there to do roll call in about 20 minutes
thanks for hanging out with us at Camp Laurel this summer!” The camp counselors
came around and hugged everyone.
“I’ve never kissed a boy before ugh I hope jenny’s kinda wrong. Will he be able to tell I
haven’t?”
The group of boys and girls from cabin 1 and 2 lingered, and then quickly and
silently they paired up for the adventure back to the cabin. Jean Philippe and AnneMarie the last ones to leave, without even asking he grabbed her hand. The
moonlight slivers hit certain parts of the woods and Anne-Marie could see that no
one was around them. Not to far up the road Jean Philippe stepped to the side and
leaned up against a pine tree. He pulled Anne-Marie by her hand closer to him and
began to kiss her.
What is going on, what is going on, what do I do with my hands, what do I do with my
lips, are his eyes closed, what is going what is going on.
“Are you ok Ann-Marie?”
“ Yes wh..?”
He is me kissing again oh my god. Oh my god oh my god. Why did it stop?
“ We should get back to the cabin.” Jean Philippe said wiping the dirt of his back
from the tree bark. I’m tired.”
“ Really? I mean ok, if you want too I don’t think room checks are for like 20 more
minutes.”
Jean Philippe was walking up the path before Anne-Marie had even noticed he was
gone. They didn’t hold hands. Jenny was sitting at the picnic table outside the cabin.
Jean Philippe walked right into cabin 2. The windows of the boys cabin were open.
“ I just tried to kiss Anne-Marie, she’s the worse kisser ever.”
Jenny looked at Anne-Marie. Jean Philippe’s voice seemed to echo throughout the
camp. She sat on the bench across from Jenny.
“ You ok Anne-Marie? I didn’t want to tell you this but day one of camp I thought he
was a jerk, he thinks he is way hotter than he actually is.”
“ My mom always told me to stay away from French boys.” Anne- Marie walked
back into the cabin.