chapter 4
After we got back to the campsite I decided to walk down and explore the trail that I had seen Travis take earlier in the day. My parents were going to take their showers first, so I had plenty of time to kill. When I got to the start of the path, it was marked with a sign that said “Lake” with a bright red arrow on it. There were no signs indicating its length or whether it looped around. I figured worse case scenario I would walk down as far as I felt I had time for and then return.
As I started my trek, I noticed that the path was mainly down hill. It was heavily wooded with lush green trees on both sides, and I saw some beautiful flowers growing throughout as well. Every once in a while a squirrel would run past in the trees or I would hear a bird sing, but other than that, I didn’t see any other wildlife. The trail seemed like it would be good for a jog because it was clear of stumps and shrubs, but I would have to remember that the return trip would be all up hill. After about twenty minutes, I began to see a clearing in the trees and what looked to be the end of the path. I picked up the pace to see what was at the bottom and when I got there I found a beautiful lake.
The lake was large and magnificent, and the water was blue and crystal clear. There was a tiny beach area, so I walked down to the edge and slipped my feet in the water. It was definitely cold, but would feel incredible on a day like today. It was so peaceful and quiet that I decided it would make the perfect place for me to come to get away and maybe work on my dance without having an audience. I only hoped that it wasn’t frequented that much by the other campers. I sat down on the beach and stayed for a while. I was admiring the view and the boats sailing around and thought about how much fun that would be! It was getting late though, and I knew I needed to head back to get ready for the barbeque. So, I picked myself up and hiked back up the path to our campsite.
Showering in the camper was one of the hardest feats I had attempted in a long time. Not only was I barely able to fit in the stall, but the sprayer was almost too short to reach my entire body. Washing my hair and shaving must have taken me at least thirty minutes and then I still had to wash and rinse the rest of my body. “I’m seriously going to consider using the main shower facilities up at the front from now on. This is ridiculous,” I huffed, frustrated by the entire thing. Toweling off after was even more challenging, and I knew that there was no way I was drying my hair or putting on my make-up in the cramped space. I would have to use the kitchen table for that.
I left my long hair down in loose curls, and decided on my little off the shoulder purple tee dress for my BBQ attire. Since it was still bright out, I put my sunglasses in my hair just in case and then chose to wear my white-knotted thong sandals. I figured too much make-up would seem like I was over doing it, so I kept it simple with just a little mascara and some shimmery lip-gloss. Hopefully, it wouldn’t be too much. This was going to be my first campground event and I had no idea what was appropriate.
“You ready sweetie?” Mom asked, peeking her head in the screen door.
“Yep. Let’s go have some BBQ!” I sarcastically cheered because my nerves were getting the best of me.
“You look gorgeous, don’t worry. I’m sure everyone will be kind and welcoming. After all, aren’t they all tree huggers?” My mom’s attempt at a joke elicited a slight giggle but I still anticipated the worst based on the glares I had received on the river earlier.
When we got up to the main deck where the barbecue was being held, it looked to be in full swing. Everyone was there mingling, the grills were smoking and some country music was playing over the loudspeakers. Of course, I immediately realized that I was overdressed for the occasion because everyone else was in jean shorts and t-shirts. So much for maintaining a low profile tonight, I thought as I made my way up to the crowd with my parents.
Right away, a tall, older gentleman came over and greeted us. “Hey! You all must be the Rice family. It’s good to meet you; I’m Barney Medler,” he said, shaking my dad’s hand.
“Yes we are, and it’s nice to finally meet you too. This is my wife Maxine and my daughter Pixie, I mean Paige,” my dad gave the introductions and of course, had to let my nickname slip.
“It’s nice to meet you Maxine,” Barney said, shaking my mom’s hand, “and you Pixie!” he chuckled and then gave me a wink.
Just then, Travis came over to where we were standing. “Hey Dad! The Connors are asking if you have another propane tank. Grill two seems to be running dry,” Travis gave the message and then turned to greet us.
“Okay, I’ll take care of it. This is Mr. and Mrs. Rice and their daughter Pixie, I mean Paige,” Barney said, making the same slip that my dad had. Geez thanks Daddy! I mentally snarked. “Paige here is your age, maybe you could introduce her around to everyone. They are going to be with us the entire summer. If you’d excuse me, I need to go fix a grill,” Barney said before turning and making his way back through the crowd.
“Well, please help yourself to some food. All the sides and toppings are over there on that table, and you can grab a dog or burger from any of the grills,” Travis said, pointing my parents in the right direction. “Paige, do you want to come and meet everyone first?” Travis asked, being polite and following his Dad’s instructions.
“Uh, sure,” I said with hesitation, not wanting to be a burden nor wanting to face the firing squad.
“Go meet everyone Pix, we’ll grab you some food if you want,” my Dad encouraged, nudging me towards Travis.
“I’ll get food in a bit,” I said and then followed Travis through the crowd.
“Okay, well over here is the “big kids” table.” Travis chuckled at his joke. “This is the gang you saw earlier on the river,” he said, leading the way to a picnic table in the far left corner. I couldn’t help but check out Travis from behind as he walked. His jeans were hanging low on his hips and his rear was very sexy. The dark navy t-shirt clung to his biceps and exposed his tattoos. It gave me a good chance to see that it was a picture of water swirling around the different symbols. Wow, it was kind of beautiful, if you can say that about a tattoo. I looked ahead as we approached the table to see everyone laughing and eating. Once they became aware of us though, or I should say me, they immediately grew silent.
“Hey guys! I want you to meet Paige. Her family is camping with us this season, and she’s going off to college in the fall too,” Travis said and then turned and started making his way around the table giving introductions. “Paige, this is Scott. He’s from Burlington like me but is a total doofus,” he teased, which earned him a punch in the arm. “Then that’s Kevin from Maine, Maggie and Amber from New Hampshire, Todd from Maine, Britney from Rhode Island, and Ashley is from Massachusetts,” he said, resting his hands on her shoulders as he stood behind her. The gesture hinted that they might be a couple, so I realized she must be his girlfriend.
The boys greeted me and smiled as Travis spoke, but the girls barely mustered up a nod or a smirk. I ignored the girls’ lack of hospitality and tried to break the ice with small talk. “Wow, so everyone is from New England. That’s great. Have you all been coming up here for awhile?” I asked, trying to keep my attention on the girls so that they wouldn’t persecute me.
“Yes, most of us have been coming every summer for the last ten years,” Ashley spoke, sounding rather curt.
“So, where are you from Paige?” Scott asked with a sweeter tone and genuinely sounded interested.
“From East Hampton, New York,” I answered, hoping that all eyes wouldn’t roll at that fact.
“Is this your first time camping?” Kevin chimed in.
“Yes, it is,” I replied then heard Ashley comment, “You can tell.” Without letting her tone faze me, I simply responded. “Yeah, it’s obvious.” I knew that it must be pretty apparent from the shiny new RV, temporary license plate and the fact that we had absolutely no clue what we were doing so I couldn’t blame any of them for noticing.
“Well, you are in a dress,” she snipped, bringing all attention to my attire. My cheeks reddened on the spot and I was surprised by how blatantly rude Ashley was being. Well, I guess I shouldn’t really be surprised. After all, they had already formed their opinion of me earlier.
“Yeah, I guess I am overdressed,” I said, looking down at my dress and trying to play off her remark.
“Don’t listen to her, you look hot!” Scott said, giving me a wink. I didn’t know how to respond and I immediately saw the girls’ irritated looks so I found myself fidgeting with my bracelet.
“Do you want to grab some food while there is still some left?” Travis asked with an apologetic look on his face that relieved some of my tension. At least he saved me from the awkward moment and gave me an out.
“Sure. I’ll go get something. Well, it’s nice to meet you all,” I said before turning and making my way back towards my parents by the grill. Phew! Wow, that went worse than I expected.
“Hey sweetie! Did you meet the other kids?” mom asked when I came to her side.
“Yep. Let’s just say they aren’t huggers, at least the girls aren’t,” I teased, referencing her earlier joke and shrugging off my disappointment.
“No, the problem is you’re not a tree! They are just jealous of your curves. Well, come and get something to eat with us,” she suggested, accepting my decision to stay in their company. So I made myself a plate, and then joined my parents at the picnic table.
As I ate my food and chatted with my folks, I discreetly took the opportunity to observe the “Big Kids.” From what I could piece together, it seemed as though Maggie and Todd were a couple. They kept smooching and he sat with his arm around her the entire time. Kevin clearly had a thing for Amber, if they weren’t already a couple, because he kept finding reasons to touch her and there was some obvious flirting going on. Scott and Travis seemed to be really close friends and were laughing and joking around with each other, which then left Britney and Ashley alone to converse. I couldn’t hear what the two girls were saying from our table, but I got the impression it was about me from the looks they kept sending my way as they whispered.
Both of the girls were really pretty, so I couldn’t understand why they were acting like they were intimidated by me. Britney had short dark hair which she wore in a stylish haircut, brown eyes and, although she wasn’t super skinny, was definitely cute. Ashley’s hair and eyes were really dark and beautiful, and she had a cute figure too. Neither of them had anything to be insecure about, so I didn’t know why they were intent on making ME feel insecure. I know that Britney’s boyfriend “Skeevy Corey” might have embarrassed her a little this afternoon but did that warrant all of the animosity? After all, she wasn’t even around to witness all of the undressing he had been doing with his eyes. Thank goodness for that, or things might be a lot worse. I might be waking up with toothpaste in my hair or to find our RV covered in toilet paper.
Barney and his wife Lucille, the owners, came over to sit with us for a bit. My parents and them were getting acquainted, the men delighting in the fact they were in similar medical fields. Lucille and my mom instantly hit it off as well, and she filled my mom in on all of the upcoming happenings. There apparently was a bridge league, spa days in town, wine tastings, and all kinds of surprising things that I didn’t expect to be planned at a campground. Well, I guess my mom will be preoccupied soon. Lucille also informed her of tomorrow’s planned event for the adults which was touring a cider mill. My mom eagerly agreed to join them, and they made plans to carpool together.
“Paige, there are lots of things going on with the kids too. I mean with the young adults. I still see Travis as a kid, but he hates when I call him that. Anyway, tomorrow there will be a pool party/ice cream social at two p.m. So I hope you can make it. We have a really great bunch of kids here and I know they will welcome you with open arms. Did you have a chance to meet them all yet?” Lucille had obviously spent her summers watching everyone grow up and had formed a different opinion of them. Clearly she had overestimated their friendliness, but I wasn’t about to alter her view.
“Yes, I did. Thanks. Everyone seems very sweet, I’ll definitely try and make it to the pool party,” I answered politely but had already mentally determined that there was no way in HELL I was going.
“Good. I hope you make it,” Travis’s voice startled me from behind. He came around the table and sat straddling the bench next to his mom.
“Hi sweetie, is everything under control?” she asked, referring to the management of the barbeque.
“Yep, we are good. There’s a bunch of food left and people are still eating,” he informed her and then turned his attention towards me. “Did you get enough to eat Paige?”
“Yes, thanks. It was delicious!” I answered with a smile, and felt the nerves reappearing in my stomach.
“Good. A bunch of us are headed out to see “Mission: Impossible 3. Do you want to join us?” he asked, genuinely sounding hopeful that I might come. I was thankful that I had already seen the movie because I wouldn’t have been able to turn down the offer otherwise. I really didn’t want to be subjected to any more of Ashley today, and staying behind with my parents to read in the trailer would have been a lame excuse.
“Thanks for the invite, but I literally just saw it a few nights ago. It’s good. You all should like it,” I said regretfully, declining the offer.
“When are you all leaving hun?” Travis’s mom asked.
“Not for a while. We’re going to hang out here for a bit, and then go. I’ll make sure we get everything cleaned up first and I’ll have the guys help me stack the tables back up.”
Although he was covered in tattoos, Travis really came across as a responsible guy. It wasn’t what I expected, but so far there were no red flags other than the fact that he might have poor taste when it came to his choice in girlfriends. That is if he was actually dating Ashley, which I still wasn’t certain of.
“Okay, thanks,” his mom said, reaching around to give him a squeeze. He reciprocated the hug and then stood to leave.
“Back to work. Well, I’ll see you tomorrow Paige. Unless you want to see the movie again?” he asked in one last attempt to get me to come.
“Thanks, but I’ll probably crash early. Tubing zapped me today,” I replied sweetly to his kind offer.
“Okay, see you tomorrow then.” He gave me the most adorable smile before turning to make his way back to the group. Butterflies fluttered a little as I realized how charming Travis was, but instantly dissipated when I glanced over and saw Ashley giving me the evil eye again.
“So you all went tubing today?” Lucille asked, interrupting my thoughts.
“Yes, it was a lot of fun,” my mom answered.
“It is. Travis mentioned that they all had gone today as well. It was a beautiful day for it.”
“It was indeed,” my mom agreed.
Just then, Ashley walked by the table. She tried to disguise her interest in our conversation but I noticed her attention right away. “Ashley sweetie, have you met Paige?” Lucille asked, motioning her over to the table.
“Yes, Mrs. Medler,” Ashley stated without acknowledging me.
“You girls show her around tomorrow and make her feel at home, okay?” Lucille asked, still trying to be the gracious host.
“We’re all going out tomorrow, but the pool party’s at two p.m. She can come to that,” Ashley addressed Lucille once again instead of me when she spoke and then left. She purposefully had made no attempts to include me in their plans, but I wasn’t surprised. However, it was a little shocking that she didn’t put on any pretense in front of my mom or Lucille though. If the girl wanted to be with Travis, you would think she would at least pretend in front of his mother. Thankfully, Lucille did not call her back to press her further and spared me any additional embarrassment.
“Don’t mind Ashley, Paige,” Lucille spoke softly. “I’ve noticed that she has been in a bad mood these past couple of days, but Travis won’t tell me what’s going on with her. Boys don’t tell their mothers anything,” she admitted, shaking her head remorsefully. I bet I knew the cause of Ashley’s bad mood, and I’m pretty sure it has everything to do with me. “I hope you and your mom have an open line of communication,” Lucille added and my mom and I both nodded in response.
“Anyway, Ashley really can be a sweetheart when she wants to be. Unfortunately, her mother and father divorced two years ago, so Janice no longer comes for the summers. Her dad, Richard, the man in the Red Sox shirt and jeans standing over by the grill, remarried a year and a half ago. His new wife Brianna, is the one in the red tank top and white crop pants standing next to him.”
As soon as my mom and I found the couple in the crowd and saw Brianna, we noticed the age difference. “Wow, she is so young,” my mom commented, unable to hold her tongue.
“Yeah, she is definitely closer to Ashley’s age, that’s for sure.” Lucille nodded profusely in agreement. “Travis found out from Ashley that Brianna is twenty-six, but that was all I could get out of him,” Lucille said in frustration. “This is actually the second summer that Richard has brought Brianna here. She is very sweet and they are good people, but you can tell that there was a lot more that happened behind the scenes.” Lucille gave my mom a look and it was obvious that she was conveying the speculation of an affair. “Anyway, according to the custody schedule Ashley is with her dad during the summers so at least we still get to have her here with us. I can’t imagine that any of this has been easy on her and yet she has been really strong. But then again, something’s been going on with her these last couple of days.” I was pretty sure that Ashley’s attitude towards me had more to do with Travis than her stepmom, but I couldn’t help sympathizing with the girl.
“Aw, poor girl. That probably explains it, sweetie,” my mom said to me, revealing that fact that I was having a problem with Ashley.
“You know Paige, maybe I should fill you in a little bit on the group of kids so you’ll have a better understanding. I want you to have a good summer, but I am well aware of how teenagers can be sometimes, especially these guys,” she said, gesturing her head in the direction of the group “It’s hard being the new kid, but maybe with a little background, you’ll have an easier time.” Lucille scanned the proximity to ensure she didn’t have an audience before she proceeded. I was eager to hear what she had to say, but found it funny that she was so willing to gossip. Maybe she had seen the wrath of Ashley towards others in previous years and was trying to spare me the same agony.
“Well, Maggie, the little brunette,” Lucille said and I nodded my understanding of whom she was referring to. “She is extremely shy. I remember the first summer that her family came here; she just stayed to herself the entire time. It wasn’t until the following summer when Todd and his family showed up, that she actually started participating in social events. Their families had campsites next to one another and the two kids just hit it off right away. They have been dating ever since and I’d put money on them getting married. They’re really sweet kids, but often times do their own thing.” She paused for a second to take a sip of her drink and then continued.
“Let’s see, then there is Kevin who is just a big teddy bear. He and Travis have become really good friends over the years and he is such a well-mannered boy. I don’t think you’ll have any problems with him. And I actually think he and Amber have become an item, so we will see how that goes this summer. Amber seems like a sweet girl but I don’t know her as well. Her family has only been coming up these last two summers, so not as long as some of the others.”
Lucille glanced over to the group and then continued, “Next is Scott, who is like my second child. He and Travis have been in school together since kindergarten and are best friends. Our families are very close, but unfortunately, this year his mother Gloria chose to teach summer school and couldn’t make it up. Both of them are teachers actually and have always had their summers off, which is how we have been so lucky to vacation with them over the years. I haven’t had a chance to speak with Charles, but I’m pretty sure Gloria decided to work since they are getting ready to send Scott to college.”
“Sure,” my mom said, understanding the decision.
“Scott and Charles both help us out here through the summers, so this is Charles’ summer job.” From the sound of it, Scott came from a more modest background, and his parents were doing everything in their power to afford him his education.
Lucille looked around once more and her change in demeanor distracted my thoughts. I could tell she was getting ready to say something juicy and wanted to make sure the coast was clear.
“Now Britney,” she paused, shaking her head before continuing, “she is definitely one that might be difficult to crack. Unfortunately, she has taken up with a guy who is not the best influence on her, Corey. Actually, you might have met him at the rafting place today.”
“We did,” my mom interjected.
“Well, he definitely considers himself to be quite a catch and does things to cut down her self esteem. I have definitely seen a change in her since they have become a couple and it is so disheartening. She used to be so self-confident and kind, but now she seems to be distant and insecure. Hopefully that will change once she goes off to college next year and realizes her self worth. At the moment, she is too blinded by puppy love to see past his exterior.”
Lucille’s declaration about Britney gave me a greater understanding of the way she’d treated me earlier, not that it was excusable or warranted, but now I at least understood.
“Funny, when we met Corey at the rafting place today I have to say he didn’t give off the best first impression. What a shame, Britney is a very cute girl,” my mom said.
“It is a shame,” Lucille reiterated and then added, “So, last but by far not least, is my exquisitely handsome son Travis.” Lucille’s eyes lit with warmth and affection as she spoke of him. “Now, of course I am biased and may be tooting my own horn as a mother, but he is truly a great kid, I mean young man,” she quickly corrected. “He went through a little rough patch at one point, which is now documented on his body,” she said, rolling her eyes. “Not unlike most teens I guess, but thankfully has grown into such a smart, kind, gentleman and is very much a mama’s boy.” She smiled warmly and was clearly delighted by the fact. I think how a guy treats his mother speaks loudly about his character, so another plus for Travis.
“So, that’s everyone. There have been a few others over the years, but unfortunately, I don’t think they will be back this summer; although the Compsons might be coming at some point.”
Lucille finished her brief run down on the group and I was thankful for the inside information. It definitely gave me a better understanding of everyone and what, or I should say who, I might be up against. Even still, I had a feeling I wasn’t going to be inducted into their group any time soon. My mom and Lucille continued in conversation because my mom wanted a run down on all of the parents. She too wanted the insider scoop, which Lucille was all too eager to offer up.
As I sat not really engaged in the conversation, I noticed Travis and Scott talking in a corner. Travis happened to look in my direction, and I didn’t know whether to maintain eye contact or look away. I offered a soft smile, which he returned, and then I rejoined my mother’s conversation. Just out of curiosity, I glanced over a few more times to find that he was still staring at me. Scott was looking over as well, which made me nervous that now they were going to be talking about me, if they hadn’t been already. I decided then to go back to the RV in order to spare myself being the topic of conversation. I’d really had all the attention that I could handle for one day and was exhausted. So I interrupted my mom and Lucille’s conversation to politely excuse myself.
My mom gave me a hug goodnight, and Lucille popped up to do the same. “It was so great to meet you Paige. I’m excited that you’ll be here with us this summer and you are always welcome to join us ladies if you want. We may be old, but we still know how to have a good time.”
Her offer was sweet. I squeezed her back thanking her for the evening, and then said my goodbyes. When I turned to make my exit down the deck stairs, I saw Travis’s eyes follow me. Butterflies fluttered through my stomach and all the way up to my cheeks, so I picked up my pace and headed back to the RV fast.
I stayed in the rest of the night watching a movie and waited for Tracey to call me after her date with Tom. The day had truly been exhausting though, so I fell asleep right away.