knife—more importantly, the bow and arrow. You
know, in case you can’t use a gun when zombies attack.”
“Or you need to kill a bear,” Danny
said.
Mason playfully mussed Danny’s
hair. “Yeah, important things like that—bears and zombies.”
I dropped my jaw. “You’re going to
teach the kids how to use weapons?”
“Yeah, for hunting ,” Mason said. “Some campers do that.”
Mason had grown up hunting with his
dad. It was probably the only thing his dad ever taught him—how to kill.
I grumbled. “Eight year olds?”
Mason shrugged. “They have to learn
sometime, I guess. Look, don’t look mad at me. This wasn’t my idea.”
I wasn’t mad. Of
course. I was just grouchy. And still am now. The minute Mason got on the bus, immediately Danny was in Mason’s lap.
Wonderful. Seeing that, I slumped in my seat. I didn’t want to be stuck with
Mason all weekend watching him be all macho and manly, yet extremely good and
kind and patient with kids. Groan . I
wanted to be mad at him. But it was hard, since he kept letting Danny where his
hat and talk his ear off.
Danny loved Mason. And wanted him
to be his brother. Just like me.
But yeah, Danny sitting back there
with Mason—obviously it has me wondering why I’m here. Why didn’t I think
to ask Mason instead? Probably it’s because I’m up to my eyeballs in debt to
him already. Plus, I’m sort of still fighting my hardest to keep my heart
guarded from him.
(You know all the times when I call
Mason “trouble”? What I really mean is trouble to my heart.)
I slump in my seat knowing this is
going to be a very long weekend. First of all—it’s camping. Second of
all, I’m fighting all these raging, confusing feelings for Mason. Third of all,
I can hear Danny chattering away to Mason and it’s
ripping up my heart.
Mason and Danny are great buds. Mom
has Mason come over for “family dinner” every Sunday evening. She has ever
since Mason moved out. I refuse to go to the dinners though. On account Mason
broke my heart when he moved out. (I had thrown all of my pride out the window
when I begged him to move back home—but no matter how much I begged and
coaxed, he wouldn’t budge. After that—he was dead to me. Well, I tried to
act that way. It was easier thinking of him as dead, than that he rejected me….
Because I wasn’t used to being rejected … by anyone but my parents. And having
it be Mason—no!!! It hurt too much.)
Now I’m trying to keep my heart
completely guarded from him. And the best way to do that is to completely avoid
him. But that’s hard to do when your new little
brother is fawning on him … and you’re going to be stuck at a camping site with
him. For a whole weekend.
Groan!
CHAPTER 29
Almost as soon as we got off the
bus a very horrifying thing happened. I’m just going to skim it … because it
was horrible.
We were following our camp director
and he was leading us to where our campsite would be. But he lead us to this rickety bridge. I mean, it was scary looking. Old and unsafe. It was way up high over a river canyon
below.
None of the kids wanted to cross
the bridge. And I didn’t blame them.
The camp director had said,
“There’s nothing to be afraid of. Watch. I’ll go first.”
Danny watched for a tiny while. But
the bridge was long. And Danny’s attention span was short.
I followed him as he chased after a
butterfly. Then we heard a loud pop. Then another. Mason grabbed Danny. He
blocked Danny’s view as the whole bridge gave out and the guy plummeted down
the canyon. Dead.
I sat on a big rock and poor Danny
planted his head on my lap and sobbed. I mean, a guy died. Right
in front of him. Okay, Danny hadn’t seen any of it , thank goodness . Mason had led him away to “hunt a
bear.” But still. Whoa.
***
“Summer?”
I heard my name and jerked my head
up. I’m still sitting on the rock. Danny is asleep now with his head in my lap.
I don’t even
know, in case you can’t use a gun when zombies attack.”
“Or you need to kill a bear,” Danny
said.
Mason playfully mussed Danny’s
hair. “Yeah, important things like that—bears and zombies.”
I dropped my jaw. “You’re going to
teach the kids how to use weapons?”
“Yeah, for hunting ,” Mason said. “Some campers do that.”
Mason had grown up hunting with his
dad. It was probably the only thing his dad ever taught him—how to kill.
I grumbled. “Eight year olds?”
Mason shrugged. “They have to learn
sometime, I guess. Look, don’t look mad at me. This wasn’t my idea.”
I wasn’t mad. Of
course. I was just grouchy. And still am now. The minute Mason got on the bus, immediately Danny was in Mason’s lap.
Wonderful. Seeing that, I slumped in my seat. I didn’t want to be stuck with
Mason all weekend watching him be all macho and manly, yet extremely good and
kind and patient with kids. Groan . I
wanted to be mad at him. But it was hard, since he kept letting Danny where his
hat and talk his ear off.
Danny loved Mason. And wanted him
to be his brother. Just like me.
But yeah, Danny sitting back there
with Mason—obviously it has me wondering why I’m here. Why didn’t I think
to ask Mason instead? Probably it’s because I’m up to my eyeballs in debt to
him already. Plus, I’m sort of still fighting my hardest to keep my heart
guarded from him.
(You know all the times when I call
Mason “trouble”? What I really mean is trouble to my heart.)
I slump in my seat knowing this is
going to be a very long weekend. First of all—it’s camping. Second of
all, I’m fighting all these raging, confusing feelings for Mason. Third of all,
I can hear Danny chattering away to Mason and it’s
ripping up my heart.
Mason and Danny are great buds. Mom
has Mason come over for “family dinner” every Sunday evening. She has ever
since Mason moved out. I refuse to go to the dinners though. On account Mason
broke my heart when he moved out. (I had thrown all of my pride out the window
when I begged him to move back home—but no matter how much I begged and
coaxed, he wouldn’t budge. After that—he was dead to me. Well, I tried to
act that way. It was easier thinking of him as dead, than that he rejected me….
Because I wasn’t used to being rejected … by anyone but my parents. And having
it be Mason—no!!! It hurt too much.)
Now I’m trying to keep my heart
completely guarded from him. And the best way to do that is to completely avoid
him. But that’s hard to do when your new little
brother is fawning on him … and you’re going to be stuck at a camping site with
him. For a whole weekend.
Groan!
CHAPTER 29
Almost as soon as we got off the
bus a very horrifying thing happened. I’m just going to skim it … because it
was horrible.
We were following our camp director
and he was leading us to where our campsite would be. But he lead us to this rickety bridge. I mean, it was scary looking. Old and unsafe. It was way up high over a river canyon
below.
None of the kids wanted to cross
the bridge. And I didn’t blame them.
The camp director had said,
“There’s nothing to be afraid of. Watch. I’ll go first.”
Danny watched for a tiny while. But
the bridge was long. And Danny’s attention span was short.
I followed him as he chased after a
butterfly. Then we heard a loud pop. Then another. Mason grabbed Danny. He
blocked Danny’s view as the whole bridge gave out and the guy plummeted down
the canyon. Dead.
I sat on a big rock and poor Danny
planted his head on my lap and sobbed. I mean, a guy died. Right
in front of him. Okay, Danny hadn’t seen any of it , thank goodness . Mason had led him away to “hunt a
bear.” But still. Whoa.
***
“Summer?”
I heard my name and jerked my head
up. I’m still sitting on the rock. Danny is asleep now with his head in my lap.
I don’t even
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