Page 19 of Class Clown

Cole called everyone to order and flashed me a brief smile as our eyes met while he scanned the room. Kristy popped into the empty chair next to me and gave me a shoulder bump and a smile in greeting. Today she had on a ball cap and her blonde hair was tugged through the hole in the back. She looked impossibly young, and I suddenly felt every inch of my thirty-two years. I liked to think that I was peers with the twenty-year-old set, but sometimes it hit me that I really wasn’t.

A wave of homesickness for my friends hit me and I had to swallow it back. They would have loved to be here, laughing and joking with me about the camp shenanigans that were sure to come.

“Hey, do you know where I can catch a spot of WiFi?” I asked Kristy. “I need to get in touch with some people.”

She nodded. “If you stand outside the door to Cole’s office you can get WiFi. Even better if you can get inside.”

“Cole has WiFi in his office? That works nicely for me.”

Gina slid in to the last empty seat next to Kristy and smiled at us, her auburn hair pulled back into a thick French braid, her face clean and glowing.

“I love the staff kickoff meeting,” she said after greeting us.

“Me too,” Kristy added. “It so fun to see everyone and get the excitement going. Can you believe the kids arrive tomorrow?”

I did not share their enthusiasm for staff meetings. That was one of the bonuses of being a school nurse. Sure, I had trainings and certifications and those type of things, but I was rarely included in any regular staff meeting. Plus, I got to deal with body stuff all day. I was the luckiest.

“Okay, everyone, welcome,” Cole called out, using the same booming voice he’d used when one of my friends had come to the door and he didn’t want to hunt me down. I smirked at the memories. “As you know, our first campers arrive tomorrow. We’ve had multiple trainings, so you should know your duties.”

For the record, I’d had online safety training and HR compliance training, but none of whatever else the others had gotten. I supposed the only other training I really needed was the type I’d gotten at a university, so I didn't sweat it. Besides, I was a pro at catching up on things. Cole listed out the first week’s schedule of classes and who would be teaching them, cabin and co-counselor assignments - which would rotate weekly making it so all the counselors had each age group - and finally some safety reminders.

I tuned out. I wasn’t teaching a class, I wasn’t cooking food, and when someone disregarded the safety reminders, I’d be there to clean up the mess. Also, I get bored easily by meetings. Then again, when I heard him say something about porcupines in the area, I found myself curious enough to ask Kristy what he was talking about.

“Yeah, apparently there’s been a population surge,” Kristy answered me quietly. “Just need to be aware, and not get poked.”

“So, you’re telling me there’s a chance I’ll get to do porcupine quill removal surgery?” I asked, grinning widely.

Kristy frowned. “Let’s hope not. It would be like getting shot with 1,000 barbs that hook in your skin. Removal would be painful.”

Well, when she put it that way. Dream killer.

I contented myself with daydreaming about bonfires, and sing-alongs, and looking at the stars. And across that bonfire would be Nico with eitherKristy or Gina, mouthing a thank you to me as they held hands and fed each other s’mores. I smiled to myself and sighed, relaxing into the picture and doing my best to vibe with the universe in order to make it happen. I was going to really make some people happy this summer.

Someone coughed and I jolted back to attention, only to make unexpected eye contact with Nico. He’d ditched the ball cap today, and his gaze was as steady and probing as always. I wrinkled my nose at him before looking away.

With the imagination bubble burst, I moved on to another favorite pastime – observing everyone in attendance. The division of young women counselors to young men counselors was fifty-fifty, which made sense because there were equal boy and girl cabins. I could practically feel the love affairs kicking off as they shared glances when Cole’s eyes moved somewhere else. I knew from the HR training that there was a no dating policy, because the campers needed to be top priority and dealing with break-ups and love spats wasn’t helpful. I also knew that none of them would keep the rule and there would be tons of clandestine romances raging all summer.

I couldn’t wait to watch it all unfold. Forbidden love = delicious. Even better? Forbidden love that I’d had a hand in through matchmaking = earthquake of euphoria. Oh man, my friends would love this. I’d have to take notes and find a way to keep them updated.

Most of the staff were watching Cole, but one or two had their eyes on Nico. I’d have to figure out their names and keep an eye out. As I kept scanning the room, I caught one couple trying to touch pinkie fingers, and as I looked away with a smile my eyes caught on Nico once again. He was sitting on the great fireplace hearth behind Cole. I didn’t know if he’d been continuously watching me since the first time, or if our eyes had moved the same direction and it was accidental, but my smile faded. Yep, there was that same look. He’d always watched me the way you’d watch a spider crawl across your wall, wondering if it would go toward you or away from you, and if you were going to let it be or take care of it with the sole of your shoe.

I’d stared back a couple of times when we were young, waiting to see if he would say anything, but he almost never did, and he’d eventually look away. I’d never understood his fascination with watching people but not talking to them. With watching me, specifically.

I tore my eyes away as quickly as I could and tuned back into what Cole was going on about. Thank goodness I did, because he happened to be talking about me.

“Lastly, I’d like to introduce our staff nurse for the summer,” he said. “Ruby is a registered nurse who currently works at an elementary school in northern Utah. She luckily has her summers off and was able to join us here last minute. Ruby has a lot of experience with children and their injuries, illnesses, and probably most importantly, their emotions. I’m guessing she’s seen as many cases of homesickness as she has rashes. We’re lucky to have her on our team.” My chest warmed at his professional and kind introduction. I shouldn’t have been surprised, really. I knew Cole loved me. But, still, it felt good to have my sibling saying those things. “And, if that weren’t good enough, she’s also my older sister.”

I could have done without the ‘older’ portion of that, but the fact that we were siblings seemed much more interesting to the group than my nursing qualifications, because every head turned to give me a once over. I waved and smiled at them, not at all flustered by the sudden attention.

“Isn’t he the luckiest?” I responded, and Cole grinned as a few polite laughs filled the air.

“I know she’ll do a great job.” With a last smile for me, he gestured to the seat next to me. “You all know Kristy. She was here last year and the year before. She’s a CNA, so she’s also well-qualified to handle medical needs and assist Ruby.”

“Will she kiss my boo-boos?” one of the young men asked.

Kristy flipped her head, causing her ponytail to sway, and answered on a laugh. “Not for a million dollars.”

A few of the guys slapped Trevor on the back while the majority of the group cracked up. I looked Cole’s way, curious to see how he’d handle these flirtatious moments, and found him smiling with kind amusement. I was glad that things weren’t going to be so strict that I’d have a real battle on my hands.

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