Page 116 of Disharmony

We head to the beach, where two separate grills sit on the sand, one with your standard lineup of BBQ choices and the other loaded with plant-based options. The smoked tofu looks amazing. Claudia gives me a friendly wave with her spatula as her kid brother, Kelly, assembles the burgers and gives them to campers. It’s been a while since we’ve spoken, and I wonder what they will do when summer’s out.

Leila is already here; deep in conversation with second-year campers I recognize from the rehearsals who are responsible for the sound and music. Unlike Tiffany, who rules through fear, Leila is an inspiration for the younger campers in a different way. Tiffany was born into an A-list family and acts like a self-entitled superstar, but Leila is a big deal in the DJ world, and she made it without connections. At eighteen, she’s the best in the business, and after the festival scene, I can tell big things are going to happen for her.

Leila’s face lights up as she sees us. The orange glow of the setting sun warms her complexion, and her smile is brighter than it has been since the campfire party. As we approach, she offers us red cups of punch.

“Don’t worry,” Leila says quickly. “It’s just soda. No one’s gonna drink this close to the show. Things get brutal over the next few weeks. If someone fucks up, they get swapped out, and no one wants to make that mistake.”

I accept the Diet Coke gratefully and chug it down. After the bad trip I had on molly and being on the receiving end of McCallister’s mood swings, I’m taking no more chances.

“You killed rehearsals by the way,” she adds.

“Not everyone thought so,” I remind her.

“Fuck McCallister,” Leila says, “he’s only being an ass because Rita Lockhart paid him to coach Tiffany for years. I bet she slipped him a bribe to make sure she’s the only one with a solo spot.”

“You don’t know that,” Cookie says unconvincingly.

She’s too nice for her own good.

“I can’t prove it,” Leila corrects her, “but we all know it’s true and what that woman will pay to cover up—”

“Anyway…” Cookie says, changing the subject swiftly and looking around the crowd. “I can’t see Tiffany tonight.”

“Her majesty is busy practicing.” Leila wiggles her eyebrows in my direction. “Now she has serious competition, she needs to be at the top of her game.”

“Puh-lease,” I say. “I don’t stand a chance against Tiffany. The only reason I’m on stage is because Jacqueline requested it. Besides, I don’t even want to go on Popstarz.”

“I don’t blame you,” Leila says as Cookie shakes her head disapprovingly. “Being cooped up with assholes is bad enough here at camp, imagine what it’s like being stuck in the same hotel for months.”

“Have the twins arrived yet?” Cookie cranes her neck to try and spot Conor or Declan. Their ginger hair usually draws attention to them wherever they are. “I can’t see them.”

“Not yet, but Conor’s coming down later,” Leila says, biting her lip to stop herself from breaking into a cheesy ass grin. “Actually, there’s something I need to tell you guys…”

Before she gets a chance to say anything, Conor bounds across the sand toward us. He’s got a new lease on life since he was sitting on the cabin steps hours before. He wraps his arms around Leila’s shoulders, pulling her into a hug and kissing her forehead.

I look between them. “So, this is what you wanted to tell us?”

Conor winks. “I thought my ears were burning!”

“Yeah,” Leila says. The Queen of Cool actually has color in her cheeks now. “We’re kinda together now…”

“You guys!” Cookie squeals. “Finally! I’ve been waiting for this to happen for years.”

Conor catches my eye and says, “Sometimes you just need a nudge in the right direction to leave the past behind.”

“We’re moving on from shit that’s happened,” Leila agrees and shrugs. “If we don’t give it a try now, will there ever be a good time?”

“I knew it.” Cookie launches into a lecture about how she knew they’d hook up from the first time she saw them together, and Leila almost ran Conor over with her car.

“Is Declan coming tonight?” I ask.

Leila and Conor aren’t the only people in our friendship group who’ve had friction lately. Conor’s grip tightens on Leila’s, and he manages a small smile.

“He should be coming along later,” Conor says. “We’re… speaking… again. But he’s not moving back into our cabin yet. The space has been good for us. It’s about time we start going in our own directions.”

The twins used to be inseparable, but whatever barrier has been between them seems to be mending slowly. I’m not sure what happened in the last few hours to change so much, but I’m happy to see everyone with smiles on their faces.

“Nice pin.” Leila nods at my new mohawked duck pal on my jacket. “I need one of those.”

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