Page 21 of Disharmony

I bite my lip. “I don’t know…”

I’ve never been the partying type, preferring to avoid the wild parties that Brick’s football team used to hold when their parents were out of town. From what Brick said, they usually ended in couples pairing off until only a handful of people were left playing beer pong. Plus, I was never officially invited either.

“What else do you have to do tonight?” she presses. “Come on, it’ll be fun. When else are you going to be able to go to a Camp Harmony campfire?”

“Fine,” I cave. “Why the hell not?”

If nothing else, it’ll be nice to watch the sunset and appreciate the view.

“You won’t regret it!” She rummages through her dresser and pulls out a box with a triumphant smile. “I have everything we need to have a good time.”

“What’s in it?”

Camp is full of showbiz types. Drugs come hand in hand with that lifestyle. I’m not a total square when it comes to drugs, but Dad’s constant lectures make me feel guilty whenever I take a toke on a joint.

She pops the box open to reveal the contents. “Glitter, of course!”

I burst out laughing. Her frowning and not seeing the joke only makes me laugh harder.

“Is glitter really necessary?” I ask as soon as I can control myself. “Can’t I put on eyeliner and be done with it? I’m not really a sparkly person.”

“I thought you didn’t want everyone to stare at you? Everyone dresses up,” she says, then winks. “Don’t worry, I’ll keep it low-key.”

Based on her wardrobe, I suspect our definitions of low-key are worlds apart.

* * *

“Are you sure this isn’t too much?” I ask as Cookie leads me through a forest shortcut to the lake.

She stuck tiny purple gems along my cheekbones, which match the sweeping silver glitter swirl decorating the side of my face and collarbone. It adds a pop of color to my black vest, gray high-waisted shorts, and my studded belt.

Cookie snorts. “If anything, it’s not enough.”

My outfit is vanilla compared to hers. Her green sequin slip dress and the pink neon body paint covering her with strange patterns makes her look like a mystical alien.

When we reach the sand, I see everyone else is dressed like we’re in the middle of a festival. The smell of the fire lingers in the air, mixing with the fresh woodland breeze.

“Come on.” Cookie kicks off her sandals. I follow her lead and peel off my black boots. “Are you ready for your first Camp Harmony party?”

“As ready as I’ll ever be,” I say, wiggling my toes in the cool sand.

“Boo!”

The twins, Conor and Declan, creep up behind us and Cookie shrieks. Leila trails reluctantly behind them. Unlike everyone else, she hasn’t made an effort to dress up, and her distant expression hints her mind is elsewhere. I make a mental note to check in on her when we’re away from the crowd.

“Want some special punch?” Declan pulls a hip flask from his pocket and hands it to me. “It is a party, right?”

“Sure,” I agree, taking a sip.

I’m completely disregarding Dad’s warning, but it’s not like I’ve never drank before. Brick and I have been stealing cans of his beers since we were fourteen, which he never noticed. It’ll help with my nerves.

“How’s your first day going, Ash? Everyone’s talking about you,” Conor says, throwing his arm around my shoulder. “We want to be seen with the camp’s newest celebrity.”

“Urgh!” I cringe. I’m not the only new student this year, but no one seems to pay attention to the first-year campers. My circumstances are unusual, but doesn’t everyone have better things to talk about? “I’d rather they talk to me instead of about me.”

We walk along the beach and approach the main throng of campers around the fire.

“That’s not how things work in show business,” Declan says. “Everyone plays underhand. News travels like wildfire in this place.”

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