Elaine Wolf - Camp

I pulled my robe tighter. “Um, I’m not really a good swimmer.” The lie rolled off my tongue. If I could convince Rory I couldn’t swim, she probably wouldn’t throw me in, wouldn’t take a chance on my drowning. Even Rory couldn’t be that cruel, right?

“You see, girls,” Rory said. “Another lie. First she tells us she met Andy and Jed. Then she tells us she doesn’t swim. But I know she took her swim test this morning. Passed with flying colors, I hear.” Rory’s flashlight pierced my robe. I trembled as I felt her picturing my body, imagining her gift to the boys. “Guess you thought I didn’t know about those ten laps you did between the floats. But see, you’ve learned something already, Amy Becker: I find out everything that goes on around here. So off with the robe now. We’d like to see those laps. Wouldn’t we, girls?”

That’s when I heard them, their footsteps packing the sand. Rory shined her light on the feet of two approaching boys. “Guess you won’t be meeting them in the water, after all. Shhh,” she warned, as the boys drew closer. Rory wove her rays up their legs, then rested her beam on their bathing trunks. “Howdy, fellas,” she crooned, her whispery voice coated with honey. “Here’s the surprise I promised you.” She bathed my body in light. “Her name’s Amy, and she’s all yours. Ready for a little strip action?”

Now I knew why Erin had stopped me from meeting them. She didn’t want the boys to think I was looking for trouble. And more than that, my shame would be less if I didn’t know the ones who would stare, the kitchen boys who would take me in, naked breasts and all.

I tried to breathe, but the air stuck in my throat. Don’t cry , I told myself again. Then shallow breaths. In. Out. In. Out. No outer world in; no inner world out. Like mother, like daughter. Don’t cry. Don’t feel.

“I’m not gonna say it another time.” Rory’s voice became itself again, pointed and sharp. “Drop the robe.”

“Please don’t make me do this.”

“I’ll make you do anything I damn well please. Am I right, girls, or am I right?”

“Right again, Rory,” Jessica agreed.

“Now I promised the boys here a little something special, and I’m not going back on my word. I’m not a liar like you.” Rory’s light hit my eyes. “So either you take that robe off right now, or we’ll help you do it.”

“Please, no.” My voice came like a five-year-old’s.

“Erin. Donnie. I’m giving you the honors then. Get that robe off her… unless… unless you boys want to do it.”

The boys came in close.

No. Please, God. Please don’t let them do this.

“Ummm, Rory… we need to talk.” It was one of the boys, close enough to me now to slide the robe off my shoulders. “You said it’d be a swim. A coed swim. Some wicked good fun. That’s all.”

“And we c-c-can’t do anything like th-th-this.” A boy who stutters—probably picked on his whole life—wouldn’t hurt me, I wanted to believe.

The first boy spoke again. “What Jed means is we can’t do anything that gets us in trouble. We can’t afford to lose our jobs.”

“So what are you, Andy?” Rory asked. “Chicken or pussy?” Jessica laughed. “Chicken or pussy. That’s good, Rory.”

“Shut up, Jess.”

“Sorry,” Andy said. “We’ll stay for a swim. But that’s all.”

“Okay. Okay. I’ll give the girls the honors then. You boys just watch. No harm in that, right? Erin, Donnie, take her robe.”

“No. I’m leaving,” Erin answered.

“No you’re not. Remember what I told you? If you’re not with me, what happens to you will be worse.”

“I’m going,” Erin said. “And you don’t have to listen to her either, Amy.” Erin stepped away from the group.

“Wait up,” Donnie said. “I’m coming with you.”

“Anyone else want to join them?” Rory asked. “’Cause here’s your chance. But I’ll tell you this: You cross me now, I’ll cross you later. And when I do, you’ll find out what a dumb choice you made.”

“Wait,” Fran said. “I’m coming.”

“Me too.”

“Me too.”

Five girls left. Six stayed, including Robin. The line was drawn. The war had officially begun.

“So, fellas,” Rory said, counting Andy and Jed in her ranks, “ready for that swim now?”

“Nah. Some other time. It’s getting late.”

“Right. We g-g-gotta go.”

“Not so fast. It won’t kill you to have some fun, you know, seeing as last summer you said Clarence practically works you to death in that kitchen. So how ’bout it? You don’t have to strip her. Just take her for a swim. Hell, she says she’s not that strong, could probably use a little help coming in from the floats—especially if that big old snapping turtle bites her feet, say, or her boobs.”

Jessica led a round of giggles and arm slapping.

“Quiet.” Rory wasn’t looking for levity. “So whaddaya say, boys? I’m giving you a chance to be heroes.”

Don’t just stand here. Move! I ordered myself. Do something. Scream. But my feet stayed glued to the sand, and my voice deserted me, like the girls who had disappeared in the name of support.

Andy turned from the group that closed in on me again. “Let’s go, Jed.”

“Hold it, you two,” Rory said. “You’re worried about losing your jobs? Well, go ahead and leave then. Ruin our little initiation and see how fast they boot you outta here.”

“Wh-whaddaya mean?”

“Come on,” Andy said. “We’re going.”

“No, w-w-wait. Wh-whaddaya saying, Rory?”

“It’s simple. You leave, I’ll tell everyone you raped our new friend. Raped her right here on the beach and made us all watch. See how long you’ll keep your jobs when Mr. Becker hears that.”

“That’s enough.” Andy again. “Come on, Jed.”

“B-b-but—”

“Don’t worry.” Andy pulled Jed’s arm. “When we tell Mr. Becker what really happened, we won’t be the ones in trouble.”

“Jesus H. Christ. Even you can’t be that stupid, Andy.” Rory’s light found Andy’s face. “Who the hell do you think he’ll believe: two local-yokels, one who can’t even talk worth a damn, or campers whose parents pay big bucks to send them here? You leave now, and we’ll see who gets in trouble when we tell Mr. Becker what you boys did to poor, little Amy, especially when he hears it from his very own daughter.” Rory spotlighted my cousin. “Right, Robin?”

Say no, Robin. I tried to loosen the words, which caught in my throat. Tell her you won’t lie. Tell her to let me go, Robin.

My cousin studied the sand. Why wasn’t she helping me? Sure, we were as different from each other as our parents were. But still, we were family. How could she not try to save me?

“Okay.” Rory’s voice stayed hushed. “Let’s start again. You pot-scrubbing twerps get your sneakers off. You’re going in. And you, Amy Becker, drop the robe. We’re running out of time.”

I clutched my robe tight and looked at Rory’s gang, heads

down. None but Rory and Jessica watched as Rory’s light played on my body. “Do it, Jess.”

Jessica tugged at the robe.

“No. Stop!” Andy called out.

“Shut up or you’ve already washed your last dish,” Rory said, forgetting to whisper. “It’s showtime. Get that robe off her, Jess.”

“Let’s go, Jed.”

“Maybe he wants to stay,” Rory said. “Maybe I’ve had it all wrong. Maybe he’s the smart one.”