Camp Lore - 22. Chapter 22

“What was that about?” Nate asked, the moment Brian walked into the bunk.

“You’ve been waiting up?” Brian said, smiling.

“You weren’t in the Canteen.”

“We were for a little while. It got loud.”

“And?”

“There’s no rule against taking a walk.”

“Where?”

“I walked Laura back to the girls’ camp.”

“All the way?”

“To the edge. Maybe a little past.”

“That’s all?”

“Yeah.”

“And?”

“That was it.”

Brian was laughing, and he was in a very good mood.

“No,” Nate insisted.

“Yeah. C’mon – you know me well enough by now. I’ve got a girlfriend.”

Nate just shook his head. “I don’t understand those things – don’t see the point to limits.”

Brian laughed again.

“Does Laura?” Nate asked.

“There’s nothing going on there.”

“I wouldn’t bet on that.”

“Then ask Rob.”

“I really don’t know,” I had to admit.

“I’ve told you enough about Julie. And you’ve told me enough about Katie.”

“Great,” Nate interrupted. “The two of you know a lot about each other – and much more than I do. But what did you say to Laura?”

“Do you really know nothing about her?”

“I know this is her first year here. And I know I’ve never seen her before. And I know that if I were her age – or in college – or maybe even were you – I might have a chance with her. But at this point, I’m not even sure I’d ask her to dance.”

“I’m disappointed,” Brian said.

“Why?”

“Because I thought you’d do anything.”

Nate laughed. “She’s not interested in me,” he simply dismissed. “She’s been hanging out with the counselors – the girls as her friends and the guys as...”

“As what?” Brian asked, when Nate didn’t finish.

“I don’t know yet,” he admitted. “This is the first move she’s made. And it sure wasn’t what I expected.”

“Which was?”

Nate thought for a moment, then shrugged.

By this point, our talking must have woken Greg, because he sat up and looked at us. Nate had been sitting on his own bed, Brian was kind of walking, and I’d pulled up one of the card table chairs.

“Sorry,” Brian told Greg.

“Sorry,” I repeated.

Nate just nodded, and Greg flopped back on his bed and turned away. Brian grabbed another chair and brought it close to Nate. I dragged mine in, too.

“That’s exactly how I feel about her,” Brian quietly told Nate. “I don’t know anything.”

“You think she’s too much of a risk?”

Brian nodded.

“At least, you’re in college.”

“Starting. She’s two years ahead.”

“So?”

“There’s so much I don’t know, either.”

“Good time to learn.”

“Not interested.”

“Oh, come on.”

Brian thought for a moment, then waffled.

“As I told Rob... I’m interested. But I’m not.”

“I believe that – more.”

“Yeah,” Brian admitted.

And he seemed to think about that.

“What did she want to say?” Nate went on.

Brian grinned. “She honestly did want to know where I learned to dance.”

Nate started to laugh. Then he put his hand over his mouth while glancing at Greg. “Now there’s a line.”

Brian agreed. “But that’s what she asked.”

“What did you tell her?”

“Some from my sister. Some from Julie.”

“How did she react to that?”

“She asked who Julie was.”

“Did you tell her?”

“Of course – otherwise, I wouldn’t have brought her up.”

“So you’re hiding behind her?”

“No!”

And he looked at Greg.

“No,” he repeated, almost mouthing it.

“How did that go over?” Nate asked.

“She said I had good teachers.”

“And didn’t offer to be your next?”

Brian grinned. “See that’s why you’re still in high school.”

Nate laughed at himself. “I’m in high school – stuck there – for a lot of reasons. And I’m sorry about all of them.”

Brian and I laughed, too. Then Brian went on.

“After that, we just talked about stuff.”

“Stuff?”

“Yeah.”

Nate didn’t believe him. “For an hour before you got back?”

“We were walking slowly.”

“It’s a five minute walk – normally. I’ll give you ten.”

“It’s a nice night. And for a while, we sat on the Mess Hall rails.”

“The well worn rails.”

“And that’s it. Really.”

Nate seemed to consider.

“What did you learn?”

“About what?”

“Her?”

Brian tried to remember.

“That she heard of this place from a friend – someone who’d gone here before.”

“Who?”

“I don’t recall – she’s probably older than we are anyway.”

“Just ‘cause I don’t take chances doesn’t mean I don’t look.”

Brian thought. But he still couldn’t remember.

“It doesn’t matter,” Nate said. “What else?”

“I told you – dumb stuff. Where she’s from. Where she goes to school. What’s she majors in. How she feels about that. What she wants to do...”

“You’re right – things I wouldn’t even think to ask.” He looked at Brian. “Did you really?”

“Yes,” Brian admitted.

“You should be sitting in eighth grade with your finger up your nose.”

Brian and I quietly cracked up. Then Nate turned to me.

“What do you think?”

I moved my finger towards my nose.

“And you have a girlfriend, too – jeez.”

“We’re not getting married.”

“Married!” Nate nearly yelped but quickly quieted himself, looking towards Greg. “I sure hope he’s sleeping. If this all ends up in Saturday Night Camp” this weekend...”

“There’s nothing to be embarrassed about,” Brian insisted.

“No? He and his friends can turn the most innocent remark into a camp-wide joke.”

“Laura’s really nice,” Brian went on. “And we’ll obviously see each other again – the Canteen’s too small. But we’ll probably just dance.”

“Who’s gonna teach?”

Brian smiled. “Who knows?” And he got up and moved his chair back to the middle of the room.

“And you’re happy about that?” Nate went on.

“Look... I don’t know what’s gonna happen. Though you’re right – I’ve kind of covered myself – left myself open in a very limited way.”

“So you don’t mess up?”

“I don’t want to lose Julie.”

“This could be better.”

“There’s just no way.”