Camp Lore - 27. Chapter 27

The next time Brian saw Laura, which was the next night, they just danced. Two hours, almost non-stop, but it seemed pretty casual. Other guys cut in, and Brian moved on to other girls, but he and Laura always worked back to each other. Then she got on the bus, and he started to follow.

When I went after him, he said, “Nah, I just want to walk by myself.” So he was willing to tell me things he wouldn’t tell Julie.

I knew not to ask him anything when he got to the bunk. I’d gone back to dance but had still gotten into bed first, so he may have gone down to the lake – he sometimes sat on the dock with his feet in the water, looking at the stars. I was on top of my blanket, writing my nightly note to Katie. The guys had started a card game in the next room, but were being quiet. Brian stripped, took a shower, brushed his teeth, and went to bed, without speaking. He nodded at one point but didn’t seem to want to interrupt my writing.

After breakfast, he had to take his car to the paint shop, and he asked if I wanted to come along.

“You don’t mind company?” I joked.

“As long as you know what not to ask.” He grinned. So we stuck to baseball standings.

The next couple of nights were the same. He danced, and he and Laura occasionally sat at a table with the rest of us. But the Canteen was really too noisy to talk – that’s why Andy and I used to stick in the corner. We’d mostly stopped doing that once we could see each other every day. A couple of evenings a week, he was on bunk duty so didn’t come to the Canteen. But most of the rest, he danced. Maybe once a week, he wasn’t working and didn’t come back to the Canteen after putting his kids to bed, but most of that time, he wasn’t off exploring.

“Too much walking,” he said. “Down with the kids. Back up with them after Rec. Back to see you. Then back to the bunk.”

“You could catch the bus.”

“It’s hard to manage – some kid always has something he wants to talk about before he’ll lie down. Or they all want to hear a story or a joke – a series of them – till they drop off. I’m no good with stories, so I tell jokes.”

“You never tell me any.”

“We’ve got better things to do.”

He went to poke me then instinctively stopped, since we were surrounded by friends.

“They’re old jokes, and I find them online,” he went on. “Though I have to clean them up.”

“Tell me one.”

“Which version?”

“The one for the kids.”

He did, and it was cute.

“Now the other one.”

He told the joke again.

“You are good,” I had to admit.

“Thanks. The kids think I’m really funny.”

“Just like the girls on the computers.”

He shrugged, modestly, and I wanted to kiss him. But it wasn’t the place.

Brian’s car was in the shop for three days, over a weekend, so we didn’t walk back to the shop till Tuesday. By then, he was willing to talk about Laura.

“Everything’s fine,” he started – even before we left camp.

“Good.”

“You’ve seen us.”

“Yeah. The two of you are on your best behavior.”

“But I still need to take a swim every night.”

“Is that where you go?

“Definitely not sneaking off with her.”

I flashed on Andy and Nate and thought it would be funny, if they all ran into each other.

“Anyway, it’s under control,” he insisted. “We can do all the good stuff without the bad. We can dance, and it’s just dancing – nothing to worry about.”

“Nothing? Then why the swim?”

He grinned. “Well, there’s never just ‘nothing.’ ‘Never choose an extreme.’ That’s what our logic teacher says.”

“I haven’t had logic yet.”

‘That’s why you go to prep school.”

When we got to his car, it looked slick.

“Wow! I didn’t think it would be this good,” he had to admit.

I could see him increase the tip as he signed.

“You picked a good color,” the shop guy told us. “Most kids would choose red.”

Brian had chosen dark green – “British Racing Green” the guy called it. “You’re not gonna fake it as a Jag or a Benz,” he’d gone on, “But it could pass for an old Porsche – you know, the ones with the round noses – ‘70s classics?”

Brian nodded, like he knew what the guy meant, though I was lost.

“It really hides the VW lines,” the guy continued. “Especially with the hood emblem gone.”

“I was thinking of getting another one. Maybe not now.”

“I wouldn’t.”

“What color for the roof?” Brian asked.

“Black – has to be.”

“I was waiting to see. I was also thinking of just a cover. The way the open roof hangs over the back is kinda dumb.”

“Not one of their best designs.”

“I think it’s from old ‘20's touring cars.”

The guy shrugged. “We don’t get a lot of them around here.”

And they both laughed.

“The problem with not having a roof,” Brian said, “is it’s lousy for winter.”

“Specially with all the snow we get.”

“I won’t be around here.”

“Where?”

Brian told him.

“In a garage?”

“Probably not.”

“Then get a roof and a car cover – only not yet. Let the paint set for a month, but keep it out of the sun. Then wait a couple more months and get a good hand wax – and keep that up every four or five weeks, depending on then weather.”

“That’s gonna break me – it’s just a VW.”

“That’s not why you painted it green.”

“I already have a girlfriend,” Brian joked.

“Then get another.”

Brian just glanced at me.

You think the paint’ll hold up?” he asked.

“Guaranteed – five years.”

“Good.”

“Where you been looking for a roof?” the guy went on.

“I’m thinking Binghamton – couldn’t find anything in Norwich.”

“Nah – Norwich is trash. Binghamton or Syracuse – either. Rochester’s too far.”

“And it has to be used – if I’m gonna be waxing monthly.”

“Definitely Binghamton – the shops are cheaper. And don’t pay up front – for something you see online. You can put it on hold, but make sure you see it before you pay. I know places that’ll put one thing online then sell you another.”

“Any special places to go?”

“I’ll give you a couple of names. But if you’ve been looking, I’ll bet you already know them.”

“I’ve just started.”

“But you know what you’re doing – that’s two-thirds of it. Still, you gotta see everything up close.”

“I will,” Brian promised, and the guy scribbled a couple names on the back of his card. Then they bro handshaked,, Brian thanked him again, and we headed out.

“Wow!” Brian said again, admiring his car. “Just wow!”

“That took your mind off Laura,” I kidded, as he was backing out.

“Who?” he asked.

And we both cracked up.