《The Player Next Door》09 | Skunk Problem

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A day at Camp Beaver Hill was high energy. Arts and craft stations were all over the place. Campers were dressed in bright colors, running around on their way to different activities. I found my way to the sandbox where the beach volleyball nets were set.

Khloe was standing there with another girl and two boys.

"Hi," I waved, joining them.

Khloe gave me a one-over, "Do I know you?"

She looked annoyed that I would even approach her.

"I'm Millie Ripley," I introduced myself again, "a co-counselor. I'm supposed to be helping with the volleyball-"

"Yeah, we don't need you anymore. We actually preferred the girl who replaced you yesterday, so we'll be keeping her."

"What should I do then?"

"Does it look like I care?"

No.

They turned their backs to me and continued their conversation. I stood there for a second before I fully registered that they were serious. They'd just dismissed me as if we were in a medieval court. Cue the trumpets for my disgraced exit. So, I went to the admin cabin to find out where I could go next. I didn't want to reveal that I skipped out yesterday but I wasn't sure how else to explain this.

Mr Woodhouse was peeling the wrapper off a cliff bar when I walked in. "Mandy, right?"

"Millie, but close," I said. At least he somewhat remembered.

"Are you here to pick up your new room keys?"

"What?"

"Luke likes the apple cabin you guys have, so I'm moving you down to melon cabin. It may have a little smell since we had a skunk problem a few days ago," he rummaged through the drawers and pulled out a fresh set of keys, "Give me your keys so I'll hand them over to Luke's new co-counselor."

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I forgot about this.

"Who is Luke's new co-counselor?" I asked, curiously.

I don't know why I cared, but I just wanted to know the kind of person they would pair him with. Probably the opposite of me.

"None of your beeswax. But I can assure you it's someone closer to his standards. Now, run along to whatever activity you have planned."

"I don't have one."

He sighed at me like I was causing way too many problems to be worth employing, "Then go to baseball. They always need more hands there."

I tried not to think about my new cabin assignment or its skunk. The baseball coach held a fungo bat and hit shallow pop flies across the field.

I didn't know what any of that meant either.

I just repeat what they told me.

It was basically an exercise drill to practice catching and communication. The coach would make wide shots that the campers had to run and catch. I was standing way back in the outfield. Somewhere, hopefully, no ball would ever come.

I checked my phone to see if either Julia or my mum had replied to my text last night. One message from mum. I opened it, excited to share with someone everything that was going on over here.

I thought you were at home. Why are you at camp? I'm not paying for that.

She must've forgotten that this was my summer job.

A voice sounded behind me. And it wasn't the voice of just anyone. His voice; the one that dripped confidence and ecstasy.

One I didn't think I would hear again after today.

"Stay focused, Minnie."

I froze. Why was he here?

I didn't need to see the body it belonged to. I knew. "Luke."

Turning around to face him, I was about to say something when someone yelled.

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"NERD, CATCH!"

We both looked over at a baseball flying towards us. It throttled through the air at a million miles a second and I stared at it like it was about to be the end of me. I was about to freak out again (it's my natural instinct, we've been through this). My phone slipped out of my hand.

Luke rested a calm hand on my tense shoulder, "Relax."

His other hand caught the ball a second before it hit me in the gut.

It smacked into his hand with a painful sounding thwack and he smoothly wrapped his fingers around it.

Meanwhile, his hand on my shoulder sent shivers spiraling through my body. I tried to break out of the trance.

"Learn how to catch."

A dizziness was enveloping me. "Why?"

"You're going to let something good slip between your fingers."

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