Mason slings his backpack over his shoulder. “Let’s go check in. Someone will bring our other bags to our cabins. You made sure your name was on all your bags, right?”
I let out a loud, exasperated breath and follow him. “For the hundredth time today, Mason, yes.”
Mason walks up to the table labeled A-F.
“Hi, Mason and Madeline Cunningham,” he tells the counselor, who is staring at my brother like he’s God’s gift to the world.
“I know who you are, Mase.” She smirks, flirting so blatantly out in the open. If only Mama could see this, she’d be beside herself.
Me? I’m used to this by now, but lordy, does it get old.
Naturally, Mason flirts back, and it takes everything in me not to crack a joke.
Don’t want to piss off the counselors on day one.
We’re each handed a turquoise folder with “Camp Horizon” arched across the top. Cunningham is scripted in a gilded gold font below. Mason’s reads Cabin Ten and mine Cabin Thirty-three.
“Who was that?” I tease.
He shakes his head, ignoring me. “Come on. I want you to meet my friends.”
He links our arms, and I follow closely, spying on all the other campers and their families. Weirdly, I’m not missing mine.
Mason is all I need.
“Your New York friends?” He’s mentioned them a bunch, and I know he keeps in regular contact with a couple of them.
“Yeah. They’re good people. I’ve bunked with Leo since the first summer.” He holds me tighter as we step over a thick tree branch. “Be careful. Let’s not have you get injured on day one.”
“Thanks. So are they here for athletics, too?”
“This way.” He turns a corner and enters an area with large, modernized log cabins. “This is the boy’s wing. I’ll bring you to where the girls stay next, and not Leo. He’s registered for the signature camp program, same as you. He’s only here because his brother Nate is into sailing, and they have a prestigious program on Lake Horizon. Leo sometimes leaves halfway through to go home if he’s had enough.”
His words trail off as I am mesmerized by the family in front of us, who are bringing their son’s bags into his cabin.
The mom is dressed in a perfectly tailored white linen summer dress, with wedge espadrilles and makeup so flawless it looks like she got it professionally done for someone’s wedding.
“Are those real designer bags?” I whisper wide-eyed, in awe and disbelief.
“That’s nothing, Maddie, I told you. This place is so far from what we’re used to. It will take a while for you to wrap your head around it. But most people are pretty down to earth.”
“Down to earth?” I mock., “That boy’s bags are more than what Daddy probably makes in a year.”
He stops us mid-step and turns to face me, his green eyes that match mine penetrate as he speaks, “One day, that will be the both of us, Madeline. I’ll be winning Super Bowls, and you’ll be designing some of New York’s tallest buildings. We’ll have all we damn well need in this life and beyond because of it.” He pauses, and I see the truth in his eyes. We’re dreaming big, and I hope it all comes true. “Don’t judge people based on the moneytheir parents make. That’s something Mama would do. You don’t know their story. I will admit there are some pretentious assholes here. But you’re a good judge of character, and I know you’ll stay clear of them. Or put them in their place.”
“You’re right, Mase.” I shrug, embarrassed. “A part of it is jealousy.”
“I get it.” He retakes my arm and leads us further down the row, stopping in front of Cabin Number Ten. “This is mine.”
“It’s only you and Leo?”
While we passed the other cabins, I noticed most were significantly larger than Mason’s.
“Yup. Somehow, we got lucky our first year, and now we request it every summer.”
I barely hear him, too distracted by my surroundings again. Who cares about the insides? The outside is unbelievably beautiful, overlooking the extensive mountain range.
“How far is my cabin?—”
