I could add another vice to my list. I’d become quite a good liar.
39Color War
“Color War breakout is tomorrow,” Teddy said.
I covered my ears. “Shhh! I want to be surprised.”
“You’re adorable.” He kissed me. “But seriously, I probably won’t be able to meet you the next couple of nights. I need to be available to help the captains and won’t be able to sneak away.”
“You mean your job is getting in the way of our romance?”
“Hmmm, yes, our romance will unfortunately have to take a short break, but I’ve thought of a way of making up the time.”
“You’ve learned how to stop the clock?”
“Unfortunately not but I’ve figured out how to make it work in our favor.”
I adored how his crow’s feet crinkled when he smiled.
“Stay with me an extra night in the lake house.”
“I admire a man who has a contingency plan.”
The next day everyone was abuzz due to the imminent arrival of Color War. Even though this was my first sleepaway experience, I knew Color War was the highpoint of camps across the country.
By dinner, the dining hall was vibrating with anticipation. Looking at the innocent faces of the Cubs, I smiled. Leah nolonger cried every time she saw me, and Sarah had made one real friend. To my astonishment, I felt a burst of pride.
At Flagpole, Bethany stopped midsentence when we heard a thunderous noise approaching from the distance. The sound grew louder. We looked up to see a helicopter hovering above us. The flag whipped furiously, ponytails flapped, and everyone was screaming but you couldn’t hear them over the roar of the blades.
A cloud of what looked like huge white snowflakes showered down on us. We were bombarded with ping-pong balls with the words BREAKOUTwritten in neon green announcing the start of Color War.
As the helicopters flew off, the Swans went into a frenzy. Bethany stood at the flagpole, bullhorn in hand, trying to give directions, but she couldn’t control the chaos. The Swans ran behind the cabins and all the girls followed. I looked at Abby, shrugged, and ran after my group. Genie led the pack.
The basketball courts were up a short but steep hill. I impressed myself with how easily I kept up. I thought about how my civilian friends would regale me about their summers spent at exotic beach locations while I’d never worked so hard in my life. The ironic part was that I was having a blast.
Panting, I reached the basketball courts and saw the Swans jumping and shouting, “One, two, three, four, we want Color War.”
Bethany pulled up with Mindy and Marilyn in a golf cart, carrying a portable amplifier. After a few minutes, Bethany was able to calm the campers down and take control.
“OMG, I’m so excited. I love Color War.” Genie was beaming.
“I bet your Swan summer you were a captain,” I said.
“Yup, and my team won. We had dynamite songs.”
“Which you wrote.”
Genie made jazz hands, “You know me, I’m a Broadway Baby.”
Marilyn announced the team captains and co-captains, and the Swans went wild, screaming, hugging, crying, and then tackling the newly appointed leaders.
The team names were announced to more squeals—Winter Greens and Summer Whites.
You could practically smell the charge of electricity crackling through the air. I was covered in goosebumps when Zelda jumped up beaming and joined the Summer Whites, slapping hands with her teammates. By the time Hazel’s name was called, I was a blubbering mess.
“Did I catch you misty-eyed earlier this evening?” Mindy twirled the ice in her wine glass as I squeezed a lime into my gin & tonic.
“Don’t tell me the woman who had her kids’ bags packed and one foot out the door was sentimental,” Bethany said.
