JULY 23, 2008
It was Sunday evening, and the girls and Adrian went rafting with their fathers.
Sharon and Cindy stayed behind to catch up on some girl talk.
"So, have you made a will yet?" Sharon asked.
"Yes. The inheritance my parents left me will go to Tashell on her eighteenth birthday. The small fortune I made from my bakery, I left it to Theo."
"Not that he needs it," Sharon chuckled as she sipped on her iced tea. "Isn't he some fancy doctor?" Sharon quirked an eyebrow.
"He's a biomedical scientist, and for the past two years he's been losing sleep trying to find the cure for cancer." Cindy's dull eyes got duller. The pain and guilt were clear on her face and in her tone. "I just wish he'd accept that I'm going to die and focus on being there for Tashell."
Sharon held her friend's hand and gave her a subtle smile. "That man loves you too much. He'll never accept your death, but he'll have to live with it. Allen and I will make sure of it."
Cindy tried to reply, but her emotions got in the way. Her body trembled as she hugged her friend. Suddenly, she began to cough.
"Hey Cindy, are you alright?" Sharon asked, concerned, as she leaned back to look at Cindy's face. The coughing got worse, and she gasped for breath.
"Theo! Allen!" Sharon shouted as she saw the raft drifting to shore.
Theo didn't wait for the raft to reach the bank. He jumped into the lake and swam quickly to shore, rushing to Cindy's side.
"What happened?" he asked, taking Cindy into his arms.
"I'm not sure, we were talking and the next thing I know, she was coughing," Sharon cried.
Droplets of blood trickled down the side of Cindy's mouth as her coughing slowed.
"I think we need to head home. I told her this was a bad idea," Theo whispered.
"Cindy just wanted Tashell's last summer with her to be memorable," Sharon sniffled. "You know Tashell's wanted to come here since it opened."
"I know," Theo sighed.
Cindy's coughing finally stopped as the camp director rushed over.
"Is everything okay?" Mr. Boomer asked.
"Yes, everything's fine now," Theo explained as he lifted his wife in his arms. "I think we'll head home earlier than expected."
"That's too bad, but as I explained to Mrs. McCall, I don't do refunds," Mr. Boomer grinned.
"Which is total bullshit," Sharon scoffed, remembering the heated conversation they had upon arrival.
Allen and the kids came a few minutes later.
"Is Mom okay?" Tashell questioned.
"She will be when we get her home," Theo explained. "Allen, get the RV ready. We'll meet you in a bit."
Mr. Boomer stood nearby, eyeing Tashell intently. The eleven-year-old felt a weird knot in her stomach as she noticed him licking his lips hungrily. She clutched onto Sharon's arm as she watched the creepy man scurry away. She found him strange and scary.
Sharon made sure everyone was packed and ready within twenty minutes. Everyone gathered by the RV.
"Okay, kids, get in," Allen stated. Theo and Cindy were already seated. "Let me just go grab something real quick." Allen exited the vehicle and jogged toward the office building. Everyone watched as he disappeared inside.
Tashell sat with her parents for a bit until her mother fell asleep, then she went to sit with Sasha while Adrian scribbled in his sketchbook.
"I'm sorry about your mom, Tash," Sasha whispered as she pulled Tashell's head to rest on her shoulder.
"I know. I'm sorry we ruined our vacation."
"No, you didn't. This wouldn't have been fun without you. Mom said we'll make it a yearly thing," Sasha declared.
"Really?"
"Yeah," Sasha giggled.
The girls were startled when someone threw a pebble at the window. They peered through the glass and noticed the two boys from the other night. Tashell's face lit up like a Christmas tree.
"Look, it's them," she grinned as she slid open the window.
"Don't talk to them," Sasha said, annoyed.
"Why? I think they're cool," Tashell replied.
"Are you guys leaving?" the blond one that Tashell had run into asked.
"Yeah. My mom's sick, so we have to leave," Tashell sighed. "But we'll be back next year."
The boy's face lit up. "Cool. And sorry about your mom," he said, placing his hands in his jeans pockets. He sauntered closer to the vehicle. "What's your name?"
"Don't tell him, they're strangers," Sasha warned.
"What's your problem?" the other boy finally spoke after staring at Sasha the entire time.
"I don't have one," Sasha grumbled, folding her arms across her chest.
"Okay, we're all set," Allen announced as he settled in the driver's seat.
The blond boy went up on his tiptoes and stretched out his hand for Tashell to shake.
"It was nice to meet you, Ribbon," he chuckled. It was the only thing he could think of to call her since she hadn't told him her name.
Tashell laughed as she took his hand and shook it. "Nice to meet you too, Blue," she replied, referring to his eyes. She quickly removed her ribbon, it was handcrafted by her mom and one of her favorites.
The blond boy watched in awe as her beautiful hair splayed out, framing her heart-shaped face.
"Here, take it, so you can remember me by," Tashell said, handing him her ribbon.
"Thanks, you didn't need to, though. My Gramps said my eye will have a scar for the rest of my life. Did you have something in your hand when you punched me?"
"Yeah—a small rock." Tashell felt guilty, so she apologized again.
"It's okay. See you next year, Ribbon."
"Yeah, see you later, Blue."
The boy stepped back as the RV revved to life.
Sasha turned her head slightly and caught the brown-haired boy eyeing her.
"What about me? Don't I get something to remember you by?" he asked.
Her eyes trailed down to his palm, where she had bitten him. She knew he'd scar too, so she didn't answer him.
"It's cool," he chuckled, knowing he would never forget those bright eyes. As the RV pulled away he said, "See you next year, Diamond," he smirked at Sasha as the vehicle dusted its way down the road.
******
A few weeks later, Cindy died at age 36 from lung cancer.
Sasha's family tried their best to be there for Theo and Tashell, but Theo sank into depression and began heavily drinking only to lose his life in a terrible car accident a year after his wife's death. With Sasha's parents being Tashell's godparents, it was easy for the courts to award them guardianship.
For six years, Sasha's family took them to Camp Beaver Lake, but the girls never came across the two boys they met on their first visit.
The recollections of the two boys eventually faded, but the boys carried the memories everywhere they went.
They never forgot the two girls they met at summer camp.