"Shitadoesn't sound like fun."

"It will be. Go with the flow. Kick back and enjoy and you'll be fine."

"You're gonna help me out, Dan?"

"Sure. I'd like that."

"Me too. I bet you know most of the others here, don't you?"

I nodded, pushing my still mostly full plate away. If I ate everything put in front of me, even with all the games and exercise, I'd go back home forty pounds heavier.

"At least half. I met most of them when we were campers. Some of the older ones have been counselors from the start."

"And you're really going to be aawhataa coordinator?"

"Seems like."

"Is that a big deal?"

I shrugged. "I don't think so. I get a bit more money, but to be honest I was practically running the photography course last year anyway. I don't thinkaoh shit!" I cut myself off as a tall figure entered the refectory. He hesitated, looking around at the scattering of people left and I hunched my shoulders down hoping he wouldn't notice me. A vain hope.

Cherri caught me staring and started to turn.

"No, don't, he'll see you," I hissed.

"Who. Why?" And of course, she turned right round and stared at Greg Hansen. Good looking, charming, evil Greg Hansen.

He raised a hand and waved, strolled across to our table and sat down across from me, right next to Cherri, close enough for their shoulders to touch. A surge of jealousy ran sharp through me. Cherri was my friend. Cherri gazed at him, interest in her eyes. I'd worn that look once, before I discovered the real Greg.

"Dani. I thought you wouldn't be back this year." His tone soft, failing to betray the venom that lay beneath the surface. Greg went around telling everyone how much I'd hurt him. The truth was different, but I kept the truth to myself.

"Get lost, Greg." I wasn't going to stand for him thinking everything was fine, but he laughed as though I'd made a joke, leaned over the table. He was good looking, bright hazel eyes and dark hair lending him a slightly exotic air as though he came from a melange of mixed races, his skin a light coffee color, fingers long on the table top.

"I thought we could be friends again this year, Dani."

"Wrong."

He smiled, cocking his head at Cherri. "You believe this girl? Has she told you what we shared?"

"We shared nothing, Greg. Nothing at all."

He sat back with a sigh and leaned in toward Cherri, favoring her with one of his seductive smiles. I recognized the expression, the self-same one I'd fallen for myself.

"I think Dani's in some kind of denial... sorry, we've not been introduced. I'm Greg Hansen." He offered his hand and I knew Cherri was about to be taken in, like everyone else.

"Cherri Red," she said, her fingers pale and small inside his, Greg holding on longer than politeness allowed but Cherri didn't pull away.

"Cool name."

"It's not my real name, but I like it."

"I should think so."

I couldn't stay. I picked up my tray and mumbled something about needing to check on the classroom. I walked from the table without looking back, dumped my tray in the dirty stack and left. I was cold inside, cold with an anger that filled me, making my fingers tremble. I shouldn't have left Cherri on her own with Greg, but I'd been unable to stay any longer. I'd catch her later. Warn her off.

As I walked up the hill to my cabin the sun had dropped below the western peaks but light continued to fill the sky. Down on the lakeshore some of the other counselors had gathered deadwood from under the trees and a fire struggled to catch, white smoke drifting across the lake. Inside the cabin I began pulling clothes from my sac, hanging shirts and pants on the row of hangers swinging from a bare rail, piled panties and socks and tee's on the slatted shelf above the rail. I'd left my door open and as I started to calm down heard voices from the room across the corridor. I stood and listened, trying to make out the conversation, but the voices were soft, only noise with no sense reaching me.

I padded across to the door and knocked. The conversation stopped and a moment later a tall black girl opened the door and grinned at me.

"Hi," she said.

"Hi. I'm Dani. I guess we're sharing the cabin."

"I've seen you around before. You were here last year, weren't you?"

I nodded. I vaguely recognized the girl. The camp was pretty mixed and had been for as long as I'd been coming. We were in California, after all, and people rubbed along a whole lot better here than they did in Alabama or just about any other place in America. Pretended to, anyway. "You're... Terri?"

"Tonya," she said, sticking her hand out. I shook, her skin warm against mine.

"And I'm Holly," said the girl lying on her bed. She raised a hand and waved and I waved back once Tonya let go of me. I recognized Holly too, but neither girl had been in any of the groups I'd mixed with before.

"You two sharing? I'm afraid I never thought, I just took that room."

"We wanted to share." Tonya stepped back from the doorway, offering an invitation which I took. I sat on the other bed. Tonya dropped onto Holly's legs, raising a yell and earning a slap on her back. Holly drew her knees up and Tonya crossed her legs, leaned against the rough plank wall. They were both grinning, but grinning mostly at each other, and I felt an intruder. Both girls were friendly enough, but I got an impression they would be even happier with each other.

I scooted back on the bed and pumped them about what they wanted out of this summer. Neither girl was a specialist. They came for the fun, the adventure, and the chance to meet people. I talked about my photography and Holly said she'd always liked the idea and might come down to the classes. After fifteen minutes the conversation started slowing down and a couple of minutes later I made an excuse and returned to my room. I closed the door softly, leaned against it and a moment later their door snicked shut as well. In the brief time I'd been with them I gained an impression more than just friendship was going on. If so, good for them, and I certainly wasn't going to tell anyone else. Romance blossomed all over camp, from the youngest to the oldest, anything more than romance strictly frowned on, but everyone aware things got pretty hot and physical at times. However, sharing and more than sharing would be grounds for expulsion.

I didn't want to think about such things. Now I'd calmed down guilt surfaced for leaving Cherri on her own with Greg, ashamed I'd cut and run instead of standing up to him. I'm not a confrontational person, always taking the easy escape when one was offered, but this time I'd been wrong. Opening my door quietly I crept outside and started back to the refectory. I had to stand up to Greg, call him out, tell Cherri about the history between us and why she needed to steer clear of him. When I returned to the refectory it lay empty and dark. I went back onto the wide porch, leaned on the rail and looked down at the campfire, burning now, more light leaking from the sky so the figures around the fire were shadows. Were Cherri and Greg down there? I decided to walk down and check.

"I knew you wouldn't be able to stay away, Dani."

Greg's voice came from behind and I spun round. He leaned against the wide double doors, ankles and arms crossed, slightly too long hair flopping across his eyes.

"Bastard," I said. "Leave Cherri alone."

He laughed. "I'm not interested in Cherri. Stupid name anyway."

"Good."

Greg peeled off the wall and walked toward me. "There's only one girl for me, Dani."

I held up my hands. "Not anymore, Greg. We're done, you and me. We were over a long time ago."

"You don't mean that, Dani." Greg kept coming and I had nowhere to go, backed into the angle made by the porch railing. I extended my hands in front of me but when they met Greg's chest he kept coming, strong, relentless, and my arms buckled and he still kept coming until the rail bit into my back and Greg pressed tight against me, his arousal obvious against my belly. I was aware confrontation aroused him, aware he ignored all civilized signals, knew from bitter experience the absence of the word No in his vocabulary.

"Get away from me." I punched his chest, tried pushing him away, but he was a rock, solid and unmoving, my efforts only exciting him more, making him press even harder against me. He pushed my arms aside, grasped one of my breasts.

"I miss you so much, Dani."

His face came toward mine and I realized I'd made a bad mistake.

"I'm gonna scream, Greg. Stop this now."

"Uh-uh, Dani. You want me."

I filled my lungs, fear overcoming my usual reticence. I always wanted to pass unnoticed, always took the safe route, never drawing attention to myself, but if I didn't go against my natural inclination now Greg meant to repeat what he had done to me once before. I slapped back at him again, my hand cracking loud on his face but he only laughed.

"Go on, hit me. I like it when you fight."

I drew air in, really meaning to scream this time when a blur of white shot across the porch and rammed into Greg, a small pale figure, shorter than me, and no way should Cherri have been able to move Greg but somehow she did because he staggered sideways from the force of her body, turning fast to meet the attack. Cherri's fists shot out, landed on his chest, lunged again and caught his cheek and he grunted in pain, reaching for her arms. Cherri moved aside, came at him from a different direction, speaking for the first time, "Leave. Her. Alone." Each word punctuated with a short punch to shoulder or neck.

Greg staggered back. I couldn't believe my eyes. I was six inches taller than Cherri, probably weighed twenty pounds more, but Greg had been an immovable object. Cherri had to have some kind of dynamo inside, because he fell back again.

"Hey, enough. I was only foolin'."

"Then fool with some other girl."

Greg turned in my direction. "I thought you wanted us to get together again, Dani."

I laughed harshly. "What didn't you understand, Greg? Am I being too subtle for you?"

Cherri hit him again, her blows sharp in the gathered dark, and I was aware only me and Cherri stood on the porch against Greg. He was over six feet, broad and muscular, and even with Cherri hitting him if he turned against us we almost certainly stood no chance. For some reason though, and I still have no idea why, Greg slumped and backed off. His hands came up, Cherri's blows continuing to rain against him and he backed off again, hit the porch rail and rolled over. Cherri wasn't that strong, Greg had taken an escape route. He landed on the gravel below the porch, took three long strides away from us then turned back.

"Get lost, loser," Cherri hissed.

Greg smiled, teeth white in the gloom. "I do so love a fighter."

My heart pounded, the blood rushing through my head making my temples ache. Cherri moved back, came to stand near me. Beyond the rail Greg turned away casually and strolled down the hill in the direction of the campfire. Faint voices drifted up from the group gathered at the waterside. The sound of a guitar carried through the still dark.

Cherri touched my arm. "You okay, Dan?"

Her touch released the fear inside, making me shudder. I tried to nod but started choking up, pulled back a breath, turned my head aside not wanting Cherri to catch the tears starting up but she knew anyway.

"Oh babe." She came close, slipped her arms around my waist and leaned her head against my chest. "It's okay, Dan, he's gone now. What the fuck did he do to you?"

"He-" My voice caught, tears coming hard now and I wondered if this sudden release had been building for a long time.

Cherri stroked my back. Her chin turned against my breast, pressing into me, breath fluttering against my skin. "You don't have to tell me, not if you don't want to."

"God Cherri, I can't do this. I hardly know you." Except I did. Seemed to know this girl better than anyone before, hoping Cherri felt the same about me.

"Of course you do, babe. Me and you are best buds now."

"Oh Cherri."

"Shh. He must have hurt you real bad."

"He's a shit!"

Cherri laughed. "Hey, don't pull your punches girl."

"He's a fucking shit!"

"Better."

I laughed and hugged Cherri back, so good to be standing with her slim body inside my arms, my chin resting against the top of her head, the scent of her shampoo in my nose. After a while I sniffed hard and loosened my hold. "We'd better not make a habit of this or people will talk."

"Let aem. You can hug me anytime you like." Cherri stepped back, her hands still on my arms but her soft hot body moving away and leaving me cold.

"Thanks."

"You don't have to tell me anything, Dan, but if you want to I'm always here."

I nodded. "Thanks," I said again. Great vocabulary, I thought.

Cherri darted back, lifted up and kissed me lightly on the lips. When she dropped away she grinned. "Guess we'd better not let aem see us do that either, had we."

Chapter 6.

Wednesday morning the alarm woke me before seven and I rolled out of bed before I drifted back to sleep. I liked sleeping in the small bedroom on my own, not having to share, but it meant no-one to wake me if I overslept. On all my previous camps I'd been a camper and slept in the bunkroom with everyone else, one of the hardest parts for me. I'm a private person, private about my body and bodily functions. That attitude didn't last long, couldn't last long in the atmosphere of camp. But now I was a counselor relishing the prospect of my own room, my own space, and I could rise early and shower before anyone was up.

I grabbed my washbag and knocked on the door across the corridor. No response from Tonya or Holly so I padded along to the bathroom and grabbed a shower while I had the chance. I expected them to come in, bubbling and enthusiastic as the evening before but I managed an entire shower without being disturbed. I went back to my room and dressed. I couldn't leave them to oversleep. The induction sessions were scheduled to start at nine and it had gone eight-thirty, so I went back and knocked on the door again and not bothering to wait entered their room, meaning to bawl them out.

I stopped in the doorway, shock running like ice through my belly.

Tonya and Holly lay curled together in one bed. The other single across the room didn't seem to have been slept in. They were both awake, and from the way they jumped apart I got the impression they might have been kissing. I also got the impression they were both naked under the stiff cotton sheets and coarse blanket. Only their shoulders showed, but neither displayed evidence of a nightdress or vest.

"Um," I said, forcing myself to continue. "You're gonna be late if you don't get up. I'm going across for breakfast."

"Dani-" Holly started, but Tonya did something beneath the covers and she stopped. They exchanged a glance.

"We'll see you later," Tonya said.

I nodded and backed into the corridor. Outside the cabin the air was already warm, the day shaping up to be a hot one. I walked to the refectory in a daze, wondering what to do about Tonya and Holly. Nothing, maybe. Fraternization between counselors, while not being condoned, was accepted. As for same sex fraternization? Well, I could guess. Only one way to interpret what I'd witnessed. Tonya and Holly were lovers. Across the corridor from me the two pretty girls had been fucking. Through my shock a part of me grew charmed.

I looked for Cherri in the refectory but saw no sign of her. I did recognize a few other faces I'd missed before, everyone now graduated from camper to counselor. I loaded up on scrambled eggs and pancakes and slid onto a table next to Rachel Gilliam and Leigh Duchelle. A couple of years back I'd shared a cabin with Rachel and we'd been close. Leigh was best friends with Rachel last year. We ate and caught up on what we'd all been doing over the year. Like me they'd both finished high school, Rachel about to go to college, Leigh planning to work for her dad who owned a small chain of restaurants. Despite all three of us living in Los Angeles we'd never met up outside camp. LA is a big city, and somehow life outside camp seems to have nothing to do with the life inside.

They'd finished eating but hung around while I wolfed my breakfast and after we went outside where most of the other counselors had gathered around the flagpole ready for the raising and the pledge. I looked around and caught sight of Tonya and Holly on the far side of the crowd, looking as normal as could be. I searched for Cherri but couldn't see her. Over a hundred of us stood around. Easy to miss someone as short as Cherri in the crowd.