Lost in Love Read Free Page A

carry in my bag. Addison is probably at camp already, but maybe she’ll answer her cell before first period. Waiting until tonight to talk would be excruciating.
    One of the older girls streaks into the main office. Sheruns over to Cecelia and starts squealing about some doctor’s note. I press a finger against my free ear.
    â€œThere’s no Addison here,” the assistant says. “I didn’t think we had a counselor by that name, but I just checked the system to make sure. Could she work at our affiliated location?”
    â€œI’m calling from that location right now.”
    â€œYou’re sure she doesn’t work there?”
    â€œYes. I’m a counselor here. I know all of the other counselors.”
    â€œWell, I’m sorry,” she says, her tone taking on a sharp edge. “I don’t know what to tell you.”
    â€œThat’s okay,” I reply. “Thanks for checking. Bye.” I hang up and stare at the phone. How can Addison not work there? The camp party was only for counselors and staff from both camps. She told Mica she works at the Upper East camp. Why would she lie about where she works?
    â€œIs everything okay?” Cecelia asks me.
    â€œYeah.” I put my pen and notebook away. “Thanks for all your help.”
    â€œAnytime.” Cecelia gives me a warm smile before answering a call.
    I head over to the cafeteria to pick up my group of campers. I’m assigned to six eight-year-old girls. We go to activities together in the morning, sit together at lunch, and then have more activities and free play in the afternoon. At the end of the day, I take the girls to the pickuparea in front of the school and wait with them until they’re all picked up by guardians or put on the buses that take them home. I love kids in general, but girls this age are the best.
    Momo and Jenny, two girls from my group, are at their table in the cafeteria. The camp provides free breakfast to kids who qualify.
    â€œReady for nature?” I ask them. Learning about nature at an indoor camp isn’t the most ideal situation. But we’re making the best of having camp at a school. We’ve renamed and repurposed some of the rooms to sound more like a real campground. The cafeteria is the dining hall. The tables with benches in the courtyard are the arts and crafts area. The set of lockers we’re allowed to use are cubbies. The yoga studio is really just a classroom. Street games take place in the gym. Once a week all the groups leave for a special activity off campus. We’ve been to the Central Park Harlem Meer for fishing and gone swimming at a nearby public pool. Coming up we have kayaking in the Hudson River, roller-skating in Brooklyn, and an afternoon at the Museum of Natural History.
    â€œBoo.” Momo frowns into her chocolate milk. “Why do we have to do nature?”
    â€œHow else are you going to learn about the environment?” I say, even though the “nature” they’re learning about is hardly enough.
    â€œDo we have arts and crafts today?” Momo asks.
    â€œYou know we do.”
    Momo brightens. Arts and crafts is her favorite activity. She also likes street games and yoga.
    â€œI heard we’re making jewelry in arts and crafts this week,” Jenny says. “Monday is earrings—that’s today—Tuesday is bracelets, Wednesday and Thursday are necklaces, and Friday is tiaras.”
    â€œThat sounds awesome,” I say. “I can’t wait to see what you girls make.”
    â€œI’m using pink and purple beads on my bracelet,” Momo informs us.
    â€œI’m making a rainbow one,” Jenny says. Jenny loves everything rainbow. Even her sneaker shoelaces are tie-dyed rainbow.
    The bell rings over the loudspeaker. Time for first period.
    â€œLet’s go,” I say. The girls take their trays up to the counter. The smell of hash browns is making my mouth water even