The Rules of Regret Read Free Page A

me
well enough to know I hated being alone. It was nice to have someone that
understood and respected my quirks, without even having to explain those
oddities in detail. “ I ’ m good. See you when you get back,
Sonja. ”
    “ See ya, Deborah. ”
    ***
    From:
Quarry Summit Info
    To:
Deborah Duncan
    Subject:
Camp Counselor Positions

 
    Thank
you for your interest in our staffing program at Quarry Summit Adventure Camps.
We still have availability for the camp counselor positions, though they are
filling up quickly. If you are interested in securing a spot, please complete
the attached application and submit it no later than this Friday. You will also
need proof of a cleared TB test, as well as fingerprinting documentation.
    Our
summer camp program runs six weeks long. Counselors reside in the cabins with
the campers and have all of their meals provided, with the exception of
Saturday, which is considered a “ free ” day.
    Our
camp focuses on providing an encouraging, nurturing atmosphere for at-risk
youth ages 13-15. We instill the fundamentals for confidence and self-reliance
through adventure programs, as well as survival activities that push youth to
accept responsibility for themselves and their actions.
    Though
previous experience is not required for the counselor position, if you have
any, please feel free to mention that in your following email and application.
    We
look forward to hearing from you. Please do not hesitate to contact us with any
questions you might have. Counselor orientation takes place June 12 th at noon at the Rec Hall at Quarry Summit Camp if you are selected to participate
in our program. Thank you for your interest in our camps and in the lives of
the future generation.
    Sincerely,
    T.
Westbrook
    Quarry
Summit Associate Director

 
    I
skimmed over the email, looking for some hint of personality, but it was
completely devoid. Total robot talk. It sounded like a good idea at first and
an easy way to make $600, but the more I thought about it, the less the
position seemed to be a fit.
    I
was not outdoorsy. I was never technically at-risk. I wasn ’ t even good with teenagers. I was
awkward and clumsy during my own early teenage years with my
more-red-than-brown hair, the collection of freckles that smattered my nose,
and the slight gap between my teeth that wasn ’ t corrected until senior year when
Lance ’ s
mom gifted the money for braces.
    It
took a long, painful while to grow into my gangly body, and even longer to
accept those freckles I once hated. I ’ d
secretly wished for pimples instead, knowing that they were just a phase and
would eventually disappear, whereas freckles were there to stay. It wasn ’ t until one night when Lance traced
over every single one with the tip of his finger, telling me how much he loved
me and how much he loved them, that I accepted the beauty he saw in them.
    So
no, I didn ’ t
think I ’ d
be much help to anyone currently going through that stage of life. I ’ d probably make them even more at-risk by inadvertently screwing
them up with my own embarrassing stories of adolescence. Lance was the one that
would make a great counselor with his ability to reflect and project his
opinions on others. I could only imagine what it would do to a young girl ’ s self-esteem to have someone like
Lance tell them they were valuable. If it was even a small fraction of what it
did to me back when I was thirteen, they ’ d
think they were the only girl he ’ d
ever laid eyes upon.
    I
stared back at the formal letter and began running my fingers across the
keyboard to compose a response.

 
    From:
Deborah Duncan
    To:
T. Westbrook
    Subject:
Not a good fit, but thank you

 
    Dear
T. Westbrook,
    Thank
you for your prompt response to my email. Upon further thought, I don ’ t think this program is the best fit
for me. I just completed my second year at Stanford where I am studying
Architectural Design. Unfortunately, I do not have a lot of experience