This Summer

Bridgeway Summer Camp was the perfect place for outdoor fun, a scenic retreat nestled deep in the woods, filled with adventure, friendships, and memories to last a lifetime.

Or, as some parents saw it, a convenient way to get rid of their kids for the summer before school started up again.

In 1982, the Kiramman family, known for their wealth and philanthropy, purchased a large plot of land between an endless stretch of forest and a massive lake.  They wanted to create something meaningful, something that would offer a break from the chaos of everyday life, a bridge between the busy world and the peaceful beauty of nature.  And so, Camp Bridgeway was born.

Fast-forward to today, and the latest Kiramman, Caitlyn, was carrying on the family legacy.  She had spent her childhood at the camp, but when high school came around, she decided to take a break.  Now, at 20 and needing volunteer hours for college, she was back as a counselor, spending yet another summer at the place that once felt like a second home.

Caitlyn’s phone buzzed to life, the screen lighting up with an alarm reading 8:00 AM.  Right below it was a text from her mother.

Mother:

Your father and I just reached the camp.  Don’t be late, Caitlyn.

A groan escaped her lips as she blindly reached out, smacking her phone screen to silence the alarm.

“Sprout!  Hurry up!”

A voice yelled from downstairs.

Jayce Talis, Caitlyn’s best friend, practically her brother at this point.

They had grown up together, their families knew each other, and after spending summers at camp, they stayed close.  When Caitlyn became a counselor, Jayce didn’t hesitate to sign up too.  It was also where he met his girlfriend, Mel Medarda.

-

“You’re gonna love it here, I promise.”  A teenage Mel grinned as she slung an arm over Caitlyn’s shoulders.  “I mean, unless you hate fun.  Do you hate fun, Kiramman?”

“Debatable,” Caitlyn had said, adjusting her camp-issued shirt.  “I’m just here for the free food.”

Mel had laughed, tossing a pinecone at her.  “Yeah, yeah, you’ll be obsessed with this place soon.”

She hadn’t been wrong.

-

Caitlyn mumbled something incoherent before finally accepting defeat and forcing herself out of bed.

As she trudged downstairs, Jayce stood at the bottom, arms crossed.  “Your mom said if we’re late, she’s cutting all our heads off.”

“Yeah, yeah, here,” Caitlyn shoved a duffle bag into his arms before flashing a smile at Mel.

“Hey, how’s school?” Mel asked as they headed toward the car, leaving Jayce to wrestle everything into the trunk alone.

“Good.  Same old stuff.  Honestly just glad to have these two weeks off.”  Caitlyn exhaled as she slid into the backseat.

“Same here,” Mel sighed.  “Graduation is right around the corner, and it’s somehow more stressful than the last four years combined.”

Jayce plopped into the driver’s seat.  “Alright!  Everyone got their essentials?  Toothbrushes, clothes, vibrators, condoms,”

“Jayce, shut up!”  Caitlyn smacked his shoulder, face twisting in mock disgust.

Jayce just laughed as he started the car.

And just like that, they were off.

⚲ϙϙ𐊭Ϙ⚲ϙ

Violet Lanes had been through a lot.  Losing her parents at twelve had done a number on her, and moving to a whole new state to live with her uncle had only made it worse.  She had to start over, figure out where she fit in, and pretend that none of it bothered her.

But somehow, Vi still found a reason to smile.

At fourteen, her uncle Vander and his partner, Silco, decided she and her siblings needed an outlet.  They sent her to Bridgeway for two weeks.  She went a few times, but when high school hit, she stopped.  Too much going on, too much to take care of.

That changed when she was nineteen.

A single summer back at camp was all it took.  The memories, the people, the freedom, it was enough to make her return.  Now, at twenty, she was back again, this time as a counselor.

She wasn’t alone either.  Her brother Claggor had signed up to volunteer, while their younger siblings, Powder and Mylo, were among the campers this year.  That meant Vander and Silco got a quiet house for the first time in ages, and Vi was pretty sure they’d be popping open a bottle of whiskey the second she drove off.

Outside the house, Vi was helping Vander load the last of the bags into his old minivan.

“You sure you don’t want me or Claggor to stay back this year?” Vi asked, adjusting one of the bags.  “Just in case you need help at the bar?”

Vander gave her a knowing look before clapping a hand on her shoulder.  “Vi, I may be old, but I can still pour a beer.”

Vi snorted.  “Yeah, I know you can pour a beer.  I’m just saying, maybe you shouldn’t be running the whole place alone.”

Vander raised an eyebrow.  “You offering to quit camp to be my personal bartender?”

Vi opened her mouth, then shut it.  “Okay, when you say it like that, it sounds lame as hell.”

Vander chuckled.  “Thought so.  Besides, you deserve to enjoy yourself.  You like that camp, don’t pretend otherwise.”

-

“Hey, Vi, you coming back next summer?”

Fourteen-year-old Vi had shrugged, sitting on the dock with her feet dangling above the water.  “Dunno.  It’s alright, I guess.”

Claggor snorted beside her.  “You love it here.”

Vi had huffed, shoving him off the dock and into the lake.  His laughter echoed around them as he resurfaced, spluttering.

-

She grumbled, shaking her head.  “Yeah, yeah, alright.  I’ll have fun or whatever.”

“Good,” Vander said, smirking.  “Now get out of here before I change my mind and put you to work.”

Vi rolled her eyes, pulling him into a quick hug.

“We’re gonna be late!  Stop having a sentimental moment!” Powder yelled from the back seat.

Vi sighed, stepping away and climbing into the driver’s seat.  “Alright, everyone got their stuff?”

“Yeah, yeah,” Claggor said from the passenger seat, messing with the radio.  “Can we stop at the gas station for snacks?”

“I don’t see why not,” Vi said, glancing at Mylo in the rearview mirror.  He was already grinning, clearly ready to raid the snack aisle.

“Hell yeah!” Powder cheered.  “I call dibs on the blue raspberry slushie.”

“You called dibs last time!” Mylo protested.

Vi snorted as she backed out of the driveway, already prepared for a full-blown argument over gas station snacks.

It felt good to be going back.

⚲ϙϙ𐊭Ϙ⚲ϙ

Bridgeway was the summer camp to be at.  Five stars all around.  It was so in-demand that they had to introduce a lottery system to keep attendance manageable.

The camp entrance was buzzing with activity, cars and buses dropping off excited kids, parents making last-minute checklists, and counselors helping unload bags.

Jayce elbowed Caitlyn suddenly.  “Whoa.  Is that Violet?  The Lanes kid?”

At the mention of Vi, Caitlyn immediately looked over.

She remembered them being kids, Vi, always the first one to start a water balloon fight, always the one getting in trouble for sneaking out after lights out.  Caitlyn, always watching her from a distance, always wondering what it’d be like to have Vi’s kind of confidence.

Mel smirked.  “You’re blushing.”

Caitlyn cleared her throat, immediately turning away.

Meanwhile, Vi spotted Jayce and grinned.  “Jayce!” She strode over and pulled him into a tight hug.

“How you been, Red?” Jayce grinned, squeezing her back.

Vi wrinkled her nose.  “Yeah, cutting that nickname off now.”

As she turned, her gaze landed on Caitlyn.

“Violet,” Caitlyn greeted smoothly, stepping forward.  Her hand rested briefly on Vi’s shoulder before running down her arm, fingertips barely brushing against her wrist.

Mel and Jayce exchanged a look before slowly backing away, giving them space.

Vi smirked.  “Could say the same to you, Kiramman.  What are you now, seven feet tall?”

“Six, actually.  And I see you grew… horizontally?” Caitlyn raised an eyebrow.

Vi let out a laugh.  “Yeah, I’ve been busy at the gym.  Don’t be afraid to stare, cupcake.” Vi gave a small flex of her bicep before rushing off to help her siblings unpack.

Caitlyn didn’t even realize she was still watching her go.

“You’re drooling,” Jayce whisper-yelled.

“Shut up.”  Caitlyn rolled her eyes, but a smile played on her lips.

Summer at Bridgeway was off to an interesting start.

⚲ϙϙ𐊭Ϙ⚲ϙ

It wasn’t long before the sun was beginning to set!  Campers were now being introduced to their camp counselors.

At Bridgeway, there were 6 cabins, 10 kids each and 2 counselors.  And the line up was amazing!

In the first cabin, it was the Wolf’s!  Each cabin was named after an animal!  Vi and Jayce were the counselors for this cabin.  The cabin had a huge wolf painting on the door, a name plate above it with ‘WOLF’ on it.  The cabins would have this same template.

Each cabin had 6 bunk beds.  Vi and Jayce shared one while the campers had the others.  And included a very clean bathroom and shower.  There was a shower hall next to the mess hall, so don’t worry, no fighting for showers.

The second cabin was the Fox’s!  Their counselors were Gert and Margot, friends of Vi’s, they went to high school together.

Then the third cabin was the Bear’s, Sevika and Viktor were the counselors for that one.  Mel and Caitlyn were counselors for the fourth cabin, the Owl’s!  

Friends of Caitlyn’s, Maddie and Steb, were apart of the fifth cabin, the Elk’s.  And the last cabin was with Loris and Claggor, the Eagle’s!

Each cabin had their own color as well!  

Wolf’s: Blue

Fox’s: Red

Bear’s: Brown

Owl’s: Grey

Elk’s: Pink

Eagle’s: Green

The counselors were also sporting the new design for the camps shirts!  They weren’t jersey material, but a regular t-shirt with the normal camp-colored tan with ‘Camp Bridgeway’ on the front with some fancy designs.  On the back was a number they wanted and their names!  Basically name tags for the newer campers.

Cassandra and Tobias, Caitlyn’s parents and owners of the camp, announced through the shitty speakers around camp for everyone to get to the bonfire area by sunset!  Basically giving time for counselors to introduce themselves and meet their campers before moving to the almost Shakespearean styled bleachers. 

Basically a flat, concrete stage with a backdrop made by two pieces of logs and some white fabric while bleachers lined in a semi-circle around the stage!  Cassandra and Tobias stood on the stage with a microphone and a mic stand, waiting for those to gather!

“Why is your number 6?” Jayce walked over to Vi from behind, seeing ‘VI, 6’ on the back.  

“Because they wouldn’t let me put 69.” Vi frowned before hearing Jayce gasp and slowly turn around.  A proud ‘9’ was on his back.  The two began to gasp before giggling like a bunch of little girls and jumping around together.

“Idiots, they have to be.” Caitlyn scoffed, making Mel and Gert laugh, the three moving along to get the campers settled down.

Once Cassandra began to speak, talking about what events were going on for the two weeks, Vi slipped off the bleachers from the back, moving behind them to get to the other side… where Caitlyn was.

“Hey.” Vi whispered, poking her arm.  Caitlyn jumped a bit before turning her head and sighing.

“Why aren’t you listening?  This could be important.” Caitlyn whispered.

“You live with the woman, you really think she kept this from you?” Vi blinked.  She was right, Caitlyn knew exactly what her mother was saying right now, it was written down somewhere at home-

“The other counselors and I are going to the cliff tonight, once all the campers are asleep, you in?” Vi asked, crossing her arms and leaning against the beams of the bleachers.

“I don’t know, curfew is important.  Plus I don’t want to get in trouble with my mom.” Caitlyn said, looking at Vi, shaking her head.

“Bummer,” Vi mumbled, “if you end up changing your mind… I hope to see you there?” She gave Caitlyn’s arm a small squeeze before moving back over to where Jayce and their campers were.

I hope to see you there.

It stuck in Caitlyn’s mind.

⚲ϙϙ𐊭Ϙ⚲ϙ

The camp usually did the same thing for the two weeks, but switched things around and made sure to add some ‘Gen Z’ things.  Don’t let Caitlyn relive her parents trying to say ‘rizz’ or ‘skibidi toilet’ never again.

But these two weeks contained of:

Sunday-

Monday, this day would consist of some hiking trails and mainly a rest day for the long drive.  As well as a movie night!

Tuesday, Water sports!  A day mixed with water balloon fights, canoeing, water skiing, and tubing, and other activities, ending the day with a bonfire.

Wednesday, Craft day!  Woodcarving, tie dying, mainly craftable stuff.

Thursday, Survival day!  The counselors with teach the campers about survival things like tying ropes and starting fires.

Friday, Camp Olympics!  Each cabin will volunteer a few campers and a counselor to compete in an all day event.  Varying from one legged races and throwing darts at balloons.

Saturday, Murder Mystery!  Whodunit?  You’ll have to find out.

Sunday, another rest day with crafts and water sports!

Monday, glow in the dark!  Night games!

Tuesday, Wind related games!  Kite flying, zip lining, rock climbing!

Wednesday, Talent night!  And a bonfire.

Thursday, Team color battle!  Cover the camp in your colors!  Who will win?

Friday, costume contest!

Saturday, the last day!  Camp awards and sleeping under the stars before leaving that Sunday!

⚲ϙϙ𐊭Ϙ⚲ϙ

Once the campers headed to bed, Sevika stood by the middle, near a tree, standing with Jayce.  Jayce slapped $100 in her hand and they two shared a hand shake!  Sevika was watching over the campers while the others went to the cliff!

Caitlyn wasn’t convinced until Mel mentioned that basically everyone was going, so she was convinced!  When they got there, there was some music, a cooler full of beer, and lots of laughing.

Jayce was in the water with Steb, Loris, and Claggor.  Maddie and Gert stayed near the sand, talking about something.  As Caitlyn and Mel arrived, they all cheered. 

“Vi is trying to help Margot jump the cliff.” Gert said with a small laugh, pointing up.  The cliff wasn’t really tall, maybe 8-10ft?  Vi and Margot were up top, Margot holding onto Vi’s arm, shaking her head.

“It can’t be that bad?” Caitlyn said with a small laugh.  Yeah, Margot was already walking down the boulders!  That made Caitlyn go up!

“Thinking of jumping, Princess?” Vi said, moving over to hold a hand out to help Caitlyn up.  Caitlyn smiled up and her and took her hand, moving up on the tall rock.

“Swimming in that?” Vi joked, pointing to the jeans and t-shirt Caitlyn was wearing.  Vi was in some kind of white binder with some swim shorts… and man did Caitlyn end up starring a little too long-

“Uh- yeah!  I mean- no!  No, I…” Caitlyn cleared her throat and began to take off her shirt and jeans.  Vi was quick to turn her head away, giving Caitlyn some privacy.

Caitlyn folded her clothes and set them down with everyone else’s.

“We did this last year, go again?” Caitlyn asked, walking over to Vi and holding a hand out.

“It’d be my honor, cupcake.” Vi winked, taking her hand and giving a small squeeze.  They both moved toward the end before glancing at each other.

“Ready?”

“You scared?”

“Fuck no.”

Vi let out a small laugh before the two were fully running and jumping in together!

This summer might be pretty fun.