Page 11 of Summer’s Echo

She stood there looking so innocent and devious at the same time as the last of the evening sun sparkled behind her.

The counselors were finished for the day since the campers were watching a movie at the outdoor auditorium.

Summer held up a paper bag with what I was hoping was food, a blanket, and an old boom box.

I cocked my head in disbelief, immediately recognizing it was my boom box.

I shook my head, unable to stop the grin from forming on my face because I knew exactly what this meant.

She wanted to go to our hideaway. In just a few weeks, it had become our thing—sneaking off after dark when the campers were asleep and the counselors were distracted, probably off doing God only knows what.

Our little nook tucked away near a man-made stream felt like another world, one where time didn’t exist and everything was simple. It was our escape.

“Mum, I gotta go,” I said hurriedly, cutting off the chaos on the other end of the line. “I love you, too.” Hanging up the phone, I jogged to catch up to Summer before she could disappear into the trees. “Sunshine, hold up.”

“I was about to leave you,” she said, turning to face me while she walked backward.

“Leave me ?” I said, pointing a finger to my chest for effect. “After going in my room to steal my radio?”

“You mean the radio you left in my room the other night?” she countered, one brow lifted in challenge.

“Oh, right.” I’d forgotten I left it in there after our late-night Uno game with our friends.

“Well, still sounds like theft to me,” I said, shrugging.

The sound of the stream grew louder as we walked side by side, the soft crunch of leaves and twigs under our feet.

I took her hand, steadying her as we navigated some rough terrain, moving deeper into the trees.

Their overgrown branches and weathered trunks forged a trail through the thick grove, shielding our hideaway from the rest of the world.

Nestled at the tip of the campsite, a towering oak tree with aged branches boldly stood, reaching toward the sky.

Ancient, it looked like it held secrets of campers from years past. We’d stumbled on this spot a few weeks ago during one of our treasure hunts with the Creative Crew.

To most, this part of the camp was unremarkable, rarely frequented because to the blind eye, there’s nothing to see.

But for me and Summer, it held purpose and beauty and magic.

The tree’s trunk was wide and weathered, with a hollowed-out nook that seemed to be carved by the hands of time.

The opening was just wide enough for the two of us—our sanctuary.

While the space felt like a secret chamber just for us, the etchings of initials, dates, and tiny hearts carved into the bark were reminders that this place had been others’ secret long ago.

A hedge of wild ferns and moss-covered stones shielded us from the world but didn’t conceal the beauty of the rolling green pastures and breathtaking views that stretched across the campgrounds.

Summer spread out the blanket and sat cross-legged just as she’d done every time before.

I settled beside her, flipping through the CDs to find some music to listen to.

She unpacked the goodie bag, laying out turkey croissant sandwiches, potato chips, apple juice, and candy—a feast for only two.

She leaned over me to grab the boom box and placed it between us.

I shook my head. As usual, she took control of the music, already humming along to the first few notes.

Clearly unimpressed with the current song, she jabbed the button to skip to the next track.

A smooth R&B groove filled the air, the familiar beat instantly recognizable.

“I tell him to kick off your shoes and relax,” she sang along, swaying to the rhythm.

“Who sings this one?” I asked, cracking open the apple juice and leaning back. Summer gave me a pointed look. “Xscape,” she replied, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

“Exactly. Let them sing it, then,” I shot back, laughing so hard I nearly choked on my juice.

Her expression hardened, but the corner of her mouth twitched with amusement. Animatedly, she raised her middle finger, and whispered, “Fuck you,” though her voice carried more mischief than malice.

“You love nineties music,” I said, wiping my mouth after biting into the sandwich.

“Why do you say that?” she challenged.

“Because every time I’m in your room or hear you singing in the art center, it’s always old-school Mariah Carey or Whitney Houston,” I pointed out.

Summer let out a delighted breath, lighting up as she nodded in agreement. “The perks of having older siblings, I guess.”

“How much older?” I asked, leaning forward slightly, genuinely curious.

“My brother is twenty-seven, and I have two sisters—twenty-three and twenty-one,” she said, shrugging.

“Ah, so you’re the baby. No surprise,” I teased, a chuckle escaping as I saw her roll her eyes.

“Whatever.” She playfully swatted at me. “What about you? Oldest, right?”

I nodded proudly. “Yep. Two sisters, two brothers—fifteen, thirteen, nine, and eight.”

Summer let out a low whistle, shaking her head. “ Whew. God bless your mom.”

A warmth spread through me at the thought of my mother. “Yeah, my mum holds it down though.”

Her head tilted slightly, curiosity flickering in her eyes. “Mum?” she repeated, her voice piqued with interest.

I nodded again, this time more thoughtfully. “My parents are from Nigeria. I was born there, but we moved to the States when I was just weeks old. In my family, it’s tradition to call your mother mum . It’s a sign of respect.”

“That’s sweet,” she murmured, almost adoring, as if my words had touched her.

The conversation faded, replaced by a hush that wasn’t awkward but peaceful, like the stillness was a part of the agreement when at this place.

We both leaned back, taking in the sky’s expanse.

I don’t know why the quiet felt so easy with her, but I wasn’t going to question it.

Everything was moving so fast. Camp was going to be over before we knew it, but in this moment, everything was paused, and I didn’t mind at all because the more time I had with Summer, the better.

“Do you have a boyfriend back home?” I blurted, breaking the quiet and immediately regretting it.

Summer’s head snapped toward me, her brow arching in surprise. She shook her head. “Nope,” she said simply, turning her focus back on the stars like I’d asked the dumbest question in the world.

My brow furrowed at her nonchalant tone. “Why’d you say it like that?”

“Like what?” she responded curtly, her voice calm but edged with something I couldn’t quite place.

“Like that was a bad question,” I replied, watching her closely. There was something in her posture, a discomfort she was trying to hide. “My bad. I didn’t mean any harm. I’m just…surprised.”

“Surprised? Why?” she asked dryly, almost daring me to say something stupid.

Because you are fucking gorgeous, I thought, but caught myself before the words slipped out. Instead, I shrugged. “Because you’re dope. I’d think dudes would be all over you.”

Her narrowed eyes darted my way, sharp and skeptical. I couldn’t tell if she was amused or annoyed, but the moment was tense.

“Nope. That’s not my story,” she replied, bobbing her head to the music but looking more annoyed with every passing second.

“Sun, real talk,” I said, leaning forward a little, hoping to break through her distraction. “Nobody likes you? No dudes trying to get with you?” The corner of my lip curved slightly in disbelief because whatever she was going to say couldn’t be the truth.

She wrapped her arms around her legs, shrinking into herself in a way I hadn’t seen before. “No,” she snapped, her tone cold and clipped. “No dudes like me for real. No dudes are trying to get with me.”

For real . I wondered what that meant. The words hit harder than expected because the way she said them stuck with me.

It carried something heavier, but I momentarily held back from prying further.

She was clearly pissed, uncomfortable even, and I probably should’ve let it go.

But like the idiot I sometimes was, I just kept going.

“I’on know, Sunshine,” I said, shaking my head.

“That sounds crazy to me. It’s plenty dudes around here who try to get with you. ”

“Who?” Her pursed lips and creased forehead made it clear she was unimpressed with the flex. “And please don’t say Kyle.”

“Nah, not that corny dude,” I replied, the thought alone making me mad because I’d heard the disrespectful way Kyle talked about girls. “What about Josh? He’s always in your face.”

Summer’s face scrunched into a deep frown, like I’d just said the dumbest thing imaginable.

“In the six or seven years I’ve known Josh, he’s never asked me out—ever,” she said.

“He lives around the corner from me and goes to my school, so no, not even Josh,” she said firmly.

Her voice carried a sharp edge, tinged with impatience and finality, like she was daring me to say something else.

“Well, he’s dumb as hell, man. If you weren’t budding into my new best friend, I would be all over that,” I said, biting the corner of my lip.

Tilting her head slightly, Summer studied me with caution, suspicion all over her face. “Boy, bye. Every girl at camp is ‘ Echo this’ and ‘Echo that.’ You would never be checking for me.”

“Nah, Sun, it’s not even like that,” I scoffed. “I’m just a friendly guy. I don’t like any of these girls.”

“Oh, really?” she challenged, her voice a bit lighter now. “So, what do you like in a girl, Echo?”

I spun my hat around before leaning back, thinking aloud. “ Hmm . What do I like in a girl? I guess a crazy, sexy, cool type of chick.”

Summer snorted, her lips quirking into a smile. “Soo, basically TLC.”

I nodded, rubbing my hands together with exaggerated enthusiasm. “Exactly. You’re not the only one who loves nineties R&B.”

“Boy, please,” she said, shaking her head.

sOur chuckles were faint, floating off with the warm breeze.

And for the first time in a while, an awkward lull settled between us.

Summer tugged at her ear—a little nervous tic I’d noticed before—and then almost shyly, she whispered, “D–Do you think I’m crazy, cool…

and, um, sexy?” Her voice was so soft I almost missed it, but I caught the way she avoided my stare, a blush creeping up her cheeks.

Hell yeah! Those eyes, that smile, those lips, damn, those thighs! Shit, she was all those things and more.But instead of telling her the truth, I played it off, laughing like a fool.

“Your ass is definitely crazy, Sunshine!” I nudged her shoulder, thinking that she’d share in the banter, maybe roll her eyes, or shove my shoulder back, but the smile I was waiting for never crossed her lips.

Instead, her face stayed stoic, her eyes fixed somewhere in the distance.

I thought I was breaking the tension, lightening the mood, but I’d fucked around and only managed to make it worse.