Summer Camp

Chapter Fifteen

"Oh. My. God." Says Lexie, drooling over my ring. "And he just gave it to you to give it to you?!" She asks.

"Yep!"

"He is perfect!" She says, laying back on the grass.

"Danny is perfect, too!"

"Things haven't been going well lately..."

"How so?" I ask, laying beside her.

"Well, we never see each other anymore and we're just like friends, not like we're dating. He's not sweet like Brady. I'm so jealous."

"If things are going wrong because you guys aren't spending time together, spend time together! And if it still doesn't work, we are at a camp FULL of attractive kids. You'll find another, sweeeter guy."

"Thanks, Grace."

"Anytime, Lexie!" I say, sitting up and saying, "Speaking of tons of attractive guys, I'll be right back!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"BUTTERRRRRRRRR!!!" I scream, while hopping on his back.

He catches me, natural instinct, and says, "Hey, Gravy!" He runs around in a circle and then setting me down. I

give him a big hug and ask, "What's up?!"

"Not much! Did you come over here.. for a certain purpose.. or just to say hi?"

"Just to say hi!"

"Oh okay!" He says and chuckles. At that same moment, Mandee comes running up to us.

She stops and Riley asks, "What do you want?"

She laughs and says, "I'm not here for you, I'm here for Grace.. against my will. There is someone here to see you."

I look at Riley and say, "Wonder who." He shrugs and Mandee runs off again.

We start walking and I see my mom's black Ford Edge. I look at Riley and say, "My mom's here!"

We start running and I hop in the passenger seat while he hops into the back seat.

"Who is this?" She asks, motioning to Riley.

"Oh, this is Butter... I mean Riley. Riley Travis." She eyes me suspiciously and I say, "My best friend."

Riley says, "Nice to meet you, Grace's mom."

"Please, Riley, call me Lauren."

"Alright, Lauren. Well, nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you, also, Riley." She says back.

I smile and say, "So whats up, Mom?"

Her face instantly gets sad. "Well... I don't know how to say this, but.."

"But what?!" I ask. Why did she suddenly get so upset? What is going on?!

"But,  do you know why we moved to Maine in the first place?"

"Because you guys said the 'beach was calling you'."

My mom holds my hand and says, "Yes honey, we did say that. Your father's dream was to live by the beach and we wanted to fulfil his dream... before," she untangles our hands and wipes a tear from her eyes.

"What? Before what, mom?!" Another tear falls down her cheek and she sniffles. I continue yelling, "TELL ME!!"

"Your father died!" She yells and falls apart, crying into her hands.

Tears start flowing out of my eyes and I ask, "What?! How?!"

"Honey, he had cancer. We sent you away all summer so that you would remember him as he was before, not as he was while going through treatment."