Summer Camp

Chapter Seventeen

How did things go so wrong? Just at the funeral, I was smiling and laughing. Now I'm back to not speaking. With my family not here, it all went downhill. With my family, I felt like they were all experiencing what I was going through, also. They knew what it was like to feel this pain that I am.

Here? At camp? No one knows. No one can even come close to wondering how broken I am.

"Grace, talk to me." says Brady while I'm sitting, almost lifelessly on the floor of his cabin.

I stare at the wall without blinking.

"Grace, please." He grabs my hand and locks our fingers together and I don't move, just keep staring at the wall.

He says, "You won't even hold my hand? What did I do?!"

Nothing, I think, Brady, you didn't do anything.

"GRACE!"

Brady! You didn't do anything! It's me, it's me! I can't speak, my dad is just so on my mind that I can't think about anything else! Please, Brady, please just hear me. Even if I'm not speaking, I need you to hear me.

I continue staring at the wall but slightly move my hand and grip his hand tighter. Brady, I'm trying.

"Grace, just try to talk to me."

I am trying!

"I know it's hard, I know you're sad, I know! But talking to me will make you feel better, I promise. I love you, Grace. I can make you happy."

I know you can, Brady. But I don't need you to. I don't want to be happy right now.

"Your father would want you to be happy. He doesn't want you to be sad and to shut everyone out just because he is gone."

He gets up and walks out. He slams the door behind him and I wrap my arms around myself.

"I'm sorry, Daddy." I lean my head back until it hits the wall.

I hear the door open and I feel someone's soft lips touch mine.

I open my eyes and see Brady crouching down to kiss me with two fingers pulling my chin up. I close my eyes and melt into his kiss.

"I knew you would talk." He says, kissing me again.

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

I struggle for breath.. because I'm laughing so hard. Yes, LAUGHING!

Just a few days ago, I couldn't speak because I was so depressed and now I can't speak because I'm laughing too much.

Riley says, "shh!" then starts laughing again.

I punch his arm and say, "Don't shh me!"

"I just did!" He says and I burst out laughing again.

Everyone turns and looks at me at the back of the Arts and Crafts cabin sitting with Riley. I try and stop myself from laughing but I end up snorting loudly and everyone laughs which just causes me to laugh even harder.

Riley says, "Snorting. Cute." He winks and I say, "Everything I do is high quality attractive, Butter."

We both keep laughing even though everyone else stopped.

"Let's go!" I say, getting up and running out of the Arts and Crafts cabin. We both stand there laughing and we finally stop a while after.

"Why are we laughing so hard?!" He asks me.

"I don't know exactly. I just missed laughing. And talking. I missed being me."

"I missed you being you, also."