Give Me a Sign(21)

“What? Oh, no. Nothing like that,” Gary says. “The opposite, in fact.” He scratches something out on the paper and writes what appears to be my name next to the word “Friday.” “I’m putting together the on-duty assignments. It’s complicated this year because, as assistant director, Ethan will be on call at night, rather than assigned to a specific shift. There’s already got to be some alternating and doubling, so basically we’re short a counselor for one of the weeknights.”

“I see . . .” But I don’t really know where he’s going with this.

Gary looks up at me. “It’s unconventional, and we’ve already got you taking on a lot of responsibility as a junior counselor, but would you be fine with covering one of the weekly shifts?”

“Oh, sure.” I shrug. “What exactly would I have to do?”

“While campers are here, we have two people on duty from lights-out until counselor midnight curfew. During these hours, the rest are off the clock. You’d hang out at the small firepit or in the staff cabin, so long as you make regular checks for any wanderers or bathroom-goers—that sort of thing.”

“That makes sense.”

“But it’s only a watch, so if something major comes up, you get ahold of Ethan or me.”

“Sounds good.” I nod, pleased to already be given extra responsibility.

“Thanks, kid. I’ve got you on Fridays. And you’ll be partnered with . . .” He searches through his schedule again right as Isaac walks through the swinging doors of the cafeteria. “Ah, sure, Isaac. Yeah, that’ll work. You’ll be partnered with him. Could you let him know?”

“Oh, sure!” I jump up from the chair, already dreading the fact that I’m going to need to fingerspell for this conversation. “Hey, Isaac,” I say and sign. “I have to tell you—” Crap, I can’t think of the next sign. I know this one already, I’m sure of it. Ugh. “Something,” I say.

He nods, taking off his baseball cap and stuffing it in his backpack as he sits at the table, pulling out the chair beside him for me. As in, I’ll probably sit next to him for all of dinner now? Whew, deep breath. I hide my face as I kick my bag underneath the table, then smooth my ponytail and turn to face him. My leg accidentally grazes his knee, but he doesn’t move away.

“Gary,” I start, pointing back to the director, “told me to tell you,” I say and sign. “Friday nights. On d-u-t-y work . . .” I catch my wrists before bending them too far like “make-out” again. “With me.”

He’s got his elbow on the table, finger pressed against his cheek as he leans back, watching me with amusement.

“You understand what I said?” I mouth the words, my lips fighting back laughter at the way Isaac is watching me right now, but I’m signing with more confidence.

“What you signed,” he corrects, still smiling. “Yes. Friday nights we’ll work on duty.”

“Duty,” I repeat the sign, committing it to memory. “Okay, cool.”

So every Friday night it’ll be Isaac and me, alone at the small campfire in the cabin circle, huddling together by the warmth of the flames and the light of the moon? I mean, how often do campers really leave in the middle of the night? I certainly never did. I just need to brush up on some conversational topics here so we’re not just sitting there awkwardly, like we somehow already are right now . . .

“So, um,” I say, hands out in front of me, helplessly.

“Our first dinner with the ——，” Isaac offers, signing slowly.

“The cook?” I say and sign, repeating his motions, and he nods. “I hope it’s good!” Come on, Lilah. Think. You have to be capable of talking about something more interesting than this. “So are you ready for campers tomorrow?”

He bobs his head yes. “Will be fun.”

And just like that, his friends arrive. Natasha and Jaden sit across the table, and Isaac converses at true speed. I excuse myself to refill my water, then return to find that Mackenzie has taken the seat on the other side of mine.

“Perfect, Lilah,” she says and signs. “We can practice our one-handed signing together while we eat!”

“Yeah, awesome,” I sign back, unenthused, still holding my bottle in my left hand.

I spend the whole dinner sitting next to Isaac but feeling so far away.

* * *

In the clatter of everyone washing dishes and stacking chairs along the wall, I don’t realize someone is calling my name until a hand gently taps my shoulder.

“Hey, Lilah.” Oliver’s standing there, dressed casually in fitted sweatpants and a plain white T-shirt, with a knapsack hanging over one shoulder. “I hate to be a bother, but do you have a car here?”

“Oh, yeah. I do, actually. What’s up?”

The counselors are all leaving the dining hall to head back to the cabins for the rest of our final night off before campers arrive. I was kind of hoping there’d be another Gray Wolf staff tradition like the lake, but it doesn’t seem like it.

As Simone walks up from behind Oliver, she mouths to me, “Ooh, get it!”

Oliver glances over his shoulder, then back at me for an explanation, but I just laugh it off. “Anyway, you were saying?”