“If she wants to go ——，” Isaac signs.
“That’s okay,” I sign to Jaden. “Thanks, but maybe later.”
Most everyone else is chilling in the staff cabin for the evening, except Mackenzie, who probably went to bed early. Ethan and Gary are at a square folding table in the corner going over some paperwork. On the two extra chairs next to them are stacks of pizza.
“Ooh, nice. Much better in here,” I say, helping myself to a spare slice and sitting on the floor beside Simone.
She asks something, but I motion that I don’t have my hearing aids in, so she repeats louder, “Awkward?”
“Yeah,” I say. She knows exactly who I’m hiding from.
Bobby’s lying in one of the spare bunks. “All right, let’s get a game going or something.”
“Sure, what do we got?” I take a bite of my pizza.
But Natasha, sitting against the opposite wall, waves toward me. “Is Isaac out there?”
I nod.
“Why are you in here?” She narrows her eyebrows in question.
Okay, Isaac . . . just how much did you tell your friends? And I thought this couldn’t get any worse. I guess news spreads quickly among a small summer camp staff.
“He doesn’t want me there.” I turn back to Simone, not wanting to answer any more pestering questions, but the next thing I know, Natasha is standing in front of me, offering her hand to help me up.
“Come on, let’s bring out the pizza,” Natasha signs, looking in the direction of the campfire.
“Really?” I ask. “It’s awkward.”
“You’re fine; come on.” She picks up the pepperoni box. “Take cheese,” she says and signs. “Isaac doesn’t like pepperoni.”
I drag my feet but follow her out of the cabin. But on the way to the firepit, I see a camper walking away from their cabin. It’s too late for them to be out and about.
“I need to check if that girl’s okay,” I tell Natasha, gesturing in that direction. “But I promise I’ll meet you in a few. Really, I promise.”
Natasha looks doubtful but signs, “Sure, that’s fine.”
I hurry away for my on-duty responsibilities. Natasha can join her friends in the meantime, and they can all hang out without me slowing things down or making it awkward.
The girl is Phoebe, one of Simone’s blind campers—the one who’s a year younger than me. She’s walking swiftly, cane outstretched. Her hair is still in a smooth middle-part low ponytail, but she’s abandoned her no-nonsense sunglasses.
“Are you all good? I’m coming up to you now.” I give her a heads-up but don’t hear what she starts to say, so I call out, “Sorry, I don’t have my hearing aids in right now. One second.” I get to her side where I’ll be able to lip-read what she’s saying. “Hey, it’s Lilah. Sorry, I should be able to hear you somewhat now. What’s up?”
“Uh, okay.” She hesitates, but when she speaks again, it’s practically a whisper. She’s barely moving her lips.
“I’m sorry, can you speak up a little?”
“I’m just going to the bathroom,” she shouts, her patience wearing thin.
“Yes, of course! My bad. I should have guessed. Do you need any help? I know the path dips a bit up ahead.”
“Nah, I’m good. It’s in the same place it’s been for the last ten years I’ve been here, so . . .”
“Of course. You’re Phoebe, right?”
“Yeah,” she answers loudly. “And I did call out to see if anyone was around, but then I figured I’d just go to the dang bathroom. You know, wander in that direction and eventually someone would find my body.”
“That’s dark.” My eyes go wide, but I’m amused.
“I know.” She chuckles nervously to make sure I understand it’s a joke.
“Well, I don’t want to keep you. If you do need anything, feel free to shout as loud as you want. I promise, there are a few people who will hear you and wake up.”
Phoebe sniffs the air. “Is that pizza?”
I look down at the box I’m holding. “Um, yes. But aren’t you on the way to the bathroom?”
“Yeah, yeah. I also don’t want to go to sleep. Nine o’clock is too early of a bedtime.”
“Maybe we’ll get you permission to stay up late one night.”
“Lilah, you’re basically my age. Stop sounding like an awkward adult.”
“Ha. Sorry, most of the campers I talk to are the little girls.” I look at the distance toward the bathhouse. “Do you need any help the rest of the way?”
“Nah, I’m good,” Phoebe says, but she doesn’t move yet. “So hey, do you like being a junior counselor? I want to be one next year.”
“Oh yeah? You’d love it.”
“How do you know? You don’t know me,” she teases.
“And you don’t know me. Maybe I’ll murder you in your sleep.” Shit, I might’ve matched her dark humor with a little too much severity. I can’t read her face right now; she’s so serious. Just because I can speak to her like a peer doesn’t mean we’re familiar enough to goof like this.
I’m about to apologize for the joke when Phoebe bursts out laughing.
“Guess I wouldn’t see it coming. Or I’ll get you first, since you wouldn’t hear it coming.”
“Ah, touché.” I like this girl. Maybe we would be friends if I hadn’t missed the last few years of camp. “All right, I’ll catch you later.”
The campfire is about a third of a soccer field away where Natasha is pushing Isaac to stand, nodding in my direction. He realizes I’m there with a camper and jogs over. I walk toward him as Phoebe goes on her way without me.
“Is she okay?” he asks me.
I glance back, watching her walk into the bathhouse, and nod. “Yeah, just a bathroom trip.”
He nods back to the campfire. “We’ve got pizza.”
“I know,” I sign, holding up my own box.
“Right.” He runs a hand through his dark hair and avoids looking straight at me when he signs, “My friends want you to come sit with us.”
“Do you”—I say and sign one-handed—“want me to?”
No hearing boy would stare at your lips this much unless they were about to kiss you. But Isaac is just watching what I’m saying.
“Yes.” He nods nervously. “Yes, I want you to sit with us.”
I smile. That’s a good sign.
“Okay, I’ll be there soon.”
* * *
Phoebe makes it back to her cabin. None of the other campers emerge tonight, but fortunately, I don’t even need excuses to get away from the campfire, because I’m holding my own.
Natasha and Jaden carry the bulk of the conversation, but I follow along all right, still worried about slowing things down by chiming in. But whenever I get lost, Isaac seems to intuitively know. He lifts a single finger to the side of his head, flicking it up once while raising his eyebrows in question. “Understand?”
If I nod, he smiles and jumps right back into the conversation without missing a beat.