Page 23 of Give Me a Sign
“The chicken nuggets,” I whisper to him.
He relays, a jumble of noise says something back, and he turns to me again. This follow-up question is exactly why I let him speak for me. “Sauce?” he asks me.
“Sweet and sour.” My face is way too close to his, so I press farther back into my seat.
As we drive around to the window, he relaxes back into his spot. “Is Mackie’s better over here?”
“Probably worse, if I had to guess,” I say.
I wonder what the other counselors are doing. It would be a perfect night for s’mores around the fire or something. But the lifeguards and I eat our fast food on the long drive back to Gray Wolf so it doesn’t get cold.
“So, do you like working here?” Oliver asks after we park back at the campgrounds. As we walk through the trees, Ben is still finishing the rest of his milkshake but bobbing his head along encouragingly to Oliver’s question.
I nod. “Can’t beat being outside all summer. Did you ever go to camp as a kid?”
“Not really. This kind of thing isn’t the same in the UK, know what I mean? Not enough sunshine,” Oliver jokes.
“Really?” I ask. “I suppose you just spend all your time running around castles instead.”
He might genuinely laugh at this—or at me—but it’s a nice, quiet laugh. I have to pay close attention to his mouth because his accent is tricky, particularly in this dim light. He smiles, running a hand back through his hair. “Well, there is actually a small castle in my hometown...”
“Seriously?” I can’t imagine living next to anything besides cornfields.
“Don’t be too impressed,” Ben chimes in. “There are at least a couple thousand in the country.”
“Have you ever been?” Oliver asks.
I tilt my head, unsure of the question. “Been where? To England?” I ask, and he nods. “No, I haven’t. But it’d be nice to travel, maybe study abroad one day.” How accessible is foreign travel? I’ll probably have to just figure it out as I go.
“Definitely. Let’s exchange info. You can let Ben and me know if you ever make it, and we’ll show you around.”
I smile and hand Oliver my phone. “Helpful for this summer, too. I may need a lifeguard the next time we break into the lake after hours.
He grins. “Of course, safety first.”
I’m surprisingly comfortable around him—dare I say, maybe even a little bit flirty. At school, I’m just that quiet, awkward girl that people may or may not know wears hearing aids. But here, the elephant in the room has been addressed from day one. I can present myself however I want.
Chapter Nine
“Lilah, pleasehelp Mackenzie with the lice check,” director Gary instructs from behind the welcome table, scribbling something on his clipboard. It’s finally Sunday, and after moving our belongings to the new cabin assignments this morning, we’re now sweating under the afternoon sun and waiting for the kids to show up.
“What?” I ask, disgusted.
“Ah, yeah.” Gary sticks his pen behind his ear and points to me. “I can tell you heard that by the look on your face.” He points to the open rear doors of the camp van, which he’s loaded with the set-up supplies. “Grab another chair. It’ll go faster with two people.”
I scrunch my face even more but oblige, fetching a wobbly, old folding chair. It won’t unfold, no matter how many times I kick and step on the bottom rung. Isaac is standing at thewelcome table, helping Natasha and Jaden organize the kids’ Gray Wolf T-shirts, but he walks over to help me.
“Can I try?” Isaac asks me.
“Please,” I say and sign.
In two kicks, the chair is set up next to Mackenzie’s. Isaac looks at the station, then back at me, with a sympathetic look. “L-i-c-e.”
“Bleh,” I say, making a face again.
“I hope you find nothing, zero, no l-i-c-e,” Isaac signs with added emphasis.
“Same.” I reach back to fashion a tight high ponytail, sliding one of the purple hair ties off my wrist to secure it.
