Muffin raised her hand. “I-thought doing something like this would help me be-more confident, and maybe learn skills to help me in life.” Lilypad could tell she was trying hard not to shrink away under everyone’s gaze, and she reached out to pat Muffin’s arm-Muffin gave her a grateful smile, her usually pale face flushed. 

“Great point-programs like this do teach you a bunch of important skills, and it looks great to colleges and stuff. I'll have one more person go and then get onto the rest of the lesson.”

Sprite spoke up. “I wanted to do this for both reasons Dot and Muffin said-to have fun and make friends, but also to learn stuff that’s gonna help me out in the real world. And to hopefully teach younger campers things.”

“Absolutely! I know Zero talked to y’all about this a few days ago, but how many of you looked at CITs like they were the coolest people in the world when you were campers?” Almost everyone raised their hands. Rex kept talking. “Exactly. And now y’all are the cool CITs campers look up to. Like, when I went to go get my walkie-talkie, one of the Explorers ran up to me going on about how one of the CITs gave her a barrette and how she wanted to be like y’all when she’s older. Y’all are their freaking idols, and I hope y’all know that.” 

Lilypad ran her fingers over the frog the kid had given her. Zero’s earlier speech about kids looking up to CITs had been impactful, but to have tangible evidence someone saw her as cool enough to be worth talking about-that was just. Wow. She mattered to someone, even if it was a kid she’d never see again.

Rex let everyone sit with that before she began talking again. “Now I want y’all to write down one thing you want out of this summer. It can be an activity you want to do, a skill you want to learn-anything. You don’t have to share if you don’t want to-this is for you.” 

Lilypad took out a pen and chewed it for a moment, contemplating. What did she want out of this summer? She was sure there was some deeper reason. Her purpose. But as much as she thought, she came up empty. Maybe all she wanted out of this summer was to have fun. Spend as much time in the arts and crafts building as possible, get her outfits complimented, make s’mores around a campfire and sing the same songs-she’d always been living her life like that, just one fun experience to the next. Why look for deeper meaning when she could smile and enjoy life while it lasted? 

But for once, she was ashamed of it. She couldn’t help feeling she didn’t have a place here. That the second anyone expected her to be responsible, she’d crumble. She picked up her pen again and wrote, I don’t know, and the second she saw it, she wanted to rip the paper in half and get it away from her. Her flowery cursive handwriting, the fact she’d written it in glittery gel pen-she felt nine years old again, just a kid stumbling through life.

Sprite nudged her arm. “You good?” 

“I-don’t know.” 

Sprite tilted her head to the side. “What’s up?”

Lilypad shrunk inward. “I guess I don’t have a better reason for coming to camp than ‘I thought it was fun.’ Maybe I don’t belong here.”

“Nope. You absolutely belong here. You brighten up every room you’re in, make everyone feel safe and comfortable, and it’s clear you care so deeply about every single person you talk to. What do you mean, you don’t belong here? And there’s nothing wrong with wanting to have fun! It’s camp, the point is to have fun!”

Lilypad looked up at Sprite. The sun shone through the window behind her, making her practically glow. “Thank you! That-helps a lot.”

Sprite grinned. “Of course! I’m glad I get to spend seven more weeks with you.”

Her cheeks heating up, Lilypad nodded quickly. “Me too!”

Dot leaned over to the two of them. “What did y’all put?”

Lilypad swallowed down her previous anxiety. “That I’m really just here to have fun..”

Sprite listed things off. “Learn leadership skills, do as many high adventure things as I can, hopefully learn some new things, spend a bunch of time outdoors…yeah!”

Dot smiled. “I’m glad I’m not the only one who just wanted to have fun here. I was worried I needed something serious.”

Lilypad’s shoulders relaxed. “Me too!”

Muffin looked up from her paper. “I want to-become more confident, and…hopefully make friends? Uh-sorry if I interrupted.” 

Dot shoved her playfully. “Don’t worry about it!”

Artemis leaned over. “What did y’all put? I said I wanted to learn about what it’s like to be a counselor.”

Sprite, Dot, Lilypad and Muffin each shared their answers, Lilypad feeling more confident in admitting hers.

Artemis leaned back against the wall, brushing her braids over her shoulder. “Cool!”

After a moment of silence, Dot blurted out, “We go home tomorrow, holy cow. It has been a long week.”

“And we’ve still got seven more!” Sprite added.

Dot was about to cheer when she was interrupted by Rex telling the CITs to put their stuff away and get ready for dinner. Lilypad walked back to Tent 1 with Sprite, Dot and Muffin, Dot dumping her backpack out onto her bed and shoving her flashlight in it. Muffin was far more organized, putting her electric lantern and the stuffed bunny that always sat on her bed into her pale purple messenger bag. 

While crossing the PInes bridge and walking to dinner, Dot began talking. “Do you guys think they’re gonna have us introduce ourselves like the counselors do? Where they say stuff like ”rawr, I’m Rex” or something like that?”

Sprite snorted. “I hope not. I have no idea what I’m gonna say. And don’t tell me that’s actually Rex’s thing. That’s ridiculous.”

“It absolutely is, I had her like two years ago.” Dot responded.

Arriving at the dining hall, Dot said, “Alright, I’ll see y’all at closing!” She ran into the dining hall, nearly crashing into several children. 

Lilypad, Sprite, and Muffin looked between each other in confusion. After a moment, Lilypad shrugged. “See you later!” She walked into the dining hall, the other CITs and their counselors following behind her. 

Lilypad found a seat at the same table as the Explorer kid she’d befriended, whose eyes lit up upon seeing her. “Lilypad!”

The counselor who was sitting there looked up. “So you’re Isabella’s new favorite person?” 

Lilypad smiled and nodded. “Yep! I’m Lilypad.”

“So I’ve heard. I’m Candy.”

“Oh, I’ve heard about you!” Lilypad felt a little bad, considering how Candy had literally introduced herself at opening campfire a few nights ago.

“Yeah?” Candy leaned back resting her head against one of the dining hall windows. “What have ya heard?”

Suddenly, Lilypad felt self-conscious, considering everything she’d heard about Candy had been…unpleasant. “You were in the same CIT group as Zero?”

“Yep. They’re one of your counselors? How’s that going for you?”

“Pretty well, They’re-quiet, but they’re nice, and I know a lot of the other CITs like them. I don’t talk to them much.” By a lot of the other CITs, she really meant Flapjack, who kind of followed Zero around like a lost puppy. 

Candy leaned back further. “Sounds like them. Kids always get attached to the counselors that don’t wanna be here. Y’all have Sharky too, right?” Lilypad nodded. “That is a combination. Sharky’s a freaking menace. Always has been. Surprised they haven’t gotten fired.”

“I don’t think Zero doesn’t want to be here? I think they’re just shy. Sharky’s-certainly something. But I like them!”

Candy shrugged. “If you say so.”

A few more kids came over and sat down, along with another counselor Lilypad didn’t recognize. Lilypad began chatting with the kids, and dinner went by quickly, until Koala began collecting up the CITs to take them to closing campfire. 

Lilypad sat down at the amphitheater, watching Zero and Candy build the fire. She could practically feel tension radiating off them-if she had to guess, Candy was debating saying something unhelpful, and Zero was anxious that she would. Cricket seemed to notice too-she kept glancing up and scribbling in her journal.

Magpie, the camp director, walked to the center of the amphitheater. “Hello, Camp Mayfly!”

Everyone in the amphitheater-probably two hundred kids and counselors-cheered.

“Welcome to closing campfire! It’s been a great first week of the summer! I’m going to turn this over to Zero and Candy, our lovely program staff.” Magpie returned to her bench, and Zero and Candy stepped up.

“HELLO, EVERYONE!” Candy shouted. 

Zero waved, “The first group we’re gonna have perform their skit are…the Explorers!”

The Explorers put on a rather messy skit-unsurprising, they were all, like, ten-but they seemed proud of themselves, and Lilypad made sure to cheer extra loud.

The rest of the groups went until it was the CITs’ turn. They all got up and stood on the “stage”, and Flapjack began talking. “So, y’all goin’ camping?”

Sprite and Lilypad nodded. 

“Watch out for boogie bears,” Cricket said in her trademark monotone.

“Boogie bears?” Lilypad widened her eyes. 

“Boogie bears aren’t real, they’re some dumb urban legend,” Sprite said, crossing her arms.

Flapjack gasped. “Boogie bears are absolutely real. My friend’s parakeet got eaten by one!”

“Whatever. There’s no such thing as boogie bears. Lily, don’t listen to them.”

Cricket suddenly stepped forward. “You won’t be saying that when boogie bears bite off your toes and replace them with carrots.” 

Sprite snorted. “If that isn’t the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard. C’mon, Lily, don’t listen to them.”

Flapjack and Cricket walked off, Flapjack audibly snickering. Sprite kept talking. “I’m gonna set my tent up over here. What about you?”

“I’ll just share with you!”

“It’s a, uh, one person tent.”

“It looks big enough-”

“Well, it’s not. You’ll have to sleep on the ground.”

“On the ground? But-what if-bears!”

“There aren’t any bears. Especially not boogie bears.”

“But-” Lilypad made puppy dog eyes at her.

“You’ll be fine! Take my water bottle. You can use it to beat up the ‘boogie bears’.”

“Thanks…”

Lilypad sat on the ground, pretending to sleep. Sprite did the same under her hoodie, which stood in for a tent. She heard Avocado, Artemis, and Dot’s footsteps coming up to her. 

“Boogiebear…” Artemis said quietly.

“Boogiebear…” Avocado said, less quietly and with more snickering.

“Boogiebear!” Dot sang out, snatching Sprite’s water bottle. The three of them scampered off. 

Lilypad jumped up. “SPRITE!”

“What!?”

“THE BOOGIE BEARS! They-they said ‘boogiebear’ and took your water bottle!” 

“WHAT? That was my favorite water bottle! Boogie bears aren’t real! You had a bad dream!”

“Can I sleep in your tent now?”

“NO! Not after you lost my water bottle!”

“I didn’t lose it! The boogie bears took it!”

“BOOGIE. BEARS. AREN’T. REAL. Go back to sleep! Take my flashlight and find my water bottle first!”

“Fine…”

Lilypad returned to ‘sleeping.’ Avocado, Artemis, and Dot returned, repeated the whole “boogiebear” thing, snatched the flashlight, and scampered off.

“SPRITE! THEY CAME BACK!”

“NO! Boogie bears ARE NOT REAL., GO BACK TO SLEEP.”

“THEY TOOK THE FLASHLIGHT!”

“THEY WHAT? Fine! You can share the tent!”

“Yay!” Lilypad snuggled up to Sprite under her jacket. 

The boogie bears’ footsteps returned, snickering.

“Boogiebearrr…” Artemis kind of sang the last syllable.

“Boogiebearrr!” Avocado could barely get it out through her laughter.

“BOOGIEBEARRR!” Dot, theatre kid she was, belted it out, snatching the jacket and dancing off. 

“MY TENT!?!?”

“I told you they were real!”

“That’s IT. This camping trip is OVER!”

Flapjack and Cricket walked back up to them, joined by Muffin, who stuttered out, “H-how was your trip?”

Sprite sighed. “You were right. The boogiebears came, and they took all our stuff.”

“What?’” Flapjack feigned shock. Behind them, Muffin froze.

“What do you mean? You told us about the boogie bears?” Sprite crossed her arms.

“It was a joke! We were messing with you!”

“W-what are boogie bears?” Muffin asked.

“Singing bears that come and take your stuff in the middle of the night!” Sprite exclaimed.

Cricket stepped to the center of the ‘stage.’ “And they bite off your toes and replace them with carrot sticks.” 

The rest of the CITs looked between each other in confusion, shrugged, and bowed, the boogie bears coming back on to join them. The audience clapped, and Zero stood back up from their bench. As the night had wound down, the campfire had begun to flicker out, and Zero looked oddly ethereal illuminated by the fading firelight. Bits of ash landed in their white-blond hair, their purple highlights standing out more than usual. “Thank you, CITs. We’re going to move onto our slower songs.” 

Ah yes, the slower songs, also known as the songs that make everyone cry. They went by decently fast-it was the same few songs every year, getting quieter as more groups were dismissed to go to bed, until finally, the CITs were sent off to Pines. Lilypad wiped her eyes-no matter how many times she’d heard those songs, they never failed to get to her. 

The CITs were silent crossing the bridge, the river splashing quietly below. Reaching the end of the bridge, Rex said, quietly, “Alright, go get your pajamas on and go to bed, I’ll see you all tomorrow morning,”

Lilypad walked off to Tent One with her tentmates. Dot sat on the floor and began talking. “So! How is everyone?”

Sprite put on her hoodie. “I don’t know about you three, but I’m doing great!’

Lilypad nodded, “I agree! It’s been wonderful getting to know you all!” She pulled her knees up to her chest, getting a bit chilly.

“If I can say something…” Muffin spoke up, twirling the end of her braid around her finger. “I-really appreciate you all for your-patience and kindness with me.”

Dot crawled over to hug her. “Of course! We freakin’ love you. You’ve got nothing to worry about.”

Sprite nodded. “Yeah! And we’re here if you need anything. Always. That goes for all of you.”

Lilypad fidgeted, feeling like she should say something, but she wasn’t sure what. She only nodded in agreement and got up to put on her pajamas and brush her teeth. Once she’d gotten into bed, there was a knock on the tent flap.

“Can I come in?” Koala’s voice spoke. 

Dot opened one of the flaps, letting her in. Koala stood in the center of the tent, looking around. “I’m here to let you know about our schedule for tomorrow. The bus leaves at 2, we’ll be packing all morning.” She paused, buttoning and un-buttoning the bottom button of her pink shirt. “I’m sure you all have heard this a lot, and there’s no use in me saying it, but I’m so proud of you all. You’ve been such great role models for younger campers and I can’t wait to spend the rest of the summer with you.” She smiled gently and left. 

“The counselors say that a lot, huh?” Sprite said. 

“Of course they do! We’re the best. G’night.” Dot responded.

Sprite laughed. “Can’t argue with that, I guess. ‘Night.” 

Sleepily, Lilypad mumbled, “Good night.” Muffin probably said it too, but Lilypad was drifting off