Episode 22: The return...

"You know that girl talk we had this morning ... She was asking me at what age a girl should start thinking about sleeping with a guy. I had told her to take her time and think about it before deciding and that there was no rush. This evening, she told me she has decided she wasn't ready and that all they wanted to do is hold hands. I believe her.

"In that case, I'd say ... let them. If we don't, they might decide to go ahead and do it on their own. I propose that Robert and either Tom or Henry take the small tent tonight and I'll sleep in the large tent to keep an eye on them. What do you think?"

"Sounds like a plan. I'll go tell them."

That evening, Pete told a more traditional campfire tale of how Enrico Fermi, one of the inventors of the atom bomb, who had supposedly died of radiation poisoning, had instead, neither dead nor alive, started haunting the area around Chicago and how eventually, on his way back to New Jersey, he had last been seen near Glimmer Lake two summers before.

As was her habit, the following morning, Lisa was again up at dawn. As she was putting the kettle on, she slipped and dropped the kettle with a terrible clang. Shortly afterward, she saw Ginger and Luke come out of the other tent. She set out two extra cups, the sugar and the milk. Soon the two came into the kitchen shelter, hand-in-hand.

"Good morning. Did I wake you when I dropped the kettle?"

"No, I must have been awake for half an hour already ... It was the birds starting to sing that woke me."

How did you sleep last night?"

"Oh ... it was just wonderful ... I'd wake up from time to time, I'd feel the heat of his body, listen to him breathe, hear his heartbeat and I knew that everything was alright.

"What about you, Luke?"

"I don't think I'm awake yet; I'm having this wonderful dream about Ginger ... I just can't believe my luck."

Just then the water in the kettle started boiling. "So, what will it be this morning? Coffee or hot chocolate?"

"Coffee, please..."

"Hot cocoa for me, please."

As they were stirring their drinks, Lisa noticed Linda and Tom crawling out of their tent. "Here come the other two lovebirds..."

"Good morning..." she said as they walked up. "Coffee or hot chocolate?"

"Chocolate..."

"Me too."

"Before everyone else wakes up, I'd like to take advantage of the fact that we five are together to remind you all of something ... What we had here is special and I know that you have not done anything to abuse my trust in you but, in the eyes of the law, you are still minors. After breakfast, we're going to have to start packing and get ready to return to camp. Quite a few people who think they know what is best for you would jump to some erroneous conclusions if they learn about what happened here, and the consequences would be very disagreeable for all of us. I would like you just to remember that.