Terra Elan McVoy - The Summer of Firsts and Lasts

the summer of firsts and lasts

Also by Terra Elan McVoy

Pure

After the Kiss

This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events,
real people, or real locales are used fictitiously. Other names, characters,
places, and incidents are the product of the authors imagination,
and any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons,
living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

SIMON PULSE

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First Simon Pulse hardcover edition May 2011

Copyright 2011 by Terra Elan McVoy

All rights reserved, including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form.

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2 4 6 8 10 9 7 5 3 1

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

McVoy, Terra Elan.

The summer of firsts and lasts / Terra Elan McVoy. 1st Simon Pulse hardcover ed. p. cm. Summary: When teenaged sisters Daisy, Violet, and Calla spend their last summer together at Camp Callanwolde, the decisions they makeboth good and badbring challenges to their relationship as well as opportunities to demonstrate their devotion to one another. [1. SistersFiction. 2. CampsFiction. 3. Interpersonal relationsFiction. 4. Dating (Social customs)Fiction.] I. Title. PZ7.M478843Su 2011 [Fic]dc22 2010039638

ISBN 978-1-4424-0213-3

ISBN 978-1-4424-0215-7 (ebook)

For Erika and Brae, of course.

While all of the other polygons can be bent into many different forms that are NOT regular polygons (with many different angles in each polygon), the triangle always keeps the same shape. It is the strongest polygon.

Rogers Connection

T he way Callas marching back and forth up there with her white shorts and her important-person headset, youd think they really did name this camp after her, instead of the other way around. She was bouncy and excited when Violet and I arrived for check-in yesterday, running over to grab us in a hug before we were hardly out of the car, but this morning I can tell shes nervous. Tenser than normal, anyway. It could just be from her job working in the camp directors office, and the stress of the first gathering. Or it could mean somethings already happened with Duncan.

I bend as subtly as I can to see where hes sitting with the kids in Muir cabin. He isnt watching Calla, but that doesnt say much. Duncans seen her get uppity. Hes even seen her in those starchy white shorts.

I cant look around too much though, because I know Violets probably watching me, wanting to check if Im okay. But Im fine. I know Flannery from my cabin last year, and theres this girl Manon who I already really like too. The best way I can reassure my older sisters about how no-sweat I am, really, is to not even look around. Last summer, sure, I needed Calla and Violet both to help me figure out where everything was, to teach me the warm-up dances ahead of time so I wouldnt look like an idiot, to tell me to avoid the sausage links and other vital information like that. But this summer Im going to be fine. Callas got her job, anyway, and now this is Violets last summer as a camper. Its better with me out of their hair.

I need to be discreet this morning for another reason, though. I still dont see that guy Joel from last night, and Id feel better if I knew where he was sitting. But I dont want anyone (especially not him) to catch me searching, either. Id noticed him staring at me during more games after dinner, so it wasnt so weird when he came up to congratulate me and my partner for beating them in the three-legged race. But going on to find out what cabin and concentration I was in, and where did I live and what music I was into? Lets just say last year I was on the sidelines, listening to Violet scoff at the boys who wanted to know that stuff about her.

Finally. God, someone murmurs behind me, as the Whitman cabin comes in wearing the same color T-shirts and their hair all in pigtails. Theyre singing the Whitman Yawp (a tradition that is half football fight song, half jazz hands) and doing their Wizard of Oz skip into the auditorium, coordinated and cheerful as always.

Youve got to be kidding me, Manon mutters, while on my other side Jordan, a girl whose name I remember only because she has it embroidered on her pillowcase, goes, We shouldve thought to do that together, coming in.

Manon rolls her eyes. Our placements are supposed to be done randomly right before we arrive, in order to encourage us to get to know girls from different hometowns, grades, and backgrounds. Though most of us end up in varying cabins every summer, somehow Whitman always houses girls whove either been in it before, or else are willing to conform to Whitman legacy. There are lots of traditions here at Camp Callanwoldemost of them emphasizing care for the environment, ourselves, and our communitybut even in all this transcendentalist equality, Whitmans the sorority. Youd think Deena would have done away with it when she took over as director a couple of years ago, because its pretty exclusionary to everyone else, but watching them come in, up there onstage, she has a small, almost proud little smile on her face.

Id love to get into Whitman and really sabotage those girls, Manon leans forward and hisses.

Yeah, or just cream them in the Olympics, Jordan whispers back.

I nod my agreement, even though they arent really talking to me.

Deena finally steps up to get our attention, and the entire formerly-squawking-with-girl-and-boy-chatter hall drops to a total silence. Deena presses an appreciative smile between her lips and says, Good morning, campers, and welcome! We all erupt into cheering, officially starting up our camp session.

First are warm-ups, which are basically these stupid dances to a bunch of different songs. Then there are announcements. Among other things, Deena explains the selection process of choosing a former camper to work for a summer in the main office, and Calla comes up on the stage. As Calla waves to everyone and thanks Deena, Duncan lets out this huge hoot of approval. I clap for her too, but both Violet and I know better than to make too much of a scene. Still, Im glad Duncan made a big deal out of it.

Next the counselors are introduced. When Duncan stands up, his whole cabin jumps up and Whoomp, whoomp, whoomps around him while he smiles under his long honey curls. My eyes shoot to Calla, but since shes sitting now, I cant really see more than the side of her face and the same Youre amazing smile shes been giving him since they met four summers ago.

Deena moves from the counselors to the concentration instructors, and I zone out a little, checking people out around me without moving my head too much. My favorite instructor from last year, Coach Haddock, got a new job at some college and had to be there this summer, so Im pretty disappointed. Id liked running before, but I hadnt really known I could do it until I met her. I wanted to work with her again. I wanted to try to get really good. As soon as Calla got here for training before first session, shed e-mailed and said the new coach was really nice, but I want someone who is going to give me a challenge.