Listen to Your Heart

Chapter 1

*present day*

I take a deep breath in as I approach Bunk 7A. My home for the next ten weeks: a week of staff orientation, eight weeks of camp, and a week of post camp. I walk into the bunk and am greeted by a shrieking girl who looks to be about the same age as me. "Hi I'm Julia, your co-counselor!" She excitedly exclaims.

I smile and say, "Hi I'm Lauren."

"So I'm the fine arts counselor by the way and I was thinking maybe we could make like a banner for the girls to see when they walk in? I don't know just a thought."

"Oh yeah um maybe," I reply. Julia seems nice, she's a little enthusiastic, but nice. I just hope that I don't have to see too many familiar faces from my days as a camper.

I start to unpack my stuff and when I open my closet, I'm greeted by graffiti everywhere. I glance at the door and see the words 'Lauren + Meredith = best friends forever.' It's funny how times can change. I forgot I had even written this. I can remember writing this during my 4th summer of camp. Meredith and I were inseparable that year. We did everything together. I'm so lost in thought I don't even hear Julia saying my name.

"Lauren!"

"Huh what sorry?"

"I was just asking you if you went here? Like as a camper."

"Yeah for six years, I'm guessing you didn't, right?" It's a small camp and I'd never seen Julia before so I think I guessed correctly.

"Yeah my family was big on staying home for the summer and going on a vacation or two."

"That's fun. I spent the last two summers doing that kind of thing and I really liked it."

"If you don't mind me asking, why are you back?"

I'm about to answer her when someone barges in our door. "Oh my god. LoLo Lopez! I haven't seen you in so long."

Ugh shit it's Jaime. My 'friend' from the good old days. I cringe at my old nickname and say, "Uh hi Jaime."

"Wow you look different."

"Yeah, well it's been a while." And it was great not having to see you for two years, I think.

"LoLo remember when we used to live in this bunk? I think that was the summer you had that giant crush on Joey Richter," she said while laughing.

And with those few words, I'm transported back in time.

It was my fourth summer and I was going into 7th grade. We were in the canteen during some dance. Earlier that day I had told Jaime about my crush on Joey. I knew they were friends and I thought that she could set us up. But boy was I wrong. My bunk was sitting at a table when Jaime whispered to me, "I'll go talk to him now," and then announced "I'll be right back."

I watched her walk across the canteen and easily strike up a conversation with Joey, I wish I could do that I thought while picking some food out of my horrendous neon pink braces. I looked up and saw Jaime pointing at me. I waved at her and she and Joey started laughing. Jaime waved me over to them, so I swallowed the last sip of my Diet Coke and walked over. "So Joey this is LoLo, the girl I was just telling you about."

"Hi LoLo," he said with a smirk. Ugh of course, Jaime got him to call me that horrendous nickname. The DJ started playing a slow song and Jaime broke our awkward silence by saying, "you guys should dance."

"Uh sure," Joey responded. I nervously tightened my pony tail as Joey and I made our way to the dance floor. We started to dance and it was the most magical two minutes of my entire life. As the song was about to end, Denise, one of Jaime's followers, ran over and said, "aww does LoLo have a boyfriend?"

Joey laughed and said "no, Jaime said she would kiss me if I danced with this loser."

I looked up at him in sadness and ran. I ran all the way back to the bunk before crying myself to sleep.

"Who's Joey Richter?" Julia asks.

"Just some guy we went to camp with, he was a real asshole."

"Yeah but a cute asshole. He's actually working here, maybe now he'll actually like you LoLo."

"Jaime you need to stop," I say and she looks surprised. I never stood up to her when we were younger.

"Aww is LoLo ticked off."

"First of all, my name is not 'LoLo', it's Lauren. And second of all, I'm not letting you bully me anymore Jaime. I'm not the same girl you could push around back then."

Jaime gives me a stank eye and storms out of the bunk.