Rock Star's Daughter { A Blake Mcnarie Novel }

Chapter 7: Camp Complexes {Part 1}

After about an hour on the road fighting over the radio with Bryan, I was exhausted.

"I don't know when you suddenly started to like country music," I whined. "But it's not helping my mood."

"Well, we're almost there," Bryan said, pointing. "See, Camp Hope: Next Exit. It will be five minutes, tops."

"I can't believe that we're missing the tour," I said. "And I can't believe I'm going to spend twelve weeks away from Miranda."

"I can't believe I am going to spend twelve weeks without Miranda. God, we're sort of hopeless without her."

I nodded, noting how right he was. The three of us were an odd group, but I loved Bryan and Miranda more than I could explain. We'd always been friends, the three of us. I literally think we found her in the sandbox and our moms somehow became friends, and there was no turning it off. I needed her, and she was always close to Bryan as well. When they did start dating I didn't even protest, because I didn't feel like I had the right to. Before she was Bryan's friend, she was our shared best friend. Afterwards, Bryan and I had very different roles and it was actually kind of refreshing. I'd never felt like a third wheel, because we'd always been a trio. But now, Bryan and I were just a duo, and I hated it. I didn't hate Bryan of course, because he was still my affably dorky brother. But I missed Miranda, reminding me how much I'd miss her in New York.

"Hey," I yelled. "This is a country song! What the heck is wrong with you?"

"I'm older," Bryan asserted. "Therefore I get to choose the music."

"You're only one minute older than me," I said. "And technically, you cheated to get that title."

"How does one cheat at being born, Blake?"

"You got your elbow stuck in the umbilical cord," I said. "I didn't appreciate that either, because I was using that."

"Like you remember being in utero," Bryan scoffed. "Look, we're here now."

He turned in and I was suddenly speechless. The entrance to the camp was full of trees and was devastatingly beautiful. What a perfect place to forget the world, I thought. Camp Hope was place for kids to spend three weeks at being treated normal, and getting to be taken seriously despite their backgrounds. I sighed as I realize the campers and I had a lot in common, and maybe I needed this place just as much.

"I guess we might survive," Bryan commented. "Look at the lake, wow. I think I might live here permanently."

"Uh huh," I said, smiling.

We pulled into a parking lot and got out, greeted by a tiny woman in a lot of canvas. She had a hat that I think was intended for fisherman and aviator sunglasses from the last century. I waved and stepped out, hoping to make a good impression despite my initially harsh judgments of her wardrobe. To be honest, it was nice to be out of LA where people didn't try so hard.

"Hello," I called out. "We're volunteers. Where do we go?"

"I hope you're not a couple," she said, eying us suspiciously. "We have a strict no-fraternization policy amongst camp counselors."

"That's disgusting," Bryan said. "This is my sister, ma'am. No fraternization is desired."