Every Summer Has A Story

Ch. 46 - The Breaking Point

Eve couldn't believe what she had just said, but she felt inexplicably lighter.

"You're quitting?" Auden echoed, tears immediately filling her doe-like eyes.

A little seed of guilt blossomed in her belly.

"I don't know," she said, attempting to placate a distraught Auden, "but I might. I'm not going to live somewhere and give up part of my soul to people who don't care about me."

Auden sniffed heavily and wiped at her eyes,

"This breaks my heart, dude."

Eve blew out a big puff of air and motioned Auden toward the door.

"We have to walk and talk. Austin will be here in like..." she checked her watch, "25 minutes, and I look like a potato."

"Fine," Auden said with a frown, hopping up to follow Eve toward the bath house.

A few minutes later Eve was letting a cascade of warm water wash the stickiness and shame from her body, but Auden had also called in reinforcements.

"Like hell you're quitting," Ellison said above the plunks of water hitting the tile shower floor.

Ellison and Auden had perched themselves on top of the counters where Eve could still hear their displeasure clearly.

"I don't recall asking for y'all's permission," she snipped, working her coconut shampoo into a lather and attacking the snarls her long curls had formed.

"First of all, you can't leave us," Auden informed her.

"Second of all, camp needs you," Ellison added, "it's not like people with your qualifications grow on trees."

"Zayne and The Rev should've thought of that before they screwed me over," Eve shot back venomously.

A moment of silence passed and Eve was certain the girls were exchanging looks.

"We aren't saying what Zayne did was right, Evie..." Auden said quietly.

"But, we are saying you shouldn't quit. You should get even."

Eve paused, rinsing her hair.

"Hmm..." she mused.

Ellison knew good and well this would pique her interest.

"Bring him to his knees." Auden said wickedly.

Eve ran her razor under her underarms, noticing with a grimace now badly that area had needed her attention.

"Okay, I'm listening."

"He clearly underestimates how smart you are," Ellison explained, "and he's being careless."

"I'd bet my finest cow that The Rev has no idea what's really going on. Who knows what Zayne told him." Auden pointed out.

Eve hadn't considered that, but she wasn't ready to roll over just yet.

"Your finest cow? Good Lord, Auden."

Auden scoffed and Eve turned off the water, sneaking her hand out from behind the shower curtain to grab her big towel.

"I think you need to have a conversation with The Rev before you go making a hasty decision," Ellison advised.

Eve wrapped her towel around her body and threw the shower curtain open with a sigh.

"I promise I will think about it. But, I have to tell y'all, I am at my breaking point."

Ellison and Auden both fixed her with the same look and let out a rueful laugh in unison.