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Campfire Dreams

Kelli Landon

    “You fixed my favorite meal,” I said sarcastically.
    “Oh Margie, we know how much you love a can of baked beans warming over a campfire,” Shelly told me.
    The thought of baked beans was revolting to me. The thought of biting into something that squishes in your mouth, was not very appetizing. “That’s gross. I’ll just have a hot dog.”
    I realized I sounded adolescent after the words came out of my mouth. Lately, I’ve found myself trying to be older than sixteen while I was around my older cousin and her popular friends. I loved going camping, especially with older, cooler kids who were seniors. Shelly knew I always looked forward to going camping and hoped to do it many more times. She was my ticket, and at times my alibi, to getting out of the house since I didn’t have friends my own age. They were too juvenile for my taste.
    The popping sounds of the campfire filled the quiet wooded area. It was quite relaxing until Shelly broke in. “Well, this is our last year you guys. After grad, we won’t be doing this anymore.”
    “Speak for yourself,” said Steve, Shelly’s boyfriend. “I’ll be out here every September. Kind of like a tradition.”
    Steve’s comment made me smile. He took the words right out of my mouth.
    “Will Shelly be your guest?” Tracy asked, holding onto a skewer with a blackened marshmallow at the end. I was waiting for it to slide off into the fire.
    “Oh, I dunno.” He put his arm around Shelly. “She’ll be going off to college right after high school so I may have another woman to bring up here.”
    Shelly gently hit him in the shoulder with her fist.
    “Hey Margie, you have a couple more years,” Steve told me. “You wanna be my campfire girl every fall?”
    My smile faded as I uttered a nervous laugh.
    “What was that?” Tracy asked.
    “What?” I asked her, bringing my skewered hot dog back from the fire. The wonderful atmosphere of the night air and crackling campfire evaporated. “I have to get a bun.” I then walked away to the picnic table where the food was, open on display to the night insects.
    “Margie,” said Shelly, “what’s wrong?”
    “Nothing,” I said, tearing away a hot dog bun. “I’m just hungry.”
    “Well, you should have had the beans,” said Steve, jokingly.
    I turned to look at him as he gave me a wink which almost brought me to my knees. I cut my eyes to Shelly who was looking directly at me, so she didn’t see his reaction.
    “You look uncomfortable,” she said.
    “It’s my eyes,” I told her. “The fire makes them burn sometimes. I’m going to sit over here at the table.”
    That night we were all nestled in our tents. Tracy and I shared a tent while Shelly and Steve were in another.
    “Shelly’s mom would have a fit if she knew Steve was up here with us,” Tracy told me, zipping the tent closed.
    “Yeah” was all I said as I snuggled into my sleeping bag and tried to keep warm.
    “You’re not too talkative.” She flopped down next to me.
    “I know, sorry.” I wanted her to shut up as I closed my eyes and tried to doze off, but no luck.
    “You like Steve, don’t you?”
    My heart skipped a beat as my eyes snapped open. Could she tell?
    “That’s okay,” she said, rolling onto her side, away from me. “We all think he’s gorgeous.”
    I lied there, listening to hooting owls, crickets and other critters as I wondered if anyone caught on to my strange behavior toward the end of the night.
    “But,” she added, “he and Shelly were made for each other. They even have the same initials. They definitely are the high school sweethearts of Flatsville High.
    I longed to be in Shelly’s shoes. To have someone special to run away with every fall. Shelly will be going away to college next year. Would she ever find out about me and Steve and the few times we’ve been up here? In a way, I hoped she did. I hoped she would get upset and walk out on him forever. That would open the door for me. I hoped I would be his next girl to accompany him as much as he wants to escape to the campgrounds. I only hoped.

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