Prologue - Nora

Instructions

The first time I met Charlie was when I was seven years old. It was the summer after second grade and my mom had decided to send me off to some camp in the woods for a whole two weeks just so I could spend some time outside. Like I couldn’t have done that at home. But my mom was determined to finally have a summer all to herself so she would walk around in the park, eat vegetables all day, and whatever else. All alone. I had never known my dad. He left just after I was born, but it didn’t matter to me. I had my mom, and that was all I needed. The camp was in western Massachusetts, around two hours from Boston where we lived. I spent the week leading up to it packing every possible thing I would need plus about a million other things I wouldn’t have any use for. Swimsuits, blankets, raincoats, snow jackets, you name it. I woke up the morning we left feeling kind of nervous. It was the first time I had ever been away from home, and I didn’t know anyone else who was going. I threw my bags into the back of the car and slammed the trunk closed. I hopped into the back seat and clicked my seatbelt into place. My mom got in and started the engine. I made her put on some music (Taylor Swift, of course) and we were on our way. Two hours later, I felt my mom’s hand shaking me awake. I blinked the sleep from my eyes and got out of the car. The camp was nice, with cabins lining the main walkway and a big lake at the end. I saw some canoes on the shore and a big fire pit off to the side. It looked pretty fun, as far as I could see. We walked to the check-in and then found my cabin where I set my bags down and made my bed. After that, my mom gave me a big hug, and then I was all alone. I walked out of the cabin toward the fire pit, where a boy was standing there all alone. I gathered up all my courage and walked over to him. He turned around as I got closer. I said, “Hi, I’m Nora! What’s your name?” “Charlie,” he replied. We quickly became inseparable, canoeing together, swimming together, and playing games together. When the week came to an end and my mom came to pick me up, I asked if I could go back next year. She seemed surprised but agreed. The second I got in the car, I fell fast asleep, exhausted.

Notes & Credits