It was the afternoon after Arrival Day, and after many of the events throughout the first day of camp, many of the campers were lounging around the campsite. Some were talking, and others were taking advantage of recreational activities like kayaking and rock climbing.

"So," Jack began, leaning against the trunk of a tree as he talked with Crutchie and Davey. Many of the other boys were messing around nearby, whether they were jumping in the lake or climbing trees. "Crutchie, what've I missed the last three summers?"

"Nothin' much," Crutchie answered. "Just some new kids and counselors. Things got borin' after you left."

"Nah," Jack protested. "I'm sure you boys kept things interestin'."

"Maybe," Crutchie said with a chuckle. "None of their tricks were a match for yours, though."

Jack laughed amusedly, "Is that so?"

"The best the boys came up with was dumpin' salt in the water jug at the canteen if that tells ya anything," Crutchie told him.

"You guys do things like that?" Davey asked, intrigued by their conversation.

"Oh boy," Jack said, "we used to do a lot more than that. All in good fun, o' course."

"Like what?"

"Lots o' stuff," Jack answered. "Plant traps around the site, steal all the shower curtains... and those ain't even the good ones. We let loose some squirrels in the Maples Girls' cabin one time before the sun was up."

"Now that was a good one," Crutchie said with a laugh under his breath.

"Wait, that was you?" Davey asked.

"Yeah," Jack answered. "How you know 'bout it?"

"My sister was one of the girls in the cabin."

"You gots a sister here?"

"Yeah," Davey said. "Her name's Sarah."

"Ah I know her," Crutchie spoke up. "At least I think I do."

"You say she's a Maple?" Jack asked, leaning forward in interest.

"Yeah," Davey answered. "This'll be her sixth summer here."

Jack hummed in acknowledgement, saving this new information. He pushed it to the back of his mind, however, as Race jumped out of the tree he was against.

"Hey boys," Race greeted, grinning crookedly down at them. "Elmer had the grand idea that we all raid the canteen tonight and have our own bonfire after lights out. What d'ya say?"

"You mean, sneak out of the cabin?" Davey asked, seemingly hesitant at the thought. The last thing he wanted was to get in trouble.

"Yeah," Race continued. "We do it every night. Followin' the rules just ain't excitin'."

"Sounds like a plan to me," Jack said, rising to his feet. "Don't worry, Dave, we know how to not get caught."

~•~•~•~

A rule at Camp Carpe Diem was that phones were allowed, but only for half an hour before lights out so campers could contact their families. Katherine never really contacted her parents while at camp. If she ever used her phone, it was to message her siblings. Therefore, she never really used her phone often and didn't receive notifications regularly.

However, she didn't expect to feel her phone buzz beside her shortly after lights out, and she reached for it, looking at the notification.

Katherine stifled a laugh, hearing Sarah shift in the bunk above her. She held her phone up, typing a quick response. It was only a few seconds after she sent the message that Sarah replied.

Before Katherine had the chance to respond, she heard Sarah move above her, and a few seconds later, the girl was climbing off the top bunk and lowering herself to the floor. Katherine sat up, looking at her in puzzlement.

Sarah glanced at her and jerked her head as if to say "follow me." Katherine looked around, waiting for Sarah to start first before following her so it wouldn't be obvious.

Katherine followed Sarah to the toilets that were connected to the cabin. Once the door was closed, Sarah turned to her with a bright smile. "It's our first time sneaking out!" She expressed quietly, stepping further into the room.

"Are you sure about this, Sarah?" Katherine asked. "I mean... what if we get caught?"

"We won't, because the counselors will simply think we went to use the bathroom. Besides, I have an escape plan," Sarah said confidently, leading Katherine to a door that Katherine assumed led to a storage closet.

"And what is this plan?" Katherine asked as Sarah tried to open the door but found it locked.

"You'll see," Sarah told her, plucking a bobby pin from her hair. Katherine watched as Sarah knelt down, using the bobby pin to pick the lock. "It's all about the tumblers..." She said quietly to herself, and a few moments later, there was a click.

"I'm impressed," Katherine said, watching as Sarah opened the door to the closet. The two stepped in, and Katherine quickly closed it behind her. "So why are we in here?"

"This is the only room in the cabin besides the main room that has a window," Sarah answered, guiding Katherine through the shelves that held toilet paper, paper towels, and other toiletries. They reached a part of the room that had a window looking out upon the forest. Sarah flipped the lock on the window, pushing it open. "And here we go." She slipped her legs through one at a time so she was sitting on the windowsill. Then, she jumped off, her feet landing on the ground below the window.

Katherine stepped forward, looking down at Sarah before copying her actions. When Katherine's feet landed on the ground, she turned to find Sarah already starting through the trees. The two used the flashlights on their phones to find their way, and soon, the sight of the moon's reflection rippling across the lake's surface became clear.

Katherine and Sarah stepped to the dock, slipping their shoes off and sitting on the edge. Their toes barely skimmed the water, and at first, it was silent between them. They both glanced up at the sky, taking in the sight of the stars. Katherine loved that about the camp; seeing the stars so clearly was fascinating. On a good night in New York City, you might catch sight of a few, but the number was nothing compared to the stars dotting the night sky when you got away from the city. Katherine always felt at peace beneath the stars.

"You know," Sarah began, "I'm really going to miss coming here. I hate that it's my last year."

"I don't know what I'm going to do without you next year," Katherine said with a soft sigh. She added playfully, "I'll be stuck with Darcy and Bill."

"Ugh... I'm not ready to be an adult," Sarah whined, kicking at the water.

"Well I am," Katherine said with a soft laugh. "My parents seem to think I'm incapable of supporting myself. I wanna prove them wrong."

"So they want you to just sit back and let someone else do the work?"

"Yep," Katherine answered. "My family is a bit... well... I guess you could say traditional."

"Oh geez," Sarah said, raising her brows. "But it's okay. I know you can handle yourself out there."

Katherine smiled over at her, "Thanks." They went silent for another moment. However, when Sarah opened her mouth to speak again, she was interrupted by the sounds of voices coming from behind them.

The two girls turned around, finding none other than the boys from the Elms gathering further along the lake's foreshore. The two girls exchanged anxious glances, watching as several of the boys raced to the dock.

"This is just great," Sarah spat out. The two stood just as the boys drew closer. Once the boys caught sight of them, they slowed to a stop, nudging each other and smirking over at them.

"Hey, Jack," Race said, elbowing him amusedly, "guess we weren't the only ones sneakin' out tonight."

Katherine glanced at the other boy who she assumed was Jack. He definitely looked like a troublemaker, with a smug grin on his face as he glanced over at them.

"We were just getting some fresh air," Sarah said, grabbing Katherine's arm. "Come on, let's go."

The boys murmured amongst themselves, watching the two girls as they stepped past them, back in the direction of the cabins. However, they didn't get far before one of the boys spoke up.

"Say," Jack began, eyeing the two girls, "we was plannin' on makin' a bonfire of our own. We could use some lovely company."

"Thanks for the offer," Sarah said distastefully, "but we'd rather not."

Davey approached the group, his eyes on an object in his hands. "Hey, Jack, these matches aren't—" he looked up, his eyes landing on the two girls. "Sarah? What are you doing here?"

"Oh, just great," Sarah mumbled, tugging Katherine back towards the cabins. "We're leaving."

"So you's the sister we heard about?" Jack asked, causing Sarah to stop. The two girls turned back towards him. "Well, then I'd say our invitation just became more open."

"We're not interested," Sarah pressed, but this time when she went to walk back up to the cabins, Katherine didn't walk with her. The Jacobs girl turned to her friend, her brows furrowed as she quietly asked her, "What are you doing?"

"It's just," Katherine told her quietly so the boys wouldn't hear, "what was the point of us sneaking out just to stay here for one minute?" She glanced over at the boys for a second before looking back over at Katherine. "Come on, it's just a bonfire. Besides, David's with them. I'm sure he wouldn't let it get out of control. You said yourself he was more of a Pine."

Sarah contemplated it, running a hand through her hair. "But this is the Elms; not to mention Jack Kelly and his gang."

"Okay, and?"

Sarah have her a hard stare, scanning her face before caving. "Ugh!" She turned to the boys, crossing her arms at her chest. "Fine. But only for a few minutes."

The boys talked amongst themselves with crooked grins, throwing glances at the girls as they talked. Then, Jack stepped forward, his hands in his pockets. "Great. Now... let's get that fire started."