Free As I Am by AnnaLisa Grant Page A

with Cal? It’s the first day, Addy! I’m not you. When I say I’ll be open to someone, I don’t mean my legs!” Now my arms are crossed.
    “I can’t believe you just said that!” she huffs.
    “I can’t believe you’re hounding me about the rate at which I’m taking things with Cal! I’m not you, Addison. I’m sorry that I don’t have as much experience and confidence as you to throw myself at a guy. I kind of don’t know what I’m doing and I’d like to take things slow so I can figure it all out. Now you either let me do that or leave me alone.” Addison is staring at me in disbelief. My little spat back at her in the dining hall is nothing compared to the daggers I’m now shooting at her.
    “ Okay. I’m just trying to help, Kinley. I know you don’t have a lot of experience so … I’m just trying to help.” Addy stumbles over her words, something that rarely, if ever, happens.
    “Alright then,” I say curtly. I take a deep breath and relax a little now that the tension is slightly relieved.
    “How long have you had this sweater wrapped around your waist?” she asks as she removes the cardigan from me.
    “I don’t know. I took it off a while ago when Cal and I were at the lookout taking pictures.”
    “You should put it back on. Your arms aren’t your best quality, Kin. You want to make sure you’re drawing attention to your face. You have such a pretty face.” Addy pulls the sweater behind me and makes me put it on like I’m a kindergartener. I just roll my eyes. I’m used to the constant attention about looking my best and focusing on my “best feature,” which is apparently my face. It’s a shame I can’t just be a head.
    Ignoring the sweater issue, I move on. “Where’s Miller? You two were looking pretty cozy by the bonfire ,” I lie. Miller looked anything but cozy with Addison. “I guess he came around.”
    I hate the thought of him coming around. He’s a deep thinker, a creative type who doesn’t have time for girls like my sister. He said so himself. But, Addy’s always right about what guys want, so I guess it’s just a matter of time.
    “Oh, well, he’s coming around. Not as quickly as he should be, but he’s coming around. I’m hoping we get a few activity assignments together during the first Draft,” she says with bright eyes.
    The Draft is what Mr. Fellows calls the assignment of duties or activities. There are two Drafts: one for the first half of camp and one for the second. He likes to switch us around so that we don’t get bored, although some people stay on certain activities because there’s no one else who can facilitate them, like Cal and the rock climbing wall. He’ll be there all summer.
    “I guess we’ll find out tomorrow,” I say with little to no enthusiasm. I don’t know why I care so much if Miller is into Addy. It’s none of my business who either of them hooks up with. As terrible as it might sound, I just think he deserved better than Addison.
    “Fingers crossed!” she squeals.
    “Yeah … fingers crossed.”
     
    *****
     
    I’ve been roaming the camp for the last few hours since activity assignments came out, taking various pictures. I got some great shots of the whole group crowded around the assignment listing that my name wasn’t even on, catching the excited look on my sister’s face when she found out she was going to be a lifeguard for the first half of camp. Anything to get Addy in a bathing suit. She was especially excited Miller was assigned to canoe and water activity duty. I just hope she doesn’t take her years of lifeguarding for granted and get too wrapped up in getting Miller’s attention that she misses seeing some poor kid flailing around in the water for dear life. He just needs to get on board already so she can stop trying so hard.
    I spent some time by the rock climbing wall where Cal and a couple of new guys are assigned. There were plenty of great shots of Cal. It’s impossible for him to take a