Free What It Was Like by Peter Seth

of them if they left each other? But that’s what I was thinking.
    â€œ And ,” she said. “It’s a bigger deal, kind of, because I’m an only child –”
    â€œMe too!” I practically shouted.
    That was a very big moment of connection for us.
    â€œSo you understand,” she said, clutching my arm.
    â€œThe tug-of-war?” I said. Which made her nod her head vigorously.
    â€œIt’s hard to think that they were once in love,” she said. “The way they treat each other.”
    â€œPeople do stupid things all the time,” I said. “I want no part of it. I believe in negative learning. ”
    â€œâ€˜Negative learning’?” she repeated.
    â€œYeah,” I said. “Learning what you don’t want in life is as important as learning what you do want.”
    â€œAnd what don’t you want?” she asked me.
    â€œRight now? Anything that keeps me from getting closer to you,” I said. With no fear or embarrassment. I just said it. And she looked back at me, dreamily, in The Zone. I don’t know why I was so relaxed with her. Speaking to a girl this pretty, normally I would have frozen up or tried to be too clever. Instead, I was just myself, my ordinary self, but that seemed to be enough for her.
    The bugle call ending Free Play sounded from the P.A. system, startling us back to reality.
    â€œSo,” she said, “I’ll see you later tonight, and we can –”
    Her words instantly pleased me until I remembered something.
    â€œNo!” I interrupted her. “Dammit! My kids have something tonight with these Eagle Scouts from town, knot-tying or something, and then I have O.D. right after that.” (“O.D.” was short for being “on duty” which meant that a counselor had to stay on duty outside the bunks in Inter Circle, or wherever they put me, and make sure that the kids were all safe and sound until midnight when their actual counselors came back for curfew – 1:00 AM on Fridays and Saturdays. The average counselor had O.D. every three or four days, and we were always trading O.D.s, depending what you had going on any particular night.)
    â€œYou’re right,” she said. “I forgot. We’re doing this pajama party with the Lassies. Estelle had us doing party favors all afternoon. And you’re really on O.D. tonight? That means I won’t see you until tomorrow.”
    The thought really seemed to displease her; I liked that.
    â€œThat’s OK,” I said. “We have tomorrow.”
    â€œBut I want to talk to you more now !” she said.
    I liked that she had that slightly unreasonable streak in her. Rachel wanted what she wanted more than most people did. Some people might call it being willful, or self-indulgent. But in this case, since what she seemed to want was me, it was perfectly fine.
    But before we could say or do anything else, Harriet was right there, at the edge of the courts, ordering everyone back to their bunks.
    â€œLet’s go, campers!” she shouted in a husky voice. “Back to your bunks!” She clapped her hands and looked straight at me.
    â€œBoys!” she narrowed her gaze and ordered. “Let’s take it back to your side!”
    Just then the Fat Doggy grabbed the duffel bag of volleyballs and ran away with it, only to be chased by the Doggy With Braces and a couple of Rachel’s girls.
    â€œHey! Wait!” I yelled at them, torn between having to go after my kids and wanting to stay with Rachel.
    â€œUh, Rachel,” rasped Harriet. “Wanna collect your girls?”
    â€œTime to go,” Rachel said softly and got up from the bench.
    She took a couple of steps away and turned back to me.
    â€œWhy didn’t you kiss me?” she asked, making slits of those blue-blue eyes.
    Before I could answer, she quickly turned and was gone with her girls.
    She left me speechless – which is very hard to