Free This Summer by Katlyn Duncan Page A

something to you?” Lily scans the cafeteria. She knows that the pool staff won’t come to the cafeteria until the kids are gone but she is on full attack mode.
    “No,” I say.
    She arches an eyebrow. “Did Will say something?”
    I turn my head and see that he is still in line. “Yes.”
    She clenches her jaw and is about to walk past me but I grab her arm. She looks down at my hand, her eyebrows furrowed.
    I open my mouth again but words escape me.
    “Either you tell me what he said or I’m going to beat it out of him.”
    I squeeze her arm tighter. “It’s not bad,” I manage. “Just—it’s nothing. I’m being stupid. I have to go meet with my group,” I say to Lily. “It’s not bad, I promise. I’ll talk to you after camp.”
    Lily chomps on a baby carrot from her salad. “You better.”
    I muster a smile and walk toward the group. I duck under the rope divider at the end of the line and grab a tray. Will moves to the front of the group where the boys are fighting over ketchup packages. I grab the first thing I see, a plate of chicken fingers and french fries.
    We settle at our assigned table and I nibble on a fry. My stomach churns but I manage to eat most of what is in front of me, not that I taste any of it. I attempt to talk with the girls about some pop star they are drooling over, but when I comment on his latest brush with the law, their slack jaws and wide eye stares make me promptly shut my mouth.
    “He’s going through a rough time,” Jaclyn says, claiming to be his biggest fan.
    I stifle an eye roll and glance at Will, who is timing an eating contest with three of his boys. I can’t help smiling. Why does he still affect me like this? Anytime we ever fought he would do something silly to break the tension. And it still worked. He looks over at me, the corner of his mouth twitches. A kid screams behind us, her shrill cry making me nearly jump off the bench.
    I turn to the table behind us where a girl around five years old is crying. Her pink shirt is dripping with milk and another counselor, Patrice, is on her feet racing to the girl.
    “Leo, watch the kids,” Patrice says to her husband and co-counselor, leading the girl from the table towards the bathroom. They have been with the camp for almost as many years as Dad, working with the youngest group of kids.
    I turn back to my own table. Will helps the boys clean up their trays and they all march to the garbage bins.
    I inhale deeply. “Let’s clean up girls.”
    I pull the schedule from my pocket as they gather their trays. The next section of their day is the Elective Program. It’s the only part of the summer that is the same among the groups. I catch Lily’s narrowed stare at Will when he walks by her table. He is oblivious but I shoot her a “Stop it!” look when she finally turns to me.
    She points to me then back at herself. The Elective Program is one of the massive draws to the camp. The kids are signed up for sports or performing arts clinics coached by professionals in the county. It has the largest budget out of all the programs but it also brings in the most money for the department. Two hours a day is spent on these programs, which gives the counselors a break from the kids, but not much time for relaxing. Dad gives us other tasks to keep us busy.
    Will avoids my eyes as we gather the group and head to the gym.

CHAPTER SEVEN
    Will
    God, what is it about Hadley that makes me want to tell her everything? My whole life I tried to protect her and the second I leave she starts dating Carter. While he was just a spoiled fool who thought he deserved everything, he had the girl. Had being the operative word. Hadley isn’t one to give up on anything that easily, so I do wonder what happened between them. And seeing them at the pool made my blood boil.
    I lead our group to the gym, taking several breaths to calm down.
    Oliver shuffles to my side while keeping an eye on his exuberant brother.
    “What is your Elective?” I