Strawberry Lip Gloss and Coconut Shampoo

Charlie's legs were polka dotted with bug bites and  calamine lotion. She sat on her bunk, listening to the morning birds chirping and tried not to scratch. Her camp cabin was a small wood room painted dark green. It had cobwebs in the corners and was lit only by early light streaming in from the large window next to her. It smelled a bit like mothballs and mosquito spray, but that was alright. She was waiting patiently for her bunkmates to get back from the bathroom when she heard the slap of flipflops on the mulch outside. 

The plywood door creaked open and in came Sarah and Lexi. Charlie had just met Sarah at the beginning of the week. When they had been paired up as bunkmates, Sarah had told Charlie she liked her sleeping bag. It was blue with a large spotted owl on the front. Sarah had said owls were her favorite animal, which was great because they were Charlie's favorite too. Sarah had said it was a good sign that they would be best friends. Charlie smiled for the rest of the day. Lexi was Charlie's best friend too. They had rode to camp together in Lexi's mom's car.

"I can't believe we get to do the climbing tower today," said Lexi, putting her disposable camera in her drawstring bag. 

"I'm going to do the zipline off the top," said Sarah.

"Yeah, me too," said Charlie.

Sarah was wearing her blue sneakers today, Charlie noticed, probably so she could climb the tower better.

"Well I'm not," said Lexi.   

"Why?"

"I don't wanna die," she said.

Charlie rolled her eyes, "You're not gonna die."

"Yuh-huh, the zipline could break in half and I'd fall."

"That wouldn't even happen cause Kelsey is zipline certified," Sarah said, putting on her lip gloss, the kind that was extra sparkly. 

Lexi glared at the lip gloss tube, "Zipline certified isn't a thing." 

"Yeah it is, you have to have one to be a counselor." 

"No."

"Yeah. I heard them say that," Sarah smacked her lips, "You just don't like Kelsey because she made Charlie a bracelet in crafts the other day but she didn't make you one." 

Lexi looked at Charlie and Charlie said nothing. 

She swung her bag over her shoulder and scrunched up her face all tight and then she looked at Sarah and said, "Well you only wear that lip gloss so the boys think you're prettier than you actually are," and she stormed out the cabin door. 

Charlie shifted on her bunk, suddenly uncomfortable. A breeze flew by the window and shook the trees gently outside. 

"Don't listen to her," said Charlie. 

"I won't," said Sarah.

"I think," said Charlie, "that your uh, lip gloss looks really nice."

Sarah smiled, she had dimples. "Thanks," she crossed over to where Charlie sat, "do you want some?"

"Oh," Charlie blinked, "Yeah sure, but, my mom, she doesn't let me wear make-up yet so I don't know..." 

"That's okay," said Sarah, "I can put it on for you."

She sat next to Charlie and the bunk dipped. Their knees were now almost touching. 

Charlie nodded.

Hand holding her jaw, Sarah turned Charlie's head to face her. She lifted the gloss tube, the roll-y ball  kind, and spread it on her lips. It smelled exactly like strawberries and tasted a little like plastic. 

Sarah had sparkly barrettes in her hair. They were blue and so were her eyes. She had long eyelashes and freckles on her nose and she smelled like sunscreen and coconut shampoo. 

When Sarah took her hand away, the warmth lingered. 

She laughed. 

"What?" asked Charlie, a little self consciously. 

"Nothing." 

Charlie swallowed, "Am I- Is it pretty?"

Sarah smiled, "Yeah. You're pretty. I bet all the boys will notice you, now," she capped the tube and stood, "C'mon."

Sarah grabbed her bag and pushed open the green plywood door. Sunlight swallowed her whole. 

When the door closed, and Charlie found herself alone, she took a deep breath in and touched her lips.