Camp Mirror Lake
Chapter 19 The Cuff

Me and my girls walked into an open air building, a lot like you'd find at a picnic area. There were multiple wooden tables with benches attached to them.

For the first time we were paired with another cabin full of girls, cabin 6. There excitement level topped out at a 2 out of 10 max! I would have expected the girls to be giggling and gossiping like a barn full of hens; but really there was a subdued murmur amongst the females.

Huh. I kinda miss the giggling.

That was when I realized how much I'd changed since coming to this camp of horrors. Would I want to go back to what I was before now? The quick witted, snarky teen? No. Not if it meant I'd never met Nate. And even if all hell breaks lose and I do end up stuck in Ben's clutches, it would all be worth it to know Nate loved me.

A short blonde with dark brown eyes stood at the front with all the supplies.

"Welcome to crafts 2, guys! My name is Loren and today we will be making jewelry. We have some leather straps, beads, feathers, and even metal pieces. We have paint and dye, clasps and hooks. If you want to make cuffs or bracelets, let me know and I can help you out We have special tools for those. Other than that, use your imagination!" she smiled at us.

I didn't feel any hostility from her, so I decided she was cool.

I decided I was going to make a cuff. She showed me how to use the hammer and nail to make soft dents in the metal to create the designs and then to manipulate the brass around a rounded piece of wood.

As I was pounding away my frustration at the situation I found myself in, Nate came in, and I about lost my breath! I peaked out of the corner of my eye, but he was pretending I wasn't there. But I could feel him, and he sent a wave of love and comfort too me. So, I played his game and pretended that having him here didn't bother me at all.

"Hey, Loren," Nate cooed.

Okay, so I was a little jealous now.

"Oh, Nate!" she giggled. "How can I help you?"

Nate chuckled and leaned in and whispered in her ear, and she simpered.

"Of course!" she giggled again.

Now the little green monster was about to come out and throttle the girl that I had no problems with a few minutes ago. I knew it wasn't her fault, and Nate was supposed to pretend I didn't matter to him, so of course he'd go and flirt right in front of me.

I tried not to let the tears leak out. It just wasn't fair!

I took a deep breath and focused on my project. I figured I'd stick with a butterfly theme. It made me think of Nate.

While I was pounding away, I eavesdropped on some of the other girls.

Mercy and Hannah were gossiping about Ben and me, and the announcement Jack made yesterday. They were wondering how long it would take me to get pregnant. Eww! They made a joke about him not being able to produce the results that Jack wanted. They laughed at that. I would have too, if it didn't involve me!

I felt Nate's reaction to this. It was a mix between wanting to throttle the jerk, and hoping he got the job instead. For the first time I felt his hope that he might have children, and it was so tender my breath hitched. We hadn't really talked about being parents before. I guess it never crossed my mind because I still had a few weeks before I even turned 18.

Then I saw a flash from Nate. We were holding a newborn baby girl. This time I couldn't stop the tear leaking down my face.

"Are you okay?" asked Becky.

"Yeah, Beck. I just smashed my finger," I lied.

I'm not a good liar, but since I've come here, I've found myself lying to protect my friends. I don't know if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

I heard Nate whisper low to Loren. And she giggled again and responded.

I needed a distraction, and it came in the form of my cabin mates behind us.

Steph and Jane were talking about more missing campers. That was almost as disturbing as my own predicament! I hadn't heard about the other group by the lake disappearing. It sounded like they weren't even looking for them!

Some of the other girls were talking about their jewelry and what they would do with them. Some of the girls had boyfriends and they were making things that resembled collars or friendship bracelets.

I heard Nate chuckle up front and I couldn't help it. I looked up.

He was making something, but I couldn't tell what. He was speaking softly to Loren. Then he stopped and looked right at me. A half smile crossed his face for a fraction of a second, then he went back to talking to Loren.

Becky sat beside me humming a sad little tune. I missed the happy giggly girl I met the first day here! I hoped by freeing the magic she would also get her personality back. Seeing her this way hurt my heart.

She was making a necklace with beads and dyed feathers. It was beautiful, but the colors were not bright and flashy. They were dull and understated.

I leaned over and whispered in her ear, "How are you and Ethan?"

She giggled and looked up at me. "I'm in love," she whispered back. Then she went back to doing what she was doing.

Well, that was good enough for me! Since Ethan said he was planning on taking her with us it made me happy to know he found someone so sweet as Becky. Maybe we could all find a home and live together while Ethan goes to school and Nate... I don't know. Maybe he'll want to go to college too. I never asked.

As I was making random plans for a future that may or may not happen, I felt a fingertip slide down my shoulder and land in my hand. A solid object was placed there, and I could feel magic flowing through it.

I caught my breath and looked up. Nate winked at me, then left.

I looked down at what was in my hand. It was another cuff made of silver with a different pattern in it. It looked more masculine and I knew immediately it wasn't for me. It was sending off a funny vibe. I'd have to ask him about it later!

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