That First Summer

A Summer Camp story
By Strickland83

The weather was perfect for Gina’s seventeenth birthday, and the day was a welcome break from the hectic pace at the end of the school year. More than that, it was the first time any of our friends from school were attending a nudist social event. Heather, of course, had known our families’ secret for some time. Gina had recently told Shannon so Scott also knew. They were the only three of our classmates who knew, however.

Scott and Shannon were getting a little more comfortable, having made two joint trips to the bathroom to "take care of things." We were sitting on the side of the pool with our feet dangling in the water, our bellies happily full of grilled steak and chicken. I was between Gina and Heather, enjoying the touch of their bare skin against my arms.

Erin and Leah were sitting near us, eager to listen in on our conversation. I guess, now that we were about to be seniors, it was exciting for them to feel like part of our group. We talked about what we were going to do over the summer, and our upcoming senior year. Gina and I were going to Susan’s camp with our families for the summer.

"So that’s why," Scott said.

"So that’s why what?" I asked.

"When we started wrestling practice in the fall, you didn’t have tan lines. Everybody had them after swimming and things all summer long. All except you."

Shannon thought about that. "Yeah, Gina didn’t have them either. I just thought it was because of her complexion."

"We never had them," Gina explained, "because we didn’t wear bathing suits."

"Ever?" asked Shannon.

"Well, during that time of the month I wear my bottoms, but that’s all," Gina explained.

"The whole summer?" Shannon asked.

"Yep," Gina said, smiling brilliantly, "the whole time. I mean, this does feel nice, doesn’t it?"

"Yeah, it does," Shannon said. "It’s still a little strange, sitting here with all of you, like this, but it is nice." She scooted a little closer to Scott, their thighs touching. I had to stifle a laugh at Scott’s look of concentration. I knew exactly what he was doing; trying hard not to get hard.

Shannon and Scott had more questions about what life at camp was like. Gina and I explained as best we could, but Shannon’s next question came from out of the blue.

"So how did you two really meet? With all we’ve learned about you lately, there has to be more to the story."

I looked to Gina, who held my eyes. After a moment she gave me an almost imperceptible nod, a smile lighting up her expression.

"You were such a goof back then," she reminisced absently. Then she turned serious. "You’re the better storyteller, Paul. Go ahead and tell them about that first summer."

"Okay," I began, "so you really want to know, huh?"

Shannon nodded eagerly. Scott leaned a little forward, his hand still in her grasp.

That first summer, I mused. When we met. The memory brought a smile to my lips. We were so young, so insecure. Susan sprang to mind, so I decided to start there.

"Okay," I said, "you know how I go to camp with my family every summer, right?"

"Yeah, your aunt’s place." Scott said.

"Right, Susan’s camp. Well, you know it’s a nudist camp…."

Eager nods.

I gathered my thoughts, remembering the summer of 1976.

It was my second visit to the Pines. We were staying in a room across the sandy road from the clubhouse, just like the previous year. After we checked in and unpacked the car, we all shed our clothes. It still felt a little strange, getting undressed like that, even though it was my second year. Erin took off for the lake with me right behind her.

Just as we reached the screen door, my mom called me back. I needed sunscreen. Unlike Erin. I hated the ritual—and I hated that my sister didn’t need it. I endured it, but as soon as Mom finished, I darted out the door.

I turned left and headed down the hill. Little things about being a nudist stand out. As soon as I stepped off the porch, I encountered one. My dick flopped as I ran. I wasn’t wearing pants or underwear. It reminded me of where I was.

I didn’t find any kids I knew at the lake, but I did see some older girls. I liked watching them (and their mothers) when I was pretending to read. I thought that was the best part of being at a nudist camp. I didn’t have a lot of experience as a nudist, so the whole experience was still new and naughty. For now, I went for a swim alone. The cold water was refreshing. It felt nice slipping against my naked body and softly caressing my skin. After a trip out to the raft and back, I got out and dried off. I walked up to the clubhouse but still didn’t find any of the kids I knew from the year before. I sighed at the prospect of being alone all summer.

I walked over to the volleyball court but no one was there. Later in the week this would be a busy place, but not today. The swings were, well, for little kids. I walked back down to the lake and lay on a towel next to the lake. I watched the older girls and pretended to read, lying on my stomach to conceal the reaction to what I was really paying attention to.

By lunchtime the next day, none of my friends had arrived; I went looking for Aunt Susan, and found her in the clubhouse. She always seemed busier at the beginning of the summer, getting things going and helping to get people checked in.

"Aunt Susan?"

She always seemed to have a smile for me. "Yes, Paul?"

"I’ve been looking all over but I can’t find any of the kids from last year," I said, not even making an effort to not sound as disappointed as I was.

"Who are you looking for?" she asked.

"Billy? Do you know when he’s coming?"

"I’m sorry… the Simpsons won’t be coming this year. They moved out west. They called a few months ago and asked me to recommend a camp in Arizona."

My shoulders sagged. Billy and I had been inseparable and I knew that the summer wouldn’t be the same without him. "How about the Carters?"

"They haven’t made a reservation so I don’t think they’re coming either."

"Oh, okay," I said, sullen and dejected. I was just turning away to go find a better place to sulk when she spoke up again.

"Jeremiah?" she said to the older man looking over some papers at her table. "Can I see the clipboard?" Taking it, she scanned the list, the pages rustling in the warm air as she flipped them. She tapped the page. "Yes, here. There are two new families coming this year who have children your age: the Erikssons and the Coulters." Her expression warmed as she at last found a way to help me. "They’re both due to arrive today."

"Thanks," I said, standing straighter. I even managed to give her a smile.

I was so excited by her news that I practically skipped out the screen door and back down to the lake to swim some more. I felt better knowing there were going to be other kids my age. I was still disappointed that my friends from the year before weren’t going to be there, but at least there was hope. It would mean making new friends, but somehow that was easier at a nudist camp.

About mid-afternoon I went back up to the clubhouse to get something to drink. I bent over and reached for a Coke in our section of one of the refrigerators. The cool air flowed out and hit me as a wave of refreshment. I grabbed the drink, hearing that new slogan (Coke adds life) in my head, and walked away as I took a sip with my eyes closed. I opened my eyes suddenly when I bumped into someone.

I looked up, then up some more to see a boy who might have been my age, only he was much taller. Skinny and taller—he certainly didn’t have to worry about baby fat like me. He had pale skin, blonde hair and he was wearing a t-shirt. He was standing at the end of the counter, facing me and looking foolish in just a shirt.

"How’s the weather down there, little man?" he said.

I might have been offended by his "little man" comment but I felt guilty for bumping into him, and his grin disarmed me.

Taking his grin as a cue, I tried to think of a good comeback to his remark. "Look! A walking stick snuck in here, and stole someone’s shirt. This is supposed to be a nudist camp."

"That’s me—Stick," said the tall boy, gesturing to himself with a thumb against his chest.

"Want a Coke?" I offered, as a means of apology, since I still felt bad for running into him.

He nodded and I got another can from our refrigerator. He looked around as we headed for the door.

"Air hockey! Cool!" he exclaimed as we passed the game tables.

I frowned. "It’s broken. It’s always broken."

We walked around while we talked. Stick’s real name was Manfred Eriksson, one of the two boys Aunt Susan told me about. He’d just arrived in camp and she’d told him where to find me. His shirt was for the obvious reason—sunburn—a problem I sympathized with.

"Last year I sunburned really bad. I had to wear a shirt the first few days," I said. "My mom still makes me wear sunblock everyday."

"I feel like such a dork walking around in just a shirt. I hate burning so easily."

We commiserated about our fair skin as I showed him around. After we finished the Cokes, we dumped the cans in the trash and walked down to the lake. At the water’s edge, he dropped his towel.

"Race you to the raft!" he yelled.

Without waiting, he dove in. I did the same but never managed to catch him until we were both holding on to the raft. Then, with a shared grin, we climbed up onto it. That early in the afternoon we had the raft and the lake mostly to ourselves.

Manfred started pulling off his shirt.

"Don’t you need to keep that on?" I asked. I remembered how quickly I burned in the sun.

"I’m just taking it off to warm up. I’ll put it back on in a few minutes."

I nodded. The lake stayed cold, even in the summer. I was just about to lie down on the raft when I noticed a family walking down to the edge of the lake.

"I wonder who that is," I said. "I don’t recognize them from last summer."

Manfred shaded his eyes with his hand and squinted at the new family. "It looks like they have some kids. Girls."

"Oh," I said. "I thought it might be the Coulter family I heard about. They’re supposed to have some kids our age. I guess they didn’t get here yet. These people must be some other new family."

We watched them get settled on the shore. One girl who looked about our age caught my eye. I glanced at Manfred sidelong and caught him looking at her, too.

"She’s cute," Manfred said.

I nodded and we shared a smile. Manfred’s expression looked serious and maybe embarrassed.

"Paul…, this is the first time… I mean, I’ve ever been to a place… you know, like this."

I looked at him, my brow furrowed.

"You know, a nudist camp. I was wondering…" He grew silent and looked like he was starting to blush.

"What?" I asked.

"Nothing," he said, looking away.

I turned back to look at the girl on the shore. She was shading her eyes with her hand. Her mother was pointing to us and telling her something. She jumped into the water as Manfred spoke up again.

"What happens when…," Manfred began awkwardly. "I mean… um… what do you do if your… uh… it has a mind of its own, you know? Do you ever have problems with…" Manfred asked.

I turned back to him and he was blushing now. I couldn’t figure out what he was talking about.

"Problems with girls?" he finally managed to get out.

The girl on the shore was swimming now, headed for us and the raft.

"Do you mean talking with them?" I asked. "Yeah, I get all nervous around them, too."

Manfred shook his head. "No, not talking. With your…," and with that his face turned pink.

I tried to figure out what he was trying to ask. Then, a revelation hit me. I hoped he wasn’t asking about that.

"Does your… does it… um… get …"

That confirmed it. I felt my own face heating. This conversation was getting too weird. I had to stop him before he said it.

"Sometimes, it just happens. I usually just roll over on my stomach… or jump in the water."

I really hoped he would let the subject drop since I wasn’t about to tell him what I did to relieve that problem.

Manfred stopped asking questions because the girl had just about reached the raft.

She sure has a good tan, I noticed. I bet she doesn’t have to wear so much sunscreen – or even a t-shirt—when she goes in the lake.

When the girl reached the raft, she struggled to pull herself up. She stood up, water glistening on her tanned skin, droplets trailing down a perfect body. Well, as perfect as a thirteen-year-old girl can have. Breasts starting to develop nicely, nipples erect from the chill of the water, it was perfect enough for me. I felt that familiar twinge. Uh-oh. Too perfect.

She squeezed some of the water out of her short dark hair as she looked warily at the two of us.

"Mrs. MacLean said I’d find you all here. Which one of you is Paul?" she asked.

I looked her over. Looking lower, I enjoyed the slight curve of her waist, the dark triangle at the top of her legs, and that was all it took. I felt it happening and I could do nothing to stop it. There wasn’t even a bush in sight to hide behind. I did the only thing I could.

"Let’s all go for a swim," I said, my voice sounding desperate as I sprinted over the side, diving into the water.

I came to the surface, swam back to the raft, and hung onto the canvas, smelling the cocoa butter of countless sunbathers. The girl on the raft was looking uncomfortable and saying, "That’s a funny way to say hi." Then she turned to Manfred, who was watching her closely, and gave him a questioning look.

"Are you Paul?" she asked him.

Manfred looked her in the eye and blushed from head to toe. I saw the look on his face and my eyes darted lower to see his dick growing.

"Oh, no," groaned Manfred.

He looked around and decided that my idea was the only option. So he jumped over the side of the raft, but not before I saw exactly what his problem was. The girl was holding her hand up to her face and laughing as he bobbed to the surface.

She stood on the raft looking down at us. Her hands were on her hips as she spread out her feet to balance herself against the waves made by our dives. I was hoping the cold water would solve my problem, but looking up at her, from that angle, wasn’t helping anything.

She stopped giggling and looked frustrated. I was feeling kind of frustrated, too. She was pretty, but I was acting like a dork. I was trying to save the situation but I expected her to just dive in and swim back to shore. Luckily for me, she tried one more time.

"Are you always so goofy?"

I looked to Manfred, who shook his head. I fought to suppress the urge to snicker. We did look goofy.

"Come on back up here," she pleaded.

She bit her lip. I could tell she was feeling embarrassed and I didn’t want to scare her off. I wished I had more experience with girls. The cold water had finally made my erection shrink so I climbed back up onto the raft. When I started to pull myself up, she reached for my hand and to try to help me up but she wasn’t strong enough.

I lost my grip and we fell back into the water—with her tumbling in on top of me. The feeling of her slick body against mine was heavenly. If the water hadn’t been so cold, I would have been right back where I started. As it turned out, I was feeling pretty goofy but I enjoyed it. We finally got back on the raft, laughing about the whole thing.

While we warmed ourselves in the sun, she introduced herself. "I’m Gina. Mrs. MacLean said you were down here."

"Mrs. MacLean? Who? Oh, Aunt Susan!"

"She’s your Aunt?" asked Manfred. I had forgotten about him still bobbing in the water.

"Not really. She’s a friend of my parents’. That’s what we call her." I turned back to the dark-haired beauty standing in front of me. "You’re supposed to be a boy!"

Gina gave me a dubious look.

"What’s the matter? Never seen a naked girl before?" she said flatly.

I looked at her face and saw I was making her uncomfortable again so I tried to save the moment.

"I mean, Aunt Susan told me you were coming but she didn’t tell me you were a girl."

"Is that a problem?" Gina asked, her eyes narrowing.

"No, not at all," I said, almost stuttering.

The conversation was not going well—I wanted to sound suave instead of stupid. I felt my face heating. I hated that I blushed so easily. Girls are supposed to blush, not guys.

Gina was pretty and I really wanted her to like me. I felt my stomach tighten as I realized that. I had never gotten this far with a girl before and my brain was going to mush. I even started to sweat. I think she could tell that I was trying and she took pity on me.

"Thanks," she said, but not sincerely.

"I’m sorry. I was just surprised, that’s all. I’m Paul," I said.

"Well, hi, Paul," she said, reaching out for my hand and flashing the prettiest smile I’d ever seen. Her grasp was feminine but firm. She wasn’t just pretty, she was very pretty; she was also nice—and she was talking to me. Ordinarily this would make me nervous but her friendliness was making me feel relaxed. That was something I hadn’t experienced with other girls, and I liked it. I enjoyed talking to her and I wanted her to like talking to me.

Looking down at Manfred, she asked, "Aren’t you about ready to join us?"

She and I laughed while Manfred blushed even redder. Grudgingly, he hoisted himself onto the raft, making the small platform rock as I explained that his nickname was Stick.

Gina gave me another dubious look. "I can see why."

She started to lose her balance a little when Manfred made the raft rock so she grabbed my arm. Her touch was soft, feminine, magical. It was making me feel things, in my stomach and in … other places. It was wonderful. It was—oh no. Treacherous organ.

I felt my dick expanding, and my face burning at the same time. Gina saw the change in my expression. She was trying to figure out what was wrong. Then, she looked down, just as Manfred was telling her my nickname.

"We call him little man," he told her.

Gina took a good look at my nascent erection. Seeing her look at it only made the problem worse. As I watched her, I noticed her breasts rise as if she was drawing in a slow, deep breath. I was surprised, though, when she said something to make me feel better.

"We need to come up with a better nickname for you," she said deadpan. Instead of being more embarrassed, I felt better.

Then, her tone softened. "It’s okay, guys. Really. I’m flattered."

I wanted to add, "You should be" but I just wasn’t brave enough. The truth is that I liked Gina a lot already. She had a body and a face that I would dream about. She was very pretty with her dark complexion and hair, but I liked other things about her, too. She seemed really nice, sweet even.

When she smiled at me, I felt the warmth of it all through my body. The day seemed brighter after she showed up. I liked the way I felt when I was with her. No one had ever made me feel that way before. I wanted to get to know her better. I wanted more than anything for her to give me that chance. I just hoped Manfred didn’t like her the way I did.

The three of us sat on the raft and talked, mostly about the camp. Gina sat between us and I was beaming inside just from being next to her. In time, I got things under control. I wanted to stare at her, but I knew what would happen if I did. That’s one of the problems about being a nudist. You’re on display. The dick can be a window to the thoughts of a teenage boy.

It made me feel good to be able to answer their questions about the camp. I found out that Manfred was staying in the building behind ours. Gina’s family was renting one of the big cabins at the top of the hill. She asked about things to do in the camp. I was talking about the volleyball court next to the clubhouse when I stopped.

"Sorry," I said. "I guess you’re not as big on sports as we are."

Gina gave me a smile that made my heart throb.

She said, "No, but I like watching the guys play. I mean, I’m not going to spend the summer playing with dolls or anything. What you’re saying sounds like fun. I’d like to watch, and maybe play a little… if you show me how."

I gave her a questioning look. "Are you serious?"

She nodded, making her short dark hair bob. I realized that she was saying she wanted to do things with me, which made my heart beat even faster. And, of course, I felt my cheeks heating. Her expression showed she noticed but she didn’t say anything. When I finally glanced at Manfred, he was smiling at me but he, thankfully, didn’t say anything either.

In time, we swam back across the lake and walked up to the volleyball court. I got a ball from the clubhouse so Manfred and I could show Gina how to play. True to her word, she showed interest for awhile. She let me teach her. It was hard to concentrate on the game because I was thinking about how close I was to her. In time, she bowed out and sat on the sidelines to watch Manfred and me play one on one.

As she sat there, watching and smiling, I thought I could see that she was enjoying watching us, maybe even enjoying watching me. I was so caught up in thinking about Gina that I didn’t see when Manfred spiked the ball and it hit me in the face.

"Oh man, are you okay? I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to hit you," Manfred jabbered like he couldn’t apologize fast enough.

I was embarrassed because I had been so busy watching Gina that I lost track of the ball. In my shame, I didn’t realize that Gina had jumped up and run to me. It hurt where I got hit, but the pain was forgotten when I felt Gina’s gentle touch on my face.

"Are you hurt, Paul?"

I wondered if she would kiss it and make it better. I didn’t want to look like an idiot by asking, but I definitely thought it.

"I’m all right," I told her. "It doesn’t hurt… much."

I was shamelessly trying to sound pitiful. It didn’t really hurt that much at all, but I didn’t want her to know that. I wanted to enjoy her gentle touch, her closeness, her concern, a little longer. Looking back, I think Gina saw through my act. She was trying not to show that she knew, though. She was just being nice, I guess, and I savored the moment.

After my performance, we kind of forgot about the game. We walked aimlessly, Gina at my side (although Manfred also looked concerned for me). By the time we got back to the clubhouse to return the ball, people were already straggling in for dinner.

"Want to meet after dinner?" Manfred asked.

"Sounds good to me," I answered.

Gina said, "I’ll have to ask my parents if I can stay out that late. Look for me after you eat, okay?"

As we reached the door along the road, I stepped forward to open the clubhouse door for Gina. Before I had the chance, someone inside opened it. Seeing Gina, he held the door for her before stepping out.

Inside the clubhouse, my mom was at a stove cooking dinner with Erin helping her. Dad saw me and called me over to help him set the table. Manfred and Gina went off to meet their families as well.

As we ate, my parents asked Erin and me how our day went. I told them about Manfred and Gina.

At the mention of Gina’s name, my mom said to my dad, "I think I met her parents today. This is their first time here."

Dad seemed interested. "Is this their first time here or …"

"They used to go to a camp in Virginia," Mom told him. "When they moved to Charleston, they found this place. They seem very nice."

"Yeah, it’s Manfred’s first time, too. I kind of showed them around."

"That’s nice of you, Paul," my father said.

Enjoying my father’s approval, I excitedly started talking about plans for the next day with Manfred and Gina.

My father interrupted me, sounding more serious. "Tomorrow we’re cleaning the lake."

Erin groaned. "Do we have to? We did that last year and it was gross."

He focused his eyes on her, but I realized that he was also including me as he answered. "If you want to swim, someone has to clean the lake."

"But…," I tried.

My father’s expression hardened.

"I’m sure your new friends will want to join in and help out. Everybody does."

That wasn’t what I was hoping for. I thought about trying another excuse but the look Dad gave me made it apparent that I shouldn’t even try.

Seeing no way out, I resignedly said, "I’ll be there, Dad."

I finished eating with my spirits dimmed. Slopping around in mud was not the fun time I had been hoping for.

When we were finished eating, we took our dishes to the sink where Mom was preparing to clean up. I passed Gina washing dishes at another of the sinks. She gave me a smile that almost made me drop my plate.

"I have to do the dishes before I can go with you and Manfred. Can you wait a few minutes?"

"Sure," I told her. "We’ll wait."

I found Manfred easily enough, and we messed around at a pool table while we waited for Gina. Once she was done, we went for a walk. Sunset was a while away so it was still hot.

We were passing the end of the lake when Manfred pointed to some men fiddling with a handle.

"What are they doing?" he asked me.

He and Gina both looked to me for an explanation.

"They’re opening the drain to empty the lake."

"Why would they do that?" Gina asked.

"Tomorrow, everybody is going to help clean the lake."

Manfred and Gina looked at me as if I’d grown a third head.

"Really," I assured them.

The looks on their faces told me they still didn’t believe me.

"Are you teasing us?" Gina asked.

I shook my head. "Every year at the beginning of summer, we clean out the branches and muck on the bottom."

"You’re serious," Manfred said.

Nodding, I laughed as I added, "Last year it ended with a mud fight." Gina made a face when I said that. "Then, they close the drain and the lake fills up again overnight."

"At least we won’t have to worry about getting our clothes dirty," Gina said.

We laughed. From there we strolled around the lake before heading back up the hill. Gina couldn’t stay out much past sunset. Her older sister was already looking for her before we got to the clubhouse. Gina told us goodbye and headed up the hill to her family’s cabin. Manfred and I played pool for a few minutes until our mothers showed up to herd us to our rooms for the night.

That night, I couldn’t fall asleep right away. I thought about all that had happened that day. Mostly, I thought about Gina. When I thought about her, I was nervous. I knew I liked her but how did she feel about me? I was too shy to tell her that, of course, but I really liked spending time with her. She was pretty and she was fun to be with. She wasn’t a tomboy. On the contrary, she was definitely "all girl." Still, she liked doing fun things that I thought most girls wouldn’t even consider. I wondered if she was thinking about me at that moment.

I couldn’t just fall asleep, not with Gina on my mind. I knew there was only one thing that was going to take care of my problem but there wasn’t any privacy in the room. I tried to casually roll over so I was facing the other bed but I had to do it stomach down to conceal my burgeoning erection. When I was facing my parents, I studied them through squinted eyes to try to see if they were sleeping. The whole time I was very much aware of my erection pressed between my stomach and the bed. When my parents didn’t move for a few minutes, I figured it was safe to slip away to the bathroom. I climbed down as quietly as I could, all the while trying in the dark to keep from making a sound and making someone wake up. If Erin woke up at that moment and saw me with a hardon, I would positively die of embarrassment. That would be it. I’d never see the sun again. I’d be dead long before morning.

As it turned out, everybody was fast asleep. I crept to the bathroom, my problem erection leading the way. I didn’t even breathe until I was safely inside the bathroom. Even with the door closed, I didn’t turn on the light because I didn’t want to risk waking anyone. With the moonlight filtering through the tiny window, I was able to locate the roll of toilet paper.

It only took a minute or two of thinking about Gina while I stroked myself. When I came, I was imagining that I was lying on top of her as we kissed. That did it. Though I was a virgin, I had a pretty vivid imagination about what sex would feel like. The entire time I was so deep in fantasy that I forgot to worry about someone walking into the bathroom and catching me. I didn’t panic until I was finished and realized I had never thought to lock the door. My thoughts were focused on my need to cum instead.

I cleaned up and flushed away the evidence. By the time I was ready to open the door, my erection was completely gone so I could head back to bed. No one stirred as I passed through the room. I was relieved that I didn’t have to come up with a lie to cover what I had really been doing in the bathroom. With my nocturnal mission accomplished, I finally rolled over, thinking happy thoughts of Gina until I fell asleep.

The next morning, I was the first one to wake up. I didn’t really care if I woke Erin, but I tried to be considerate of my parents as I climbed down the ladder. When I came out of the bathroom, I heard my mother sleepily call my name.

"Morning, Mom," I answered.

"Do you want me to come fix you breakfast, honey?"

"No, I’ll get some cereal. I’m fine."

"You’re being so grown up today. I’ll be down to the clubhouse soon. Don’t forget, you’re helping your dad at the lake today."

The truth is that I was anxious to meet up with Gina and Manfred. I remembered to be careful about closing the screen door so it didn’t slam.

It was a beautiful morning with just a few clouds dotting the sky like cotton balls. With such a clear sky, the day promised to be hot and humid. The delicate early morning forest sounds were like strains of a distant song with the camp otherwise silent that early.

As I crossed the sandy road, I saw Gina coming down the hill. She waved when she recognized me. Instantly I felt my pulse quicken and my stomach tighten. I was excited, nervous and happy—all at once. I hoped I wasn’t grinning like an idiot while I waited for her to join me. As I waited, though, I took the opportunity to admire her body.

She was pretty, there was no doubt about that, but in my shyness I knew I’d have to keep that secret to myself. For now, I’d settle for just spending time with her. She greeted me with the prettiest and brightest smile I’d ever seen.

When she reached where I was standing, admiring her, she greeted me with, "Good morning."

I felt my insides squirm when I heard her speak. I had to swallow before I could answer.

"Hi. Want to have breakfast together?" I nervously asked her. I hoped it wasn’t too obvious that I had a crush on her.

"Sure. What are you cooking?" she asked with a laugh.

"I was thinking about cereal."

"That sounds nice." Her voice was so sweet. Then, she swept me back to reality. "Have you seen Manfred yet?"

Who cares? "Nah. He’s probably still sleeping. The camp is usually quiet early in the morning, except today might be different. We want to get started before it gets too hot."

"Get started doing what?" she asked.

"You know, cleaning the lake."

"Oh, yeah."

I opened the screen door and held it for her, like my father had taught me.

"Thank you," she said.

I followed her inside, enjoying the view.

I put together two bowls of my usual Fruit Loops, found some spoons, and carried everything to the table Gina had selected. I sat across from her instead of next to her so I could look at her. I think she figured that out because she blushed a little when she caught me.

"I can’t eat when someone is staring at me," she said with an embarrassed giggle.

"Sorry," I said, my face heating as I suddenly focused on my cereal.

"Just don’t be so obvious about it, all right?"

I smiled shyly, feeling like my mother had caught my hand in the cookie jar. I didn’t want to scare Gina off; I wanted her to hang out with me.

"So where did you get such a great tan?" I asked her.

"It’s because my mother is Indian," she explained. When she saw the surprise on my face, she continued. "British Indian."

I was trying to figure out how to stare at her without her realizing I was doing it when—

With a squeak of the long spring, the screen door opened and closed. Then I heard Manfred’s voice. "So that’s where you two are."

So much for a little time alone with Gina, I thought sourly.

Manfred went behind the counter and dug in his family’s basket until he found something to eat. He joined us at the table and I cursed myself for sitting across from Gina. That meant Manfred had no choice but to sit between us, next to her.

He didn’t seem to realize what was going on between us. He was silly and boisterous, anxious to enjoy his first full day of vacation. Gina joined in and I tried to hide my disappointment.

After breakfast, I enjoyed stealing glances at Gina as we cleaned up the dishes. When we were done we walked down to the lake. After draining all night, it was now just a big hole in the ground, a narrow stream of water running along the deepest part. The flow disappeared into the drain opening, making a small sound. The raft was sitting on the bottom, looking like a sleeping animal.

"It looks so different today," Gina said.

Behind us, I heard the sound of metal banging together. I looked up the hill and saw some men pushing wheelbarrows full of rakes and shovels. People were drifting down in small groups.

No one really liked the annual chore, but everybody doing it together made it almost kind of fun, and we knew we’d be mostly done by lunch. Aunt Susan showed up, wearing bikini bottoms like some of the other women.

Indicating Gina and me with his hand, Manfred said, "At least you two won’t get in trouble for getting your clothes muddy," repeating Gina’s comment from the day before. I heard a few of the grown-ups chuckle.

My dad arrived and took charge of getting everybody organized. The men slopped off into the lake bottom to carry off the bigger pieces of winter debris, small logs and larger tree limbs. Some of the women were using rakes and shovels to pile up the muck. Others filled wheelbarrows with the muck and dumped it away from the lake. The kids, like us, were delegated to picking up the countless twigs off the bottom.

The lake had a sandy bottom for the most part, but the deep part under the big tree was muddy. It wasn’t very hard work, but it was dirty. Gina worked as hard as Manfred and I did.

At first, I tried to pick up the sticks in her path to save her the work. She saw what I was doing and just changed direction, thwarting my efforts. When she came to a big branch, I offered to help her carry it. She carried her end of the burden, showing me she wasn’t just there for moral support or because her parents said she had to help. She was helping out as much as anyone else. She didn’t beg off because she was a girl and she didn’t go help some of the mothers with preparing lunch. She spent the morning down in the muck with us. If I had been in her position, I’m not so sure I would have done what she did. I saw more in her after that. I gained a lot of respect for her that day.

I also enjoyed watching her out of the corner of my eye. It was because I liked looking at her, not just because she was a girl. Before meeting her, I enjoyed watching all the pretty teenage girls. After meeting her, I was watching only Gina.

By lunchtime, we were almost finished and we were very muddy. Some of the women had gone up to the clubhouse earlier to put together sandwiches and drinks for lunch. When my dad announced lunch, everybody headed up to the clubhouse. It was a slow walk. The heat and fatigue were wearing us down. People lined up to use the hose, or the shower on the other side of the clubhouse, to rinse off before going inside. Streams of muddy water ran off the deck and into the sand. The three of us waited our turn for the hose.

When we were next, I offered to hold the hose up like a shower for Gina. She rewarded me with a smile.

"Thanks. I want to rinse my hair, too," she said.

I stood there like a butler, holding the hose for her. It was self-serving. I had an excellent excuse to watch her naked body up close as she cleaned up. I was so preoccupied that I didn’t realize it when she finished. I was still staring when she took the hose out of my hand. She spoke up when she saw the confused look on my face.

"I’ll hold it for you, now," she explained.

"Oh, yeah. Right." Then, a moment later, "Um, thanks."

Standing under the stream of cold water, I saw her shake her head as she muttered, "What a goof."

When I was done, Gina handed the hose to Manfred and stepped aside.

Speaking in a high pitched tone, Manfred asked, "Paul, hold the shower for me, please?"

I turned to him and playfully scowled. I helped my friend, though. Once we were all done, Gina led the way into the clubhouse.

Our mothers also made us scrub our hands before we got to eat. Like at breakfast, the three of us shared a table. Gina pointed out her younger sister, Leah, who was sitting with Erin. They were chatting animatedly, laughing and motioning with their free hands as they ate sandwiches. Gina’s older sister was flirting with some of the older guys, including Susan’s sons.

I was hungry after all that work. Manfred looked to be in the same state. Gina ate more than I thought a girl would, but she didn’t wolf down her food like we did. She ate like a girl, I guess. I tried once again to watch her without her noticing. Manfred’s comment outside told me he knew what I was up to, so I also had to hide my true intentions from him.

I was having a hard time watching Gina and not letting either of them see what I was doing. I was playing a game where the reward was being able to watch Gina. Her delicate features were a wonder to behold – the way she held her sandwich and took dainty bites, how the smooth skin of her neck moved when she swallowed. Her hair was still damp but it bobbed as she moved.

As we ate, we caught up with our hunger and slowed down enough to talk. We had to talk over the general murmur (punctuated with occasional laughter) that filled the room. Manfred was talking about what we could do after we finished at the lake. Gina was open to just about anything and I was trying to act like I was keeping up with the discussion as I stole surreptitious glances at her.

I finally realized that I could watch Gina better if I actually took part in the conversation, especially if I was talking to her. I didn’t want to ignore Manfred and make him feel left out but at the same time I wanted Gina to pay attention to me. Manfred caught on to what I was up to and let me know it.

He started picking up on my questions and interjecting some of his own. Every time I asked a question, he jumped in with things like, "So, Gina, why do you think Paul is so interested in whether you like to watch football?" or, "I was wondering the same thing just this morning. How long have you had short hair?" He was starting to aggravate me so I tried asking him about the music he liked. He didn’t let me off the hook, though. He responded with, "Rather than talk about who is my favorite group, let’s hear who Gina likes best."

At first I ignored his attempts as I tried ever harder to engage Gina in conversation with me. I started to suspect something was up when a tiny smirk appeared at the corners of her mouth. When I finally caught on to what Manfred was doing, it must have showed on my face. Gina and Manfred couldn’t hold back the pent-up laughter any longer. I blushed so hard that my face must have glowed from the heat. To her credit, Gina didn’t act bothered—just amused at my antics.

I wanted to crawl under the table. I thought about that image for a moment. Now that would be interesting, watching Gina from down there, I thought. I killed the idea just in time before my hormone fueled penis reared its head. If I hadn’t, I’m sure Manfred would have found a way to work that into the conversation.

After lunch, we rested a little while before everyone went back down to the lake. Looking down from the hill, it was obvious how much we had accomplished in the morning. Manfred, Gina and I worked together again. At one point, Manfred looked up towards the feeder lake and pointed out a girl who was off picking up sticks all by herself.

"Hey, who is that? She’s a goddess," he said.

I looked where Manfred was pointing and added, "Yeah, what a fox."

"Forget it, boys," Gina said with authority. "She is definitely out of your league, and she’s older." Then, she added, "But she’s pretty. Too bad she keeps to herself."

You could hear the smile in her voice when she said it, though. I hoped that girl couldn’t hear what we were saying about her. She was pretty—too pretty for a shy pudgy guy like me. I might have a chance with Gina. I could at least get her to talk to me. The goddess would never be interested in someone like me.

I quickly forgot about the goddess and concentrated on Gina. I tried to stay close to her and help her every chance I could. Being around her made me feel like my insides were churning. I was happy but also worried that it was obvious how I felt. I wanted to be around her more than anything, but I can’t really say it was a comfortable feeling. It did feel very good, though.

We finished the job in a couple more hours. When we were done, someone got the bright idea to start a fight with what remained of the muck. Before long, everyone was involved. We were throwing it at each other and generally making a mess. We were all laughing and screaming and having a great time.

Once I was covered and slippery, I wanted to grab Gina and get her just as muddy as I was, but I was far too shy to do what I was thinking. I settled for grabbing a clump of the slimy silt and chasing her, finally throwing it at her as she squealed. When things calmed down, we again trudged up to the clubhouse to clean up and cool off.

Later that afternoon, the three of us were sitting in the shade of the big tree, watching a few men closing the drain.

Gina spoke up. "I never thought I’d enjoy hanging out with a couple of guys, but this is nice."

"Yeah," Manfred said, "we’re not that bad when you get to know us."

"That’s not what I mean," Gina tried to explain, punching Manfred lightly in the arm. "You care about me, that I’m a girl and I don’t always like to do the same things. We’re friends, the three of us."

Manfred thought about that a minute, then said, "The Three Musketeers."

"Huh?" Gina asked. I just looked at him.

"We’re like The Three Musketeers," he explained. Pointing to me, "Athos," then to himself, "Porthos" and finally to Gina, "Aramis."

I knew who The Three Musketeers were, of course, but apparently not as well as he did. At that age I was reading mostly science fiction. I thought for a moment about what he said.

"You mean we stick together?" I asked.

"Exactly. We do things together. Maybe we’ll have great adventures together."

We laughed about that but I was wondering what the future might hold for us. I had found new friends in Gina and Manfred, replacing the friends from the summer before.

The water was beginning to pool up around the drain. We walked back into the lake and played in the cool stream of water at the spillway, enjoying the respite from the heat.

That night, as I lay in bed staring at the ceiling, I thought once again of Gina. Sure, I had found other girls pretty and enjoyed looking at them. She was the first girl who was also fun to be around. I liked her a lot, in a different way than I had liked other girls. I was still too shy to tell her that, though.

I feared that Manfred liked her, too. Which one of us would she pick if she had to choose?

I rolled over and tried to make myself dream of Gina. It wasn’t going to work that night, either. In the dark, alone with my naughty thoughts of her, there was no way I was going to just fall asleep. I hoped I could satisfy my urges in my thoughts but there was no way that was going to work. I didn’t want to sneak into the bathroom again because if I did that every night, my parents would eventually notice and figure out what I was up to. I turned to face the wall and stroked my erection. I was going to stop just in time, but the thought of kissing a naked Gina popped into my head at the wrong moment and I had a sticky mess to clean up. It was everything I could do to catch most of my cum in my hand.

There was nothing to wipe it up with. I was going to have to sneak to the bathroom again. I climbed down the ladder with one hand, my other hand holding what remained of my orgasm. I made it to the bathroom without anyone hearing me and flushed away the evidence. Relieved that I had escaped detection once again, I opened the door and flipped off the light switch.

"Paul? Are you okay?"

It was my mom’s voice.

"I’m fine. I… I was just going to the bathroom," I said, my heart beating wildly.

"Goodnight, sweetpea."

I heard her turn over as I padded to the ladder and climbed up to my bed. I stared at the ceiling in the darkness, trying to get my panicked breathing under control as I wondered if she figured out what I was really doing.

I wanted to wake up early and meet Gina for a private breakfast like the previous morning. When I opened my eyes, the sun seemed brighter than usual. I heard my mom’s voice.

"Good morning, sleepyhead. You must have been really tired after yesterday."

"How late is it?" I asked, fearing the answer.

"About nine o’clock," she said. "It’s okay, though. You don’t have anywhere to go today."

I quickly got out of bed and got ready to head out in record time. Mom watched me with amusement, but didn’t say anything. I raced out, screen door slamming behind me. I practically flew into the clubhouse, but it was empty. I had missed Gina.

I ran down the hill to the lake, the whole way cursing myself for sleeping so late. As I neared the lake, I saw a scene that made my heart sink. Gina was already there, sitting under the big tree. With Manfred.

She saw me and gave me one of her lovely smiles as I jogged up. "We were wondering when you’d show up," she said. Her next words made my heart sink even further. "We thought you’d join us for breakfast."

Us? Manfred had breakfast with her instead of me. I vowed to be an early-riser every day for the rest of my life.

"I’m sorry," I told her. I spoke directly to her though I didn’t really mean to ignore Manfred. He was my friend and all, but he wasn’t Gina. I was looking deeply into her dark eyes as I joined my friends in the shade. "I guess I overslept, after yesterday…"

Gina put her hand on my arm. I didn’t mean to, but I sighed out loud at her touch. She smiled sweetly. "That’s all right. I knew you’d find us when you got up. I saw your dad in the clubhouse and he told me you were still sleeping."

"Yeah, little man. Was a little hard work too much for you?" Manfred said it with the sound of a grin in his voice.

My first thought was that Manfred had stolen my breakfast with Gina. Their behavior showed that they were—that Gina was—really waiting for me. I sat with them, making a point to sit closer to Gina on the soft grass. She looked like she enjoyed that. I was glad to see it, but I still intended to never sleep late again. I calmed down and felt foolish for worrying that Manfred was stealing the girl I liked. In reality, Gina wasn’t anyone’s girlfriend. I still had a chance. She might look for someone better than me but then again she might find something special to like in me.

A few days later, Gina didn’t show up for breakfast. Manfred and I had cereal while I kept glancing nervously at the screen door behind him. Finally, he spoke up.

"Don’t worry, little man. She’ll show."

"What do you mean?" I said, trying—unsuccessfully—to sound lighthearted.

Manfred smiled. He wasn’t making fun of me. He wasn’t trying to steal the girl I liked. He was being nice.

"It’s a small camp. Where can she go?"

I nodded, grateful that he didn’t use the opportunity to tease me.

Gina didn’t show up until about an hour later. Manfred and I were batting the volleyball around when she came out onto the porch. She looked different. Something wasn’t the same. I finally figured out it was because she was wearing a bikini bottom.

When Gina saw me staring at her bottoms, she looked really uncomfortable. She bit her lip and it almost looked like she was thinking about walking away. I wanted to ask why, but I figured that she would tell me if she wanted to. I tried to think of a way to save the situation, a way to make her feel comfortable. I remembered how much she liked to swim.

"Hey, let’s go swimming," I said.

I saw the look on her face change. At first I thought she was angry. Then it looked like she was more sad than angry, or just not feeling well. I figured out she must be sick. She looked toward the lake, then scrunched up her nose at me and shook her head.

"Or maybe, we could toss the Frisbee around," I suggested.

That seemed to brighten her mood. "Yeah, that sounds nice."

"I’ll go get it," I said.

As I walked off, I heard Manfred behind me.

"Swimming would be cooler."

I didn’t even turn around. When I got back with the Frisbee, the three of us threw it around. After a little while Gina looked like she had an upset stomach. She found some shade and watched Manfred and me. I was trying to show off for her and she just laughed at me.

During the rest of the month I spent every day with Gina and Manfred. We explored the woods right around the camp, we played volleyball and Frisbee, we went swimming and we simply lounged on the raft. Gina was the best of two worlds: she was a girl who also liked doing the things boys liked doing, and she was fun to be with. I felt lucky that she was my friend.

The end of our time at camp finally arrived. Our time together seemed to have flown by. Gina’s family left first, on Friday. Manfred’s family was leaving on Sunday and my family planned to drive home on Tuesday. Manfred and I met up with her at the clubhouse one last time before her family drove out. I thought it looked funny seeing her wearing clothes for the first time. When I looked at Gina, I knew what she looked like under those clothes. I knew I’d be thinking of her a lot over the school year.

We talked as her parents said their goodbyes. Gina hugged each of us just before she left. I relished the feeling of holding her, the smell of her hair, the softness of her cheek against mine. That was the first time we hugged, and I wished I was wearing clothes at the time. I had to concentrate really hard on sports so I didn’t get an erection. I hoped she couldn’t feel my dick stiffen a little.

Would she still remember me next summer? Would she meet someone else—a boyfriend—and forget me?

"Be sweet, Paul. See you next summer," she said, which made my heart race.

"Um… yeah… see you next year." I took a deep breath, swallowed, and found my mouth still dry. Then I threw caution to the wind and took a chance. "I had fun with you."

She started to smile.

"You’re not like other girls," I continued.

She looked concerned when I said that.

"I mean, you’re better than that." This wasn’t going as well as I had hoped. "What I mean is…"

I took another deep breath, looked into those lovely dark eyes I had been admiring all summer and spoke from my heart.

"You’re one of a kind, Gina Coulter."

Right away, I knew I had said too much. Gina, however, just smiled.

"We’ll always be friends, Paul," Gina told me.

Long after she had driven off, I was still reliving the feel of her hugging me.

After Gina was gone from sight, Manfred clapped me on the back and said, "She’ll be back next summer, little man."

We didn’t say much more than that. We walked down the hill and spent the rest of the day in the lake. We had become good friends over the last month and he knew how I felt about Gina. I never came out and said it, but he knew.

Two days later I said goodbye to my friend. Camp was really empty without Manfred and Gina. There wasn’t much fun in being there without them. When Tuesday came, I was glad to be going home.

During the drive home, I kept remembering the feeling of Gina’s body against mine when we hugged. That thought kept me happy (and sad) all the way back home.

I had run out of things to say. My eyes were far away, and I lingered in that other place for a last moment, quiet and calm. Then I looked to Gina, suddenly aware that her hand was on my arm.

She smiled and her eyes turned misty. "I never knew," she said softly. "I mean, I didn’t know you felt that way about me that first summer."

She tilted her head up for a kiss, and just before my lips met hers, I saw Shannon elbow Scott in the ribs.

"Why don’t you ever talk like that about me?" she asked him.

I wanted to smile, to laugh, at my friend’s predicament but I didn’t want to spoil the moment with Gina. The expression on her face betrayed what I knew she was feeling in her heart. Our lips met and the feel of kissing her, here by the pool and nude, made me think ahead to later that summer when we would be at The Pines, together and naked.

The End