For Even A Night ❉ Newsies

Summer Camp

The last place Katherine Pulitzer wanted to go at 13 years old was to a summer camp.  Not in a proper snooty way, no, she just didn't want to be away from her family.

"Please don't make me! Please please don't make me go!" She pleaded from the backseat of the car.

"Your suitcase is packed.  You are going." Her father said, hands gripping the steering wheel.

"Lucy doesn't have to go!" Katherine said, pointing to her older sister who sat next to her with headphones in, her blonde curls bouncing as she bobbed her head.

"Because Lucy is busy all summer long." Her mother said, "She's doing lots of volunteer work as well as keeping up with piano and ballet."

"So why can't I stay?"

"Because you need something to do." Pulitzer said, "We won't be home to take care of you as much and we aren't leaving you alone.  Besides, Darcy will be here.  You're going and that's final."

Katherine slumped down in her seat and rest her chin in her palm against the window; looking out around at the wooded area they drove through.

"This sucks." She muttered.

"Language." Her mother reminded her gently.

They pulled up to the front of the camp and Katherine got out of the car, looking up at the main camp building.  Her father got out and grabbed Katherine's pink duffle bag from the trunk before handing it to her.

"You're going to be just fine Katherine." He said, putting a hand on her shoulder and giving her a kiss on the head.

Katherine nodded, wiping her nose against her sleeve as she tried not to start crying.

"We'll see you in a few weeks."

Katherine nodded again before beginning the walk to the building, her family's car slowly going out of sight as they drove off.

She sighed and dropped her bag in the grass before sitting beside it, brushing her hair out of her face.

Two boys came sprinting by.

"Edward Higgins, give that back!" A boy with black hair yelled chasing a blonde boy across the grass.

"Yous want it? Come get it!" The blonde boy yelled.

The two ran by, leaping over Katherine's outstretched legs.  Well, the blonde did.  The other one tripped right over Katherine, landing face first in the grass as the blonde one just kept running.  Katherine quickly scrambled to stand up.

"I'm so sorry!" She said quickly.

The boy pushed himself up off the ground and began brushing grass off his shirt.

"It's fine." He said, shaking some grass from his hair, "I guess I should be watchin' where I'm running."

"I guess I should be watching where I'm sitting." Katherine smiled.

"The name's Jack Kelly." The boy said, extending his hand to her.

"Katherine." She said, shaking his hand.

"You comin' here fo' the summer?" Jack asked.

Katherine sighed, picking up her bag, "Yeah, sadly.  I've never really been away from my family." She shrugged.

"You'll do fine." Jack said, patting her shoulder, "We should all go check in.  I gotta find Race and get my hat back.  He likes it 'cause it says Brooklyn on it."

Katherine smiled and followed him up to the building, chatting the entire way.

•••

By the time everyone was checked in and settled in their cabins it was later in the day.  Katherine was rooming with a girl named Clara, a girl who went by the nickname Smalls, and a few others she couldn't remember the name of.