Part 7 (2/2)

Ugh!!

P.S.S. To answer your question about your name.

Why would you go by your full name just because it's high school?

You said you always hated your full name.

Love, Beth ~~.

Dear Beth, 7/25/81.

I was glad to hear from you. I was getting worried. This Casey sounds kind of like trouble. She can get you both in so much hot water if she's not careful. She is the counselor! Be careful, Beth. Why on earth would she take her clothes off in front of you?

Scott Mathews finally asked Darla out. She was so excited. She set me up with one of his friends, Seth Lewis. I think it's kind of ironic that his name and yours rhyme.

Anyway, I am so glad that you'll be back in a month.

How is the acting going? I miss you.

P.S. Yeah, I do hate my full name, but it sounds a lot more grown up than Emmy. Don't you think?

Love, Emily Thomas ~~.

Dear Em, August 1, 1981 Hey. Wow. Casey went on a trip with some of the other counselors to a town called Cropville, (no kidding!), which is only about ten miles away from camp. She bought me this really beautiful bracelet. I'm laying here on my bunk right now looking at it.

It's silver, (I told her how much I like silver) and it has a bunch of charms on it. Like this one is a heart, this one is a happy face, and this one is a sad face.

She was tying to get as close to the comedy/tragedy faces of drama as she could. Isn't that sweet?

We've snuck out every night for the last two weeks.

It's been amazing. We almost got caught last night. It was pretty close.

Better go. Miss you.

Don't grow up too fast, Em.

Beth ~~.

Dear Beth, 8/5/81.

What are you doing, Beth? Are you crazy? You are going to get into so much trouble! What is it with this girl? What are you doing that is 'so amazing'? What, does she let you lay on top of her, too? Do you two kiss, and do other stuff, too?

Emily ~~.

Dear Beth, 8/7/81.

Hi. I'm sorry.

I had no right to say that, Beth. Please forgive me? How is camp going? Have you written anything else, lately? I miss you a lot.

Love, (if you can) Emily Thomas ~~.

Dear Beth, 8/12/81.

Are you ever going to write back to me? Where are you? What is going on? Do you still see Casey? Talk to me, Beth. Please?

I broke up with Seth. He wanted to kiss me. I thought he was just way too much of a dork.

It's been really hot. Billy is going to be able to come home for Christmas. We just found out.

Have you written your mother yet?

I miss you, Beth.

Love, Emily Jane Thomas ~~.

Dear Beth, 8/15/81.

Emily Jane Thomas ~~.

Dear Emily, August 20, 1981 h.e.l.lo. Camp is good. They made Casey leave. She left yesterday. b.a.s.t.a.r.ds.

I should be coming home in about a week. Probably around the time you get this.

I hope you're doing good. See you soon.

Beth ~~.

I stared at the short letter in my hand. I wasn't sure what to think. Was she mad at me for letting my mouth get away from me yet again? Why did her friend have to leave camp? I had so many questions and thoughts running through my brain it made my head hurt.

I sat down on my bed and stared out my window. I re-read the letter again before I tossed it on the comforter beside me. Grabbing my teddy, Ruffles and holding him to me, I laid back against the pillows. My teddy always comforted me. I looked at the pile of envelopes I had stacked on my dresser. All of Beth's letter's from over the summer. It had been so exciting to come home from some place, and see the newly arrived letter waiting for me to tear open and read. Beth's large, sloppy writing called to me. I smiled as I realized her scrawl was as carefree as she who penned it. The smile disappeared when that new girl, Casey entered my thoughts. Was she Beth's new best friend? It sounded that way to me. I sighed as I finally admitted to myself that I was jealous of this counselor. Why did Beth like her so much? Was it because she was older? Was she prettier than me? I rolled my eyes at this last thought. Who cared what she looked like? Blonde with big, brown eyes. Sounds ugly to me.

I rolled over on my side, taking Ruffles with me. Staring at my closet door with the poster of Olivia Newton-John on it I sighed. Olivia had blond hair, but she had beautiful blue eyes. Not dorky brown like Casey. Her glossy lips smiled at me, her over-sized s.h.i.+rt leaving her bronze shoulder exposed, her short hair swept back from her face with a headband. I smiled back at her. I wished that someday I would be beautiful like that. Suddenly needing to hear the soft voice of the G.o.ddess, Olivia, I rolled off the bed to my stereo and put on my record of the soundtrack to Grease!. I smiled as I heard Olivia sing 'You're the One That I Want' with John Travolta. I closed my eyes with a smile as the pianist began to pound out the blusey beat.

”I got chills, they're multiplyin',” I sang as I danced around my small room with Ruffles in my arms. I started as my bedroom door slammed open, my aunt Kitty leaning against it with her eyes closed as she sang along with me.

”You better shape up, 'cause I need a man.....'” I giggled as she came into the room and grabbed my hands and swung me around.

”You're the one that I want, oh oh oh. Honey. The one that I want, oh oh oh. Honey. The one that I want, oh oh oh. The one I need, oh yes indeed!'”

The song came to an end, and we both collapsed on my bed out of breath. We turned to look at each other, finally exploding in a fit of giggles.

”You're so silly, Aunt Kitty.” I laughed.

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