That’s why love stories don’t have endings! They don’t have endings because love doesn’t end.
—Richard Bach, The Bridge Across Forever: A True Love Story

Friday, May 29, 5:45 p.m.
Going to walk Gilligan

I still haven’t decided what to do about going back to camp. Ever since I talked to Brynn, her proposal has been the main thing on my mind.

I’m torn. Part of me would like to go back to camp, especially since Leo will be gone, but part of me is having a hard time believing it’s a good idea. Brynn and I spent the last five months not speaking. It seems weird to think everything that happened will be forgotten and we’ll pick up where we left off. Or maybe we’ll start something new. But there’s still the issue of Brynn, Billy, and me all being together. I’m just not sure how that’s going to work. And Mom is counting on me to help her at the store.

Brynn has been texting me all day asking if I have an answer. I’m going to walk Gilligan, and hopefully I’ll find one.

6:12 p.m.

I found the answer I was looking for.

I didn’t find it right away. I actually walked so far, I had to carry Gilligan home the last few blocks after he tried to lie down for a nap on the sidewalk. But as I turned the corner to my street with my dog in my arms, I figured out how I want to handle things.

There are two conversations I need to have. The first one is with Mom. I think she’ll understand what I want to do, so that conversation shouldn’t be too hard.

The second one is going to be a whole lot harder.

Saturday, May 30, 3:35 p.m.
Bike ride with Billy and Brynn

This morning, I texted Brynn and Billy to see if they wanted to go on a bike ride. What I didn’t do was tell either of them that the other person was coming. I just said I had a surprise and to meet me at Mr. Agee’s farm where we always stop for snacks.

Billy was the first to get there, but Brynn wasn’t far behind. As she pedaled up to meet us, she looked suspicious.

And so did Billy. “What’s going on?” he asked as Brynn got nearer.

It was a fair question. Billy and Brynn hadn’t spoken to each other since January, and I hadn’t told Billy about Brynn’s apology. When Brynn got to where we were, they both looked at me like I had some explaining to do.

I motioned to the fence where we always sit and talk. “It’s time for some honesty,” I said once everyone was situated.

I looked at Billy. “Brynn and I talked. We kind of made up.” Brynn and I smiled at each other. “Actually, we did make up,” I added.

“Wow!” said Billy.

“Brynn wants us to go back to camp,” I told him.

“Huh?” Billy looked shocked by what I’d said.

“Brynn’s mom called the camp, and there’s room for both of us to go.” I looked at Brynn. “I want to go,” I said.

“You do?” asked Brynn. I think if she hadn’t been sitting on a rickety old fence she would have hugged me.

I held up my hand like I wasn’t done talking. “But there’s a condition. I only want to go to camp if all three of us are friends.”

Billy and Brynn looked uncomfortable as I kept talking. “I think the problems between the three of us started when Billy and I started going out. Then they got a lot worse when we broke up and you two started going out.”

“I’m the common denominator,” Billy said. It was easy to see he was embarrassed by his role in the demise of our friendship. “I know it was messed up that I went out with both of you.” He looked down and picked at a piece of rotting wood. “Sorry about that,” he said.

Brynn nodded like she accepted his apology, and looked at Billy as she spoke. “I’m sorry too. I was pretty upset when we broke up.”

She stopped talking, and her gaze shifted to me. She looked like she wasn’t sure what else to say to Billy, and I couldn’t blame her. Who wants to be stuck on a fence talking to a boy about how you felt when he broke up with you?

If Brynn and I were going to be friends again, now was a good time to start.

“The past is history. The future is a mystery. All we have is the present,” I said. I knew I sounded ridiculous, but Billy and Brynn both laughed.

“You sound like one of your quotes,” said Billy. He’d spent plenty of time over the years looking through the box in my room where I kept my collection of sayings that I liked, and this one was one of my favorites.

“We can’t change what happened, but we should try to make a fresh start. I think camp would be the perfect place to do it, but we have to have a friends-only rule.” My voice was all business, which I guess is why Billy started laughing.

“I’ve already learned my lesson the hard way,” he said. “It won’t be a problem.”

Brynn nodded. “I agree completely. But I think there’s something we’re forgetting.” She looked at me. “Did you talk to your mom?”

“Check,” I said.

“Reschedule Driver’s Ed?”

“Check to that too.”

Brynn grinned. “You’re going back to camp! It’s official!”

“Almost,” I said. I hopped down off the fence and opened my backpack. Brynn had always been the one that brought snacks, but today, I had come prepared. I brought out popcorn, mini Reese’s, and lemonade—our snacks of choice since we became friends in third grade. I filled paper cups with lemonade and handed them to Brynn and Billy.

“Camp Silver Shores, here we come,” I said as we clinked our cups together.

11:15 p.m.In bed
Feeling proud
And happy

I feel really good about today. In the past, whenever Brynn, Billy, and I have had an issue, Billy was always the diplomat. But today, I’m proud to say I played that role. It was pretty obvious we all want to rekindle our friendship. Everyone knows we can’t push the redo button or be the Three Musketeers the way we used to be. We’ll be something different, but hopefully good.

One thing is for sure: we’re going to figure it out this summer.

Sunday, May 31, 10:44 p.m.
Leo’s last night in Faraway

Leo leaves for Costa Rica in the morning, so tonight, we hung out. We went to the mall, ate Middle Eastern food, and talked for a long time about the summer ahead. We’re both excited about what we’ll be doing. When we got back to my house, I was ready to say good-bye, but Leo had a surprise for me.

He reached into the mailbox, pulled out a small paper bag, and handed it to me. “Look inside,” he said.

“Does it bite?” I asked teasingly as I slowly opened the bag and pulled out a box of stationery.

“You can write letters to me while I’m gone,” said Leo.

I frowned. Leo is usually so thoughtful. “Isn’t this kind of a selfish gift?”

“Nope,” he said. “It’s not selfish at all since I bought an identical box for myself.” Leo grinned. “April Elizabeth Sinclair, will you be my pen pal?”

I bit my lip. The way he asked was so cute and sweet. “I’d love to be your pen pal.”

Then Leo leaned over and gave me a long kiss good-bye. “It will be fun to be pen pals,” said Leo when we were done. “But not nearly as much fun as when we’re both back home and get to spend the rest of the summer together.”

“Agreed,” I said as I reached up and kissed him again.

When Leo left, I wasn’t sure what to do with myself, so I did something I hadn’t done in a long time. I called Brynn.

At first, Brynn was pretty quiet. It had been so long since we’d had a normal conversation, I thought maybe she was worried about saying the wrong thing.

“April,” she said, then hesitated. I wondered if she was going to thank me for calling (which would have been weird) or get emotional (which would have been even weirder). But she didn’t do either. “Do you want to go to the mall tomorrow and get stuff for camp?” she asked.

“Sure,” I said. I had to give Brynn credit for knowing me well. It was exactly what I wanted to do.

Thursday, June 4, 9:32 p.m.
Happy birthday, June!

Tonight my whole family went to the diner to celebrate June’s birthday. It was the first dinner we’ve all had together since Sophie and Emma left, and it made me miss them and Gaga more than ever. Especially after dinner, when we went around the table and everyone made birthday toasts to June. I kept thinking about what Gaga would have said and how much Sophie would have loved being there.

Even though I was sad as I thought about them, I was excited too. I knew June would love what I had to say.

“June, I have two presents for you,” I said when it was my turn. The first one I got at the mall with Brynn. When we saw it, we both knew it would be perfect for my little sister.

“I love it!” June said as she ripped open the I LUV CAMP T-shirt I’d wrapped in blue tissue paper. When she was done, I gave her the other gift I’d wrapped this afternoon. “Open this one carefully.”

“It’s water in a jar,” said June when she peeled the paper away. She looked confused.

“Do you know what kind of water it is?” I asked.

“I do!” screamed May. She’d seen that jar in my room plenty of times and she knew exactly what it was—the lake water Billy had brought home from camp for me the summer I didn’t get to go.

I couldn’t help but smile as I explained to June what she was looking at. “It’s Silver Shores lake water, and I’m giving it to you because I don’t need it anymore. Since I’ll be at camp this summer, I can get all the lake water I want.”

It didn’t take June more than a few seconds to comprehend what I was saying.

“You’re going to camp!” she screamed.

“Yep!” I nodded. I smiled at Mom and Dad. They’d made good on their promise to keep my secret so I could tell June on her birthday.

Even though it wasn’t May’s birthday, she looked just as happy as June. They both flew out of their chairs and gave me a huge hug. “I’m ecstatic!” said June.

“That’s a big word,” I said as she clung tight to me.

“I’m excited too!” said May.

I wasn’t sure if she was saying it because she wanted us to know she was excited, or because she wanted to make sure anyone who was listening knew she understood the meaning of the word ecstatic.

Either way, I think it describes how we all feel. My sisters can’t wait to go to camp and neither can I.