As I Am by AnnaLisa Grant

easily for once.
    “Hey! I’ve barely seen you two all day!” Bridget says.
    “Yeah, Bridget was just recapping last year’s beer commercial for Miller here. She’s thinking that in honor of him, this year’s drunken commercial will be for Miller Light!” Carrie laughs.
    “Light? Really? I know I’m new around here, but c’mon … light?” Miller laughs. Look who came out of his shell! I’m actually really glad that Miller seems to have bonded with our friends. Compared to Cal’s buddies, who really are kind of jerky, and a few of the other girls here, these are the best people around. I wish we all went to the same college. I missed them when we left last year, and I know I’m going to miss them again this year. Thank God for email and unlimited texting.
    “I can promise you that, light or not, Bridget’s commercial will be epic!” I laugh.
    “Well, if you say it’ll be epic, then epic it will be,” Miller says, looking straight at me with a cute smirk on his face. My connection with him is broken when Addy takes a little step and pretends to lose her balance into me. “Oh, uh, Miller, you remember my sister, Addy,” I say.
    “Yeah … hey, Addison. Kinley mentioned you today during our little adventure,” he says with a tight-lipped smile. Addy’s head jerks a little, surprised by his statement. I told her I talked to him. I didn’t tell her under what conditions I did that. I didn’t think it mattered, but it clearly bothers her that I’ve had a little “adventure” with Miller.
    “Oh, that was so sweet of her. She’s such a sweet girl. Cal seems to think so. You better go catch up with him , Kinley. He was dying to see you tonight. I think he’s got something special planned for the two of you later!” Addy says. She’s almost shoving me out of the circle and into Cal’s direction.
    “I’ll go with you,” Amy says. “I already need another drink.”
    “Right. I’ll catch you guys later then,” I say, stumbling away but being caught by Amy.
    “Later, Kinley .” Miller smiles. I just smile back at him apologetically and anticipate a tongue lashing from Addy later for not giving her every detail of my encounter with Miller.
    “Why do you let her do that?” Amy asks as we walk away.
    “Do what?”
    “You let her treat you like crap . She did it last year, too. Don’t you remember what happened with Ryan? She sent you on little reconnaissance missions to find things out about him so she could feign interest in them. It’s pathetic, Kinley!”
    Amy is nothing if not straight forward and honest. She’s a great person to have on your side. If you need someone’s ass kicked, Amy will either do it herself or find someone to do it for you. She’s just that loyal. She’s also ridiculously fun. Last year Mr. Fellows let us make a drugstore tampon run. There were a few poor girls who started their cycles for the first time at camp. That’ll be a story that will live on forever for them!
    T he drive to the drugstore was the best. Amy has stopped smoking since then, but the entire drive to the store she kept her left hand holding her cigarette out the window and with her right hand she drove, shifted gears, and changed the radio station. She’s talented like that. Then, of course, we got lost on the drive back to camp. That adventure included incorrect landmark sightings, several dead possums, and almost getting hit by a Mac truck. Good times that I wouldn’t trade for anything.
    “Thank you for your concern, and I get what you’re saying, but , Addison is my sister and despite how things can appear between us sometimes, we really do have each other’s back,” I say, locking arms with Amy. “She’ll get with Miller and I’ll spend the summer with Cal and everything will be different and better than it’s ever been.”
    “If you say so, Kinley.” Amy squeezes me closer to her and rests her head on my shoulder.
    “I do say so. This is going to be my best summer ever.