Bette nodded.  “I always went to the same camp…and loved it.  I still keep in touch with a few of the girls from Brook Ridge.”

They looked at Shane who shook her head.  “Don’t look at me.  I never went.”

“Yeah, well, my camps sucked,” Alice said.  “Lenore sent me off for six weeks every summer to a different camp.  Dance camp, soccer camp, music camp, chess camp.  I hated them all.”

“Chess?  You told me you don’t play,” Bette looked hurt.  “You know how much I love chess.”

Alice snorted.  “I was expelled from chess camp.  They don’t really care for campers who distribute pot to pre-teen prodigies.”

“Ah.  So then, I guess you missed the day on the Boden-Kieseritzky Gambit?”  Bette’s voice was hopeful.

Alice just blinked at Bette.  “I went home the second day.  Lenore was so pissed she left me at home alone with a Czechoslovakian maid, while she was on location in Rio.”

Bette continued, “Did the maid play chess?”

Alice hissed, “No one plays chess, Bette.  For god’s sakes, how did we get on this tangent?”

Max interjected helpfully, “Your story on summer camp for adults.”

“Right.  So, anyway, I said no.”  Alice closed her magazine emphatically.  “What should we talk about next?”

“Wait a minute, Alice.  Don’t you see?  This is your chance.”  Bette looked around the table for help.  Max nodded enthusiastically.  Bette looked beyond the table for additional back up.  “T!  You got here just in time!”

Tina walked over clutching a giant cup of coffee in one hand and a scone in the other.  “Hey guys, what’s up?  Bette you look like you’re about to burst.”

“Did you ever go to summer camp?”

“You know I did.  Sky Mountain.  I loved it.  Why?”  Tina sat down and took a sip of coffee.

“Alice hated summer camp.  But she has this great opportunity to go this spring to a camp for adults.  I think it’s just the chance she needs to embrace the summer camp experience fully.  What do you think?”

Tina tipped her head from side to side as she weighed the issue.  “Hmmm.  I don’t know.  I’m not so sure summer camp is everyone’s cup of tea.”

“Aha!  Thank you Tina!”  Alice smirked triumphantly. 

“For example, most antisocial recluses hate summer camp.  In my experience, they usually turn out to be very bitter adults,” Tina continued as if she’d not heard Alice’s  interruption. 

“Ha!”  Shane snorted.  

Alice glared at Tina then turned to Shane.  “What are you laughing at…you’ve never been to summer camp.”  Turning back to Tina she went on, “Antisocial recluse?  Obviously, we’ve never met.”

“But she does seem bitter.”  Max stage whispered to Tina, who nodded her agreement.

“Fine.  If you all are so invested in me embracing the summer camp experience, I’ll make a deal with you.”

The women looked at her inquisitively.

“Max hand me those results again.”  She looked through the figures once more, did a little internal mathematics and grinned at the group.  “How about, I pay for all of us to go to summer camp this spring?”

Shane was the first to speak.  “I don’t know about that, Alice.”

“Oh come on, Shane….THEY say it will be fun,” Alice wheedled.  “Besides, if it becomes too grotesque, we can just spread a little pot and get thrown out.  Being expelled brings its own sense of adventure to the experience.”

Bette took the challenge seriously.  “I’d love to go back to summer camp…and I’m happy to be your mentor in the process.  How about you guys?”

“What about Angelica?  And Jodie?”  Tina asked with a slight smile.  It was unlike Bette to be so impetuous.  But she remembered, summer camp was one of Bette’s fondest childhood memories.

“Angus and Kit will probably love to take care of Angelica.  We can check.  And Jodie is busy working on her project all summer.  A couple of weeks without me bugging her will probably be a good thing.”

Alice noticed two newcomers entering the Planet.  “Papi, Helena…come over here!  I have a proposition for the two of you.”

As the two of them walked towards the table, Alice realized suddenly with a sinking sensation that she was about to do something she’d sworn she would never do again. 

She was going to summer camp.