The air conditioning in the office felt like it was blowing directly onto Maya, sending a shiver down her spine. It was a constant reminder of how cold and impersonal this place was. She was trying to concentrate on a complicated report, but the sounds of keyboards clacking and the general office din grated against her. Then, Mark, with his eternally optimistic outlook, started a conversation.
“Did you hear about the company picnic?” he asked, beaming.
She resisted the urge to roll her eyes. “Yeah, I saw the email.”
"I'm so excited. They said there's going to be a water balloon toss!"
Maya shifted uncomfortably in her chair. Water balloon tosses. The mere thought brought back unwelcome memories of itchy mosquito bites and poorly timed cannonballs. "Sounds…fun," she said, her voice flat.
Later, she was photocopying a stack of documents when she heard Mark chattering away on the phone. "…and the talent show? I almost died laughing! That was the summer I finally got over my fear of heights, and went off the high dive…”
The details started to feel familiar. Something about the way he was talking, the specific anecdotes about camp…
He hung up, turned, and caught her looking at him. "Camp Sunshine, anyone?" he asked, grinning.
Maya stiffened. The name brought back a deluge of forgotten images. Bad cafeteria food. Mandatory singalongs. The endless competition for the coveted "Camper of the Week" award. She remembered the sheer exhaustion of it all. “Yeah, I was there,” she said shortly, the words escaping her before she could stop them.
His grin widened. "No way! I was there too! Did you know my brother, Tom? We did the talent show together"
Maya felt the urge to flee. "That's…great," she mumbled, quickly grabbing her papers and retreating back to her desk.