By Christina K Sangma
Daleena loved summer more than any season in the world. To her, summer meant sunshine, adventure, sticky popsicles, and the magical summer camp near Pine Lake. This year was extra special because it was her very first time going away to camp all by herself.
On the first day, Daleena felt nervous. Children laughed and ran around while counselors blew whistles and called out team names. She hugged her backpack tightly and wished her golden dog, Kenzo, was there beside her.
But everything changed when she met her cabin mates.
There was cheerful Rosie, who could make anyone laugh. Quiet Ben, who loved drawing tiny animals in his notebook. And Maya, who was brave enough to climb the tallest ropes course in camp.
By the second day, the four of them were inseparable.
They built forts in the woods, sang silly songs by the campfire, and stayed awake whispering stories long after lights-out. Daleena felt happier than ever before. For the first time, she believed she could do anything. She even told her friends, “When summer ends, I’m going to seize the world!”
“What does that mean?” Ben asked.
“It means,” Daleena said proudly, “I’m going to be brave enough to do big things.”
Her friends cheered for her, and together they promised they would always stay friends, no matter what.
But one rainy afternoon, everything changed.
The camp counselor called Daleena to the office. Her mother was on the phone, and her voice sounded shaky.
“Kenzo is very sick,” she said softly. “The vet is trying to help him.”
Daleena’s heart dropped like a stone.
That night, she couldn’t eat dinner. She sat alone on the porch outside the cabin while rain tapped against the roof. She missed Kenzo terribly. He had been with her since she was little. Whenever she felt scared or sad, Kenzo always curled up beside her.
Soon, Rosie came outside carrying a blanket.
Then Ben brought hot cocoa.
Maya sat beside Daleena without saying a word.
“We’re here,” Rosie whispered.
For the next few days, Daleena’s friends never left her side. They wrote funny letters pretending to be Kenzo. They made her smile when she wanted to cry. Ben even drew a picture of Kenzo wearing a superhero cape.
Little by little, Daleena realised something important.
Being brave did not mean never feeling sad.
Being brave meant letting people love you when life became difficult.
At the end of camp, Kenzo slowly began getting better. When Daleena finally returned home, Kenzo wagged his tail weakly but happily as she hugged him tight.
That summer, Daleena still felt ready to seize the world.
But now she understood something even bigger:
The world felt much less scary when true friends walked beside you.
