Summer Camp Story

A Great Start

Qfeast Lake Camp 2

Standing with Electra, Trinty, and Yamilette in the Qfeast Lake parking lot was Jackie who could smell the preparations from the cookout soon to come. It was opening day and they were waiting for the bus bringing Sapphire, Maria and Victoria to a summer of fun and friendship...or so Jackie hoped.
"They're late" Electra fretted looping her hair in her fingers.
"They're not late" Jackie insisted, shaking her head. "It's like this every year. On the first day people show up at all different times. There's no such thing as late just...last"
"I just wish they'd show" Electra said bouncing on her heels. She grabbed Als wrist and checked the face of her watch.
"They are too late! Five whole minutes late"
"Her watch is fast" Trinty told Electra.
"Six minutes late" Electra huffs.
"Will this torment ever end?" Yamilette cried making a show of resting on the back of her hand on her forehead and fake fainting. Jackie silently chuckled at Yamilette's antics. Arriving throughout the day, Yamilette, Jackie, Trinty, and Electra had reunited in their new bunk, hugged and chatted while they waited for everyone else to show. Everyone already knew Rouge, their CIT but their counsellor, Blaze. She was new and sort of...strange. She was friendly enough but seemed awfully nervous. The four bunkmates had exchanged glances when she had greeted them. It was fairly standard but when she told them her cheeks reddened and she looked down at her clipboard refusing to make eye contact. A low deep rumble loudened until a large white and red bus arrived and rolled towards the girls.
"It's them!" Yamilette threw her hands in the air. "The long wait is over!" Electra bounced on her heels and waved her arms as if she was guiding a plane to an airport. Trinty clapped her hands with excitement straining to see the girls they were looking for.
"Look! Maria! Dead ahead!" Electra called pointing with both hands at the approaching bus. "Yo Maria!" Peering through the grimy window Maria waved excitedly at the four girls in the parking lot. Sapphire and Victoria crowded into the same window and Jackie felt her sour. She missed those guys. The bus chugged to a stop.
"Maria! Sapphire! Victoria!" Yamilette cried. She flung open her arms and raced towards the bus. Jackie found herself running to catch up. Sprinting along, Electra and Trinty crashed into each other, laughed, and hurried along too. The bus door slammed open with a rush of air. Maria, Sapphire and Victoria hopped down the three stairs and raced for the others. Their feet barley touched the ground before the hugging began.
"You're here!" Electra cried
"We're here!" Maria high-fived her. "What bunks are we in? I swear, if I'm not with at least some of you guys-"
"We're all together" Jackie told her. Sapphire and Maria squealed while Victoria grinned big time.
"Awesome!" Sapphire cried.
"Who else is in our bunk? Anyone we know?" Maria asked as she collected her bag.
"Yeah, we know all our bunkmates" Jackie replied. "No one new"
"Wow" Victoria said slipping her arms into her backpack. "Really?"
"Well, there's seven of us" Jackie said indicating the group in the parking lot. "Plus Lilli and Red"
"That's a total of nine" Maria said slowly. "But there's usually eleven in a bunk" There was a moment of silence where no one asked the question that immediately sprang to mind. Jackie answered anyway.
"Amy Rose is in our bunk. And Wave. We haven't seen them yet but our counsellor told us" The girls took it as well as Jackie would have expected. Amy could be snarky and mean spirited and Wave was a bully and bossy.
"I'm sure it'll be fine" Maria muttered throwing her arms around her duffle bag.
"Yeah, right" Electra muttered. "Who hates us enough to give us Amy and Wave?"
"Yes, I'm happy to see you too" said a sour voice. Jackie winced. Amy stepped into view scowling. It appeared she had been walking towards the group from the other side of the lot hidden by the bulky bus. Without another word she turned her back and stomped away. Everyone stared after her too numb with shock to speak.
"That went well" Sapphire finally said. Everyone groaned.