Chapter 1
The bus ride there was probably the worst. I sat behind a kid who puked three times. After that, I knew I was in hell. Getting off the bus, a Mexican kid with a nose piercing tripped me, so I hit him in the stomach. "Touch me again, and that won't be the only thing I hit." I think he got the message.
"Ms. Ryan, welcome to Camp Green Lake." A tall man with a Texan accent turned and smiled dirtily. He threw two orange jump suits at me. "I am Mr. Sir. These are your clothes. One's your day suit, for working outside, and one's your night suit, for sleepin' in." I laughed under my breath. This must be a joke. "Strip down and put 'em on." He said. I stood my ground. "Well?" He said, raising an eyebrow. "Sir, I do respect you and all, and I do appreciate you giving me clothes, but," I looked around, noting all the boys like me who were working in the office were around my age. "I'm a sixteen year old girl, and there are sixteen year old boys in here. I will not be stripping down in front of them any time soon." All of them kept staring at me. "Sorry to disappoint, boys." I smiled and waved. "Fine!" Mr. Sir gave up and showed me to a tiny space with barely any privacy. "And if it'll make you feel better, I'll turn around." He turned around as I stripped down.
As I sat down filling out paper work, a small man with sunscreen on his nose came through the screen door. "Mr. Sir, I'm here for the new campers." Mr. Sir pointed toward me and he nodded. "Only new one today, Dr. Pendanski." The doctor looked over and smiled at me. "Welcome, Ms…" He searched for my name. "Zella Ryan." I answered. "Of course. Well, Ms. Ryan, come with me and I'll give you the grand tour!" He said waving me out the door.
"This is where you'll be staying." He showed me to a tent with bed sprawled across the area. "Thank you, Dr. P." He smiled and left as I sat down on a bed with my last name on it. I placed my stuff on the bed and sighed. For five months, this is where I would be staying, hot sun and all.
Walking into the mess hall as I pulled my hair up, I picked up a plate and was served some yellow yuk and a piece of bread. "Thank you." I said as the man gave me a funny look. I took a bit of my bread and looked up. All I saw were dozens of boy's eyes staring at me. I stood there for a little while, then, knowing perfectly well that they were all still staring, I sat down at an empty table and opened my book.
A few minutes later, a voice behind me said, "Who do you think you are? Why are you sitting at our table?" I looked up and saw a black sixteen year old with glasses just like mine with a bandana tied around his head. He stopped for a moment, and then said, "And who would you be?" I laughed and shook my head, looking back down at my book. Suddenly, I was ambushed by a group of sixteen-year-old boys sitting at the table. I looked around. The boy with glasses was giving me a look, while a boy with an afro, who looked younger, sat across from me. "Hi, I'm Stanley." I looked to my right and saw a boy with brown curly hair and brown eyes. I took his handshake. "Zella Ryan." "I'm X-Ray." Stated the glasses boy. "Nice to meet you." I said smiling. I went across the table as Arm Pit and Squid introduced themselves as well. "What's your name?" I asked the younger kid. "Oh, that's just Zero." Said a, very cute, but crazy looking, blond haired boy. "I'm Zig-Zag." He said shaking my hand as well. His hands shook as I held it. I looked up. "Are you ok?" I asked. He looked away and I looked down out of embarrassment.
"So," Said X-Ray, trying to change the subject. "What are you in this joint for?" He smiled. "Well, I..." I tried to be very discreet about it. "I, um.." I think that Zig-Zag knew it was a tough subject for me, so he blurted out, "I set the school principal's clothes on fire." I looked up, confused. "Why?" He shrugged and started to laugh. I shook my head again, know perfectly well that I was as crazy as him. "Well, I... sorta, stole a car." They all gave me a look. "You?" X-Ray seemed a little taken back, but impressed. "Yeah, it was a 1968 Chevrolet Chevelle Malibu! Beautiful car..." I smiled, remembering the thrill on being in the front seat.
I looked around. All the boys looked at me as if I was the Queen of the world. "You know about cars?" said Stanley. I nodded and said, "My dad and I worked on them all the time in his garage. That and play video games." I was defiantly a tomboy, but these guys were stunned, as if they'd never seen a nerd before. I smiled and stood up with my empty plate. "See you around, guys!" I smiled and went to go sit and watch TV.
"What's wrong with this piece of crap?" A boy pounded on the TV., obviously angry about the static. I said, "Step back." and started to work my TV magic. I adjusted the wires a little to the left, then switched the channel over three times before a cartoon came on. I sat down, pleased with my work, and enjoyed myself a little.
Around six, a bell rang out and Mr. Sir came into the mess hall. "Bed time, ladies." Everyone moaned and started walking back to the tents. I stood up, only to be knocked back down by a tall brown haired boy. He leaned down as I exam amended the scratch on my hand. "Listen little missy," He said leaning in a little too close. "Stay out of my way. I own this camp, and I will not be stepped on by a little girl." He laughed and walked out the door. I stood up, knowing that, probably, at any moment I could be knocked down again.
Walking back into the tent, I saw all the boys talking, but suddenly stop and stare at me. I smiled embarrassed and walked over to my bed, talking off my brown leather boots. I was too scared to even think of dressing into my night suit. I lay my head down and looked down. A scorpion was right on my book in front of my face. I stood up slowly, then screamed. Everyone stared at me. I am deadly afraid of bugs, especially ones that can kill you. I ran over and sat down on the floor. Everyone kept staring. "Well?" I asked. "Ya'll are boys! Who's gonna take care of it?" They all looked at each other. Suddenly Zig-Zag came up, still in his boots, and stepped on it with a crunch. He turned and smiled back at me. I thanked him, then walked over and made sure the scorpion was dead, then laid back down. I don't think I got any sleep that night.
"Good morning, ladies!" Awoken me from a deep sleep. Suddenly, the covers were ripped from my body, and Mr. Sir pulled the pillow from beneath my head. "Come on!" I got up, still in a zombie- like state, and pulled my hair up, put on my hat, then my glasses and walked outside. Everyone looked just as I did, tired. "Welcome to the morning!" It was still dark out, but I took a peak at the clock over by the mess hall. It was four-thirty in the morning, which I was sure didn't even exist. I yawned as Mr. Sir said, "Time to get to work! X-Ray, help me pass out shovels. I looked around confused, until I saw Stanley and I walked over to him. "What's up with the shovels?" He frowned and said, "We have to go out to the desert and dig holes. No one told you?" I shook my head. "This does not look like fun." He nodded. "It's even worse than it looks. Trust me." I looked on and took a shovel as it came my way.
We were driven out to the desert and Mr. Sir gave us water and then said, "I'll be back at eleven! I better see some digging when I get back!" With that, he left us out in the middle of the desert with nothing but a bottle of water and shovels. I first took a sip of water, then got started. I stopped after a little while and looked around, everyone was almost half way done with their first holes, and I wasn't even a quarter of the way finished. I sighed and planted my shovel into the ground.
Around eleven, Mr. Sir's car drove out into the desert, carrying a giant cooler on the back. I smiled, sweat dripping from my face. I watched as Zero, Zig- Zag, X-Ray, Squid, Arm Pit, and Stanley climbed out of their holes. I tried, but kept tripping on the dirt, and I know I probably looked like a fool.
As I was about to trip for the third time, a hand took mine as I reached out for something to grab. I looked up and saw X-Ray. "Come on." He said smiling as he pulled me up. I smiled and we walked over to the cooler. I took a look at my hands, because they were hurting so bad. My eyes widened in horror as I saw huge, gapping, bloody holes in my skin. I showed X-Ray, and he brushed off his glasses to get a better look. "Wow, those things are bigger than my first ones!" Arm Pit turned around with a smug expression and said, "That's what she said, X- Ray!" Walking past him, X- Ray slapped his arm.
I came up behind Zig- Zag and said, "It's a million degrees out here, literally!" He turned, sweat running down his face. "Yeah, it gets even hotter in the winter time!" I looked at him astonished, then took a sip of water. Suddenly, I saw a few stars in my vision and I blinked, trying to get them out. "Hey," Zig- Zag looked at me. "You don't look so good." I smiled and said, "I'm cool!" right before I was on the ground unconscious.
I woke up in the informatory with an ice pack on my head and Dr. P coming after my arm with a needle. "Good morning!" He said as he sprayed my arm and wiped it. I backed up once I figured out what he was doing. "What are you giving me?" I asked. "You need antibiotics. Don't worry, I numbed your arm." He said smiling. I reluctantly leaned over. "Fine." He pricked my arm, and I flinched.