A/N: okay so the beginning is a little slow, but it'll get better!!! enjoy! and please review, i love hearing the thoughts of my readers!
Chapter 1: The Arrival
The bus's roaring motor was the only sound, seeing as the driver and the cop at the front weren't very talkative. I shifted in the seat again, trying to find a decently comfortable position that didn't make the handcuffs dig into my wrists. The damn cop had clipped them on a little tighter than necessary. And the heat pressed against me, almost suffocatingly. My black tank top clung to my upper body, and my jeans felt like a second skin. I would be living with this ridiculous heat for the next eighteen months. Fantastic. With an annoyed sigh, I cast my gaze out of the bus window and watched the bland scenery flash by.
The sun beat down from the cloudless sky, its rays stretching across the barren landscape. And it really was barren. There was nothing out there. Not even a tree, or a simple little bush. Just dry, cracked dirt. The further we drove, though, the more the ground changed. Soon, there were holes everywhere. Holes big enough to fit almost comfortably in. It was the complete opposite of what the name Camp Green Lake conjured to mind. Yes, Camp Green Lake, the facility for juvenile delinquents out in the middle of nowhere. And it really was the middle of nowhere. Oh, and not only was it far away from any civilization, but it was also a camp for delinquent boys. And until today, it had been a camp for only boys. But apparently, after talking with the warden, the judge was able to get her to bend the rules.
Yes, I am a sixteen-year-old girl (almost seventeen), and currently on my way to Camp Green Lake. How did that happen? Well, apparently I am too violent for a girls' facility. Which may or may not be true. But in my defense, what happened was not my fault. I know, I know, that's what everyone says. But in my case, it's true. Not that anyone believed me when I tried explaining. In all honesty, I was probably the quietest girl at my school; the one who avoided arguments at all costs; the one who wouldn't stand up for herself; the timid one. And that was why everyone chose to make me the school's play thing: because they knew I wouldn't fight back. But the judge and jury didn't see that. They simply looked at the evidence and the witnesses and victim statements, and made their decision. The only thing I was allowed to do was choose between Camp Green Lake and jail. Well, obviously I didn't want to go to jail. So, that is how I found myself on this damn bus, with two silent guards (the driver and the cop), heading into the middle of nowhere.
The bus pulled to a stop, and the first thing I noticed were all the boys, all dressed in orange jumpsuits. Wow, there was a lot of them. They stopped whatever they were doing to look at the bus, waiting to see their new camp mate. Great. My nerves began humming, and I swallowed, suddenly nervous. What the hell had I been thinking to choose an all boys delinquent camp? How stupid could I be? I've never even had a boyfriend, and here I was throwing myself into a place chuck full of them And having about fifty teenage boys in such close proximity to each other meant that the testosterone level would be extremely high. Damn, I was in trouble. The cop came back and helped me out of the seat, slinging my back pack over his shoulder to carry for me, and escorted me to the front of the bus. The door opened, and the quiet buzz of conversation filled the bus.
"Yo, fresh meat!" someone yelled.
I rolled my eyes and stepped off the bus, squinting in the blinding sunlight. There was a pause in the buzz of voices.
"Dude, it's a girl," another person stated.
I kept my mouth shut and my eyes forward as I followed the cop into a somewhat small building. My eyes slid shut in relief as cool air wrapped around me. Air Conditioning was probably one of the best inventions ever made. But something told me that the other buildings would not be this much of an escape from the heat.
"Peyton Williams?"
I opened my eyes at my name and saw a man reclining behind a desk, munching on sunflower seeds and watching me closely. "Yes."
He stood, adjusted his cowboy hat on his head, and walked around the desk. He nodded to the cop, who unlocked the handcuffs, handed me my bag, and left. "My name is Mr. Sir. Whenever you talk to me, you will call me by my name. Is that clear?"
"Yes, Mr. Sir." What kind of a name was that?
"Follow me." He walked out into the heat, and I grudgingly followed. As soon as we were outside, I could tell more boys had come out. They were all lounging around on porches or just standing in the sun, watching us. Yay me, I was the shiny new toy. "Look around," Mr. Sir said. "See anything? Fences?"
"No, Mr. Sir," I answered. He was right. All I saw was barren land.
"That's because we don't need it. If you want to run, go ahead. Run. I won't stop you. We've got the only water and food for a hundred miles. If you don't starve or die of dehydration, you'll be buzzard food. You got to watch out for snakes, rattlers, scorpions. You don't bother them, they won't bother you, usually. Or worse, yellow spotted lizards. And you don't want to get bit by one of them. They're poisonous. One bite, and you'll die, a slow and painful death. Always."
Wow, he really knew how to give a pep talk. Not only did I have to worry about probably getting raped, but now I had to watch where I walked so I wouldn't get bit. Why hadn't I chosen jail? At least in jail I wouldn't have to deal with snakes and lizards! He led me into another small building, where a boy was moving around, organizing. The boy jumped in surprise when he saw me. Mr. Sir nodded at him, and he passed me two orange jumpsuits, two white tee shirts, and a pair of brown work boots, looking slightly confused.
"You will get two sets of clothes. One for work, and one for relaxation. After three days your work clothes will be washed and your second set will become your work clothes. Got it?"
I nodded. "Yes, Mr. Sir."
"Change," he said.
"What?" I asked, frowning.
"I said change, now."
"Here?"
"Yes, here," he snapped impatiently.
"Mr. Sir," I started, my eyes moving from him to the boy and back. He wanted me to change here, in front of two strangers? With an annoyed huff, he turned and motioned for the boy to do the same. I quickly scrambled out of my jeans and sneakers and pulled on the jumpsuit, followed by the boots. I stood and pushed my light brown hair out of my face. "Okay."
He turned and put his fists on his hips. "Just so you know, this ain't a girl scout camp. I don't care if you are a girl. While you're here, you'll be treated just like all the other delinquents. No special princess treatment, got it?"
"Yes, Mr. Sir."
He nodded at the boy, who passed him a shovel. "You are to dig one hole each day. Five feet deep, five feet in diameter. Your shovel is your measuring stick. The faster you dig, the faster you can get out of the hot sun. Got it?" The boy took the shovel back.
I nodded. His eyes narrowed slightly, and I sighed. "Yes, Mr. Sir."
"Good."
"Peyton Williams?" I turned to find a shorter man in the doorway, white sunscreen on his nose and a straw hat on his head. "I'm Dr. Pendanski, your counselor. I just want you to know, that you may have done some bad things, but that does not make you a bad person. I respect you, Peyton."
Wow. He was full of shit. Forcing a smile, I held out my hand. "Nice to meet you."
He shook it and smiled back, then motioned for me to follow. After grabbing the towel, the pair of gloves and orange hat the boy handed over, I quietly thanked him and hurried after Pendanski. He gave me a quick tour (well, pointed out each building as we walked) and explained what each was. In all honesty, the warden's cabin looked the most welcoming, which was weird considering the number one rule at Camp Green Lake was "do not upset the warden", which made me think the warden wasn't the most pleasant person. And we had to have cold showers. Cold, seriously? Just because I could see the heat rising from the ground didn't mean I wanted a cold shower!
"You'll be in D-tent," he stated. "D stands for Diligence. Lucky for you, there is one bed left."
I stopped. "You're putting me in a tent with boys?"
He looked back and slowed. "Well, yes. We don't have anywhere else to put you."
"What...." I threw up my arms, looking at him and blinking. "Who the hell decided to put the female delinquent in a tent with male delinquents? What are you people thinking?" Okay, this was one of the rare times I actually spoke my mind.
Pendanski frowned. "Nothing will happen." I snorted in response, and his frown deepened. "The D-tent boys are nice boys, and they will respect you." Again with the respect thing. "Now, come on. Time to meet your tent mates!"