Title: Summer Camp
Disclaimer: The usual.
Summary: It's been 14 years since Tess left Mt Thomas. Her daughter Stephanie has just turned 13 and has been invited to attend a summer camp as a part of a scholarship program for her new high school. Whilst at camp she meets Kayla Jones, who just happens to be the eldest daughter of Susie and Evan Jones. The girls start talking and find out they have a lot in common, little do they know they have more in common than they think…
"Ok Mum you can let go of me now!" 13-year-old Stephanie Gallagher cried and she pushed her mother away. "You're embarrassing me."
"So I'm not allowed to give my little princess one last hug before you leave me?"
"Mum it's only for three weeks."
"I know. But that's the longest you've ever been away for."
"I'm not a baby anymore…I'm a teenager. You're going to have to let me go sometime."
"I know. I just didn't think it would be this soon."
"Ok Campers single file, onto the bus." The head councillor said and several girls started shuffling onto a bus.
"I've got to go now Mum."
"Ok. Just remember I'm only a phone call away if you need anything or if you want to come home." Stephanie wiped a tear from Tess's cheek and smiled.
"I'll write to you every day ok. Now I really have to go." Stephanie gave Tess one final hug before she joined the line for the bus.
"Did you remember to pack your toothbrush?" Susie asked.
"Yes Mum." Kayla Jones, the eldest daughter of Susie and Evan Jones groaned.
"What about your inhaler? Did you remember that?"
"Yes. Can I go now? My friends are waiting." Kayla looked over to the line for the bus where there were three girls standing waving at her.
"Ok. Just make sure you look after Emily. It's her first time away from her parents and I promised Jo you would look out for her."
"That's ok Mrs Jones. I can take care of myself." Emily Hasham smiled.
"I know you can Em, but I just had to ask…for your Mum's sake. You know what she's like."
"Yeah. She's always worrying about nothing."
"Kayla over here!" One of the other campers called.
"Ok. Well you'd better get going. Don't want to keep your friends waiting."
"Ok. Bye Mum. I'll miss you." Kayla gave Susie a big hug and a kiss on the cheek then ran off to meet her friends.
"Bye Mrs Jones." Emily smiled and ran off after Kayla.
Susie watched as all of the girls clambered onto the bus, then waited for the bus to leave before she got into her car and headed back towards Mt Thomas.
"It's so good to see you again." Kayla cried as she and her friends sat down at the back of the bus.
"Who's your little friend?" a red haired girl asked.
"Oh that's Emily Hasham. She's sort of like my cousin, only we're not really related."
"Cool. Hey Emily. I'm Kya Taylor, this is Alicia Brooks and Simone Egan." The red haired girl introduced everyone.
"Hey." Emily smiled at them.
"So this your first time at summer camp?" Alicia asked.
"Yeah. Mum said it would be good for me to make some new friends."
"Well consider us your new friends." Kya smiled.
"Thanks."
"So guys, what did you get up to this year?" Kayla asked.
"Well for starters I hooked up with James." Kya bragged.
"You mean that gorgeous guy we met at the dance last camp?"
"Uhuh." Kya smirked.
"As if!" Simone cried.
"What I'm not good enough for him?"
"I didn't say that it's just…"
"Sorry to interrupt but is this seat taken?" Stephanie asked shyly when she walked up.
"No go ahead." Kayla replied. "I'm Kayla Jones. And this is Emily Hasham, Kya Taylor, Alicia Brooks and Simone Egan."
"Stephanie Gallagher." Stephanie took her bag off her back and sat beside Kayla.
"So, what brings you to Camp Hillsdale?" Kayla asked.
"Well I'm joining Hillsdale Secondary School next year and they recommended I tried this camp out for some scholarship thing."
"Cool. I'm just here so Mum and Dad can get rid of me for two weeks." Kayla laughed.
"Oh…" Stephanie smiled warily.
"I was just joking." Kayla replied, seeing the uneasy look on Stephanie's face.
"Right so…who's up for some singing?" Alicia suggested.
"No way Alicia…don't you dare!" Kayla shoved her hand over Alicia's mouth.
"Hey!" Alicia pushed is away. "I can sing if I want to."
"Umm…Alicia…. you cant sing!" Kya laughed. "Well not to a tune anyway." Everyone laughed.
"Well I'm going to sing anyway." Alicia smirked and then she started singing.
"We come from all around Australia, all around the world, to join our hands together…come on guys sing with me!" Alicia cried. The counsellors and some of the other girls on the bus started singing along with Alicia. Kya and Kayla started laughing.
"We come from all around Australia, all around the world, to join our hands together for all special kinds of girls." Pretty soon the whole bus was singing the Camp Hillsdale theme song.
"We share our stories of the land, of mountains and the sea."
"What are they singing?" Stephanie asked with a smile on her face.
"That's the song that Alicia made up last year when we were all sitting around the campfire…ever since then it's been known as the Hillsdale Theme Song." Kayla laughed.
"Yeah…it's kind of lame…all they sing about is love and peace and ending world hunger. Which isn't even what Camp Hillsdale is for." Kya shook her head.
"What sort of things do you do on camp?" Stephanie asked.
"All sorts. Last year we had a big canoe race and Kayla and I kicked ass." Kya smirked.
"Cool. I've never been in a canoe before…actually I hardly go near water. The closest I get to the sea is swimming in our neighbours pool." Stephanie sighed.
"You're from the city huh?" Kayla asked.
"Yeah. I live with my mum."
"No dad?" Kayla asked.
"Nope. Mum said he died before I was born. All I've got left of him is a photo, and this locket that Mum gave me. She said it belonged to him once."
"That's so sad." Emily said.
"Yeah. It's okay though. I mean it's hard seeing all these other people who have dad's, but I love my mum and she loves me…it's always been the two of us…I don't think I'll ever be able to get used to having a dad around."
"So it's just you and your mum?"
"Yeah. Well it used to be. I'm not so sure anymore. There's this guy…mums been seeing a lot of him lately and I think she might be thinking about marrying him."
"Wow…that's intense." Kayla said. "I've always had a mum and a dad…it sucks for people who don't have both parents…"
"Yeah well…I'm used to it. It's not like ti's that bad anyway. I mean I love Jack…he's really nice…and he treats me and if I were his own daughter."
"That's so sweet." Kya sighed. "I wish my mum could find someone like him."
"You just wish your mum would find someone who actually stays with her after they find out you're around." Alicia laughed.
"Hey! That's not fair…it's not my fault…"
"Guys would you quit fighting please…I've got a headache." Simone complained.
"Yeah…look we're here anyway…" Kayla noticed.
"Wooooo!" several girls cried when they saw the gates to Camp Hillsdale.
Later that afternoon after the girls had been assigned their tents they all carried their luggage and followed their tent leader.
"Alright!' Kayla cried when she saw who she had been assigned a tent with. Kya, Alicia, Simone and Stephanie. Emily had been assigned to a tent with people her own age.
"Man this is going to be so much fun!" Kya cried.
"Okay girls settle down. Now we're supposed to spend the rest of the afternoon getting to know each other…but unfortunately for me I already know most of you." The tent leader Micelle Argus rolled her eyes.
"Steph this is Micelle. Everyone calls her Mike though." Kayla introduced them. "Mike this is Stephanie Gallagher." Kayla introduced them.
"Nice to meet you. I apologise in advance for this group…they can be very…."
"Ah you know you love us Mike!" Kya put her arm around Mike and laughed.
"You're lucky you didn't get stuck with Erika…"
"Why didn't we? Doesn't she usually take the groups our age?"
"Usually yes…but you're just lucky that I offered to take her place…"
"Aww see she does love us." Simone laughed.
"Who's Erika?"
"Only the worst person you'll ever meet."
"I don't think you could even call her a person…she's a witch!"
"More like Bitch." Kya added.
"Kya that's enough. No more language like that from you thankyou!" Mike warned.
"Sorry Mike…wont happen again." Kya laughed and the girls began setting up their beds.
Well that's all I've got for now. I hope you liked it…there will be more Susie/Jonesy stuff later on…as well as some PJ/Jo stuff…and later on there will be some Tess/Jonesy/Susie stuff…Hehe…okies well…bye for now!
Jess