Not much to say. This is the new version of Swerve 'dem Holes. The last story made my character look like a wuss.
I do not own anyone except Jack, Rick, Elena, and of course, Jennifer.
Chapter One : First Impressions
"OW!"
A sudden jolt had sent my curled-up body to the dirty floor of the ancient school bus. Bright afternoon sunlight poured into the shaking automobile, and I squinted warily as I got back into the seat. How long had I been asleep? Where were we? I watched the security guard at the front of the bus. He watched me. I shivered and looked out the window. Yeah, this was loads of fun.
My good friend Elena once asked me if I would have stopped street racing if I knew I'd ever be arrested. You know, as cocky as I was, I got up, stood tall and cried, "Never! This is my life!"
Not that I could stop. After all, it was my life. How I made my money. How I kept in touch with my family. No, not family as in my emotionally-distant mom and spoiled-rotten little brother. And defiantely not my dad, because he's never been part of my family. He was just some strange man who made occational visits to the house to beat my mother, and eventually, me.
No. My family was Rick, the owner of the garage I would chill at. My family was Jack, who taught me almost everything I know (he called me a natural street racer, but my skills just needed to be tuned up). My family was Elena, the boy-crazed blonde who usually sat in the car next to me during the most frightening races. I could go on and on. Those other "people" weren't my family. We just shared the same last name. The same blood.
I ran my hand through my chocolate hair to clear my mind. I had it layered and chopped up to my shoulders before coming here. Well, actually I thought I'd be in boot camp right about now, but short hair could serve some kind of purpose out in the desert, too.
Desert.
Damn it! Why didn't I just go to boot camp? Why on Earth did I take this? Why? Because mom called it an oppurtunity. According to her, boot camp was full of blood-thirsty savages and mentally deranged security guards. But no. She had to shove me off to my aunt's dusty prison, to dig holes, yes, HOLES, every day for a year. Like I'd have a better chance at fending off nearly a hundred sexually-starved boys. I gnashed my teeth together and glared out a film of sand that coated the window.
As we neared the center of the camp, I quickly "got" the joke. Camp Green Lake was this cheery little dustbowl's name. Camp. GREEN. LA-A-A-A-AKE. As if to infer that the land was rich with vegetation and amongst the thicket of trees and tall grasses, there was a cool, refreshing lake.
No. There was dead brush and lots of dry, dry dirt.
And lots of boys covered in dirt.
Their eyes were glued to the bus, and I slunk down into the seat, holding my hand-cuffed hands close to my stomach, which was during flips at this point. I don't want to do this. Please, Mom! I want to go to boot camp! I promise I'll be good! The bus came to an abrupt halt, and I peered over the seat. The guard glared at me through those dark sunglasses.
"Now is not the time to be shy. Come on, let's move!"
I swallowed hard before rushing to the front of the bus. Another man was already there, looking like a guacho wanna-be. Complete with a cowboy hat and pistol. I shuddered. Things were looking worse and worse.
As the guard removed my handcuffs, the new man stared at me with utter discontent, like I was expected to fall over and die under his heavy glare. I was only in blue jean shorts and a red and white striped tank-top, but I was already sweating. And it wasn't from the heat. The guard snatched up my small backpack, containing only clothes. That, and my photographs. I leered at him, like a silent snarl. God as my witness, if he so much as dropped that back pack…
I remember when Elena found out that I was supposed to be shipped off here, and she told me with an angry tone, "If any of those boys try anything, kill them with your bare hands! You can't let those bastards get away with that!"
And I hugged her and told her that I'd knock their teeth out and choke-slam them into the ground and gouge their eyes out. I hate to admit it, but that was all talk. Just a desprete attempt to comfort myself and my best friend. Maybe I could take one guy, maybe I could take two. It wouldn't be the first time. But almost a freaking hundred of them? Well, I'm not God!
"Follow me."
I must have looked like a beaten dog, following this odd character around the abandoned camp with my head low and shoulders hunched. It was then that I saw the first of the boys. Two of them sitting on the steps to some sort of building. One whistled, and the other one called out to me.
"Hey, baby, who's tent you gunna be sleepin' in?"
None, you disrespectful pervert. But I didn't say that. I wouldn't want to make any enemies before I was properly acquanted with these heatens. And I didn't know what they were in for. Assault. Murder. Rape. Somehow, I doubted it. But somehow, I believed it. I shivered again and rushed up so that I was walking next to the odd man.
"Do you know who I am, girl?" the man asked as we entered his office.
"I'm terribly sorry, no one has introduced-."
"Shut up. Your sweet talk won't get you anywhere in this camp. Don't think we'll go easy on you because you're a woman."
I know I'm tougher than most of these guys, but I was counting on a little bit a special treatment. Hey, when life gives you lemons…
"Sit down."
I dropped to the wooden seat quickly and silently, averting my eyes from his.
"Jennifer Dani… looks like you got yourself in a world of trouble. Your not as innocent as you look," he muttered as he shoved a handful of sunflower seeds in his mouth.
I really was trying to play innocent right about now. But I was so tempted to snatch the clipboard out of his hands to get a closer look at what I was up against.
"Hm… street racing, eh? Think you're a bad girl?"
I shot him an angered look. "Uh, no, Mister… Mister…"
"Sir."
"Sir What?" I tried to contain a laugh that was brewing in my throat. What was up with this guy? Some kind of cowbody knight?
"You will address me as Mr. Sir! Do you understand that, Einstein!"
I leaned back in my chair, slightly insulted. "Yeah."
"Yeah, what!"
"Yes, Mr. Sir."
"That's more like it. Now, I know what you did. All the counselers know what you did. You may look like a little angel. But we know better. And if you try any funny stuff, we will come down on you harder than a ton of bricks. Got that, Princess?"
Aw, are we on a nickname basis?
"I'm sure you know the drill. No drugs or alcohol or weapons. Absolutely no disrespect to the adults here. You are to get up at four thirty, eat your breakfast, and dig your hole. It is to be five feet in width and height; your shovel is your meter stick. You will be sleeping in the Warden's guest room, along with showering and other 'girly' stuff."
I raised an eyebrow. "The warden… you mean my aunt?"
"No, I mean the Warden!"
Oh, right. Because she was defiantely the Warden before she was my aunt.
"Now, if you want, you can cut the sass, and I'll show you around the camp!"
I heaved a sigh and started to my feet. We walked out of his office, and he pointed out various placed. The mess hall. The wreck room. Where the shovels were kept. We started heading over to the tents, and I felt my breathing quicken. Oh God. I did not want to get involved with those boys.
"Come on, let's see if anyone has takin' a likin' to ya."
His tone sent a shiver up my spine, and behind his back I flipped him off and lingered behind him, hoping I could use him as a shield. I heard a grown man's obnoxious high-pitched voice coming from one of the tents. The D-Tent. D as in 'deranged'.
"Now, Theodore, I'm sure our new guest would have appreciated it if you'd taken a shower earlier!"
I heard a deep voice, belonging to a boy probably my age.
"I think we all would have appreciated it, not just the new kid."
Everyone laughed. Mr. Sir walked into the tent and I hid around the corner of it.
"Why, hello, Mr. Sir! Do you have the new 'kid' with you?"
Why did he have to say 'kid' with such odd enthusiasim!
"Well yeah, I… hold on, where the Hell! Jennifer, get over here and introduce yourself to Dr. Pendanski!"
Seven voices shouted in confusion, "JENNIFER!"
I sheepishly walked to the front of the tent. All seven pairs of eyes were glued on me. Never in my life had I felt so uncomfortable. Only one kid kept his eyes to himself; a short, younger kid with a messy afro. I'd have to thank him later.
"Hey, baby, lemme in-tro-duce my-self. I'm X-Ray, the leader of this fine tent."
Mr. Sir snorted and left. X-Ray stared at me (not stared, GAWKED) through dirt covered glasses. Pendanski sighed impatiently and I shifted under all the weight.
"Well, Jennifer, are you going to introduce yourself to Rex or not?"
"Mom, for the last time, I'm X-Ray. And she can take all the time she wants. I like shy girls."
That's it. I don't know where he got off, calling the doctor "Mom" and calling himself by such a odd little name. But hitting on me was the last straw. Leader or not, he needed to be leveled.
"Well, you like shy girls. Too bad, because I ain't a fucking shy girl."
The tent was full of "Oooooh!"s and surprised laughs. X-Ray just stared at me and winked. 'Mom' looked like he was going to faint.
"Now now, children, let's have none of that. Jennifer, let me introduce you to the D-Tent. I'm sure they can help you out."
Jesus. I really want their help.
"This is Rex, of course. And this fine gentlemen is Ricky, and José, and here's Theodore, and Stanley, and Allan. And that little runt in the back is Zero."
"Nah, nah, Mom. You got the girl all confused now. Listen, baby, their names are ZigZag, Magnet, Armpit, Caveman, Squid. Oh, and Zero."
"Thanks," I muttered quietly.
"You gunna be diggin'?"
The boy had a thick southern drawl. I looked at him a shrugged casually.
"Well, duh."
"Ain't that a shame, making a pretty little thing like you dig a big nasty hole."
Several of the boys errupted into laughter again. I scowled and turned my head.
"Right. I can dig just as well as any of you. I mean, it's digging."
"Oh, it ain't just digging, baby."
That X-Ray kid was beginning to get obnoxious. And the one called ZigZag would not take his eyes off me. I mean, neither would the rest of them. But that kid was crazy.
"Come on, Jennifer. I'm sure the Warden would like to have a word with you before you wander off to make new friends."
Right. Right. I knew I'd be making tons of friends at Camp Green LAKE.