He stood there, eyes drowsy and face emotionless, the only feeling in his body being the strain on his arms from carrying the large duffel bag.
That and the anger, the biting rage eating away at his stomach leaving it feeling empty yet simultaneously heavy.
How the fuck could this be happening?
Here he was, standing at the side of the road in front of his house in pitch black, with a summer's worth of supplies in a duffel bag at four am in the freezing cold, waiting for a fucking bus to come and take him to hell.
"Why can't we wait inside? This is pointless." The blonde asked his father with a sharp hiss, shivering for emphasis.
"They said they'd be here on the dot at four am and that we should be ready and waiting outside." He replied in a stern yet concerned tone, looking out onto the street.
"Well if they care so much about punctuality they could fucking show up on time. It's 4:05." He stated, already hating the whole place, but he knew he would anyway.
"Austin, please." Mike sighed.
"What? I'm just saying that this is fucking bullshit. They are gonna take me away for an entire summer, the least they could do is stick to their dumb-ass promises." He growled.
"See, see Austin!" Mike turned to Austin, exasperated.
Austin groaned as his father donned a disappointed look.
"Austin this is exactly what I'm talking about, this is exactly why you need to go to this place." He said, gesturing with his hands as if he were explaining a complex concept.
"What, for cursing?! It's not murder. Jeeze, dad." Austin whisper-shouted. "It's no where near a reason to send me away for the summer." He explained, gesturing with his arms. "'Fuck' and 'shit' don't constitute to excessive anger issues last time I checked. And if you want that to stop, why can't we just get like a swear jar or something?" Austin asked, developing the idea. "Come on that's not such a bad idea. You gotta admit dad this is a crazy extreme for a little argument here and there." He stated, hopeful he might have made a convincing argument when his dad seemed to show some remorse.
"Austin," Mike sighed. "Cursing is definitely not the reason I'm sending you to this place." He paused and took a deep breath, slowly. "It's-It's the fact you don't know when to stop. You're aggressive and impulsive. You don't think about consequences and with your brash nature it means you end up in serious trouble." Mike stared deeply in his eyes, aware that Austin knew he was referring to the incident.
The blonde internally flinched at the thought.
"Austin, you don't seem to have any boundaries and I'm tired of trying to build them when all you do is treat them as hurdles that you can just jump over." He said, defeated. "And it's not just an 'argument here and there', Austin, it's incessant, it's relentless. You are in need of help, Austin, you're too much for me. You scared me that day... in more ways than one." Mike whispered, sounding vaguely as if he were out of breath.
Austin scowled in response.
He did nothing that day that anyone else wouldn't have done.
"Dad, this is taking it way too far. I mean this place is hardline, it's serious. What I'm doing isn't serious. I should be spending the summer celebrating the fact I graduated high school, enjoying myself with friends and making my own decisions, not moping around trying to 'fix myself'. I have nothing I need this much help with, I promise." Austin pleaded, briefly focusing on his dad's eyes before looking down at the ground.
"Austin, look at me." Mike said, exasperatedly.
Austin's eyes stayed glued to his feet.
"Look at me!" Mike grabbed Austin's arms and shook him slightly.
Austin dragged his eyes up, reluctantly.
"You are my boy, okay." Mike said with soft eyes. "I love you so much." He breathed with glazed eyes.
Austin breathed hard and saw the air in the dark, cold space in front of him.
"But right now Austin, I'm scared of you. Of what you've done and what you could do." He sighed, defeated.
Austin knew that day was scary for his father, Mike had told him several times
Austin was aggressive that day, he'd admit it. But Jesus it was just a one time thing! This course of action seemed excessive beyond belief. He's a teenage male for Christ's sake, he's got hormones rushing through him and testosterone blurring his vision of 'boundaries'. He's made some mistakes but haven't we all? He doesn't need this.
This place was for serious cases, he's just filling up a space instead of someone who actually needs help.
He averted his eyes from his dad, honing in on the end of the street where he heard a faint buzzing in the distance. He saw a small grey bus turn onto the end of the road about 150 metres down the way. He guessed that must be the carriage to take him to hell. It was approaching slowly and with every gaining metre, he felt his summer slip away.
It didn't feel real until now.
"Austin, when you're scared of your own son, I think there's something wrong. And you and I need this help to fix it." Mike breathed in ragged breaths, clutching Austin's shoulder.
Austin focused on the bus, trying to ignore the words of his father. The bus drew closer and the vehicle was similar to what he expected the experience to be like - bleak, dull and slow. He couldn't even begin to express his current resentment.
He. Didn't. Need. Help.
"Austin." Mike sighed.
Austin turned to look at his dad, his face emotionless.
"Please do this... for her." He pleaded. "It's what she would have wanted." He breathed.
With that one sentence, Austin froze. He of all people should have known not to bring her into this.
The bus pulled up next to them, slowing dragging it's large frame to a loud halt. A chipper blonde woman in a blue t-shirt and buckled-up khaki shorts stepped out with a clipboard looking way to excited for a cold four am trip on a grey, rusty steed.
What a juxtaposition.
"Austin?" She asked, smiling for some reason.
He stood there, unable to move his body still in a state of confusion, feeling thoroughly overwhelmed by the prospect of this.
This was really happening?
"That's him." Mike smiled up at the woman, placing a shoulder on Austin's arm.
Austin just stared at the ground, not wanting to make eye contact.
"Great. Well, come aboard and we'll get you seated." She clapped, excitedly.
Clapped.
What the fuck?
"Bye, son." Mike breathed, hugging him with teary eyes and shaky hands.
Austin didn't speak.
When they pulled apart, he shuffled forward, dragging his heels and his duffel bag onto the bus.
The floor was dark, brown and wooden, surprisingly classier than he would've imagined. Once he made it up the third step he briefly looked back down at his dad, seeing his face look defeated and wounded.
He shrugged it off, angry at the situation he found himself in.
"So Austin, you're seat is the third from the back on the right, next to 'Dez Wade'" She read from the clip board. "He's going to be your room mate for your stay at Correction Camp."
The words resonated in his ears.
'Correction Camp'
'Summer get-away for 18 year olds that seek correcting and fun-filled activities.' Four weeks spent in a 'resort' on the outskirts of civilisation with some wack job room mate. Group activities and get-togethers as well as personal one-to-one and group therapy sessions. Swimming, hiking, water-skiing and probably parachute games and friendship-bracelet-making too. Topped off with no cell phones or internet access. No alcohol, no drugs, no fun.
"Thanks." Austin replied.
This was Correction Camp to some.
But this was hell to him.
He dragged himself to the back of the bus to find the only empty seat. It was the isle seat on the right-hand side, the adjacent seat being taken up by an aloof red-head. He assumed it was his room mate. The red head was sunken into his seat, donning a multi-coloured shirt and hoodie, green suspenders, red jeans and a look of boredom. He looked like what Austin felt; mix-matched and too tired to try.
He was fast asleep and Austin saw no point in waking him up to introduce himself.
He plonked down on his seat, aiming to get some rest. It was eight hours to Correction Camp and he was dreading every second of it. Hopefully he could sleep through the trip and maybe even the whole summer and the entire thing could be like one long dream.
One long nightmare.
...
He woke up at around 4:45 AM, unable to get back to sleep. He looked around the bus, trying to wear out his eyes enough to fall asleep again and also to have a look at the people who would be joining him for his trip to anti-paradise. From what he could tell there were around 20 or so other passengers on the bus, 20 people that probably needed help, more so than him, and yet here he was heading to the same place to get the same treatment for absolutely no reason.
He wasn't 'in need of anger management'. He wasn't 'off the rails'. He wasn't 'heading for ruin'. He wasjust annoyed. A 'victim of circumstance'. His reactions to certain situations aren't at his fault, he's been handed a rough deal.
The red head was still asleep, along with all the other passengers. Austin could see pretty much everyone from where he was sitting and everyone looked kinda peaceful and calm, no one looked threatening or out of control and Austin didn't fear anyone. Then again they were asleep.
He couldn't help think about why each of them were here, surely they aren't all as peaceful as they seemed in their sleep, each of them likely had a few ghosts in their closet.
They must have all had a breaking point, they must have all done something that meant they became completely unbearable and ended up here, on the road to 'recovery'.
The Correction Camp dealt with a number of cases according to his dad: anger management, anti-social behaviour, extreme anxiety and depression.
He can't fucking believe this; he's not anywhere near those labels. Those conditions need like a diagnosis from a specialist, not some online research or whatever his dad did to make him feel like he had to send Austin here. He's normal, he's fine. Why didn't his dad wake up and see that? Why couldn't he have seen that there's nothing wrong. Instead he had to send him to this fucking delinquent centre for rag tag misfits to get bullshit therapy.
Therapy.
Austin suddenly realised what that fully entailed; he'll have to lie down on a sofa and talk about his feelings and shit like he's some crackhead in rehab. Why the fuck was he here?
He took a deep breath and ran a hand through his hair. His current behaviour wasn't abnormal, of course he was gonna be angry, he'd lost his summer, he'd lost his fun and not twelve months ago he'd lost her.
He couldn't even start with that right now.
Before he had time to start thinking again, he heard a small sigh behind him and thought that maybe someone had woken up. He leaned round his seat, tentatively, not really sure why he was doing it. He couldn't have forseen what his eyes were met with.
He saw a pair of soft, chocolate brown eyes slowly peak open, belonging to a girl with long brown and ombre hair cascading over her shoulders. Her body was curled up in her seat as she hugged a pillow. She donned a plain black t-shirt, cosy brown hoodie and dark blue jeans along with black converse. She seemed cold, shivering slightly in her dazed state.
She was beautiful.
She drowsily noticed him, her eyes briefly locking with his and he quickly ducked behind his seat, now realising he must look like a complete freak, watching her sleep. He hoped she hadn't noticed him, but he doubted she wouldn't have.
'Damn it', he thought. A beautiful girl now thinks he's a psycho. Then again he's already on this bus so he didn't really see how she or anyone else wouldn't. Likelihood is she's probably more messed up than he is anyway.
He shut his eyes and guessed he must have been more weary than he thought, because before he knew it he was out again, too tired to even comprehend the minor exchange fully.
...
He woke up when the iron mule came to a hault.
When he realised they had arrived and that the other passengers were getting up, he groggily sat up stretching his arms and legs out, accidentally hitting something, or rather someone by accident. "Sorry." He said, startled.
"It's okay." A small voice replied.
Austin looked up and met the same chocolate brown eyes that he had done briefly in the early morning. She gave him what he thought was a quick and subtle smile before breaking his trance, looking away.
The brunette reached up over Austin's head and grabbed her bag from the compartment, quickly making her way toward the bus' exit.
"Wow." He muttered, holding onto his arm rests with both hands trying to look down the isle to see her.
He quickly realised that he should be joining everyone else in leaving and so undid his seatbelt. He saw the red head still asleep and thought it was probably time to wake him up.
He reached over and jogged his arm, tentatively, still cautious as to whether or not this guy was friendly. When that was unsuccessful, Austin resorted to being slightly more vigorous, shouting, "Hey, man, time to wake up."
The red head jolted awake, turning to look at the hand on his arm which Austin quickly removed.
"Hey, s-sorry everyone's leaving and I thought I should wake you." Austin nervously spoke.
"Oh. Thanks... I guess." The red head said tiredly. "So we've arrived?" He asked, shuffling into the isle to grab his bag.
Austin grabbed his bag and the pair made their way toward the end of the bus.
"Yeah. I'm-I'm Austin." Austin said quietly, nervous that the red head might be aggressive.
"You okay, Austin? You seem kinda scared." The red head asked with tired eyes as he slumped off the bus' last step and onto the gravel, the pair starting to head down it, following the other passengers.
The gravel made a funnel shape into to a path that lay under a large arch with the writing 'Correction Camp' cresting it. The sun beamed down onto the area and the trees coating the sides of the path catching it. From what Austin could tell the path led round a corner to the left where the rest of the campers were disappearing.
"No no, not scared." He half-lied, still cautious he might be unstable. "I-I um... Fuck I don't know why I'm here." Austin replied, shaking his head at the ground and running a hand through his hair.
"I guess that's gotta be on everyone's minds right now." The red head said with a monotone voice, smiling slightly. "It's Dez by the way." He added.
"Nice to meet you, I suppose. Unfortunate about the circumstance. So I take it you've been sent to this hell hole against your will as well?" Austin asked, squinting in Dez's direction due to the mass of sunlight.
"You would be correct. This," he raised his voice and opened his arm out for emphasis, "is apparently the only place that can 'fix me'," he air quoted. "If you ask me it's a load of bull." He claimed, with a sharpness in his voice.
"I could not know what you mean more." Austin sighed, running a hand through his hair, again.
"And we're sharing a room right?" Dez asked, turning his head to look at Austin as they walked.
"Yeah." Austin replied.
"Well, I guess we can try and make it through the summer without becoming exactly the kind of person that should be in here." Dez held out his hand with a slight smile.
Austin took the hand gratefully after shuffling his duffle bag up his shoulder. "So why did your parents decide to send you he-"
"Nu-uh. No questions about why we're here. I don't wanna think about why I'm here, Austin, as I'm sure you don't. As far as I'm concerned, we treat this place as a shitty summer get-away and not the desperate, depressing reality that it is. Okay?" Dez asked.
"Yeah, no right sorry, that was dumb of me to ask. Let's just forget about why we're here."
"Good man." Dez chimed, placing a hand on Austin's shoulder and patting it once.
When Austin and Dez made their way round the bend they saw the rest of the campers in a large group, huddled around what seemed to be a totem pole in the middle of a large cobblestoned circle. He could see the brunette again, sporting a large back-pack and a duffle bag. She seemed to be in a reserved conversation with a small latina girl with large black hair and big sunglasses.
"Campers, your attention please!" The blonde from earlier shouted, standing on some raised steps that lead to the totem pole. "This is the totem pole where we will meet every morning, except free days, which you will be informed about later." She shouted. "Down there," she pointed toward a wide cobblestone path that seemed to lead to a small wooden bridge that crossed over the stream surrounding the cobblestone, "are the counselling cabins. You need to check the register sheets down there at some point tonight to check your counselling groups and when you're needed there."
As she was talking Austin's eyes strayed back over to the brunette who he briefly caught the gaze of. They both looked down, shocked, and turned their attention back to the preppy camp leader.
"Down there," she pointed in the other direction where there was another small bridge, "is the dining hall, the showers and the recreation room. As well as that there are also the counsellor's and therapist's cabins." She said, chirpily. "And lastly," she pointed round the totem pole to an opening that Austin assumed were some steps that lead down somewhere, "your cabins are down there. Boys are on the left side of the lake, girls are on the right. Since today there are no activities or counselling session today, you are not needed until seven PM in the dining hall so we'll let you unpack and get settled." She clapped.
The campers all started to shuffle their stuff together and head toward the steps.
"Oh! Your names are on the cabin doors so please take the cabin that is assigned to you." She said, patronisingly.
The group made their way over the small wooden bridge and started heading down the steps.
"Whoa." The entire group responded with.
There were around 30 steps that lead to an enormous lake that stretched roughly 150 metres. In the distance you could see a small mountain on the right-hand side that met the inclining landscape that wrapped around the female cabins. There was a small opening on the far side, opposite the camper's current location, that seemed to be a stream down from the rocks leading into the lake.
The boys headed to the left and the girls to the right.
"Hell is dressed like paradise, huh?" Dez whispered to Austin.
"Yeah, you could say that." Austin replied, catching the eye of the brunette as he answered.
"Like paradise."
Just a little taster of an idea. Don't feel the need to review but they are always appreciated. Thank you for reading!