I flew into the air as the bus hit a big bump on the dirt road. I landed hard on my butt back into the seat. The handcuffs around my wrists clanged together and rubbed my wrists raw. I looked out the windshield as best as I could. In the far distance I could see the shape of tents and cabins growing larger and clearer. Dust rose on either side of the bus making it hard to look out of the windows. The guard sitting on the seat one to the right and one up, looked back at me. I raised an eyebrow as if to say 'What?'. He looked away again after shaking his head softly. I hate when adults do that. It just pisses me off! I sighed. The ride was so long. I don't know why I had to go to this stupid boot camp in Texas when I'm from California. I'm here for 24 month. 2 years for those who aren't quick in the head. From what I heard, I'm only the 2nd girl to go to this camp. It was recently converted into a both sexes boot camp because the owner couldn't be in to places at once. Well obviously.
I looked through the windshield again. Now I could see small figures dressed in orange walking around the camp. From what I could see there was only one tree. And guess what? NO LAKE. Camp Green Lake, the arched sign above read. What a great name for the place, I thought to myself as the bus went under the sign. I looked out the window to my left although there was nothing you could really see except for dust. As the bus slowed, the dust died down and out on the dried lake bed I could see a few boys digging. The bus stopped and the guard stood up. He nodded at me so I stood up too. The bus doors opened and hot air burst in. I lost my breath momentarily. The guard made his way out of the bus and waited for me outside. I stepped off of the bus and looked around. Not much.
"Let's go." He said. I waited for him to go first, which he did. He walked into the cabin nearest. An older looking man with squinted eyes sat behind the desk. He had to look up to see us from underneath the white cowboy hat he was wearing. The guard pushed down on my shoulder until I sat down in the chair behind me. Then he handed a folder, my folder, to the man.
"Hmm.. Samantha is it?" He looked up at me, apparently sucking on something. "No. It's Samm or Sammi. Whatever one I'm in the mood for." I said lounging back in the chair. He chuckled with his hoarse voice.
"Well is that so?" He looked back at the folder. "You'll be in Tent D/F." He said. He spit out a sunflower seed's shell. "Pendanski is your counselor. You can tell him about your little mood names. I don't want to hear about them. Understand, Samantha?" "Well it was kinda hard since ya have all that crap in your mouth. But ya. I think I got the point." I replied. He grunted. "If you have everything under control now, I'll be on my way." The guard said. The man nodded and the guard left. A few seconds later I could hear the bus driving away. The man stood up.
"My name is Mr. SIR. And that is the only name you will be calling me. Understand?" He said, leading me out of the cabin. I could see three boys walking into a larger cabin. None of them were even cute. One had a unibrow, another buck teeth, and the worse one who had his shirt off, was chunky. Wait chunky was an under statement. He was what the OVERLOAD signs on the back of those escort trucks meant. Mr. SIR, lead me into another cabin. There was one boy, not that bad looking, folding some white tee-shirts in the small storage room.
"You get two sets of clothing. One for work and the other to lounge. On laundry day your lounge clothes become your work clothes, understand?" "Sure." "excuse me?" "Sure, Mr. SIR." "Good. Each day you'll be digging a hole 5 feet deep and 5 feet in diameter. Got it?" "Yes, Mr. SIR." He handed me two orange jumpers and two shirts, among other items. "Well hello. You must be Samantha." A cheery voice rang behind me. I turned around to face a shorter man with a large sun-hat, and an over sun blocked nose.
"It's Samm. Or Sammi. Got it?" I grumbled.
"Ooh. Don't we have an attitude? Don't worry by the time you're done here you'll be as good as new." I turned back to Mr. SIR as if to say, 'Is this guy for real?'. Mr. SIR. Chuckled and walked out of the cabin. I watched him leave, thinking, Don't leave me here with this teletubby lover! I looked over at the boy folding clothes, after I got the feeling I was being watched. He was eyeing me. Measuring me up. Another thing I hate.
"What's wrong? Never seen a girl before?" I spat. He smiled. I rolled my eyes and followed Pendenski out the door. More boys were coming out of the cabins as we walked toward the D tent. Another tent on its left was D/F. We walked through the tent flap and into the tent which was about as hot as it was outside. A girl with long brown hair sat on a cot in the middle, reading. I couldn't see what she reading though. Must have been interesting because she didn't even look up.
"Hello, Charlotte. This is your new tent mate, Samantha." He introduced us. I growled.
"It isn't Samantha." "It isn't Charlotte." We chorused. It was awkward. "Cig." She said. What kind of name is Cig? Does she smell like a ciggarette or something? "Well your parents named you Charlotte and that's the name .." Cig cut Pendenski off.
"That the world will know me by once I've emerged as good as new." She rolled her eyes and got back to the book.
"Well then I'll let you two get acquainted." He said with his leave. I began to make my way to the back of the tent.
"You can take the cot across from me." She said, trying to sound leader-like.
"No thanks." I said and continued my way to the back of the tent. If she continued to try and boss me around, we're weren't going to get along. I put my stuff up and walked out of the tent. I stood there looking around at my surroundings until I hear some one behind me. 'Cig' is coming out of the tent.
"I'll show you around." She offers. "You shouldn't be by yourself the first time round. Especially when you look like that." There was something about the way she said the last sentences. Not Lesbian like but something else. At first I didn't really understand what she meant by the way I looked. But then after a few looks from some guys I understood. I was a cute girl. Short reddish/black hair green eyes, small black framed glasses, fair skin, around 5'4 and slim, in a camp full of guys. There was a few whistles from some extremely ugly guys who walked from the Tent B. I glared back at them which made them laugh and me angry.
"Don't mind them. Their idiots." She tried to comfort me. "How about I introduce you to the guys of Tent D?" I shrugged.