Friday the Thirteenth
Chapter 1
Deborah Kim wasn't quite ready for the weeks ahead of her. She had never had many interests outside of academics, and therefore, had found herself living most of her high school career with only a small clique of friends.
However, with college approaching, she had heard that all the good schools looked at more than just one's good grades. They wanted to see that a girl was well-rounded. That she could hit the books and the basketball court just the same. They wanted to see that she was interested in her own future as well as the future of those younger than her. It was for that reason, and that reason alone, that Deborah had done what she had hoped she'd never have to do. She had signed herself up as a camp counselor at Camp Crystal Lake.
The idea was ludicrous to her. She couldn't believe she had done it. She stood in front of the bulletin board by the high school's office staring at the sign up sheet. Her name was written very neatly across the registration line. Deborah Kim.
"Seriously?" Came a familiar voice. Deborah snapped out of her thoughts at the sound. She looked to find the source. It was her best friend Carrie. "You're signing up as a camp counselor?"
"Yeah. Why not?" Deborah asked, feigning ignorance. She knew full-well why Carrie was surprised. She'd never even been to camp, so why on earth would she be a counselor?
"Have you ever even been in the woods?" Carrie asked. Deborah opened her mouth to speak, but was cut off. "Other than to catch those butterflies for your science exhibit freshman year..." Deborah's mouth shut. She couldn't think of a time she'd really ventured into 'the great outdoors' for anything other than school work. She hated nature. The bugs. The dirt. The pollen. It was all so disgusting.
"No, but I'm a fast learner."
"Can't argue there." Carrie rolled her eyes. "You're desperate to get into a good school, huh?"
"It's my whole future, Carrie." Deborah explained. "I have to be serious about it."
"You're the smartest girl I know." Carrie praised. "You'll get in anywhere you want."
"Well, this'll help."
As classes went by, Deborah couldn't focus. All she could think about was camp next week. Today was the last day of school for her junior year. Most kids were excited, but not her. She envisioned herself at camp. She'd stand there in her jeans and sweatshirt, her thick framed glasses resting properly on the bridge of her nose, and her brown hair put up in a sloppy ponytail. She sighed to herself. She was not the ideal camp counselor. Everything she knew about being a leader at camp suggested you needed to be fit. Strong. Athletic. She was none of those things. She was a five-foot-nothing book nerd. If you wanted her to fix your computer, your car, your phone, your whatever...great! She could do that. She loved machines and working with her hands. You wanted her to run, swim, chop wood, or whatever else a camp counselor did? Good luck...
The bell rang and kids stampeded out of class, eager to begin their summer vacation. Deborah Kim walked out of honors calculus with her shoulders slumped and her head hung low. This was going to be the worst. A whole week surrounded by annoying kids, preppy girls and jock boys, as well as nature. Nothing sounded fun about this. But at least it would look good on her college applications.