Dance is your pulse, your heartbeat, your breathing. It's the rhythm of your life. It's the expression in time and movement, in happiness, joy, sadness and envy. Jacques D'Amboise
When I was young, I wasn't so clear on the gravity thing.
And my imagination got me in a lot of trouble.
But there was this one moment when time stopped and everything made sense.
Then I landed and broke my wrist.
But from that day on, I have always known that in another life I could fly.
And that's why, in this life I dance.
Or at least I used to.
Before I came here I attended on of the best dance schools in America.
The Manhattan Academy of Dance, a school devoted to the best of the best. You have to be in the top 5% of all dancers to get in the first place.
Dancing was my life. Dancing was what I was born for. No. What I existed for.
Until it wasn't.
It was the thrill that made it addicting, I suppose.
The audible pounding of my heart as I slipped whatever I had decided to take into my pocket or bag or whatever else.
The glee that bubbled up inside me when I got away with it.
It was an adrenaline rush all of its own.
The only thing that came close was Ballet.
My name is Kimberley Karamakov. I'm 17 years old.
Female. Obviously. Sagittarius. Pizza is my favourite food, although I don't eat it often and I don't have a lucky number.
Two weeks ago I was caught stealing from Saks Fifth Avenue.
The judge found me guilt of theft and assault. Apparently hitting someone in the face with Pointe shoes is a criminal offense.
That's why I'm here.
Handcuffed to the seat of a hideous yellow bus in the middle of Texas, sweating like crazy.
I was headed to Camp Green Lake. A juvenile delinquent facility for boys. Boys.
Yeah.
There's a really stupid but totally legitimate reason as to why I Kimberley Karamakov, Female are heading to a boys institution. The judge believed I would be less likely to be "hung, drawn and quartered" here than St Johns Institute for Girls.
Fun times.
"Are we there yet?" I called impatiently to the driver.
He glared at me. As did the guard. Some sort of icy hatred in there eyes.
"5 more minutes, girly."
I pursed my lips. Yeah. I was a girl. Big deal.
I frowned and leaned my head against the window.
Ouch, I winced. The window was hot.
"Come on. I don't have all day." The guard said, nudging my foot with his shoe.
"Yuck. Shoe germs."
The guard unlocked my handcuffs and I stood up, gracefully of course.
I slung my bag over my shoulder, gave the guard the dirtiest look I could muster and marched of the bus.
I followed Pendanski to a wooden cabin a ways away. Upon entering I was greeted with the smell of stale cigarettes and saw a man sitting behind a cluttered desk. He had on a leather cowboy hat and thick soled cowboy boots. He sat spitting sunflower seeds into a mug and glaring at the world. Charming fellow.
"I am Mr Sir. You will call me by that name are we understood."
"Yes, Mr Sir."
"You' he nodded at me 'you're the first girl inmate to be brought here since this place started. Just because your lackin' a few parts the other campers have don't mean you'll be gettin any special treatment. You're gonna have the same rules as everyone else and you'll have to do just as much work. Now follow me," he walked out of the cabin, into the hot sun.
I rolled my eyes and followed him begrudgingly.
"You have to sets of clothes." He said "One for work on for relaxation. After three days your relaxation clothes will become your work clothes and your work clothes will be watched."
"Is that even sanitary?" I asked sarcastically.
"Everyday you will wake-up at 4:30a.m to have breakfast and head out to your digging site-"
"Digging? No. I don't do digging. Or dirt. Or shovels." Mr Sir continued as if I hadn't interrupted.
"You will dig a five by five foot hole. Five feet deep, five feet in diameter." He raised his hand and held up his five fingers as if I couldn't count.
"Use your shovel as your measuring stick."
He continued to stare at me as I stood in the middle of the room.
"What are we waiting for?" I asked confused.
"We are waiting for you to get into your relaxing clothes." He said gruffly.
"Oh. Okay."
I stripped down quickly to my underwear, bra, and a tank top and slipped into the jumpsuit onto me body before quickly zipping it up.
Mr Sir looked shocked, as if he had expected me to throw a fit in true prima ballerina style. I was used to changing in front of others, so changing in front of this guy wasn't really a problem. "The holes have already been dug today so you'll start tomorrow-"
"Okay. When" He glared at me and picked up my bag as we headed out the room.
He tossed it to a passing camper.
"Search this."
The camper quickly searched my bag.
"Nothing in here Mr Sir."
"Hello Mr Sir. Is this the new D-Tenter?"
I swung around to face a ridiculously clad, sun burnt man who had snuck up behind us. He was wearing a broad-brimmed hat, a short sleeve button up shirt, khaki shorts and dirty, formerly white, socks pulled up to his knees. His face was badly bruised on the left side and his nose was coated with white sunscreen. He had a foolish smile on his face revealing a gap between his two front, yellowed teeth. "Kimberley Karmakov?" he asked happily.
"Ugh. It's Karamakov but yes." Drew replied cautiously.
"I'm . I'll be your counsellor here at Camp Green Lake. I'd just like you to know that even though you've done some bad things that does not make you a bad person. I respect you," He smiled again and Drew laughed as she accepted the tokens thrust into her hand.
"Shower tokens," he said as way of an explanation. Drew nodded at him and returned her attention to Pendanski.
"Ah. Pendanski. Come to collect this here Girl Scout. And send Zig Zag to me, yeah."
"Hello. I am Dr Pendanski. I'm your camp councillor. You'll be in D tent. D stands for –
"Delinquents?"
"No. Diligence. Here we are."
Dr Pendanski and I entered a tent marked 'D'.
"Now, Kimberley. This is Rex, Alan…"
"Yo. Mom. Let me do the intro's right. I'm X-Ray. This is Squid, Armpit, Zig Zag, Magnet, and Zero." X-Ray pointed out everyone individually.
"Now boys I want you all to make Kimberley feel right at home-" Mom started
"Home? I live in New York. Not in Hicksville, Texas," I interrupted in monotone.
"Jose, I would like you to be her personal guide. Make her feel welcome and show her the ropes." Magnet or Jose nodded his agreement and Mom beamed.
"Alright then boys -and girl- dinners in a bit so get Kimberley situated before then." he nodded and turned on his heal to exit. "It should be no labour-"
"To be nice to your neighbour," they all finished in annoyance.
"Ricky, Mr Sir wants to see you." Mom said nodding. "Have a nice night." And he was gone.
"Bu- wait!" I called. When Mom didn't stop, or answer I groaned and stomped my foot in frustration.
Yeah. I was going to hate it here.
A/N I realise this has been done before. I've read heaps of these girl at Green Lake fics but decided that I was going to give it a go. I wanted to give Kimberley a real personality, you know. I don't think she's a Mary Sue, if you think she is P.M me or something and I'll change it. The reason she's at CGL instead of a girl's correctional facility will be explained in the next chapter.
I don't own any of the characters.