They say I'm broken
Unwilling to try
And though I can't deny
I know I won't give up
Cos I'm strong enough to hold on to
My future
Though it is still unfamiliar…
"So what, you think you can tell me what to do!?" I yelled and threw the phone receiver down in fury, staring around for something to destroy. I had never felt so enraged in my life.
"Daddy!" I screamed, and I heard a shuffling of feet in the corridor. My father, a small, balding Chinese man in an expensive suit, possibly Gucci, looked around nervously as he wrung his hands and avoided my glare.
"Yes sweetie?" He asked, pulling a, what he probably hoped, winning smile.
"I just got off the phone with Mr Fulman. You'll never guess what he said" I spat with hatred and I saw him wince.
"Oh yes?" He asked with feigned curiosity, even though he knew what I was going to say next.
"Oh yes. Apparently I am going to a camp this summer." I narrowed my eyes and my father cowered in response.
"Well, wouldn't it be a good opportunity for you…?" He began, then trailed away when he saw the look on my face
"Daddy, I'm not a moron! I know the stupid camp is the land space or whatever that you are demolishing to make way for your little project 24 whatever it is. But I want to know just why exactly you're sending your only daughter to a summer of torture in the middle of nowhere!" I ranted furiously. I watched as a steely glint settled in my father's eyes, something I had only seen in the rarest of occasions.
"You like music" He accused
"Oh, like you're doing this for my benefit. What do you want me to do, spy on the camp?" He didn't answer my question and comprehension dawned, "You want your daughter to spy on a camp." It wasn't a question.
"I need inside information before the demolishment" My father answered, strictly professionally. I resisted the temptation to whack him on the head.
"And, what, can't your billions of minions in your 'organisation' get inside information?" I sneered with contempt
"That's simply not possible" He snapped back in a similar manner, "unless you haven't noticed, none of my minions as you so cleverly named them, are within the age limit to apply to the camp."
I closed my eyes then and inhaled sharply, waiting for him to continue. But it seemed he was waiting on my reply.
"Why should I do it?" I demanded, and felt him smile.
"There will be rewards, of course"
I considered this for a moment, wondering just what I didn't have that I wanted and only one thing came to mind. Something I had been moaning for weeks over.
"Alright. Fine. What do you want me to do?"
The limo opened to a dirt track. Surrounded by bug infested forests.
"You're kidding." I said to no one in particular as I stepped out, my heels immediately moulding into the dry earth and I cursed, beyond irritated.
"Miss, the vehicle simply cannot continue up this twisting path, we must venture on foot." Jason, the chauffer said with a pitiful gaze at my outfit. I had dressed carefully this morning, nothing too flash; a simple red halter neck, baggy shorts and Choos. I was to remain inconspicuous, after all.
"Don't you mean that we should slug it as to give off an aura of normalness?" I enquired and Jason shrugged, as the path winding around the corner was big enough for two limos and a few SUVs. Jason was such a bad liar, it was the only time he became vaguely coherent.
"Believe what you want, miss" He muttered, as he dragged out my suitcase with difficulty. I was shocked that I was only allowed to bring one suitcase. What kind of a place was this?
We traipsed up the bend in silence. I kept my eyes stubbornly on the sandy path, refusing to look at my surroundings until Jason came to an abrupt stop.
"I must leave you here miss as-"
"Yeah, yeah," I waved off his excuses, "You don't want anyone to see how abnormal I am. Got it, well. Thanks." I said awkwardly, taking the suitcase from him. I had never dragged a suitcase in my life.
"Your father would've been here you know" Jason gazed at me with sympathy and I rolled my eyes, batting away further excuses. My father was at a business conference, regarding the building of project 24, and he wouldn't miss it if I was attacked viciously by an orang-utan and hospitalized. Or the less extremes and more likely event of drowning in the lake.
I slowly marched my way around the corner, where a bus and dozens of cars were parked. Behind it I could see some wooden shacks. What lovely accommodation. Seriously, five star worthy.
Before I could continue observing the scenery with horror, a boy stepped in front of me. I say boy, but he looked closer to a man, probably someone helping out the camp rather than attending it.
"Can I help you?" He asked politely, gesturing to my suitcase which I was still towing, as if it was a great burden. I answered his smile; he was really pretty cute, with wavy black hair that highlighted the brown of his eyes. He looked vaguely familiar, but I couldn't place where I had seen him before.
"Sure, thanks. I had no idea how much I packed" I laughed, hoping that will cover up why exactly my case seemed to weigh close to a pregnant elephant, but he just chuckled.
"Hey, no problem. I'm Shane by the way" he smiled again, just as a someone called out his name. I looked past his shoulder to see a girl with straight brown hair and kind eyes run towards us. Her eyes became careful when she saw us, and flickered from delight to mild surprise.
"Hey" I greeted, not wanting to give the wrong impression. She and Shane gave a definite 'together' vibe, and I wasn't here to mess up relationships. After all, I had a way more important mission. Still a bummer though, Shane is hot. Never mind, maybe he'll have a brother.
"Hey" She answered back cautiously and pecked Shane quickly on the cheek. He looked disappointed and I quickly dropped my gaze, feeling like an intruder.
"How've you been?" She gushed, with another quick look in my direction
"Good." He answered back swiftly, and introduced her, "This is Michie by the way…and this is…" He waited for me to reply and I deliberated for a second. I had been told it would be easier with a false name but…
"I'm Krissy. Krissy Wan."
About three things happened at once as I finished saying this. First, Shane dropped my suitcase with surprise, Michie opened her mouth into a full gawking 'O' and a blonde girl pushed past both and held out her hand.
"I'm Tess Tyler" She introduced with a false smile
"Tess…" Shane said warningly, but didn't stop Tess as she pulled me along towards a shack Shane and I had been heading.
"Just one minute, I won't steal her for long" She said over her shoulder as she towed me forward.
What a lie that was.
I felt like I was a minion, to say the least. To give her credit, Tess was a lot nicer than the average bitchy queen bee, but she was still the queen bee nevertheless and therefore allowed to be a bitch on 'rare' occasions.
I didn't get to see Shane or Mitchie much until our first class; singing and dancing. Like show tunes. They weren't even trying to be funny, just horrifically mean.
Apparently, Shane had been appointed the instructor of this class, as well as hip hop which he had last summer, and others. This probably made it worse; I was now going to have to make a fool out of myself in front of a hot guy. A hot, taken guy but still.
I sighed as he insisted that I walked to the front for not dancing or singing.
Or should I say, not making myself look stupid.
"Fine." He said with an edge in his voice, and I breathed, not daring to believe how easily I had got away with it. "I'll see you after class, go sit in the corner"
Ignoring the 'ooohss' and 'troublee' I flung my hands up in exasperation and flopped towards a corner, glaring. Unbelievable. The guy wasn't old enough to run a class, never mind tell me what to do. And he wasn't going to. Because I had a plan.
Unfortunately, my plan to sneak out as soon as the bell goes did not work. Shane seemed to have guessed what my mind was proposing and ran after me as I streaked off; glad I had ditched the Choos for converses this morning. He caught me before I could reach the girl's cabin and fling the door shut in his face, as I had hoped in the ten minutes I sat brooding in my corner.
"No you don't" He shouted, grabbing me around the waist. Bad idea, I burst out into giggles and kicked him where it hurts in response
"Oh my god I'm sorry" I whispered, as he doubled over. I bit my lip. Oh great, now I was going to get hauled out for assaulting the instructor. Though to be fair, he had assaulted me first; who grabs a lady around the waist these days? They were just asking for trouble. I pointed this out to the still in-pain Shane and was relieved to hear him chuckle.
"Oh, that was nothing." He said, still laughing and pulling himself upright.
"Whatever," I replied, inching towards the cabin
"Really, I thought I should just act in pain for your benefit. Girls get really peeved when they realise that they had actually caused little damage." He chortled and I threw him a look, all inching forgotten.
"Oh really?" I challenged, "Give me another shot, I'll make you sorry" I said menacingly, but he found this amusing. I glanced down, ready for another try, intentional this time.
"You're just looking for excuses to stare." He teased, and I blushed, lifting my foot off the ground, about to strike.
"None of that." He commanded lightly, swinging me around abruptly and I lost my balance.
"I can still aim" I warned, but he lifted me off the ground and slung me over his shoulder and began walking in the direction of the river.
"Give it your best shot" He replied, grinning by the sounds of it.
"Shut up. What are you going to do, drown your most brilliant student in the camp river? That will definitely stir things up." I said sarcastically, trying to hide the panic in my voice at the same time; I hate rivers. Oceans, lakes. Even puddles. You name it; anything with water in it will repel me. With the exceptions of showers of course, I don't smell that bad.
"Funny kid." He replied, lowering me carefully onto a bridge hanging precariously over the river. Unfortunately, this was how Mitchie saw us. As he lowered me gently, his hands on my waists to support me, I was behaving well this time, and our bodies standing far too close. I could see the betrayal in her eyes as she watched from the very end of the bridge.
"Mitchie!" He called, as she took off, barging past us.
"I'll be right back" He said to me franticly, and raced off after her before I could reply. I sighed. Being inconspicuous obviously wasn't one of my talents.
This is my, first impressions
What can I say?
I just don't want to get in your way
Don't want to cause trouble
What do I do?
I wish I could just, ignore you
But my, first impressions
They make a mark
I just hope that it will not scar
This is my
First impressions
First impressions…
"Hey, that's good you know" I jumped and looked around for the source of the interruption, cringing as I realised I was singing to myself. Brilliant.