I close my suitcase with careful hands, making sure not to slam it down or anything reckless like that. I take a step back and look at my bags: one large suitcase along with a small shoulder bag for my handheld stuff like my sketch pad and pencil case. I pick them both up, feeling my suitcase being much heavier than handbag. My eyes wander around the room, taking it all in for a final time. I'm going to be one of the counsellors at Camp Crystal Lake for a week or so. I'm alright with kids but I signed up mainly because I want some time to myself. Even though it's outside my comfort zone, I hear the outdoors are good for the mind and help you think.
Something everyone needs once in a while.
I walk out the door to my parents car, seeing them waiting for me. Or - at least one of them. My mother, still in her pyjamas is leaning against the car. She smiles, flicking her cigarette away into the pavement. Her eyes look tired, with her back being slouched over. She always seemed to be tired but somehow in a good way.
"You ready to go now honey?" She says hugging me. I nod and smile, moving round to the front seat with her. The car rumbles to a slow start before we're on the road to the camp. It's not like tents and stuff like that. There are huts which are quite sizeable, although I hear all the girls are staying in one building. It's still a couple of days before the kids start arriving at the camp but I like to be places that bit earlier. The drive there is a short one, only about fifteen minutes or so. This gives me a chance to think about my ideas that I might get down. I've taken art this year and I'm more into pencil drawings and sketching than things like painting and clay modelling.
We arrive at the camp and I disembark from the vehicle, waving goodbye to my mother. She does the same whilst I unpack my luggage. The engine coughs and then the car is off again. I look to the car longingly, feeling as of something bad might happen. I've always had a bad case of premonition.
I begin to walk down the path and I'm grateful for my decision of wearing leather boots. The mud is evident yes, but it hardly effects me when walking on the stone path. I spot the first cabin, and it's quite large to my surprise. When I get closer, I look inside the window, seeing various pieces of hunting equipment line the boxes and the floor. I hear the footstep behind me and snap around instinctively.
"Chill, it's just me" a man with a red flannel shirt puts his arms up in defence. He's well built and quite tall with beige cargo shorts on his legs. I relax a bit.
"I assume you're the head counsellor" I say. He nods and extends his hand. I take it and feel his strong grip clasp down but not too hard. It's not painful, but a nice friendly shake.
"Kenny Riedell, and you are...?" He trails off.
"A.J. Mason or just A.J. for short" I reply and he nods his head appreciatively.
Kenny Riedell is a nice guy. I've seen him in high school a couple of times, sticking up to jocks picking on some nerds. Caring and understanding of others' feelings.
"Right, well the ladies hut is right over there..." he trails off, pointing at the building labelled 'girls'. I turn to him again and give him my thanks.
"Who else is coming?" I ask him. He thinks for a moment.
"Well for the girls, there's you, Deborah King, Tiffany Cox, Jenny Myers and Vanessa Jones. And for the guys there's me, Chad Kensington, Brandon Wilson, Eric LaChappa and Adam Palomino" he finishes. I have mixed opinions about most of them, some being positive and others being negative. Although one person does stand out to me; Adam Palomino.
Personally, I think he's a nice guy, caring yet a bit rough. My kind of guy.
"You'll be sharing the section of the house with Deborah by the way...I figured you disliked the other two girls quite a bit" he says. I smirk.
"Nice work detective" I joke sarcastically. He laughs and then waves goodbye as I stroll over to our cabin. It sucks that I'm going to have to share with Tiffany and Vanessa, but I'm glad Deborah is there. Deborah is this nerdy girl who's in my biology class. She's a straight A student getting at the top of every class. I don't blame her. She looks like she studies hard. The thing which got me through school is a diet of caffeine and staying up late. Surprising, this worked. I'm not the best, but I near the top. I like it there. You're not a target for bullies either. I open the door and hear the creak of the floorboards as soon as I step in. I cringe at the elongated noise before closing the door behind me. I pick the bed closest to the door and lay my bag down upon it. I shift it to one side and rest my head on the pillow at the top and lie down. I think of the others in Kenny's list and my mind drifts to Adam. Maybe I do have a thing for him.
I'm not shy when it comes to confessing stuff. I'm just sure he's not that interested in me. Spending time with Deborah will be nice though. I close my eyes, allowing my mind to receive clearer pictures of the other camp counsellors. It's not long before I start to feel prone to napping. I'm sure a couple of hours wouldn't hurt. My mind slowly calms me, making me sink deep into my own thoughts.