A/N: When I said in love I meant the most innocent kind of love. Kids these days have first boyfriend/girlfriend around the age of 12. But like I said time jump will be involved. No worries. AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE.
It's been a week since the camp started and Arizona has finally got familiar with the routine. It was Wednesday and Wednesdays meant a hiking trip or bike riding somewhere. She was really happy to find out that the activities worked out better than she expected. She loved running until she couldn't catch her breath and every evening she just threw herself in the bed and fell asleep almost immediately."Do you know where we're going today?" she asked curiously as she watched her roommates make their beds. She was sitting on her still messy bed somehow not feeling like doing it.
"I heard we're spending the day at the lake," Meredith replied. She wasn't a big fan of swimming but she knew how to swim.
Arizona frowned. "Oh." She stood up and made her bed. Suddenly she felt really nervous about swimming. She knew enough not to drown but when it came to swimming somewhere her limbs just didn't want to take her there. She was more bloating than swimming.
"I hope we're water skiing," Cristina said. She wanted to go extreme. Adrenaline was something she loved. Even if it was deadly.
Callie on the other hand felt insecure for a completely different reason. She was different than the rest of the girls. Her breasts were bigger and her stomach wasn't completely flat. While she was very good at swimming she preferred doing it at home where no one could see her.
The girls cleaned their cabin every morning and each time when they inspected their cabin, got five stars and they were proud of it. After the cabin inspection Vanessa came in to to talk to them about their Wednesday plans. "Morning girls," she said with a smile. While the boy group was completely reckless the girls made up for the trouble.
"Hi Vanessa," all girls replied in synchronization.
"So as you may heard today we're spending the day at the lake. There will be swimming and water sports. Does everyone know how to swim?" Arizona was too shy to make a sound so she simply nodded with everyone else. "Good. There's a pool on the other side with two slides. There will be water skiing if anyone's interest and water jets."
Cristina was happy that there would be something for her. She went water skiing before and absolutely love it.
"What kind of slides?" Meredith asked curiously. She loved water slides.
Vanessa laughed. "One is the usual and the other one is bigger for rubber rings," she explained. "But firstly sun screen and towels are a must. So get changed and grab a backpack."
Each by each the girls slowly changed into swimsuit and packed their backpacks. Vanessa was waiting next to their cabin with her group of boys. They were all already shirtless in swimming trunks and ready to simply jump in the water. Girls were different though. Arizona had on a colorful summer dress, Callie was wearing jean shorts and a purple tank top, Meredith had a white skirt and stripper blue and white t-shirt and Cristina wore black shorts with black tank top. They all wore swimsuits underneath.
They first stopped by the deck to put down their stuff down. Each group had their own flag by it so the belongings wouldn't get mixed up. Yellow sharks. Backpacks were dropped on the ground and Arizona looked around the lake. It was deep blue and on the other side she could see the slides. She really loved water slides.
"May I get everyone's attention please," Vanessa said, speaking loud so her whole group could hear her. She only had four girls but there was six boys in her group and they got noisy. "First, everyone gets covered in sunscreen. I don't care how tan you are, we don't need any burns. Secondly, if you want to head over to the slides you have to let me know. Dinner time will be announced and after the free time there's gonna be a bonfire. That's all for now."
The girls dropped their clothes and started rubbing the cream wherever they could reach, all still too shy to ask someone else. Boys were gawking at them and it was making them very uncomfortable.
"Never seen a chick in bikini before?" Cristina snapped at them, annoyed at the way they were staring.
The tallest one cleared his throat and quickly shook his head no. "Of course we've seen girls in bikinis before," he replied in an unusually high pitched voice. Cristina laughed at him.
Vanessa gave them a go ahead so they were able to jump in the lake and swim. Cristina threw herself in the water in a cannon ball style. Meredith climbed in, using the latter installed on the side of the deck and Callie elegantly dived in with her head going under water first. Arizona was intimidated by the darkness of the lake. Now she wished she would take dad's advice and signed in for more swimming lessons. Her brother was a great swimmer.
Arizona sat down on the wooden deck and stuck her feet in the water. She could feel hot summer sun on her face and the coolness of the water felt really nice. She was observing everyone who was swimming and playing in the water. She didn't notice the boys talking in the back until one of them sprinted towards her and pushed her hard in the water.
The 12 year old dimpled girl started panicking. She could hear her father's voice in her head telling at her how many times he told her to stay calm and not fight the flow if she was drowning. The lack of air and the water crashing in her lungs was making her head spin. Then she felt two hands on her shoulders and she was being dragged out of the water. Luckily there was a cute sandy beach next to the lake where she was pulled.
Arizona started coughing and spitting up the water she swallowed. She opened her blurry blue eyes and blushed when she noticed Callie was leaning over her. She really didn't want to embarrass herself. "You okay?" the Latina asked her, smiling softly. She knew Arizona told her she wasn't good at swimming so when she was pushed in the water she dived in to help her. Guys were jerks.
Vanessa was quickly by Arizona's side with a towel in her hand. The girl obviously wasn't injured but she was probably in shock. "Callie, why don't you go with Arizona so she can lay down for a while?" She saw the brunette saving her and she thought it was really brave and kind.
Callie nodded and stood up her arm supporting Arizona, since her body was too weak to stand on it's own.
"Oh look at her. She had to save her to gain a friend. What a fat loser," Izzie said loudly and giggled when her friends high-fifed her.
Callie frown and stayed quiet. She helped Arizona to the cabin and waited till she was safely laying down. Arizona could tell that the comment Izzie made, hurt Callie. It hurt her too. Because she thought Callie was really pretty. "Are you okay?" she asked even if she was the one who almost drowned.
Callie immediately nodded, hating if someone pitied her. "Are you okay? Those boys really are jerks." She needed to change the topic away from her. She went to private school so kids there weren't rude but she was on a summer camp a year before and some made the same comments. Maybe she really was fat. She wanted to cover herself with as many clothes as possible.
"You know, I don't agree," Arizona said but then lost the nerves to continue so the statement only confused Callie.
"Agree with what?"
Arizona blushed and ducked her head staring down at her toes. "The comment that Izzie made," she said and took a pause. "I think you're really pretty." She blushed even deeper and she could feel the heat on her cheeks. So embarrassing, she thought.
Callie blushed too. "Uhm.. Thank you." She paused to take a shaky breath "But I think she's right."
Arizona gaped. "No, she's not," she argued back. Didn't Callie see? "All the boys stare at you and you have the most developed... uhm breasts. And you're older than her. Izzie's just jealous."
Callie laughed bitterly. That sounds exactly what her parents would tell her. "You don't have to lie to me. It's fine."
Arizona rolled her eyes. It obviously wasn't fine but she didn't bother pushing forwards. Her throat burned from the water she inhaled and swallowed. She wanted to go back outside but she didn't want to face everyone who saw her in the moment of weakness.
"Do you like water slides?" Callie asked, breaking the intense silence. They had a couple of hours before dinner and she really wanted to go on the slides. Especially the rubber rings.
Arizona nodded. "My brother used to sneak me on really big water slides that I'm not allowed to go to but then let me go alone. It's fun."
Callie ruffled her wet hair. "Wanna go then?"
Arizona bit her lip. "Uhm.. I don't really know." She started blushing again. Would she forever be embarrassed about her lack of swimming skill?
"We can walk through the forest," Callie suggested. She really wanted to go out of the cabin and on the hot sun.
Arizona shrugged, not completely agreeing with the idea. "Or we can swim. Well slowly." She wanted to get over her fear of drowning. She was raised to be great at things and she wanted to be great at swimming.
Callie nodded. "Deal." They left the cabin and walked pass the staring kids to Vanessa. Arizona told her that she feels better and that they are headed to the other side of the lake where the slides were.
Callie used the latter this time while Arizona jumped in, holding her nose. She knew nothing would happen this time and she loved jumping in the water. It was the swimming somewhere part that she was scared of.
Callie was surprised to see Arizona in the water just seconds after her. "Ready to swim there?" They both looked on the either side of the lake. It would take them about 10 minutes of swimming. Arizona nodded and they kept their pace slow but steady. They arrived to the other side in only 8 minutes.
Arizona was glad to see not many kids felt like going here even with the water slides and what she saw in the background a playground. She didn't want to annoy Callie so she went on the usual slide first. After a few times she got bored and the other slide was longer and a lot more interesting. "Callie," she said almost shyly when Callie slid down right after her. "Wanna go on the rubber one?" The rubber rings were for two and there was a rule that said two have to be on it.
"Sure," Callie replied excitedly. She wanted to go too. They walked up the long slippery stairs that lead them to the bigger slide. It looked almost scary from the top. There was a life guard sitting there and watching over children and making sure they obey the rules. Callie and Arizona picked up the heavy rubber ring and set it on the top of the slide. Callie sat in the front and Arizona sat in the back. She had to push the ring and jump in it so they would slide down. They both screamed at the speed and laughed at the excitement.
Of course they had to go again and again until it was dinner time and they still had to go back to their cabin and change out of swimsuit. They swam there and Callie was impressed on how quickly Arizona was actually swimming. "You know, you are a good swimmer," she said smiling at Arizona.
"My dad said I do always work better under pressure," Arizona said laughing as they stumbled to the cabin. It was already empty which meant they were insanely late.
Callie laughed. "Did he ever tell you you're a bad influence as well? Because I am late for the first time in my life." Callie Torres was never a person to be late.
Arizona blushed. "No, but he tells it to my brother every day." They took fast turns in the bathroom to change in their regular clothes. Callie checked her phone and made a mental note to call her parents before the bed time. "We'r late come on," the blonde whined. She was raised in a military family and everything had to be on time.
They ran to the large dining room and both froze when Vanessa saw them. Other kids were already eating and no one seemed to pay them an extra attention. "It's okay," Vanessa said and laughed at the mortified girls. It wasn't the first time someone was late. "Go take a seat and start eating."
After dinner they had free time and most kids returned to the lake to swim some more. But Arizona, Callie, Cristina and Meredith didn't feel like it. They returned to their cabin and laid down. "Why were you two late?" Cristina asked.
"We were at the slides and it took us a while to get ready for dinner," Callie casually replied as she opened her phone and called the house number. Her mom was always at home. "Hola mama," she said in a Spanish accent. "Sí, estoy bien. (Yes, I'm good)." All the other girls were amazed by her Spanish. "We've been swimming today," Callie replied to her mom's question, having no problem with switching back to Englih. "Okay. Te quiero. Say hi to daddy." She hung up and closed her flip phone. She only used it every other day to check with her family.
Arizona was in awe. She always wanted to know Spanish. "You speak Spanish?"
Callie laughed. "Yes. My dad is from Mexico and my mom is half Mexican, half Irish-American. We moved to Miami when I was 7." She was a proud little Latina and was certainly not ashamed of where she was from.
Arizona shrugged. "Well I think that's awesome."
"Awesome?" Cristina questioned and made a gagging noise. That was so not a word for her. But at the same time it looked like it would be a word for Arizona.
"Yes, awesome," Arizona confirmed with a smile on her face.
