A/N: Thank you guys so much for the reviews and story alert adds. :D This story is kind of off to a slow start, so I'm definitely taking requests.
I hoisted my bag up over my shoulder as I followed the group of boys down the hill towards the cabins. Now that we had escaped the crowded dining hall, I realized that these kids really were all unique. There were about a dozen boys in Artie's cabin and about half of them were average kids from middle class suburbs somewhere outside of Philadelphia. There were a couple of rough city kids, clearly out of their element in their ripped jeans and over-sized tee-shirts and sneakers. One of the boys was blind and another looked like he might not be all there, but somehow, they all looked like they belonged. They were all smiling, looking around at the thick forest that surrounded us.
And suddenly, we left the narrow trail that we'd been trekking and entered a huge clearing with a wide path of concrete down the center. Two dozen rustic cabins were neatly arranged in a semi circle on the edge of the clearing. The grass was neatly trimmed and even the trees seemed to have been tamed. It would have been perfect, but there were so many people. There were kids, teenagers and adults everywhere and it felt like everyone was staring at me. Somehow, they knew I didn't belong here... I felt myself falling another half step behind the boys. How would I ever survive here for three whole days? Those two girls half way across the yard had literally stopped playing to stare at me... that boy was just holding his boy, wondering why I'd come...
Suddenly, I felt a sharp poke in my side. I looked down and saw Artie smiling up at me. "You look like you saw a ghost."
I just shrugged and tried to smile at him. "A lot of people." I took a step behind his wheelchair and instinctively grabbed a handle. The familiar hard plastic felt good in my hot hands; It almost felt like we were back in school. Even if I recognized the faces we passed every day in the halls of McKinley, they were no less threatening. I needed someone to stand behind when they came to criticize me and the boy sitting in front of me was like a shield against all these strangers.
Artie seemed to understand this as he led the way softly up a narrow path. We were headed towards a nondescript cabin. I watched as Artie and the main counselor directed the boys into the cabin and started a quiet craft activity. The cabin was dim and small, but it didn't feel cramped or rundown. The utilitarian furniture was brightly decorated and each kids seemed to have their own space. I could almost point to each bunk and tell you who it belonged to and I didn't even know these kids. It took a few minutes, but Artie finally turned towards me and nodded to a small bedroom that I hadn't noticed. I picked up my bag again and followed him into his room.
I laughed at his Star Trek sheets and dumped my duffel bag on his bed. I turned around, expecting to catch his smile and relief that we were finally alone, but his face was set, clearly he was upset. "Tina, I told you a hundred times-"
I was staring at the other bed in the room. "There's only two beds in here, Artie."
He broke his tirade to follow my gaze. Slowly, a sly smile spread across his face. "I was hoping you'd be OK sharing with me."
"Very funny," I crossed my arms in front of my chest.
The smile stayed on his face. "Actually, I found you an extra bed in one of the waitress cabins. They're really cool chicks and most of them are around our age."
I actually took half a step back and ended up falling back onto his bed. He chuckled at me, but I was too busy shaking my head, imagining all those people outside. "But I don't know any of those waitresses..."
Now Artie wheeled over and leaned over me. "It's not that bad. They're nice people."
"I'm a people too..." I mocked, laughing at him. We had this inside joke for times when we both felt left out. It just helped us remember that in the end, we're all people. I looked around the bare room and kicked my feet idolly. "So what do you guys do around here for fun?"
"You know the usual... camping out, boating, swimming, sports, hot air ballooning."
"Wait..." I looked up suddenly and rose an eyebrow at him. "What?"
"Just making sure you're paying attention," he snorted.
"Hey, Artie," the main counselor Sam stuck his head into the room. "We could use your help in here."
"Oh, yeah, right. I gotta go work..." He smiled at me. "It's pretty easy to find the waitress cabins. You just go back up to the dining hall and walk around the left side. There should be a clearing in between the trees that will lead you right there."
I shrugged, "OK."
"Don't worry about it, Tina. Try to enjoy yourself. For me?" Behind his glasses, his eyes got round and watery and I found myself nodding despite my true feelings. He gave me a quick kiss on the cheek. "I'll see you later."
He winked as he rolled out of the bedroom, leaving me to find my way across camp by myself.
I hesitated on the porch of the cabin and looked down the gentle slope of the wheelchair ramp. There was only Artie and one other boy who really needed in this cabin, but all the cabins seemed to be outfitted similarly. I gave a quick glance around the large clearing and realized there were almost no . All the kids must have gone inside. Across the campus, I saw a girl running up and down the ramp carelessly. Her blond hair was flapping in the wind and every time I caught her smile, it seemed contagious. She seemed to old to be a camper... There was something familiar about her. I narrowed my eyes and made my way across the clearing towards her cabin. Slowly, her distinct features became clearer. I could almost picture her in a familiar red uniform. Finally, I recognized her. "Brittany?"
She just smiled at me as she came walking down the ramp. "Hey Tina. Artie told me you were coming this weekend."
"You work here?" I stared at her; it was weird seeing her in shorts and a tee-shirt, her long blond hair not tied back.
"Yep. I'm a waitress. You'll sleeping in my bunk."
Slowly, her smile spread on to my face. "Great. Let's go."
"Go where?"
"To your bunk, Brittany."
"Oh, right." She nodded absently and led the way towards my new accommodations.
