Chapter 2
it had been about a week since Charlie had arrived. She was sentenced to twenty one months at Camp green lake. Just twenty to go, Charlie told herself. she knew it was actually better than the way she usually lived, but this place was generally depressing to her. She would probably go mad after a while. She had discovered that now that she was used to it, she was an extremely fast digger, and had finished long before anyone else. She realised she had never met the Warden. The Warden lived in a cabin at one area of the lake, so Charlie didn't care. She expected it was a man. And she expected him to be very mean. She saw X-ray fall into the wreck room after a bit. He fell into a chair a few meters away from Charlie's spot at the TV.
"what's up X-ray?" she asked. X-ray grunted. He glanced at Charlie.
"I know who you are you know," he said. Charlie stared at him, searching for his eyes so she could understand. His eyes were rather beautiful, she realised when she found them. he had a beautiful face that was hidden by his glasses.
"and what's that?" Charlie asked. She rubbed the back of her neck gently. X-ray smirked.
"you're not even a," Scar stormed in angrily. He had a mean red scratch across his cheek.
"just caught the Warden on a bad day," he grumbled as Charlie and X-ray stared at it. "she grabbed Tiny's shovel and smacked it across my bloody face!" he shouted. He kicked the TV angrily. X-ray scoffed. Charlie blinked when Scar said "she" and then grinned at Scar.
"figures," he muttered. Scar kicked him in the leg, "ow dude! Uncalled for!" X-ray responded loudly, standing up and grabbing Scar around the neck. Charlie rolled her eyes and yanked the two off each other.
"you want the Warden to hit you again?" she warned. Scar flinched, "then quit it," an order, not a suggestion. Scar glared at X-ray and stormed out. X-ray laughed and Charlie flipped round to him and folded her arms.
"don't think you're off the hook, Mister," she said. She was shorter than X-ray by a bit so her attempt of being intimidating was only backed up by her sharp wit. X-ray rolled his eyes with a smirk plastered to his face.
"you could've hurt him, do you want Mr Sir or the Warden to find out us lot have been fighting? They'll gut us if they find out, may I remind you," Charlie scolded, backing X-ray up against a wall with her finger at his nose.
"they'll gut you if they find out about you too," X-ray joked, "may I remind you," he added. Charlie lowered her arm and raised an eyebrow
"find out what?" she said, trying to sound less nervous than she was. X-ray chuckled and grabbed her elbow, and yanked her outside to one of the tents. He checked around the entire place, but luckily for him, it was empty apart from himself and Charlie.
"what are you doing X-ray?" Charlie asked. X-ray blew his lips and wandered over to Charlie. He grabbed her shoulders so she would pay attention.
"I know everything, I know why you are so short, why your voice is still so high," he began, "I even know why you don't take that hat off. I know why you demand everything, I know why you are so much like the Warden," he told her. Charlie grimaced at the thought of being anything like the Warden, though she had never met her. X-ray pulled Charlie's attention back.
"you're not even a boy are you? Charlie-Ann," he said, feeling triumphant. Charlie couldn't find the words to speak. She didn't understand how he knew. She opened her mouth, but nothing came out.
"I don't know what you're talking about," she said. X-ray rolled his eyes.
"oh please!" he laughed and pushed off Charlie's hat. He used his sleeve to rub the dirt off Charlie's grubby face. Then he grinned, "I knew it," he said and pushed Charlie's hair up. Charlie glared at him.
"don't tell," she snapped. X-ray laughed
"why would I do that? If I don't tell then at least I have something to hold against you," he teased. Charlie hit his arm
"swear it!" she spat. X-ray pushed her back.
"I will when you stop hitting me," he said. Charlie growled and turned on her feet, heading for the door, "but you'd better be careful, it's shower day today," X-ray warned as Charlie left.
Charlie looked round the corner of the shower room. She didn't want to go in, considering there were guys in there and they would be freaked out, at least one would, but she knew she had to sometime. Charlie swallowed. She looked around and slowly slunk inside. There was no steam, because the showers were short, but she was unnoticed by the boys who were silent as usual. The showers had no doors in front of the cubicles apart from a small swinger which covered them pretty well. Charlie didn't really mind that they were there, but she had to bite her lip to stop herself from laughing. All four boys were staring up at the showerhead, getting every drop. Charlie sat down in the corner of the room.
"I wonder why Splits isn't here?" Tiny asked. X-ray stiffened up and kept looking away from the others.
"yeah, he acts weird at bed time too, he might be cool but he's weird too," Talon said. Charlie scoffed silently. A few minutes later the boys finished their showers and left. The room was empty aside from Charlie. Slowly she stood up and ran over to the showers. She quickly undressed, so no one would notice and ran in. She let the shower run on her face and arms and legs everywhere. It wasn't everyday that she got water for free here. Suddenly though, the water stopped running. She stared in suspicion at the shower head for a moment and then heard footsteps behind her. She flipped round. X-ray screamed and then Charlie screamed and covered what she needed to. X-ray stood there, trying hard to smother his laughter.
"don't do that!" Charlie pleaded, turning crouching down so she was almost completely hidden. X-ray turned round the corner so she could change and so he could laugh. Charlie's face was bright red as she grabbed her work clothes and yanked them on. She was still dripping wet and so shook of quickly, knowing that most of the water would evaporate in the heat of the camp. She stepped outside next to X-ray with her arms folded, blushing madly.
"don't worry, my eyesight's so bad I barely noticed you were there, plus I just came to pick up my socks, I forgot them," X-ray promised and slipped past her. "You're so lucky it was me though, I am so holding that over you," he laughed. Charlie blew a raspberry sharply. X-ray chuckled as he trotted out of the showers. He looked at Charlie straight on. "hope you're not planning to do that every time I joke around," he commented, pushing past her towards the tent.