Beverley

It was two weeks since I arrived. Days at Camp Green Lake were rather boring. As per usual, Aunt Lou's company was rather dry while she was at work. The counselors were amusing, but I longed for contact with people my own age. And unfortunately all the people around my age were convicts.

Today's dinner wasn't any better than yesterday's. The boys had for the most part gotten used to a girl's arrival, but there was still gawking when I entered a room. A couple days ago a brave fellow actually walked up to my table and started talking to me. He was quite polite in fact, but was still quickly shooed away by the other counselors. I hated being so sheltered.

After dinner I started the long trudge back to Aunt Lou's cabin and was of course escorted by the ever charming Dr. Pendanski. He was chatting merrily away about something he saw on the news that morning that was oh so hilarious when I noticed that the same three boys—Squid, X-Ray, and Zigzag—that I met on the first day were out in front of Aunt Lou's cabin. One held a hose, another a bucket, and the last a handful of sponges.

"Oh, lookie here!" Pendanski chuckled. "It's the three stooges!"

"Real funny Mom," X-Ray mumbled and spat on the ground.

"Car duty today?" Pendanski asked, even though he obviously knew the answer.

"Yep," they all responded.

Car duty was washing my Aunt Lou's Cadillac. It was not a required job, rather one that you could sign up to do and earn extra shower tokens.

"Well be careful, we don't want any scratches!" Pendanski warned.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Squid rolled his eyes. I smiled at this.

"Don't worry Mom," X-Ray assured him. "We don't want any trouble, we REALLY need these."

"Gross," I wrinkled my nose, earning a chuckle from Pendanski.

"It's not for us chick," Squid replied. "It's for Armpit, dude don't smell good."

"Theodore is another member of D-Tent," Pendanski told me, as if I couldn't figure that out for myself.

An awkward moment passed as the boys looked at us and we looked at them.

"Why don't you head on inside—" Pendanski suggested at the same time I asked, "Need some help?"

"Sure!" Squid exclaimed a little too eagerly.

Pendanski's brows furrowed together. "Now I don't think that's such a good idea."

I cocked my head to the side. "What else is there to do?"

I thought I really stumped him now until he countered, "Why don't you go draw or something?"

I was really done with being bored.

"Ok," I replied and plopped down on the porch steps. This earned some smirks from the D-Tent boys.

Pendanski sighed. "Now stay out of trouble, all of you." He warned and turned away.

As soon as he got out of earshot, Squid said, "Now that he's gone babe—"

"Don't you have a job to do?" I asked, annoyed.

"Man she is related to the Warden," Squid grumbled and I glared at him.

X-Ray and Zigzag burst out in laughter. "Ok let's get to work fellas," X-Ray, the obvious leader, commanded.

I pulled out my book and pens, starting to trace the outline of the scene ahead of me. I smiled at the crazy shape of Zigzag's hair. I listened to the boys' idle chit-chat and complaints about other tents, the food, and sunburns.

"Man, did you see Magnet's burn? The skins between his fingers are cherry red," Squid said.

"The back of my neck is killing me," Zigzag complained.

"You'd think we'd be immune by now," X-Ray commented.

"Don't you guys have sunscreen?" I spoke for the first time since they started working, but keeping my eyes focused on my drawing. I heard the hose stop spraying.

"You think that if we had sunscreen we wouldn't be burnt?" I was getting used to Squid's sarcastic remarks.

"Now, now, kids," X-Ray warned.

Zigzag

I noticed all right. As soon as we started working the new girl had pulled out some sort of log or journal. She wasn't even trying to conceal it. I saw that she kept occasionally glancing at us, then writing stuff down. Was she recording out actions?

"Whatchu doin there?" I asked.

The girl looked surprised. "I'm drawing." She said.

"Yeah? What are you drawing?" I pressed.

Beverley peered closely at me before asserting her attention back to her log. "Secret."

I gave the boys a look. They shrugged in reply. Impatiently, I jerked my head to the side to signal them to follow me to the other side of the car. They did and we crouched below the windows.

"What do you think she's really writing?" I whispered.

"Man I don't know," X-Ray muttered.

"I bet that the Warden is having her document everything we do so she knows exactly what we're up to all the time."

X-Ray shook his head and stood up.

"What do you think Squid?" I asked.

"I think I'll have what you're having," he winked and tapped the brim of his hat.

Beverley

"So you're an artist?" X-Ray asked.

"I really wouldn't say that exactly," I admitted.

I was almost done with the picture. It was just a rough sketch because of how little time I had.

The boys were just about finished. Squid squeezed the excess soap and water from the sponges into a bucket while Zigzag gave one final spray across the side of the car.

"Very nice boys,"

I looked up to see my aunt and Mr. Sir standing behind me. Aunt Lou's auburn ringlets flowed loosely down her back, and her aviators rested comfortably on the bridge of her nose. She looked very authorative, and quite intimidating.

I flipped my booklet closed quickly.

"Give them their reward," she ordered Mr. Sir.

He stumbled down the stairs and reached into his pocket. "Now don't spend this all in one place," he chuckled as he dropped the tokens in X-Ray's waiting palm.

"Uh-huh," he mumbled in response.

"Beverley I have some TV dinners waiting in the oven, sweetie," Aunt Lou said, now from the doorway.

"Ok, I'll be right in." I called back, motioning toward the pile of pencils and pens in my lap.

"Go on now," Mr. Sir waved the D-Tent boys away.

"Alright, see you Sketch!" X-Ray waved to me.

"Bye Sketch," Squid saluted. Zigzag gave me a slight nod and joined his two friends.

"Sketch?" I asked Mr. Sir.

"Looks like you earned a nickname." Mr. Sir passed me going up the stairs. He opened the cabin door and just before slamming it shut, mumbled, "Congrats,"