Chapter 12

Night finally came and the cold came with it. When Kenny announced that it was time to gather by the fire pit, the counselors were actually excited. It meant that they could warm up! The cabins didn't have air or heat, so any source for the latter was appreciated.

Kenny stood before the fire and waited as the counselors filed in. It was easier to see where they were because he had given them each flashlights that attached to the waist of their pants to help them as they traveled through the dark. As each arrived, he took notice of their various styles and characteristics.

Deborah was the first to arrive. She was about five foot and had messy brown hair done up in a ponytail. She had thick framed glasses on her nose and bright red lipstick on her lips. She wore a beige, warm looking sweater and some blue jeans. She seemed pretty unconfident still, but Kenny was pretty sure that she'd come out of her shell over the coming week.

A.J. arrived right behind Deborah. She was tougher to see in the dark due to all the dark colors she wore and how quietly she carried herself. Her hair was wavy, but left down. In her bangs were bright pink streaks. She wore heavy eye makeup that made her almost look like a raccoon and lots of jewelry featuring pentagrams and crosses. Her apparel was what anyone would expect from a goth. She wore a black tank top with chains attached to it and a black skirt. Under her skirt she wore leggings that were black and red striped, almost like the wicked witch in the Wizard of Oz that got smashed by the house. On her feet were black, leather combat boots, which added a couple inches to her height, making her taller than Deborah. She was not your typical counselor, but Kenny was pretty sure she could handle the kids.

A few minutes later, as A.J. stood humming Black Sabbath to herself and Deborah mingled with him, he noticed Vanessa and Tiffany show up. Vanessa was wearing what she always wore: a pink monochrome track suit. Her dark hair was up in a ponytail and her face was clean of any makeup. Kenny knew she could carry her own. She was a star athlete at her high school. He didn't need to worry if she could keep up with the kids. She was so loud and tall, no kid could ignore her.

Tiffany was dressed in her typical way. It always got Kenny a bit flustered. She was so small and hot. She stood only at Vanessa's neck, which would have made her just a couple inches taller than Deborah. Her hair was done up in the perfect ponytail, letting just enough stray hair fall down to her shoulders to make it look like she just didn't care. Her shirt was just a crop top that she, like always, only covered one of her shoulders with. Her shorts were incredibly short. Kenny figured they were tighter and smaller than his boxer briefs. They were denim, but so tiny that her butt cheeks were clearly visible.

As Tiffany and Vanessa chatted and giggled like stereotypical high school girls, J.R. made his way to the fire. His hair was still greasy and flat. His glasses were still broken and taped. His clothes were sweat stained and wrinkled. Though, Kenny could tell, at one point they were a nice striped polo shirt and fancy khakis. Actually, they weren't so different from what Chad would wear if he had kept them in good condition. Speaking of condition, J.R.'s condition wasn't good. He seemed out of shape. He was somewhere around six foot tall, but he was so out of shape. His flab jiggled with every step and he could be heard audibly trying to catch his breath just from walking to the fire.

As if on cue, Chad came over with Brandon. Kenny couldn't be surprised that they were in the middle of an argument. Chad had done very well to be polite and courteous to most the counselors so far, but it was no secret that typically, Chad was a dick. He especially hated the jocks at school.

Brandon was on the football team, and he wasn't particularly charming himself. He was a pretty short guy, but really well-built. He was visibly more muscular than Kenny, and he knew Brandon could beat him in a fight due to the many tackles he'd endured in football. Chad had always likened him to a beefed-up black dwarf. He was one of the few guys almost as short as Chad.

Chad wore the same white outfit he wore the day before, which was amazing to Kenny, because the white was still plain white. There wasn't a speck of dirt to be seen. Chad was very careful not to dirty himself. He marched away from Brandon and stood next to Kenny.

Jenny and Adam arrived together with Jenny making some small talk and Adam just nodding absently to her. Jenny made her way over next to A.J. but paid her little attention. She was wearing just a polo shirt and bright orange jeans.

Adam, however, came straight over to Deborah and struck up a conversation. Kenny stepped aside and chuckled to himself as he watched Adam's face light up like a little boy on Christmas. He was taken by the girl, and really, Kenny could see why. She was pretty and, as he'd learned from chatting with her, down to earth. She was smart and collected.

With everyone present, Kenny addressed the small crowd of high school students. "Hey, guys." He smiled. They all gave him awkward greetings. "Thanks for volunteering here. For all you newcomers, you're gonna' love it. It's a bit difficult on the first day as you get to know the kids and your responsibilities, but as any of the returning counselors can tell you, once you get things down, camp is awesome. You're gonna' make memories that you'll remember the rest of your lives."

"That's for sure." Tiffany said loudly, winking at Brandon. He just smiled awkwardly. The rest of the girls simply rolled their eyes; a typical response to her boastful comments.

"We'll keep gathering here every night until the kids arrive." Kenny explained. "So that we can get to know each other and rely on each other." He laughed a bit. "'Cuz trust me, once the kids arrive, you're going to want someone you can rely on." The returning counselors giggled, and Deborah and Adam smiled at each other. "So just enjoy the comradery." Kenny finished by jumping off the log.

Chad scanned the group at the fire. "Hey!" He spoke over the chatting. "Has anyone seen Rob?" Everyone looked around, but no one seemed to have an answer.

"Maybe he's in the bathroom or something." Jenny suggested. They all shrugged. Wherever he was, they were pretty sure he'd be fine.