RS: Ok, normally I hate OCs, but I decided to give writing one of these a try. It's very cliché, I know, but if everyone else can use the same ideas then why can't I?
Disclaimer: I don't own Holes, Nickelback, or Swarovski. I do, however, own the plot and Katrina Aubrey McKendrik.
Chapter 1
Welcome to D-Tent
"… And this," Dr. Pendanski motioned toward a dingy looking tent marked with the letter D, "Is where you'll be staying. You're assigned to D-Tent; D stands for 'Diligence'. Now, since you're the only girl here, there's a somewhat secluded corner where you can set up and get settled. There's even something you can put up for privacy."
Upon entering my new 'room', I found that he was true to his word. A dusty cot sat in the far corner, thin white sheets folded around a metal frame served as a makeshift curtain I could stand up in front of my space if need be. Numerous other beds were spread around the tent as well. All in all, my new home was filthy. Fear gripped my heart as I considered how my new, all male, roommates would be. I swallowed.
"All the boys are in the Wreck Room right now, but it's about time for one of those weekly sessions I told you about." Dr. Pendanski took her over to a shadowy corner just next to the entrance to the tent. "Wait here while I get them. Now, the boys don't know that their new house mate is a girl, so don't be surprised if they seem a bit… shocked."
"Okay." I nodded, sounding much more confidant than I felt. As he left the tent, I attempted to calm myself down. The last thing I needed was for a bunch of juvenile delinquents to have the first impression that I was weak, which would have been a correct observation, but I didn't want them to know that. That thought only proved to make me even more nervous than I already was.
Panic became my very being, now controlling my thoughts. My head swam, a dull pounding vibrating through it. I identified the steady hammering as my heartbeat. I could feel the sweat practically dripping off my hands as my entire body produced even more of the bitter liquid. I was finding it hard to breath, as though some invisible force was squeezing my neck and lungs, getting tighter as the seconds flew by. It wasn't fun.
Maybe I could just run off into the desert and avoid this entire confrontation. I'd become like a hobo, killing those lizards I'd heard about for food. I shook myself back into reality. Yeah right, like I'd be able to do that. I could never eat lizard, let alone eat it raw. Besides, they'd said that there was no water around for miles. I put my face in my hands, cursing myself for being a bona fide city girl.
How the hell was I going to survive out here? For the love of god, I'm surrounded by a bunch of testosterone-fueled criminals who haven't seen a girl in only god knows how long. Why didn't I jump for a chance at Juvy Hall? It's what any sane person woulda done, that's for sure.
The sounds of people entering the tent snapped me out of my reverie. I took a tentative step rearward, causing my back to collide with the wall of the tent. At that point, six boys about my age entered the 'fine establishment'.
"Hey, how come all our stuff's been moved around?" one called out rudely. He wore a white baseball cap and… wrapping, I suppose, on his head and some kind of a stick was pocking out of his mouth.
"Yeah," another one continued, adjusting his oversized glasses, "And why's there a special space set up in the corner?" There were shouts of agreement from the other boys.
"What's the deal, Mom?" I furrowed my brow in confusion at the name but remained silent. I was too terrified to breath, let alone speak.
"Well, Alan, Rex," Dr. Pendanski explained walking into the tent. In his hands was a crappy looking chair which he promptly placed down in the center of the 'room', "that is where you're new roommate will be sleeping."
A tall, blond boy snorted, unruly hair bouncing. "What kind of a fruit needs that kind of privacy?" The first boy nodded in agreement.
"Yeah. Even Zigzag doesn't have a set up like that." I couldn't help but feel my nervousness increase tenfold. There was no way they'd accept me, they were already pissed just because their stuff was moved. I was going to die out here, in the desert, never to be seen again. They'd through my body in one of those holes where no one would ever find it…
"If you'd all get chairs from outside and set them in a circle, I'll explain. We're having our session in here tonight. Theodore," he turned toward an unusually fat boy, "please fetch an extra seat for our newest addition."
He angrily muttered, "The name's Armpit." Under his breath, but begrudgingly complied. My face screwed up in confusion once more. So this guy's name was Armpit? What was with names around here? Soon they were all sitting in an uneven circle, an empty chair between Armpit and Dr. Pendanski.
"Now, in this case it's necessary to have that special corner set up." He explained calmly, "You're new roommate is… different than you're used to."
"… Different how?" the guy with glasses asked, eyes narrowing suspiciously.
Dr. Pendanski sighed, "You'll see." Turning, he called me "You can come out now." I took a deep breath, filling my lungs with air until it felt like they'd burst. Unfortunately, they didn't and I was forced to take a diligent step toward the group. As soon as I stepped out, I felt their eyes boring into me.
Narrator's POV
"Um… h-hi." Stuttered the young brunette stepping out of the shadows. She nervously played with her hands and brushed a stray bit of hair from her face, it had escaped from her waist-long braid. She roughly adjusted the straps from the two large sports bags on her shoulder.
"Boys," Dr. Pendanski announced, "this is your new roommate Katrina McKendrik. Now I want y'all to give her a nice big welcome." All was silent for a few moments before Squid spoke up indignantly, stick nearly falling from his mouth.
"But she's a girl!" X-Ray rolled his eyes.
"Really, I thought she was a squirrel." He softly whacked his friend upside the head, "Man, duh she's a girl!" a couple of the other boys chuckled nervously, unsure of how to break the uncomfortable silence.
"Well, don't be a stranger Katrina," Dr. Pendanski called out before motioning to the chair beside him, "have a seat." She hesitated but slowly complied, squirming under the campers' unblinking stares. The overstuffed bags were kicked under her seat.
"These are the boys from D-Tent," he explained, "To my left is Alan, then José, Ricky, Rex, Zero, and Theodore." Before he was even finished introducing them, there were shouts of disagreement.
"Ignore him," X-Ray growled, "Their names are Squid, Magnet, Zigzag, n' Armpit. I'm X-Ray and he's Mom. Got it?"
"Yeah, I think so." Katrina nodded unsurely; still uncomfortable from all the stares she was receiving. Again, an uneasy silence filled the tent.
"Is it safe?" Zigzag asked unsurely. He received a few odd looks at the question, causing him to elaborate. "To have a girl here, I mean." Magnet chuckled.
"Naw man, didn't you hear?" the Hispanic teased, "She was sent by the government to destroy us all. It ain't the least bit safe." The boys laughed.
"Man Zig, drop the paranoia."
"No, I meant for her. This ain't the best place for a girl, how the hell's she gonna dig a five foot whole every day?" everyone took the blonde's reasoning into consideration.
'He's got a point,' Katrina thought sourly, 'I've never done manual labor before in my life. I can't dig a hole that fucking big! I'm lucky if I can make a five-inch hole! Oh god, what am I gonna do…'
"We don't expect her to." Dr. Pendanski answered nonchalantly. The entire tent turned to him confusedly. "Katrina will be digging four foot holes instead. I'm sure she can handle that." She winced slightly, but thanked her lucky stars that she was being given a break.
"Still, it don't seem like a good idea…" the tall boy continued. Katrina couldn't help but note that all the boys used poor grammar.
"Ricky," Dr. Pendanski sighed, "there's nothing for you to-"
"Naw, I don't think that's what Zigzag means." Magnet stated, the meaning of his friend's thoughts finally dawning on him.
"Please elaborate, José."
"How's this chica gonna be treated by the other tents? They ain't seen no girls in a while." Armpit let out a low whistle.
"He's got a point there, man." The big guy stated, "What's a girl like that gonna do to handle 'em all?"
"Well, you'll just have to take her under your wing." Was the response, the counselor looking into each boy's eyes as he spoke. "You boys are to look after her, and if anything happens I'm holding you partially responsible. Is that understood?" All the boys wordlessly nodded.
"Good. Now, why don't we start off by saying a little bit about ourselves? This way you can get to know Katrina and vice versa." Dr. Pendanski ordered.
"Is what we say going to be put in a government file so it can be used against us in the future?" Zigzag inquired suspiciously.
Dr. Pendanski rolled his eyes while the boys began howling with laughter. They silenced themselves, when Katrina let out a small giggle, and stared. Her eyes shot to the ground, a pink tint painting her cheeks and a nervous smile pulling at her lips. The guys couldn't help but grin a bit.
"You'll have to excuse Zigzag. Squid read his file, says he suffers from 'Acute Paranoia'." X-Ray chuckled, "Thinks the world's out to get him."
"You got any weird quirks like that?" Armpit randomly asked. She blushed and nodded before mumbling something under her breath. Squid sneered a bit.
"What'd she say?" he asked. Sighing, Katrina spoke a bit louder.
"I'm slightly Bipolar." She explained, flush increasing to a redder shade.
"Isn't that when you get lotsa mood swings?" Magnet queried. She nodded and opened her mouth in order to answer his question, but was cut off by Dr. Pendanski.
"Let's not talk about personal matters, such as our health." He ordered, borderline angrily.
For the next few minutes, each boy told their story and was forced to 'reflect' on their lives. Through the entire session, no one took their eyes off Katrina, who was sitting with her head down. Her sweat-logged hands were constantly gripping something, either her seat or her clothes or even each other. It was a telltale sign of extreme nervousness. Finally, she was called forth from her silence.
"Katrina, do you want to tell us why you've been sent here?" Dr. Pendanski asked. She considered telling them the truth, but decided against it. No one else would've believed her, why should they.
"I stole from a convenience store… shot the clerk." Their eyes widened, mouths dropping a bit. There was no doubt in her mind that none of them had been sent to Camp Green Lake for murder and hadn't ever before encountered someone who'd killed.
"W-well," Dr. Pendanski stuttered before clearing his throat, obviously unnerved by the news. "I, uh, think that's enough for, uh, one night. I'll, uh, see you all tomorrow." He all but ran from the tent, leaving her to the judging eyes of her, hopefully, new friends.
End Chapter
RS: Not my best work, but go easy on me. I pretty much jotted this down as a challenge for myself n' didn't put effort into my editing. Leave nice reviews, please!