How to Deal
Chapter Eight
All of the D-Tent boys all gathered around Landon and both of the new girls. "Alright, please tell Mr. Quinn, Miss Enders, and Miss Denison all of your names please." Said Mr. Pendanski. Ashley cringed. "Squid! Make up a name for me and tell them that I don't like to talk, or, something!" Ashley whispered. Squid nodded. "Yo, I'm X-Ray." X said. "No, please, Rex, tell him your real name." Mr. Pendanski said. "Aight, I'm Rex and my nickname is X-Ray." He said. "I'm Jose and my nickname is Magnet." "I'm Ricky, but call me ZigZag." "I'm Stanley, but I don't have a nickname." He said. "No dude, it's Caveman." Said X-Ray. "Caveman?" Stanley asked. "Yeah." Armpit said. "I'm Theodore, but call me Armpit." "This is Zero, we all call him that." Said X-Ray. Suddenly, Ashley felt sorry for Zero, because even Mr. Pendanski calls him Zero. "I'm Alan; my nickname is Squid, and this is Amy, and she doesn't have a nickname yet." Squid said. "Dude, her name is Ashley." Said X-Ray. Ashley cringed. X-Ray had no idea who Landon was so Ashley didn't blame him, but she was still mad. Landon looked up at Ashley who was standing behind Squid. "Dude, she doesn't like to talk much," Said Squid, "so that's probably why I forgot her name so easily." "Ashley?" Landon said as he got up and walked over to her. Squid put his arm around her waist, in a protective way. Landon pulled Ashley away from Squid's grip and put his arm around her, holding her rather tight. "I missed you baby!" he exclaimed. "Hey, get away from her!" Squid said. Landon narrowed his eyes so only Squid could see. "Um, I think I'm missing something, how do you two know each other?" Mr. Pendanski asked. All of the D-Tent boys were looking confused. "She was my girlfriend before she got sent here." He said, smiling a huge grin. "What?" X-Ray asked, looking around. "Aren't you a little to old man?" "No, actually, I take care of her!" he said. "That's a lie!" Squid yelled, trying to pull Ashley away from Landon's grip. "Hey! What are you going you pervert?? Leave my girl alone! She doesn't like people pulling on her like that!" Landon yelled at Squid. Ashley pulled her arm away in a sudden movement, surprising Landon, at just the right moment. "I'm not your girl!" she yelled, "I was never your girl! In fact, I'm not anybody's girl! You're making me sound like cattle! And yes, you're right; I don't like people pulling at me! So, use your own advice that you just told Squid and stay off me!" Ashley yelled. Mr. Pendanski looked confused, wondering why Ashley was being so harsh towards Landon who, in Mr. Pendanski's eyes, has done nothing. Landon looked bewildered. The Ashley that Landon used to know hardly stood up for herself very much. But the Ashley that Landon saw now, is a total different girl. Ashley stared at Landon with narrowed eyes and stepped back to where Squid was standing. All of the D-Tent boys were speechless. That's the most that Ashley has ever said in front of them the whole time she was there. Landon started walking up to Squid and Ashley and it looked like he was ready to strike. X-Ray got up and ran over to Squid and Ashley and stood in front of them, blocking Landon's way. "Hey, beat it kid, I've got work to do!" he said. X-Ray shook his head with an evil grin on his face. It was a 'you're not going to get away with that' type look. Ashley almost laughed. Nobody ever talks to X-Ray like that, especially when Armpit was following X-Ray and stood next to him. "Come on you guys! We have to stick up for Ashley and Squid!" said Magnet and Stanley as they walked and stood next to X-Ray and Armpit. ZigZag walked over there and eyed Landon. He looked nervous. Even Zero stood up for Ashley by standing in front of the whole gang. Faith and Carla didn't know what to do. They looked up at Mr. Pendanski for advice and he put his hand up like 'stay there' to the girls. Faith shook her head and made her way over to the other side of the room where the group of confident D-Tent campers were surrounding Ashley and Squid. Carla just reluctantly got up and followed Faith. She didn't want to interfere with anything that Landon wanted. She knew what he was like and didn't want to get him mad. All of the D-Tenters felt that way, but they had to do something for Ashley. Carla knew about Landon from spending a whole 9 hours on a bus with him. As usual, he was flirting with her the whole time. If it wasn't for the bus driver who kept telling Landon to sit down until the bus stopped, Landon would've kissed Carla any chance he got. Same with Faith. All the more reason to defend Ashley.
Now a total of nine kids, supposedly dangerous because they [i]are[/i] juvenile delinquents, were between Ashley and Landon. This made Ashley feel so good because who knows what Landon could do to her in an unsafe camp, and because she knew that everyone in her tent cared for her, even mean ol' X-Ray and Armpit. They weren't so mean after all. Ashley smiled. She was in the corner of the tent with a wall of kids separating her from Landon. And for once in her life, she felt safe. "See man! If you mess with one of us, especially the girls in the tent, you mess with all of us!" shouted X-Ray. "D-Tent sticks together! Whether you like it or not!" Landon looked shocked. And as he walked out of the tent, he winked at Ashley who just smirked and scowled at him.
Mr. Pendanksi decided to go straight to bed, claiming that he's had a long and hard day. Ashley went up to X-Ray. "Hey, X?" she said once she was next to him. He turned around to face her. "What?" "Uh, I just wanted to thank you, for um, you know, back there. For sticking up for me all. That really made me feel good." She said. X just smiled and lightly slapped her on her arm. "Sure dog. It's not nice for guys, especially older guys, to treat girls like that." He said. Ashley smiled, "Thank you." She said. He nodded and walked over to Armpit and ZigZag where they were playing poker on X's cot. Stanley and Zero were writing on a piece of paper while Magnet read over their shoulders. Carla and Faith were looking at a magazine together on Faith's cot.
Squid was lying down on his cot, his hands behind his head, looking up at the ceiling. Ashley walked over there and sat down next to him. He turned his head to look at her and smiled. Ashley didn't smile, she just looked down. "Thank you." She said, finally. "No, really. Thank you so much." Squid stopped smiling and nodded. "If it wasn't for you and the rest of D-Tent, who knows what he could've done to me." Ashley said. "I know him, I know what he can do, and I wish I didn't know him." Squid sat up. "Listen, if you didn't know him, then I wouldn't have been able to protect you. I wouldn't have known what he was like." Squid said. "Well, when you put it that way." Ashley said, smiling. Squid smiled. "I'm really going to have a hard time here. And now you and the guys are all wrapped in it and he's going to try to hurt you too." Ashley said with a worried look. "Naw, don't worry about us. When all of us stand together, we can take him!" Squid said with confidence. Ashley laughed. "Thanks." She said. "Anytime." Squid said. Ashley got up from Squid's cot and decided to go say hi to the new girls.
"Hi!" Ashley said. Faith and Carla turned around and smiled. "Hey!" Faith said. "What's up?" Carla asked. "Well, I just wanted to introduce myself, since I'm the only other girl around here." She said. "Coolie!" Faith said. "Okay." Carla said. Ashley could already tell that Faith had more of a free spirit and Carla was more dull. "I'm Ashley." She said, holding out her hand. "Girl, if you're gonna go around talking to me, "said Faith, "then it's about time to learn some things!" Ashley smiled, "And what might that be?" she asked. "First of all, no handshakes! Second of all, no proper worries about upsetting the new girl! Third of all, my name is Faith!" she said. Ashley laughed. This girl had style. But Ashley saw that Carla had rolled her eyes when Faith was naming the terms. Ashley went around the cot and sat down next to the girls. "Alright, well, first of all, you have to dig five by five holes while you're at Camp Green Lake. Second of all, don't take X-Ray's shovel. The one with the orange tape around the handle, it's the shortest. Third of all, Mr. Sir is real mean, so don't bug him. Fourth of all, don't take Mr. Pendanski seriously, he full of bull. Fifth of all, do not, I repeat, do NOT upset the Warden." Ashley said. Faith and Carla looked confused. "You'll understand when you dig tomorrow." Ashley said with a laugh. "It isn't [i]that[/i] bad." Carla and Faith nodded. "You girls better get to sleep. You have to wake up really early tomorrow morning and you have to work all day in the hot sun." Ashley said. Carla and Faith said goodnight to Ashley as Ashley made her way to her cot next to Squid. "Squid? You still awake?" Ashley asked. "No." he said. Ashley could see him smile. Ashley just smiled and shook her head. "What is it Ashley?" he asked. "I was just wondering if you were still awake." She said. "Why?" he asked. "Oh, no reason." She said. Squid chuckled and turned over to face Ashley. "Goodnight, Ashley." He said. "Goodnight." Ashley said. And this time, Ashley fell into a [i]easy[/i] sleep, dreaming about how the D-Tent boys would beat up Landon for trying to kiss her. Landon would get smashed to the ground and fall into an endless pit like in her dream the night before. But morning came to soon by the sound of the loud horn. She would have to face yet another day in the hot sun; only this time..it had gotten worse.
All of the D-Tent boys all gathered around Landon and both of the new girls. "Alright, please tell Mr. Quinn, Miss Enders, and Miss Denison all of your names please." Said Mr. Pendanski. Ashley cringed. "Squid! Make up a name for me and tell them that I don't like to talk, or, something!" Ashley whispered. Squid nodded. "Yo, I'm X-Ray." X said. "No, please, Rex, tell him your real name." Mr. Pendanski said. "Aight, I'm Rex and my nickname is X-Ray." He said. "I'm Jose and my nickname is Magnet." "I'm Ricky, but call me ZigZag." "I'm Stanley, but I don't have a nickname." He said. "No dude, it's Caveman." Said X-Ray. "Caveman?" Stanley asked. "Yeah." Armpit said. "I'm Theodore, but call me Armpit." "This is Zero, we all call him that." Said X-Ray. Suddenly, Ashley felt sorry for Zero, because even Mr. Pendanski calls him Zero. "I'm Alan; my nickname is Squid, and this is Amy, and she doesn't have a nickname yet." Squid said. "Dude, her name is Ashley." Said X-Ray. Ashley cringed. X-Ray had no idea who Landon was so Ashley didn't blame him, but she was still mad. Landon looked up at Ashley who was standing behind Squid. "Dude, she doesn't like to talk much," Said Squid, "so that's probably why I forgot her name so easily." "Ashley?" Landon said as he got up and walked over to her. Squid put his arm around her waist, in a protective way. Landon pulled Ashley away from Squid's grip and put his arm around her, holding her rather tight. "I missed you baby!" he exclaimed. "Hey, get away from her!" Squid said. Landon narrowed his eyes so only Squid could see. "Um, I think I'm missing something, how do you two know each other?" Mr. Pendanski asked. All of the D-Tent boys were looking confused. "She was my girlfriend before she got sent here." He said, smiling a huge grin. "What?" X-Ray asked, looking around. "Aren't you a little to old man?" "No, actually, I take care of her!" he said. "That's a lie!" Squid yelled, trying to pull Ashley away from Landon's grip. "Hey! What are you going you pervert?? Leave my girl alone! She doesn't like people pulling on her like that!" Landon yelled at Squid. Ashley pulled her arm away in a sudden movement, surprising Landon, at just the right moment. "I'm not your girl!" she yelled, "I was never your girl! In fact, I'm not anybody's girl! You're making me sound like cattle! And yes, you're right; I don't like people pulling at me! So, use your own advice that you just told Squid and stay off me!" Ashley yelled. Mr. Pendanski looked confused, wondering why Ashley was being so harsh towards Landon who, in Mr. Pendanski's eyes, has done nothing. Landon looked bewildered. The Ashley that Landon used to know hardly stood up for herself very much. But the Ashley that Landon saw now, is a total different girl. Ashley stared at Landon with narrowed eyes and stepped back to where Squid was standing. All of the D-Tent boys were speechless. That's the most that Ashley has ever said in front of them the whole time she was there. Landon started walking up to Squid and Ashley and it looked like he was ready to strike. X-Ray got up and ran over to Squid and Ashley and stood in front of them, blocking Landon's way. "Hey, beat it kid, I've got work to do!" he said. X-Ray shook his head with an evil grin on his face. It was a 'you're not going to get away with that' type look. Ashley almost laughed. Nobody ever talks to X-Ray like that, especially when Armpit was following X-Ray and stood next to him. "Come on you guys! We have to stick up for Ashley and Squid!" said Magnet and Stanley as they walked and stood next to X-Ray and Armpit. ZigZag walked over there and eyed Landon. He looked nervous. Even Zero stood up for Ashley by standing in front of the whole gang. Faith and Carla didn't know what to do. They looked up at Mr. Pendanski for advice and he put his hand up like 'stay there' to the girls. Faith shook her head and made her way over to the other side of the room where the group of confident D-Tent campers were surrounding Ashley and Squid. Carla just reluctantly got up and followed Faith. She didn't want to interfere with anything that Landon wanted. She knew what he was like and didn't want to get him mad. All of the D-Tenters felt that way, but they had to do something for Ashley. Carla knew about Landon from spending a whole 9 hours on a bus with him. As usual, he was flirting with her the whole time. If it wasn't for the bus driver who kept telling Landon to sit down until the bus stopped, Landon would've kissed Carla any chance he got. Same with Faith. All the more reason to defend Ashley.
Now a total of nine kids, supposedly dangerous because they [i]are[/i] juvenile delinquents, were between Ashley and Landon. This made Ashley feel so good because who knows what Landon could do to her in an unsafe camp, and because she knew that everyone in her tent cared for her, even mean ol' X-Ray and Armpit. They weren't so mean after all. Ashley smiled. She was in the corner of the tent with a wall of kids separating her from Landon. And for once in her life, she felt safe. "See man! If you mess with one of us, especially the girls in the tent, you mess with all of us!" shouted X-Ray. "D-Tent sticks together! Whether you like it or not!" Landon looked shocked. And as he walked out of the tent, he winked at Ashley who just smirked and scowled at him.
Mr. Pendanksi decided to go straight to bed, claiming that he's had a long and hard day. Ashley went up to X-Ray. "Hey, X?" she said once she was next to him. He turned around to face her. "What?" "Uh, I just wanted to thank you, for um, you know, back there. For sticking up for me all. That really made me feel good." She said. X just smiled and lightly slapped her on her arm. "Sure dog. It's not nice for guys, especially older guys, to treat girls like that." He said. Ashley smiled, "Thank you." She said. He nodded and walked over to Armpit and ZigZag where they were playing poker on X's cot. Stanley and Zero were writing on a piece of paper while Magnet read over their shoulders. Carla and Faith were looking at a magazine together on Faith's cot.
Squid was lying down on his cot, his hands behind his head, looking up at the ceiling. Ashley walked over there and sat down next to him. He turned his head to look at her and smiled. Ashley didn't smile, she just looked down. "Thank you." She said, finally. "No, really. Thank you so much." Squid stopped smiling and nodded. "If it wasn't for you and the rest of D-Tent, who knows what he could've done to me." Ashley said. "I know him, I know what he can do, and I wish I didn't know him." Squid sat up. "Listen, if you didn't know him, then I wouldn't have been able to protect you. I wouldn't have known what he was like." Squid said. "Well, when you put it that way." Ashley said, smiling. Squid smiled. "I'm really going to have a hard time here. And now you and the guys are all wrapped in it and he's going to try to hurt you too." Ashley said with a worried look. "Naw, don't worry about us. When all of us stand together, we can take him!" Squid said with confidence. Ashley laughed. "Thanks." She said. "Anytime." Squid said. Ashley got up from Squid's cot and decided to go say hi to the new girls.
"Hi!" Ashley said. Faith and Carla turned around and smiled. "Hey!" Faith said. "What's up?" Carla asked. "Well, I just wanted to introduce myself, since I'm the only other girl around here." She said. "Coolie!" Faith said. "Okay." Carla said. Ashley could already tell that Faith had more of a free spirit and Carla was more dull. "I'm Ashley." She said, holding out her hand. "Girl, if you're gonna go around talking to me, "said Faith, "then it's about time to learn some things!" Ashley smiled, "And what might that be?" she asked. "First of all, no handshakes! Second of all, no proper worries about upsetting the new girl! Third of all, my name is Faith!" she said. Ashley laughed. This girl had style. But Ashley saw that Carla had rolled her eyes when Faith was naming the terms. Ashley went around the cot and sat down next to the girls. "Alright, well, first of all, you have to dig five by five holes while you're at Camp Green Lake. Second of all, don't take X-Ray's shovel. The one with the orange tape around the handle, it's the shortest. Third of all, Mr. Sir is real mean, so don't bug him. Fourth of all, don't take Mr. Pendanski seriously, he full of bull. Fifth of all, do not, I repeat, do NOT upset the Warden." Ashley said. Faith and Carla looked confused. "You'll understand when you dig tomorrow." Ashley said with a laugh. "It isn't [i]that[/i] bad." Carla and Faith nodded. "You girls better get to sleep. You have to wake up really early tomorrow morning and you have to work all day in the hot sun." Ashley said. Carla and Faith said goodnight to Ashley as Ashley made her way to her cot next to Squid. "Squid? You still awake?" Ashley asked. "No." he said. Ashley could see him smile. Ashley just smiled and shook her head. "What is it Ashley?" he asked. "I was just wondering if you were still awake." She said. "Why?" he asked. "Oh, no reason." She said. Squid chuckled and turned over to face Ashley. "Goodnight, Ashley." He said. "Goodnight." Ashley said. And this time, Ashley fell into a [i]easy[/i] sleep, dreaming about how the D-Tent boys would beat up Landon for trying to kiss her. Landon would get smashed to the ground and fall into an endless pit like in her dream the night before. But morning came to soon by the sound of the loud horn. She would have to face yet another day in the hot sun; only this time..it had gotten worse.