How to Deal
Chapter Nine
Ashley got out of bed, along with all the other D-Tent campers, and went out to get her so-called tortilla breakfast. Ashley scanned the large crowd for any sign of Landon. Then she saw him, talking to another one of the counselors, leaning against the water truck. Ashley got in line for the shovels as soon as she could so she could stay away from Landon. Squid was way behind in the line. He seemed to have overslept; due to the fact that he was still rubbing his eyes and the laces on his shoes weren't tied yet. Ashley smiled. But her smile soon disappeared when Landon started making his way over to the line of kids.
Ashley grabbed her shovel, stuffed her tortilla down her throat, and hid behind the water truck. She heaved a sigh of relief when he didn't see her.
By now all of D-Tent, including Faith and Carla, were out on the lake digging their hole. Carla seemed to be stressed as she tried to lift her second shovelful of dirt out of the ground. Faith didn't seem too stressed about it yet. She was still smiling as she was talking with X-Ray, Armpit, and ZigZag who were digging close by. Caveman and Zero were digging close together, while Magnet was digging kind of in the middle of everyone, so as to hear what [i]everybody[/i] was saying. Squid was off somewhere, not digging his hole, probably going to the bathroom.
Sure enough, Ashley saw Squid climbing out of a hole about 20 feet away from where D-Tent was digging. "Hey." He said. "I just had to go to the bathroom." "Well, I think that's pretty obvious. What else would you be doing in a hole? Flirting with the lizards?" Magnet said. Everyone laughed, even Squid.
Ashley heaved another shovelful of dirt out of the ground and dumped it on her pile of dirt. She looked up at the horizon and saw the water truck making its way to where D-Tent was digging. Ashley sighed and sat down in her hole. "Finally some water. I've been out of water for like an hour." She said. "Yeah. I've been out too." Squid said. Everyone nodded in agreement, too tired to talk. Faith and Carla weren't doing too badly. Faith's hole was a lot deeper than Carla's, but Carla didn't seem to mind.
The water truck slowed to a stop and everyone climbed out of their hole. The line was X-Ray, Armpit, Squid, ZigZag, Magnet, Caveman, Zero, Ashley, Faith, and then Carla. Mr. Pendanski stepped out of the truck and started filling the canteens. "Alright, I've got cookies and oranges for lunch today. Get your lunch and then get back in your holes." He said. Everyone grabbed their lunches. Ashley wasn't so hot on climbing back into her hole just to eat lunch, so she sat down next to her hole. Everyone did the same. Squid walked over to Ashley and sat down next to her. "How're you doin?" he asked. Ashley nodded. "Fine." She said. "Good. I was just really relieved with Mr. Pendanski stepped out of the truck and not Landon." Squid said. "Yeah." Ashley said, taking a bite of her cookie. Squid started peeling his orange. "Just stick with me and the rest of D-Tent when we get back to camp, especially Armpit and X. They're strong. Okay?" Squid asked. "I will." Ashley said, nodding.
Mr. Pendanski drove away in the water truck, a trail of dust following behind him. "Well, "Ashley sighed, "back to digging!" "Yeah." Squid said. "You know, I almost want to just take my time digging. The sooner I get done, the sooner I have to face what's next with Landon, back at camp." Ashley said. "Yeah, I know." Squid said. Ashley nodded and she continued to dig, despite the fact that she'll have to go back to camp no matter what.
Everyone was finished digging except for Squid and Ashley. Even Faith and Carla finished before them, with blistered hands and sore muscles.
Ashley could tell that Squid was digging slowly so he could walk back to camp with her. "Squid, you can't hide it! I know that you are digging slowly to keep me safe." Ashley said. Squid shook his head and kept digging. "Thank you. It means a lot to me. I haven't felt cared for like this in a long time. I haven't felt loved, by anybody." Ashley said. Squid nodded. "Neither have I." Ashley's heart broke. She never knew about any of Squid's past. "What was your home like? Well, I mean, like your surroundings and everything." Ashley asked. "Well, my mom is an alcoholic because my dad left us when I was real young." He said. "Oh, I'm sorry." Ashley said. "Thanks." He said. Ashley nodded. "I know what that's like. My dad was too." She said. "Yeah." Squid said.
Ashley bent down and measured her hole with her shovel. Perfect fit, deep and wide. "Well, my hole is finished. What about you?" Ashley asked. "Yep, finished." Squid said. "Mm-kay" she said. Squid and Ashley climbed out of their holes and made their way back to camp.
Once they were both finished taking their showers, they decided not to go into the wreck room. Squid peeked into the wreck room and saw Landon sitting on the couch, flirting with a girl who was buying all of it. She looked a little older than Ashley.
Squid and Ashley just hung out at their tent. Squid grabbed a couple rocks on their way in the tent and scratched the top to make dice out of them. They played dice for awhile until it got boring and then they talked. After that, they were so bored, they just laid down on their cots and did nothing.
Squid sighed. "What should we do?" he wondered out loud. Ashley shook her head. "I dunno. Why did Landon have to go and ruin everything?" Ashley said. "I know, he's such a pig." Squid said. "I mean, come on! You're not supposed to treat girls like that!" "Yeah, I know. I'm just glad you're here and that you think that way." Ashley said. "Thanks. I'm kind of surprised that I [i]do[/i] think that way, you know, with my whole background and all." Squid said. "Yeah." Ashley said. "I'm sorry about all that." "Thanks. Ashley, you don't have to keep saying that!" Squid said, smiling. "I know, but I just feel so bad! I mean, I had a good, trying mother and I blew it!" Ashley said. "Why?" Squid asked. Ashley sat up and told Squid all about her attitude towards her mother and about the look that her mother had on her face when Ashley talked back to her. A look of sadness. A tear rolled down Ashley's cheek and she quickly wiped it off with her sleeve.
Squid sat up and leaned over to her to hug her. Ashley sniffed. "Thank you." She said. "I just really miss her." "I know." He said.
After some silence, Squid grabbed Ashley's hand and led her to the mess hall to eat their dinner. They tried to keep a low profile as they sat down at the D-Tent table.
X-Ray started off the conversation with the typical 'what's your name' and 'what'd you get sent for' questions for the new D-Tent girls. Ashley looked at Squid with worried eyes as Landon walked in and sat down at the counselor's table. Squid nodded and they both ate as fast as they could. "Whoa, dudes! You guys must be pretty hungry!" ZigZag said. Squid and Ashley just nodded because they only way to answer him with their voices would be to stop eating for a second. Ashley and Squid were finally finished. They got up from the table, said bye to D-Tent, and were halfway across the floor when a voice called out to them, "Ashley!" It was Landon. Ashley stopped and turned around to face the counselor's table. "Don't worry, I'll come with you." Squid said. Ashley shook her head. "Be careful Squid..this guy is tough." She said. "I'll be waitin for ya in my tent babe!" he called out. Everyone in the mess hall stopped eating and stared at Landon and Ashley like they were nuts. A kid and an adult are going together? That was the kind of words that all of the kids were gibbering about. "In your dreams Landon!" she yelled as her and Squid walked out of the mess hall. Landon practically threw his chair across the room. Everyone laughed. D-Tent laughed the hardest, knowing how much it bothered Landon.
Ashley and Squid smiled as they walked into their tent and laughed. "He sure got his didn't he??" Ashley exclaimed through laughing fits. Squid nodded, laughing. Squid and Ashley finally stopped laughing and sat down on their cots.
"Thanks for being there for me, Squid." Ashley said. Squid nodded. "No problem. I just want you to be happy." He said. Ashley looked down. "Thank you. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't be nearly as happy as I am now." She said. Squid didn't answer. He just stood up, Ashley did too. "What're we----" Ashley started to say, but Squid put his finger to Ashley's lips. Then he slowly leaned down until their lips met. Ashley's stomach did cartwheels. She hadn't expected that. But then, Ashley thought to herself that she had been waiting for him to do that for a long time...
Ashley got out of bed, along with all the other D-Tent campers, and went out to get her so-called tortilla breakfast. Ashley scanned the large crowd for any sign of Landon. Then she saw him, talking to another one of the counselors, leaning against the water truck. Ashley got in line for the shovels as soon as she could so she could stay away from Landon. Squid was way behind in the line. He seemed to have overslept; due to the fact that he was still rubbing his eyes and the laces on his shoes weren't tied yet. Ashley smiled. But her smile soon disappeared when Landon started making his way over to the line of kids.
Ashley grabbed her shovel, stuffed her tortilla down her throat, and hid behind the water truck. She heaved a sigh of relief when he didn't see her.
By now all of D-Tent, including Faith and Carla, were out on the lake digging their hole. Carla seemed to be stressed as she tried to lift her second shovelful of dirt out of the ground. Faith didn't seem too stressed about it yet. She was still smiling as she was talking with X-Ray, Armpit, and ZigZag who were digging close by. Caveman and Zero were digging close together, while Magnet was digging kind of in the middle of everyone, so as to hear what [i]everybody[/i] was saying. Squid was off somewhere, not digging his hole, probably going to the bathroom.
Sure enough, Ashley saw Squid climbing out of a hole about 20 feet away from where D-Tent was digging. "Hey." He said. "I just had to go to the bathroom." "Well, I think that's pretty obvious. What else would you be doing in a hole? Flirting with the lizards?" Magnet said. Everyone laughed, even Squid.
Ashley heaved another shovelful of dirt out of the ground and dumped it on her pile of dirt. She looked up at the horizon and saw the water truck making its way to where D-Tent was digging. Ashley sighed and sat down in her hole. "Finally some water. I've been out of water for like an hour." She said. "Yeah. I've been out too." Squid said. Everyone nodded in agreement, too tired to talk. Faith and Carla weren't doing too badly. Faith's hole was a lot deeper than Carla's, but Carla didn't seem to mind.
The water truck slowed to a stop and everyone climbed out of their hole. The line was X-Ray, Armpit, Squid, ZigZag, Magnet, Caveman, Zero, Ashley, Faith, and then Carla. Mr. Pendanski stepped out of the truck and started filling the canteens. "Alright, I've got cookies and oranges for lunch today. Get your lunch and then get back in your holes." He said. Everyone grabbed their lunches. Ashley wasn't so hot on climbing back into her hole just to eat lunch, so she sat down next to her hole. Everyone did the same. Squid walked over to Ashley and sat down next to her. "How're you doin?" he asked. Ashley nodded. "Fine." She said. "Good. I was just really relieved with Mr. Pendanski stepped out of the truck and not Landon." Squid said. "Yeah." Ashley said, taking a bite of her cookie. Squid started peeling his orange. "Just stick with me and the rest of D-Tent when we get back to camp, especially Armpit and X. They're strong. Okay?" Squid asked. "I will." Ashley said, nodding.
Mr. Pendanski drove away in the water truck, a trail of dust following behind him. "Well, "Ashley sighed, "back to digging!" "Yeah." Squid said. "You know, I almost want to just take my time digging. The sooner I get done, the sooner I have to face what's next with Landon, back at camp." Ashley said. "Yeah, I know." Squid said. Ashley nodded and she continued to dig, despite the fact that she'll have to go back to camp no matter what.
Everyone was finished digging except for Squid and Ashley. Even Faith and Carla finished before them, with blistered hands and sore muscles.
Ashley could tell that Squid was digging slowly so he could walk back to camp with her. "Squid, you can't hide it! I know that you are digging slowly to keep me safe." Ashley said. Squid shook his head and kept digging. "Thank you. It means a lot to me. I haven't felt cared for like this in a long time. I haven't felt loved, by anybody." Ashley said. Squid nodded. "Neither have I." Ashley's heart broke. She never knew about any of Squid's past. "What was your home like? Well, I mean, like your surroundings and everything." Ashley asked. "Well, my mom is an alcoholic because my dad left us when I was real young." He said. "Oh, I'm sorry." Ashley said. "Thanks." He said. Ashley nodded. "I know what that's like. My dad was too." She said. "Yeah." Squid said.
Ashley bent down and measured her hole with her shovel. Perfect fit, deep and wide. "Well, my hole is finished. What about you?" Ashley asked. "Yep, finished." Squid said. "Mm-kay" she said. Squid and Ashley climbed out of their holes and made their way back to camp.
Once they were both finished taking their showers, they decided not to go into the wreck room. Squid peeked into the wreck room and saw Landon sitting on the couch, flirting with a girl who was buying all of it. She looked a little older than Ashley.
Squid and Ashley just hung out at their tent. Squid grabbed a couple rocks on their way in the tent and scratched the top to make dice out of them. They played dice for awhile until it got boring and then they talked. After that, they were so bored, they just laid down on their cots and did nothing.
Squid sighed. "What should we do?" he wondered out loud. Ashley shook her head. "I dunno. Why did Landon have to go and ruin everything?" Ashley said. "I know, he's such a pig." Squid said. "I mean, come on! You're not supposed to treat girls like that!" "Yeah, I know. I'm just glad you're here and that you think that way." Ashley said. "Thanks. I'm kind of surprised that I [i]do[/i] think that way, you know, with my whole background and all." Squid said. "Yeah." Ashley said. "I'm sorry about all that." "Thanks. Ashley, you don't have to keep saying that!" Squid said, smiling. "I know, but I just feel so bad! I mean, I had a good, trying mother and I blew it!" Ashley said. "Why?" Squid asked. Ashley sat up and told Squid all about her attitude towards her mother and about the look that her mother had on her face when Ashley talked back to her. A look of sadness. A tear rolled down Ashley's cheek and she quickly wiped it off with her sleeve.
Squid sat up and leaned over to her to hug her. Ashley sniffed. "Thank you." She said. "I just really miss her." "I know." He said.
After some silence, Squid grabbed Ashley's hand and led her to the mess hall to eat their dinner. They tried to keep a low profile as they sat down at the D-Tent table.
X-Ray started off the conversation with the typical 'what's your name' and 'what'd you get sent for' questions for the new D-Tent girls. Ashley looked at Squid with worried eyes as Landon walked in and sat down at the counselor's table. Squid nodded and they both ate as fast as they could. "Whoa, dudes! You guys must be pretty hungry!" ZigZag said. Squid and Ashley just nodded because they only way to answer him with their voices would be to stop eating for a second. Ashley and Squid were finally finished. They got up from the table, said bye to D-Tent, and were halfway across the floor when a voice called out to them, "Ashley!" It was Landon. Ashley stopped and turned around to face the counselor's table. "Don't worry, I'll come with you." Squid said. Ashley shook her head. "Be careful Squid..this guy is tough." She said. "I'll be waitin for ya in my tent babe!" he called out. Everyone in the mess hall stopped eating and stared at Landon and Ashley like they were nuts. A kid and an adult are going together? That was the kind of words that all of the kids were gibbering about. "In your dreams Landon!" she yelled as her and Squid walked out of the mess hall. Landon practically threw his chair across the room. Everyone laughed. D-Tent laughed the hardest, knowing how much it bothered Landon.
Ashley and Squid smiled as they walked into their tent and laughed. "He sure got his didn't he??" Ashley exclaimed through laughing fits. Squid nodded, laughing. Squid and Ashley finally stopped laughing and sat down on their cots.
"Thanks for being there for me, Squid." Ashley said. Squid nodded. "No problem. I just want you to be happy." He said. Ashley looked down. "Thank you. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't be nearly as happy as I am now." She said. Squid didn't answer. He just stood up, Ashley did too. "What're we----" Ashley started to say, but Squid put his finger to Ashley's lips. Then he slowly leaned down until their lips met. Ashley's stomach did cartwheels. She hadn't expected that. But then, Ashley thought to herself that she had been waiting for him to do that for a long time...