NOTE: wow, updating a chapter a day, I don't think I'll keep up with the
pace for long. Specially with exams coming up, blah! Thanks for the
reviews - they totally inspire me =). Much love and shovels... and onions!
The blaring horn sounded, waking all the campers up to a cool morning. They rubbed their sleepy eyes open, and stretched out sore muscles. A few pulled blankets over their heads to try and postpone the inevitable day ahead. Just like every day.
"Think they'll make 'er dig?" Magnet inquired
"Naw, man, she's a *girl*," Squid shrugged, "Diggin's a man's job."
X-Ray picked up his pillow and swung it squarely into Squid's head, "Come on, boys, time to work."
Sure enough, when they arrived outside Laney was standing there with the rest of them waiting to pick up a shovel. Pendanski could be heard shouting some crap about energy and strength. No one wanted to listen though; it was too damn early. Finally all the campers had gathered, so Mr.Sir opened the tool shed and they all clambered over to pick up their shovels.
X-Ray noticed, just a moment to late, that Laney had taken his special shovel. It was shorter than the rest of them ("smaller shovel, smaller hole") and he wondered to himself why *every* new camper accidentally picked up his shovel. Normally, he would grab the shovel out of the boy's hand, make sure he learned his lesson. But could he do that to a girl?
"Hey man, don't she have your shovel?" Squid asked.
"Yeah, yeah..." was all X-Ray could say, too deep in thought about how to handle the delicate situation.
"Aren't you gonna take it back? Teach 'er the way around here? Aren't scared of a girl are ya?" Squid prodded, curious to see what would happen if he could cause a scene between X-Ray and the new girl.
"No, man, I just don't know if I should, ya know, cause problems with the new kid."
"Never had a problem with it before," Squid urged him.
"Yeah, but it's different cause-" he stammered for a second.
"Because I'm a girl?" Laney, who had apparently been listening the whole time, finished for him.
X-Ray tried to respond, but he just stuttered a little, embarrassed at being caught talking about her, which amused Squid to no end. He laughed heartily and slapped X-Ray on the back before walking away.
Laney smiled crookedly and lifted her eyebrows, "It's a shovel," she said, handing over X-Ray's shovel to him, and grabbing out of his hand the one he was holding, "better?"
He chuckled, "Heh, yeah... sorry about that. The name's X-Ray," he held out his hand.
She returned the firm grip, "Laney, but I'm sure you already knew that." Mr. Sir interrupted their conversation by cracking a shovel against the side of the tool shed.
"Come on you Girl scou-" he paused in the middle of his usual insult, embarrassed that he could no longer use gender as an slur, "Move it."
~~~~~~~~~~~~
The morning cool had worn off, and had turned into a day so hot that it weighed heavily on the bodies of all the diggers. They had quickly gulped down all their water, and it was almost possible to feel the relief in the air when the water truck appeared in the distance.
They all jumped out of their half dug holes in anticipation. Magnet finally decided to try to be friendly to the girl, and reached out his hand as he walked past her hole, "First day's the hardest," he told her.
She grabbed his hand and pulled herself out of the hole, while grunting in agreement, "Thanks, I sure hope so, haha." She turned over her hand to expose blistering sliced up palms. Magnet inspected them approvingly.
"Oh yeah, I'm Magnet."
She smiled, "Nice to meet you, Magnet." He then took her over to the line of boys that was now waiting for the approaching truck, and introduced them each.
"X-Ray," he introduced first.
"Yeah, we already met. How goes the first day?"
"It goes," she shrugged.
"Squid, and Armpit" he introduced next, followed by, "Zigzag." Squid nodded a greeting, and Armpit uttered a "hey", but Zigzag just stared at her with large, suspicious eyes. "And Caveman, and Zero," he finished off the line. Caveman smiled and shook her hand, and Zero looked at her briefly, but said nothing. With the introductions done, Laney took her place at the back of the line as the truck finally pulled up to the boys, and Mr. Sir jumped out.
Laney was standing directly behind Zero, and as she looked at his profile she felt a sense of recognition. Then she remembered why.
"Hey, you gave me your bread yesterday, didn't you?" She asked him. He didn't respond.
"Yo, Zero, he's a little um... out of the box, you know? He don't talk to no one but Caveman here," Armpit informed. She nodded to him to signify that she understood, and he turned back around in line.
Inconspicuously, she leaned towards Zero and whispered, "Thanks."
The line began to move foreword as Mr. Sir filled the jugs up. As each boy passed, he received a sandwich - ham and cheese. When Laney finally reached the front of the line, she declined the sandwich, "Your cook should know I don't eat meat. Take it back, get me something vegetarian."
The boys all stopped and stared at the scene. This girl was quite the entertainment.
"Now, I don't know what you think you're up to little missy, but you will eat the food you're given here at Camp Green Lake or you won't eat at all."
"Fine," she said, "but I'm already pretty hungry from not eating last night. If you *really* want the authorities checking in on the camp when I starve..."
"Who do you think you are? Want special privileges cause you're a girl, do you?"
"No, I want special privileges cause I'm a vegetarian. Maybe if you started to diversify your food some of the boys would be happy to eat vegetarian as well. If you want to turn this into a sexist matter then I suggest-"
"All right, enough. God damn selfish kids always expecting me to break my back for them. jesus. Those little mother..." he trailed off. He walked away without saying more, the last ham sandwich still in his hand, and climbed into the truck to drive off towards the camp.
X-Ray was the first of the boys to speak, "Haha, man, you're givin' him one good doing over. I've never seen anyone talk to him like that."
"Ya sure ashamed the hell outta him," Squid approved with a smile.
"Teach him a lesson, man! This little hot-headed girl baggin' all over him!" Magnet smiled.
"Yeah, the hotness gave Mr. Sir quite a buuurrrnnn!" Caveman added, and around him all the boys chorused together in saying "Hey, Mr. Sir, would you like some ice for that BUUURRRNN!"
"Damn straight, no one gets past The Hotness. Mess with the fire you get burned," X-Ray laughed.
"The Hotness IS a burn," Armpit said, not even sure exactly what he was saying. In the distance they saw the truck again approaching, and they all quieted down as it came near and parked. Mr. Sir clomped out of the truck roughly, and muttered angrily under his breath, "Lunch, your highness." And without another word crawled back into the truck and drove away.
Laney smiled widely, "Guess he couldn't stand the heat."
The boys all shouted their delight at seeing Mr. Sir beaten, and then called over to Laney, "Go dig your hole, Hotness. The day ain't over yet," but all of them felt a new energy to finish out their holes.
The blaring horn sounded, waking all the campers up to a cool morning. They rubbed their sleepy eyes open, and stretched out sore muscles. A few pulled blankets over their heads to try and postpone the inevitable day ahead. Just like every day.
"Think they'll make 'er dig?" Magnet inquired
"Naw, man, she's a *girl*," Squid shrugged, "Diggin's a man's job."
X-Ray picked up his pillow and swung it squarely into Squid's head, "Come on, boys, time to work."
Sure enough, when they arrived outside Laney was standing there with the rest of them waiting to pick up a shovel. Pendanski could be heard shouting some crap about energy and strength. No one wanted to listen though; it was too damn early. Finally all the campers had gathered, so Mr.Sir opened the tool shed and they all clambered over to pick up their shovels.
X-Ray noticed, just a moment to late, that Laney had taken his special shovel. It was shorter than the rest of them ("smaller shovel, smaller hole") and he wondered to himself why *every* new camper accidentally picked up his shovel. Normally, he would grab the shovel out of the boy's hand, make sure he learned his lesson. But could he do that to a girl?
"Hey man, don't she have your shovel?" Squid asked.
"Yeah, yeah..." was all X-Ray could say, too deep in thought about how to handle the delicate situation.
"Aren't you gonna take it back? Teach 'er the way around here? Aren't scared of a girl are ya?" Squid prodded, curious to see what would happen if he could cause a scene between X-Ray and the new girl.
"No, man, I just don't know if I should, ya know, cause problems with the new kid."
"Never had a problem with it before," Squid urged him.
"Yeah, but it's different cause-" he stammered for a second.
"Because I'm a girl?" Laney, who had apparently been listening the whole time, finished for him.
X-Ray tried to respond, but he just stuttered a little, embarrassed at being caught talking about her, which amused Squid to no end. He laughed heartily and slapped X-Ray on the back before walking away.
Laney smiled crookedly and lifted her eyebrows, "It's a shovel," she said, handing over X-Ray's shovel to him, and grabbing out of his hand the one he was holding, "better?"
He chuckled, "Heh, yeah... sorry about that. The name's X-Ray," he held out his hand.
She returned the firm grip, "Laney, but I'm sure you already knew that." Mr. Sir interrupted their conversation by cracking a shovel against the side of the tool shed.
"Come on you Girl scou-" he paused in the middle of his usual insult, embarrassed that he could no longer use gender as an slur, "Move it."
~~~~~~~~~~~~
The morning cool had worn off, and had turned into a day so hot that it weighed heavily on the bodies of all the diggers. They had quickly gulped down all their water, and it was almost possible to feel the relief in the air when the water truck appeared in the distance.
They all jumped out of their half dug holes in anticipation. Magnet finally decided to try to be friendly to the girl, and reached out his hand as he walked past her hole, "First day's the hardest," he told her.
She grabbed his hand and pulled herself out of the hole, while grunting in agreement, "Thanks, I sure hope so, haha." She turned over her hand to expose blistering sliced up palms. Magnet inspected them approvingly.
"Oh yeah, I'm Magnet."
She smiled, "Nice to meet you, Magnet." He then took her over to the line of boys that was now waiting for the approaching truck, and introduced them each.
"X-Ray," he introduced first.
"Yeah, we already met. How goes the first day?"
"It goes," she shrugged.
"Squid, and Armpit" he introduced next, followed by, "Zigzag." Squid nodded a greeting, and Armpit uttered a "hey", but Zigzag just stared at her with large, suspicious eyes. "And Caveman, and Zero," he finished off the line. Caveman smiled and shook her hand, and Zero looked at her briefly, but said nothing. With the introductions done, Laney took her place at the back of the line as the truck finally pulled up to the boys, and Mr. Sir jumped out.
Laney was standing directly behind Zero, and as she looked at his profile she felt a sense of recognition. Then she remembered why.
"Hey, you gave me your bread yesterday, didn't you?" She asked him. He didn't respond.
"Yo, Zero, he's a little um... out of the box, you know? He don't talk to no one but Caveman here," Armpit informed. She nodded to him to signify that she understood, and he turned back around in line.
Inconspicuously, she leaned towards Zero and whispered, "Thanks."
The line began to move foreword as Mr. Sir filled the jugs up. As each boy passed, he received a sandwich - ham and cheese. When Laney finally reached the front of the line, she declined the sandwich, "Your cook should know I don't eat meat. Take it back, get me something vegetarian."
The boys all stopped and stared at the scene. This girl was quite the entertainment.
"Now, I don't know what you think you're up to little missy, but you will eat the food you're given here at Camp Green Lake or you won't eat at all."
"Fine," she said, "but I'm already pretty hungry from not eating last night. If you *really* want the authorities checking in on the camp when I starve..."
"Who do you think you are? Want special privileges cause you're a girl, do you?"
"No, I want special privileges cause I'm a vegetarian. Maybe if you started to diversify your food some of the boys would be happy to eat vegetarian as well. If you want to turn this into a sexist matter then I suggest-"
"All right, enough. God damn selfish kids always expecting me to break my back for them. jesus. Those little mother..." he trailed off. He walked away without saying more, the last ham sandwich still in his hand, and climbed into the truck to drive off towards the camp.
X-Ray was the first of the boys to speak, "Haha, man, you're givin' him one good doing over. I've never seen anyone talk to him like that."
"Ya sure ashamed the hell outta him," Squid approved with a smile.
"Teach him a lesson, man! This little hot-headed girl baggin' all over him!" Magnet smiled.
"Yeah, the hotness gave Mr. Sir quite a buuurrrnnn!" Caveman added, and around him all the boys chorused together in saying "Hey, Mr. Sir, would you like some ice for that BUUURRRNN!"
"Damn straight, no one gets past The Hotness. Mess with the fire you get burned," X-Ray laughed.
"The Hotness IS a burn," Armpit said, not even sure exactly what he was saying. In the distance they saw the truck again approaching, and they all quieted down as it came near and parked. Mr. Sir clomped out of the truck roughly, and muttered angrily under his breath, "Lunch, your highness." And without another word crawled back into the truck and drove away.
Laney smiled widely, "Guess he couldn't stand the heat."
The boys all shouted their delight at seeing Mr. Sir beaten, and then called over to Laney, "Go dig your hole, Hotness. The day ain't over yet," but all of them felt a new energy to finish out their holes.