Dirk Harrison, map in hand, was driving clearly in the direction of Camp Greenlake. He tried his cell phone once more, but it was no use. There were no power lines or telephone poles anywhere in sight.
"I can't believe Walker." he said to himself. "We had it all planned out and now she's made Rachel an even bigger.." he stopped.
His cell phone was ringing. Miraculously.
"Yeah?" he said, after pressing the on button.
"Mr. Harrison?" the woman asked.
"Yeah, who wants to know?" he asked.
"Excuse me? You know who I am, don't start pulling that beep on me." she said.
"I just didn't recognize your voice --"
"Excuse me?"
Dirk stammered.
"I want you to get your ass over here pronto." the woman said.
"What, you got a problem?" Dirk asked.
"As a matter of fact, there is a problem. Carla just got here. It's not exactly a real problem, but that's not how the plan was supposed to be, Rachel was not supposed to be here when Carla got here. I can't get her outta here cause I'll get fired. And I am not going to risk this camp, understood? The stakes are just way too high." she explained.
"Uh, y-yes ma'am. I'm on my way right now." Dirk said, hanging up.
The truth was, Miss Walker was the only person on earth that could shake up Dirk Harrison.
Squid was doing good with his first hole so far. He didn't look tired yet, and he was digging in a good speed.
Rachel could see the water truck driving along in the distance. They had already made their rounds with the other tents, and now it was on it's way to the D-Tent members.
"Man, when is that damn truck gonna get here?" X-Ray asked, more like a demand than a question. Nobody answered.
Finally, it drove up. Everyone dropped their shovels and made their way to the truck. This time it was Mr. Sir who brought it up here.
The D-Tent diggers were extremely far away from camp this time. They couldn't even see The Warden's cabin, but they could see the camp. A little speck in the horizon. Rachel was afraid that they were right in the middle of that dried up lake, since the mountains look strangely close this time.
X-Ray didn't go straight to the front of the line. Instead, he first slammed his hand onto Squid's arm and pushed him behind Zigzag. Squid pushed him with his callused hands, almost knocking X-Ray down.
"Don't be pushin' me down the line!" Squid yelled, and pushed his way in front of Zigzag, behind Armpit.
X-Ray shook his head in the "you shouldn't have done that" kind of manner.
But he didn't jump back at Squid.
Instead, he walked over to Rachel and violently put his arm around her neck, holding her low, her back arched backwards. All of her weight was on her back and neck. She choked, moving her feet to keep her up without getting devoured by X-Ray.
"No, stop!" Squid yelled.
"Stop it X-Ray!" exclaimed Courtney and Caitlyn.
"Then get behind Zigzag!" he said.
"Dammit just let her go X-Ray!" Squid cried.
"First, you get behind Zig, aiight?" X-Ray said .
Rachel choked when she tried to speak. Her hands were around X-Ray's arm, using all her might to get him off. He didn't even flinch.
Squid instantly got behind Zigzag, with the most evil look on his face.
"Very good." X-Ray said, dropping Rachel to the ground.
Her hands instantly flew up to her chest, hoping she'll be able to breathe right. She coughed over and over.
In all this time, Mr. Sir had just stood there, casually leaning against his truck, watching it all.
"You girl scouts finished?" he mumbled once it was all over.
"Yes Mr. Sir." X-Ray said, sugar-coating the situation.
"Good." Mr. Sir said.
Squid rushed over to Rachel, along with Cate and Courtney. Rachel continued coughing.
"I….I'll be okay." Rachel tried to say, with a hoarse voice. She coughed once more.
Courtney and Caitlyn nodded sympathetically.
Mr. Sir slammed Zero's water bottle into his arms after he had filled Caveman's.
"You better get over 'ere if you wanna get your cantine filled with lake water." Mr. Sir said shaking his head, hunched down a little, with an enormous sarcastic look on his face and body. He looked like he was talking to a little puppy who was being ornery.
"Come on." Squid said, grabbing Rachel's hand, helping her get to her feet.
A strange feeling rushed through Rachel's mind and body. She had the urge to hug Squid, or say something to him, but she didn't know what. Through everything, Squid still takes the time to make sure she's okay.
Rachel opened her mouth to say something, but her mind went blank once again.
Caitlyn was already in line, and Mr. Sir had just finished filling Courtney's cantine. Squid let Rachel go in front of him, to get her water first.
Squid was still furious with X-Ray. He had absolutely no respect for anybody, especially girls. And even Squid had the decency to put back his mean ways for a girl. You're supposed to respect them. No matter what kind of person you are, or what ways you have.
Rachel coughed once more and gulped down the water that was left in her cantine. Then she let Mr. Sir fill it.
The whole time he was filling it, he was staring up into Rachel's face. With a look that Rachel couldn't quite place. Was he mad? Happy? She didn't know.
Squid had gotten impatient. Mr. Sir was filling her cantine slower than anybody else's, deliberately.
Rachel moved her head back, put her hands on her hip, and stared right back at Mr. Sir.
"Will you hurry up already? I don't got all day!" Rachel snapped.
Squid stood up straighter, as he watched what Mr. Sir would do next.
Mr. Sir stopped filling Rachel's cantine and threw it across the desert, feet away.
"No!" Rachel yelled as she ran toward her flying cantine. It landed in a heap of dust soon before Rachel jumped on it, picking it up.
It was only half full, with dust in the water.
"Damn!" Rachel whispered.
"If you want your cantine filled than you have to be patient. That's your punishment."
Squid and Rachel stood in silence while Mr. Sir filled Squid's cantine.
Everyone went back to their holes. Some smiling, some in disappointment. And it just happened to be X-Ray and Armpit with those awful smirks on their faces. Their eyes on Rachel were ever present.
Squid glanced over at X-Ray and Armpit, glaring.
"Man, that little girl has made you into a softy." Armpit said, nodding his head toward Rachel.
Neither Squid nor Rachel said anything. Rachel didn't even look up.
Caitlyn and Courtney kept digging, along with the other D-Tent boys, not saying anything.
As the diggers were finished with their hole, Squid was starting his second one. Rachel gave him a sympathetic look as she started walking back to camp. She let the other campers go ahead of her, she would never walk with them.
Zero ran back to where Rachel was walking.
"Hey." he said.
"Hi Hector." she said.
His face brightened.
"You know, you're the only one who calls me Hector, besides Stanley." he says.
Rachel nodded, "Yeah." she said, smiling.
They walked in silence a little while longer, until Zero said, "They were talking about you up there." Nodding toward X-Ray and his boys.
Rachel nodded, "I expected that."
"They talked about a nickname for you." Zero said.
"Oh really?" Rachel said, "Did they decide on one?"
"Yeah. Ace." he says.
Rachel gave Zero a quizzical look, "Why Ace?" Rachel asked curiously.
"I dunno, said something about you ki-- uh, well…that you were gambling." Zero said, quickly covering up his almost mistake of mentioning her father's death.
Rachel shook her head, "Thanks for caring Hector. I know that it's because I 'aced' the gunshot to my father."
"I won't call you that of course." Zero said.
"Mm.… It's hard as it is to not know who I truly am. I don't need the confusion of a nickname." she said smiling.
Zero nodded.
"Did they pick out nicknames for Cate and Courtney too?" Rachel asked.
"Yep. Courtney's is Dice, because she has little earings that are dice and because her and Cate gambled together. And Cate's is Bet." Zero answered.
"Huh," Rachel mumbled, "But they just had to figure out a nickname that had something to do with my father." Rachel said, shaking her head….her anger rising.
"Yeah." Zero muttered.
Zero and Rachel walked into D-Tent to only be greeted by an empty cot where Rachel's used to be. Her backpack was gone.
"Where the hell did they take my stuff?" Rachel exclaimed.
"Probably into the new tent." Zero said, pointing to another ugly green tent that had just been set up.
Rachel had that sinking feeling again.
"Man, I don't want to go to some girls tent! I'm not scared what they'll think of me, I just don't want to bother with a bunch of girls who are scared of breaking a nail or something." Rachel said.
Zero laughed. "That's why I'm glad you're not that way." he said.
Rachel shook her head in disbelief as she walked out of the tent, into the new one…G-Tent. Her new home.
Zero followed, only to be disappointed by the sign that remained on the side of G-Tent.
"No boys are to be permitted into this tent." Zero said, reading the notice.
"Yeah, I'm sorry. I'd let you in if they didn't have that sign up there." Rachel said.
Zero thanked Rachel as he walked into the Wreck Room.
As Rachel looked through her things to make sure none were stolen, she couldn't help but think that Zero hadn't finished his hole as soon as he usually does.
"I can't believe Walker." he said to himself. "We had it all planned out and now she's made Rachel an even bigger.." he stopped.
His cell phone was ringing. Miraculously.
"Yeah?" he said, after pressing the on button.
"Mr. Harrison?" the woman asked.
"Yeah, who wants to know?" he asked.
"Excuse me? You know who I am, don't start pulling that beep on me." she said.
"I just didn't recognize your voice --"
"Excuse me?"
Dirk stammered.
"I want you to get your ass over here pronto." the woman said.
"What, you got a problem?" Dirk asked.
"As a matter of fact, there is a problem. Carla just got here. It's not exactly a real problem, but that's not how the plan was supposed to be, Rachel was not supposed to be here when Carla got here. I can't get her outta here cause I'll get fired. And I am not going to risk this camp, understood? The stakes are just way too high." she explained.
"Uh, y-yes ma'am. I'm on my way right now." Dirk said, hanging up.
The truth was, Miss Walker was the only person on earth that could shake up Dirk Harrison.
Squid was doing good with his first hole so far. He didn't look tired yet, and he was digging in a good speed.
Rachel could see the water truck driving along in the distance. They had already made their rounds with the other tents, and now it was on it's way to the D-Tent members.
"Man, when is that damn truck gonna get here?" X-Ray asked, more like a demand than a question. Nobody answered.
Finally, it drove up. Everyone dropped their shovels and made their way to the truck. This time it was Mr. Sir who brought it up here.
The D-Tent diggers were extremely far away from camp this time. They couldn't even see The Warden's cabin, but they could see the camp. A little speck in the horizon. Rachel was afraid that they were right in the middle of that dried up lake, since the mountains look strangely close this time.
X-Ray didn't go straight to the front of the line. Instead, he first slammed his hand onto Squid's arm and pushed him behind Zigzag. Squid pushed him with his callused hands, almost knocking X-Ray down.
"Don't be pushin' me down the line!" Squid yelled, and pushed his way in front of Zigzag, behind Armpit.
X-Ray shook his head in the "you shouldn't have done that" kind of manner.
But he didn't jump back at Squid.
Instead, he walked over to Rachel and violently put his arm around her neck, holding her low, her back arched backwards. All of her weight was on her back and neck. She choked, moving her feet to keep her up without getting devoured by X-Ray.
"No, stop!" Squid yelled.
"Stop it X-Ray!" exclaimed Courtney and Caitlyn.
"Then get behind Zigzag!" he said.
"Dammit just let her go X-Ray!" Squid cried.
"First, you get behind Zig, aiight?" X-Ray said .
Rachel choked when she tried to speak. Her hands were around X-Ray's arm, using all her might to get him off. He didn't even flinch.
Squid instantly got behind Zigzag, with the most evil look on his face.
"Very good." X-Ray said, dropping Rachel to the ground.
Her hands instantly flew up to her chest, hoping she'll be able to breathe right. She coughed over and over.
In all this time, Mr. Sir had just stood there, casually leaning against his truck, watching it all.
"You girl scouts finished?" he mumbled once it was all over.
"Yes Mr. Sir." X-Ray said, sugar-coating the situation.
"Good." Mr. Sir said.
Squid rushed over to Rachel, along with Cate and Courtney. Rachel continued coughing.
"I….I'll be okay." Rachel tried to say, with a hoarse voice. She coughed once more.
Courtney and Caitlyn nodded sympathetically.
Mr. Sir slammed Zero's water bottle into his arms after he had filled Caveman's.
"You better get over 'ere if you wanna get your cantine filled with lake water." Mr. Sir said shaking his head, hunched down a little, with an enormous sarcastic look on his face and body. He looked like he was talking to a little puppy who was being ornery.
"Come on." Squid said, grabbing Rachel's hand, helping her get to her feet.
A strange feeling rushed through Rachel's mind and body. She had the urge to hug Squid, or say something to him, but she didn't know what. Through everything, Squid still takes the time to make sure she's okay.
Rachel opened her mouth to say something, but her mind went blank once again.
Caitlyn was already in line, and Mr. Sir had just finished filling Courtney's cantine. Squid let Rachel go in front of him, to get her water first.
Squid was still furious with X-Ray. He had absolutely no respect for anybody, especially girls. And even Squid had the decency to put back his mean ways for a girl. You're supposed to respect them. No matter what kind of person you are, or what ways you have.
Rachel coughed once more and gulped down the water that was left in her cantine. Then she let Mr. Sir fill it.
The whole time he was filling it, he was staring up into Rachel's face. With a look that Rachel couldn't quite place. Was he mad? Happy? She didn't know.
Squid had gotten impatient. Mr. Sir was filling her cantine slower than anybody else's, deliberately.
Rachel moved her head back, put her hands on her hip, and stared right back at Mr. Sir.
"Will you hurry up already? I don't got all day!" Rachel snapped.
Squid stood up straighter, as he watched what Mr. Sir would do next.
Mr. Sir stopped filling Rachel's cantine and threw it across the desert, feet away.
"No!" Rachel yelled as she ran toward her flying cantine. It landed in a heap of dust soon before Rachel jumped on it, picking it up.
It was only half full, with dust in the water.
"Damn!" Rachel whispered.
"If you want your cantine filled than you have to be patient. That's your punishment."
Squid and Rachel stood in silence while Mr. Sir filled Squid's cantine.
Everyone went back to their holes. Some smiling, some in disappointment. And it just happened to be X-Ray and Armpit with those awful smirks on their faces. Their eyes on Rachel were ever present.
Squid glanced over at X-Ray and Armpit, glaring.
"Man, that little girl has made you into a softy." Armpit said, nodding his head toward Rachel.
Neither Squid nor Rachel said anything. Rachel didn't even look up.
Caitlyn and Courtney kept digging, along with the other D-Tent boys, not saying anything.
As the diggers were finished with their hole, Squid was starting his second one. Rachel gave him a sympathetic look as she started walking back to camp. She let the other campers go ahead of her, she would never walk with them.
Zero ran back to where Rachel was walking.
"Hey." he said.
"Hi Hector." she said.
His face brightened.
"You know, you're the only one who calls me Hector, besides Stanley." he says.
Rachel nodded, "Yeah." she said, smiling.
They walked in silence a little while longer, until Zero said, "They were talking about you up there." Nodding toward X-Ray and his boys.
Rachel nodded, "I expected that."
"They talked about a nickname for you." Zero said.
"Oh really?" Rachel said, "Did they decide on one?"
"Yeah. Ace." he says.
Rachel gave Zero a quizzical look, "Why Ace?" Rachel asked curiously.
"I dunno, said something about you ki-- uh, well…that you were gambling." Zero said, quickly covering up his almost mistake of mentioning her father's death.
Rachel shook her head, "Thanks for caring Hector. I know that it's because I 'aced' the gunshot to my father."
"I won't call you that of course." Zero said.
"Mm.… It's hard as it is to not know who I truly am. I don't need the confusion of a nickname." she said smiling.
Zero nodded.
"Did they pick out nicknames for Cate and Courtney too?" Rachel asked.
"Yep. Courtney's is Dice, because she has little earings that are dice and because her and Cate gambled together. And Cate's is Bet." Zero answered.
"Huh," Rachel mumbled, "But they just had to figure out a nickname that had something to do with my father." Rachel said, shaking her head….her anger rising.
"Yeah." Zero muttered.
Zero and Rachel walked into D-Tent to only be greeted by an empty cot where Rachel's used to be. Her backpack was gone.
"Where the hell did they take my stuff?" Rachel exclaimed.
"Probably into the new tent." Zero said, pointing to another ugly green tent that had just been set up.
Rachel had that sinking feeling again.
"Man, I don't want to go to some girls tent! I'm not scared what they'll think of me, I just don't want to bother with a bunch of girls who are scared of breaking a nail or something." Rachel said.
Zero laughed. "That's why I'm glad you're not that way." he said.
Rachel shook her head in disbelief as she walked out of the tent, into the new one…G-Tent. Her new home.
Zero followed, only to be disappointed by the sign that remained on the side of G-Tent.
"No boys are to be permitted into this tent." Zero said, reading the notice.
"Yeah, I'm sorry. I'd let you in if they didn't have that sign up there." Rachel said.
Zero thanked Rachel as he walked into the Wreck Room.
As Rachel looked through her things to make sure none were stolen, she couldn't help but think that Zero hadn't finished his hole as soon as he usually does.