Happy Easter! I have to say that the main purpose of the chapter is to explain how he day works at Camp Grovepike. Yes, it goes along with the story with characters and things happen, but if, for example, it seems like I am not explaining everything with the same detail, I'm not.
Chapter Four
The next day, Lizzie and Miranda busied themselves with cooking class while their cabin went to work with horses. It was Lizzie's turn to handle the ever so inquisitive Natalie, who, if possible, asked more questions that morning than ever.
Anyway, that day, the cooking class would deal with the nine and ten year old boys that morning, have a lunch break, and then meet up with the whole camp to pick afternoon activities.
They were making oatmeal cookies and chocolate dipped strawberries that day. Of course, this didn't require a lot of cooking, but getting the boys to cooperate was difficult enough, as they were rowdy and kept claiming things like "Cooking is for sissies. I want to do something else."
Miranda and Lizzie were stuck with them, though, and the adult supervisor was a seventy-eight year old woman who sat in the corner and said nothing as she read a novel. "Lizzie, we have to do something," Miranda said through her teeth as they scanned the group of rowdy boys, "We can't just let them run around and complain."
"You're right," Lizzie agreed, "Hey guys!" she said loudly, so the room could hear, "I know you might not be a fan of cooking but the sooner we finish the sooner we can play come games."
"What kind of games?" a boy shouted.
Lizzie looked over at Miranda, who was at a loss, "It's a surprise," Lizzie finally said, "the sooner we bake, the sooner we play."
Lizzie looked around the room filled with boys who looked around at their peers, waiting for someone to be their representative and say something. Finally, the largest boy in the room spoke up, "Come on guys," he said, "Let's just get this over with!"
"We won't have to tell your counselors later and you wont have to have double silent time," Lizzie chimed.
Five minutes later, the guys were sitting down and mixing oatmeal in pairs while Miranda was heating the chocolate for the strawberries and Lizzie was supervising. In the midst of all of this, someone knocked on the door, and Gordo entered the room with a boy in a wheelchair. Lizzie looked at Miranda, who looked pretty distracted, and relented to walking over there to deal with Gordo.
"Hey," he said, grinning. He looked at Lizzie, "This is James. James this is Lizzie," he introduced everyone, "James is in the cabin that is working with canoes and he was wondering if he could hang out with you this morning."
"Sure!" Lizzie said.
James grinned, "Thanks," he said, "I can't swim."
"How old are you?"
"Eleven."
"Okay," Lizzie said, then she looked at Gordo, "Was this fine with his counselors?"
"Yeah," Gordo said.
Gordo left shortly after that and James wheeled himself to one of the tables. Looking around, Lizzie noticed that there was no extra person to be his partner, "I'll be your partner!" she volunteered, sitting down next to him after getting a set of ingredients, "Today we are making oatmeal cookies and chocolate covered strawberries."
James grinned and Lizzie looked over at Miranda to make sure everything was okay. Miranda looked like she had everything under control as she collected the cookie dough and ran to and from the kitchen.
"How do you like camp so far?" Lizzie asked, trying to make small conversation.
"It's fine so far," he said, "This is my first year here."
"Cool," Lizzie said, mixing the dough, "This is my second year."
"Yeah, I know," he said.
"You do?" Lizzie asked, confused.
"On our way here, Gordo, that camp counselor, was telling me about you."
"Oh?" Lizzie said, looking at him and getting more curious, "What else did he say?"
James shrugged, "He told me you were friends and that you met last year."
"Oh, so that's all he said?" Lizzie asked, feeling a little less nervous. She couldn't decide whether that was a good thing.
"Pretty much," he said, as he balled a piece of dough, "I think he was just trying to talk a little."
Lizzie nodded her head and then looked around the room and noticed everyone else was finishing up, "Here," she said, taking their dough, "I'll go put this in the oven and you start cleaning up. I'll be back in a minute."
~*~*~
After morning activities and lunch, it was time for silent hour, where everyone would go back to their cabin and rest in silence and either write letters, sleep, or just stare at the ceiling. This was a hard concept for seven and eight year olds to master, though, since this was their first day and the last thing they wanted to do over summer camp was rest when they could be out playing.
Gordo and Lizzie still hadn't had an actual conversation about anything and whenever they were with each other, tension filled the air.
As for Miranda and Larry, however, they had started hanging around and loved each other's company. Miranda claimed they were just friends and Larry did the same when Gordo questioned him.
Most of the girls wrote letters to home, while most of the boys just sat there angrily, eager to get up and do something.
The only requirement was that at least one of the counselors was there at all times, and usually counselors alternated by day. When the counselors took breaks, they would usually go to the recreation room, have a coke, and hang out with each other.
Larry and Miranda took the first break of the summer. Lizzie and Gordo knew that Larry and Miranda were friends and if they wanted a break together, Lizzie and Gordo could handle taking a break together. It would probably work out for the better, anyway, as both of them still thought they would get together.
Lizzie fell asleep with the hour of silence while Gordo lay in his own cot, thinking of what would come of the summer. The biggest mystery of the summer as of yet was would he and Lizzie go out again?
After the hour was up, it was time for snack and afternoon activities. For afternoon activities, the counselors would split up and offer things such as kayaking, canoeing, games and sports, tubing, swimming, drama, relaxation, arts and crafts, archery, dance, and hiking. Counselors would split up according to number of kids interested, and often this would mean that people who shared a cabin shared the afternoon activity. Lizzie, for example, was sent to arts and crafts while Miranda was sent to hiking. Gordo was sent to games and sports while Larry was sent to archery.
After an hour and a half of this, everyone met up, went back to their cabins to get into their bathing suits. After afternoon activities, everyone goes to swim in either the lake or the pool, according to level. This gave most counselors a break for an hour, but for the first day, everyone had to take swim tests in the pool and all the counselors were there.
After the swim tests were finished, it was time to get dressed again for dinner. This was usually the time for people to take showers, but not everyone liked showering then. After everyone was showered, they walked to the eating hall to eat dinner and if their were announcements, such as birthdays or special news about the next day, they'd stay there.
In the middle of dinner, Lizzie was surprised to see Gordo pass her a note, "Meet me outside your cabin after everyone is asleep."
Lizzie glanced at Gordo and nodded her head, curious as to what he was thinking and willing to find out. She was nervous all throughout the rest of dinner, night activities, and bedtime as she tried to think of what Gordo wanted with her.
Lizzie let Miranda read the note and she also didn't know what was going on.
A half an hour later, Lizzie put on her slippers and went outside, only to find that Gordo wasn't there.
A few minutes later, however, his cabin door opened and Gordo appeared, "Hey," he whispered, grinning at Lizzie.
"Hi," she whispered back.
~*~*~*~
A/N: Please review!
Chapter Four
The next day, Lizzie and Miranda busied themselves with cooking class while their cabin went to work with horses. It was Lizzie's turn to handle the ever so inquisitive Natalie, who, if possible, asked more questions that morning than ever.
Anyway, that day, the cooking class would deal with the nine and ten year old boys that morning, have a lunch break, and then meet up with the whole camp to pick afternoon activities.
They were making oatmeal cookies and chocolate dipped strawberries that day. Of course, this didn't require a lot of cooking, but getting the boys to cooperate was difficult enough, as they were rowdy and kept claiming things like "Cooking is for sissies. I want to do something else."
Miranda and Lizzie were stuck with them, though, and the adult supervisor was a seventy-eight year old woman who sat in the corner and said nothing as she read a novel. "Lizzie, we have to do something," Miranda said through her teeth as they scanned the group of rowdy boys, "We can't just let them run around and complain."
"You're right," Lizzie agreed, "Hey guys!" she said loudly, so the room could hear, "I know you might not be a fan of cooking but the sooner we finish the sooner we can play come games."
"What kind of games?" a boy shouted.
Lizzie looked over at Miranda, who was at a loss, "It's a surprise," Lizzie finally said, "the sooner we bake, the sooner we play."
Lizzie looked around the room filled with boys who looked around at their peers, waiting for someone to be their representative and say something. Finally, the largest boy in the room spoke up, "Come on guys," he said, "Let's just get this over with!"
"We won't have to tell your counselors later and you wont have to have double silent time," Lizzie chimed.
Five minutes later, the guys were sitting down and mixing oatmeal in pairs while Miranda was heating the chocolate for the strawberries and Lizzie was supervising. In the midst of all of this, someone knocked on the door, and Gordo entered the room with a boy in a wheelchair. Lizzie looked at Miranda, who looked pretty distracted, and relented to walking over there to deal with Gordo.
"Hey," he said, grinning. He looked at Lizzie, "This is James. James this is Lizzie," he introduced everyone, "James is in the cabin that is working with canoes and he was wondering if he could hang out with you this morning."
"Sure!" Lizzie said.
James grinned, "Thanks," he said, "I can't swim."
"How old are you?"
"Eleven."
"Okay," Lizzie said, then she looked at Gordo, "Was this fine with his counselors?"
"Yeah," Gordo said.
Gordo left shortly after that and James wheeled himself to one of the tables. Looking around, Lizzie noticed that there was no extra person to be his partner, "I'll be your partner!" she volunteered, sitting down next to him after getting a set of ingredients, "Today we are making oatmeal cookies and chocolate covered strawberries."
James grinned and Lizzie looked over at Miranda to make sure everything was okay. Miranda looked like she had everything under control as she collected the cookie dough and ran to and from the kitchen.
"How do you like camp so far?" Lizzie asked, trying to make small conversation.
"It's fine so far," he said, "This is my first year here."
"Cool," Lizzie said, mixing the dough, "This is my second year."
"Yeah, I know," he said.
"You do?" Lizzie asked, confused.
"On our way here, Gordo, that camp counselor, was telling me about you."
"Oh?" Lizzie said, looking at him and getting more curious, "What else did he say?"
James shrugged, "He told me you were friends and that you met last year."
"Oh, so that's all he said?" Lizzie asked, feeling a little less nervous. She couldn't decide whether that was a good thing.
"Pretty much," he said, as he balled a piece of dough, "I think he was just trying to talk a little."
Lizzie nodded her head and then looked around the room and noticed everyone else was finishing up, "Here," she said, taking their dough, "I'll go put this in the oven and you start cleaning up. I'll be back in a minute."
~*~*~
After morning activities and lunch, it was time for silent hour, where everyone would go back to their cabin and rest in silence and either write letters, sleep, or just stare at the ceiling. This was a hard concept for seven and eight year olds to master, though, since this was their first day and the last thing they wanted to do over summer camp was rest when they could be out playing.
Gordo and Lizzie still hadn't had an actual conversation about anything and whenever they were with each other, tension filled the air.
As for Miranda and Larry, however, they had started hanging around and loved each other's company. Miranda claimed they were just friends and Larry did the same when Gordo questioned him.
Most of the girls wrote letters to home, while most of the boys just sat there angrily, eager to get up and do something.
The only requirement was that at least one of the counselors was there at all times, and usually counselors alternated by day. When the counselors took breaks, they would usually go to the recreation room, have a coke, and hang out with each other.
Larry and Miranda took the first break of the summer. Lizzie and Gordo knew that Larry and Miranda were friends and if they wanted a break together, Lizzie and Gordo could handle taking a break together. It would probably work out for the better, anyway, as both of them still thought they would get together.
Lizzie fell asleep with the hour of silence while Gordo lay in his own cot, thinking of what would come of the summer. The biggest mystery of the summer as of yet was would he and Lizzie go out again?
After the hour was up, it was time for snack and afternoon activities. For afternoon activities, the counselors would split up and offer things such as kayaking, canoeing, games and sports, tubing, swimming, drama, relaxation, arts and crafts, archery, dance, and hiking. Counselors would split up according to number of kids interested, and often this would mean that people who shared a cabin shared the afternoon activity. Lizzie, for example, was sent to arts and crafts while Miranda was sent to hiking. Gordo was sent to games and sports while Larry was sent to archery.
After an hour and a half of this, everyone met up, went back to their cabins to get into their bathing suits. After afternoon activities, everyone goes to swim in either the lake or the pool, according to level. This gave most counselors a break for an hour, but for the first day, everyone had to take swim tests in the pool and all the counselors were there.
After the swim tests were finished, it was time to get dressed again for dinner. This was usually the time for people to take showers, but not everyone liked showering then. After everyone was showered, they walked to the eating hall to eat dinner and if their were announcements, such as birthdays or special news about the next day, they'd stay there.
In the middle of dinner, Lizzie was surprised to see Gordo pass her a note, "Meet me outside your cabin after everyone is asleep."
Lizzie glanced at Gordo and nodded her head, curious as to what he was thinking and willing to find out. She was nervous all throughout the rest of dinner, night activities, and bedtime as she tried to think of what Gordo wanted with her.
Lizzie let Miranda read the note and she also didn't know what was going on.
A half an hour later, Lizzie put on her slippers and went outside, only to find that Gordo wasn't there.
A few minutes later, however, his cabin door opened and Gordo appeared, "Hey," he whispered, grinning at Lizzie.
"Hi," she whispered back.
~*~*~*~
A/N: Please review!
