Chapter 3

A/N: Thanks to everyone who is reviewing. It really helps a lot to read your reviews so I know what's working and what's not.

Thanks to Michael Teravera for suggesting a name for my story. Any other suggestions are very much appreciated!!!!

            Lucie awoke to rays of sunlight blaring down on her face. She squinted and covered her eyes. She could feel the heat through the window. It was going to be a hot one today. She shoved the blankets off of her and stood up.

The warden met her in the hallway just outside her door. She was wearing sunglasses and she tipped them down to the end of her nose to look at Lucie.

"You gonna dig today?"

Lucie shook her head. "No, I think I'm just going to stay inside today. Looks like it is hotter than usual out there."

The warden didn't say anything but slid her sunglasses back up. For a moment she just stood there and Lucie couldn't tell if she was staring at her or not.

"You don't have to dig," she finally said, "but I'll be needing your help outside today."

Lucie crossed her arms. "Why?"

"Don't ask questions. Just get some clothes on and meet me out in front of Mr. Sir's office."

Before Lucie had a chance to respond, the warden had turned and walked away. Lucie sighed heavily and went back into her room.

A few minutes later she emerged from the warden's cabin wearing blue jean shorts and a hot pink spaghetti strap shirt. Her hair was pulled up into a high ponytail. She straightened the ponytail and started toward the office. There were no campers around because they were all out digging. She looked out on to the lakebed and saw orange figures covering it. She wondered where D-tent was.

"Lucie." She heard her aunt's voice call.

Lucie looked toward the office and saw the warden, Mr. Sir and Dr. Pendanski, the camp "counselor", standing there.

As she approached them, Mr. Sir held up the keys to his truck. "Me and Dr. Pendanski have already given out all the water except to D-tent."

Lucie slowly took the keys, looked down at them and then looked back up at her aunt.

"We're a little busy right now so we're gonna need you to drive out there and fill up the boys' canteens. Can you do that?"

Lucie nodded. "Yes ma'am."

"Good. Let's go fellas." The warden said, gesturing for Mr. Sir and Dr. Pendanski to follow her.

Lucie looked down at the keys again. She turned and started walking toward the shed that held the truck and realized she didn't know where the D-tent boys were stationed today.

"Mr. Sir." She called.

He turned around.

"Where is D-tent today?"

He held out his hand and pointed toward the lakebed. "Out there." He turned and caught back up with the other two supervisors.

"Gee, thanks." Lucie said rolling her eyes.

After driving around, dodging holes for ten minutes, Lucie finally spotted D-tent. She saw X-ray first. He was standing outside his hole and he seemed to be watching over the rest of them, as if he were supervising.

"Water!" she heard one of them shout and the rest of them exited their holes.

"Lucie?" Squid asked as she stepped out of the truck. The seven boys had already lined up behind the water spigot.

"Yep." She said walking around the back of the truck. She had only given out water one other time. The first summer she had been here Mr. Sir had made her give out water to the tent she was digging with. She thought back to then to remember how to do it.

"What are you doing out here?" X-Ray asked as he handed Lucie his canteen.

She turned on the spout and began filling it with water. "Filling in for Mr. Sir."

"Where is he?" Magnet asked, stepping out of line to look at Lucie.

"I don't know. Aunt Lou just said they were busy today, she and Mr. Sir and Dr. Pendanski."

A couple of the boys shrugged but Armpit kept questioning her as he stepped up and handed her his canteen. "She didn't tell you anything? It's not really like them to just leave us unsupervised."

"I told you." Lucie said, a bit annoyed now. "I don't know anything about what they're doing. All I know is that I'm supposed to be giving y'all water." She capped his canteen and handed it back to him. "Next."

Squid stepped up next and smiled at her. "Hey Lucie. I'm glad to see instead of Mr. Sir. You're much better on the eyes."

Lucie blushed a little and took his canteen from him. She didn't reply but started filling it with water.

"Are you uh, staying out here at all today?" he persisted.

Lucie shook her head. "It's too hot out here for me." She handed his water back to him but he didn't move.

"Well, maybe you can come hang out with us in the wreck room when we go back in." He shifted his cap on his head and put his canteen over his shoulder.

Lucie hesitated then shrugged. "I can't. I've got some stuff to do later. Next."

She gave out water to Zig Zag, Magnet, Caveman and finally Zero, and then closed up the back of the truck. She went around to get in the truck and met Caveman who was standing by her door. He grinned a little at her and opened the door for her. She smiled back at him and got in.

"You sure you belong here?" she asked him.

He shook his head. "That's what they tell me."

            Lucie went out on the front porch and sat down in a chair by the door. She watched the sun sinking lower and lower into the western horizon. She sighed out of boredom and listened to the warden yelling at Mr. Sir again.

Suddenly there was a loud roar of laughter coming from the wreck room. She remembered Squid's invitation to come join them and for a moment she almost wanted to go see what they were laughing at. She shook her head, though, and rolled her eyes at herself. The commotion died down and she returned her attention to the sunset. She wondered what her friends back home were doing and if they were watching the same sunset. One person in particular kept popping into her head. She wondered what he was doing, if he was thinking of her too. She shook the thought away. He wouldn't be. Not anymore…

Suddenly another commotion erupted.

"Uurgh, fine." She told her self and got up before she could talk herself out of it again.

She hurried toward the wreck room and stepped onto the porch in time to hear another burst of laughter. She peaked inside and saw a group of boys surrounding Armpit, who seemed to be doing impressions. Not all of the boys were around him and she noticed Squid standing next to the pool table with Zig Zag. She stepped into the doorway a little more and they both looked up at her.

"Hey Luc!" Squid shouted. He started toward her and several boys turned around to stare.

"Glad you could make it." He smiled at her. She noticed he was even cuter when he wasn't covered in dirt.

She smiled a little. "Yea, I heard lots of laughing and decided I'd come see what was going on.

Squid nodded. "Yea, it's just Pit and his impressions again. They're not that great, trust me."

Lucie laughed softly and looked over at the crowd. She saw Caveman turn around and look over there. She smiled at him and waved. He smiled and blushed a little and waved back.

Squid watched them and then looked down at his feet awkwardly.

"You like him?"

Lucie was a little surprised to hear him say that. "Who, Stanley? I was just waving at him."

Squid nodded. "I know. But you barely talk to me."

Lucie suddenly felt bad. "I'm sorry. He's just, really polite and all. I feel sorry for him."

"Oh."

There was an awkward silence.

"Can I join you and Zig Zag over there?" Lucie finally asked.

Squid smiled and nodded. "Of course."

He gestured for her to go first and then softly put his hand on her back as they walked toward the pool table.