AN:For this story, the camp is not closing down. Zero is not running away. I'm just stealing the setting and characters from Holes, not the plot.
Squid Freak: Thanks, I think I fixed that.
Disclaimer: I do not own Holes.
Ghost led Belinda into a crowded, messy room (which was so crowded that Zig didn't even notice as she walked right past him to grab a tray and stood in the line behind Ghost) with people eating food that closely resembled a mud pie.
"What's for lunch?" Belinda asked.
"Oh," Ghost replied, "You probably don't want to know."
Belinda thought she was kidding until the serving lady slopped a large pile of the disgusting food onto her plate. She grimaced at the sight of it, wondering if it was safe to eat.
Ghost laughed, "Don't worry," she assured Belinda, "You will get used to the food after a while."
Belinda looked at her as if she was insane, which just made Ghost laugh even harder.
"C'mon, I'll show you where we sit." Said Ghost, leading her through the crowds of people. We eventually stopped at a table with ten people sitting at it; a slightly fat boy, an extremely fat boy, a boy wearing the hugest glasses imaginable, a short boy with curly black hair, a normal-looking boy, a Hispanic boy, a skinny brunette girl (she seemed like the type to be Head Cheerleader), a rough-looking redhead with scars plastered all over her face, a blonde with light wavy hair, and Zigzag. I tried to give her a look that said 'Please, can we not sit here?' but she wasn't paying attention. Ghost sat down in between the slightly fat guy and the normal looking boy.
The guy with humungous glasses pointed to a chair next to Zigzag. "You can sit here." He said, but the way he said it made it sound more like a command than a suggestion. Belinda reluctantly took the seat. Zigzag stared at me her wonder, as if he couldn't believe she had gotten here.
"Quit staring at the new girl!" The really fat kid ordered.
"I can do whatever I want!" Zig replied, "She's MY sister!"
The whole lunchroom got really quiet. Then, everyone at the table except Belinda, Zigzag, and Ghost inhaled at the exact same time.
"YOU are related to Zigzag? Wow, how are we supposed to handle TWO nutcases in the same tent?" cried out the normal-looking kid.
Belinda glared at him, "I am not a nutcase." She informed him in a stern voice. She was about to go on and say how her IQ was in the top 20 at her school (Since she went to a public school, there were over 700 students in her grade, so getting in the top 25 is quite an accomplishment, but Ghost, seeing the look on Belinda's face, didn't want a fight to erupt, so she quickly tried to change the subject.
"So," she said, "Did I introduce you to the rest of the camp yet?"
Belinda shook her head.
"Okay. Well, this is X-ray," she pointed to the kid with extraordinarily large glasses, "This is Squid," she pointed to the normal looking boy, "This is Armpit," she pointed to the really fat kid, "This is Caveman," she pointed at the semi-fat one, "This is Magnet," she pointed to the Hispanic boy, "This is Sugar," she pointed to the preppy brunette, "This is Blade," she pointed to the rough-looking girl, "This is Zero," she pointed to the cute little kid with curly black hair, "And last but not least, this is Whisper." She pointed to the girl with extremely light blonde hair.
Belinda smiled and waved to them. "I'm Belinda."
After they had finished lunch (Except for Belinda, she refused to eat something that was so gross it 'didn't deserve to be called food'), Ghost led Belinda to a messy room where everything in it was broken. Belinda spotted Blade playing pool against X-ray on the broken pool table; Whisper, Caveman, Zero, Armpit, Zigzag, and Magnet watching TV; and Sugar and Squid were sitting on the couch, looking pretty cozy. Ghost and Belinda silently agreed that it probably wouldn't be smart to bug Sugar and Squid, so Ghost went to go watch TV and Belinda went over to the pool table.
"Can I play winner?" she asked Blade and X-ray.
"Sure, but it'll be pretty hard to beat me." X-ray boasted.
"Who says you'll win?" Blade asked him angrily.
X-ray hit the white ball, and it knocked two of the solid balls in. He just smirked.
Blade rolled her eyes. "Oh, so you wanna play it like that?" she asked in a nasty voice. Her shot hit 3 striped balls in, and now she was on the 8-ball. "Eight ball, corner pocket." She called. The ball easily rolled into the pocket she had called, and smirked back at X-ray. He just rolled his eyes and walked away.
"So, I guess you are playin' me now, huh? Well, you better be ready." Blade warned her. Belinda just nodded. She was pretty good at pool, and thought she had a chance of winning.
About 10 minutes later, Belinda realized her suspicions were wrong. Blade hit all of her balls in, including the 8-ball, but Belinda had only hit in one of hers.
"You are really good at this." Belinda complimented her.
"Thanks." Blade replied. Her face seemed to smile, but Belinda thought she was just imagining things. "I got here 'cause I ran away from home, and I needed some money for food and junk, so I hustled people in pool. They bet lots of money that I'd lose, but I always won. Then, one day I played some undercover police dude, and I beat him. He thought something was up, since he always wins too, so he asked a guy sitting by the pool table if I had taken some of his money through pool. He said yes. So know I'm here."
I just nodded.
"What'd you do to get stuck here?" she asked me.
"I, um, stole something. And the person who told me to steal it kind of told on me… so… yeah. That's pretty much it." Belinda decided not to tell her the part about how the girl who asked her to steal this 'something' was Cecilia, her best friend, that is, her ex-best friend. Or the part about how she had never really been her friend, she was just using her to copy homework from and a source for needed objects. Belinda knew she was easily pushed around, and so did Cecilia…
Belinda quit thinking about Cecilia for a second and looked over towards the TV. For some reason, X-Ray and Armpit had gotten into a fist fight. Belinda looked at them worriedly, while Blade cheered them on.
"GO X!" she chanted, "C'mon, you can take this wimp out! SOCK HIM!"
X-Ray obeyed Blade and socked Armpit. Armpit keeled over, clutching his stomach and Belinda's eyes widened in fear. She rushed to Armpit's side.
"Are you okay? Do you need anything?" she asked him.
"Yeah, I'll be fine," he whispered back, "But would you mind doing me a small favor?"
Belinda froze.
Cecilia smiled sweetly at her. "Bella, dear, would you mind doing me a small favor?'
Belinda smiled back uncomfortably, "What is it? Cause you know I really don't like stealing, so if it's that, I really don't want to do it."
The smile on Cecilia's face quickly disappeared, "Fine." She said angrily, "If you think some silly laws are more important than our friendship, I'll get a better friend to do it." Cecilia stormed away.
"Wait…I'll do it… please just don't replace me…" said Belinda, but it was too late. Cecilia had already left.
The next day Belinda saw Cecilia hanging around Ronnie a lot more. Ronnie had a crush on Cecilia for a while, and was willing to do anything for her. Even steal.
Belinda's eyes widened. Her worst fear was coming true. Her parents had replaced her, and now Cecilia was doing the same thing…
"Cecilia!" Belinda yelled. "I'll do it."
Cecilia looked around, trying to figure out where the voice was coming from, and finally spotted Belinda. "Sorry, Bella," Cecilia apologized, although she really didn't seem that sorry, "I've found someone else willing to do this for me, and anything else I request. You just can't compete with that."
"Please, Cecily! Just give me a chance!" she begged.
Ronnie whispered something to Cecilia. Then, they began talking in hushed voices, considering letting Belinda do it. They seemed to be making a plan of some sort, but Belinda couldn't be sure.
"OK." Cecilia finally said, "I will let you do it. I need you to steal a pack of Sweet-Tarts from the Kroger across from my neighborhood. Meet me at my house after school."
Belinda nodded.
After the last bell of the school day rang, Belinda rushed to Cecilia's house. Cecilia and Ronnie were already there.
"Are you ready?" Cecilia asked her.
Belinda nodded, "I think so." The three of them began walking over to Kroger. Belinda's legs were shaking, even though she knew she wouldn't get caught. Belinda was a very sneaky person, even though she didn't look it.
Belinda opened the door of the Kroger store, waiting for Cecilia and Ronnie to enter. They didn't. "Aren't you guys going to come in?" she asked.
"No, honey, we're just going to wait out here. Go ahead, you've done this before."
Belinda hesitantly walked into the store. She searched down the aisles for Sweet Tarts. "Aisle one, meat," She murmured, "Aisle two, baked goods; aisle three candy." Belinda walked halfway down the aisle and spotted a bag of Sweet Tarts. As she was stuffing them inside her jacket, a police officer came up to her.
"Put your hands up," the officer said, taking out a pair of handcuffs, "You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you."
"B-b-but how? I n-never get caught!" stuttered Belinda.
She looked behind the officer and spotted Cecilia laughing with Ronnie. Cecilia looked her in the eyes with a smirk on her face and said, "Sorry kid, but you've been replaced."
Belinda woke up in her cot, covered in a cold sweat. She saw that the people from the lunch table she was sitting at earlier were crowding around her bed. "What happened?" she asked in a tired voice.
AN:Well, theres chapter 2. The next one will be longer, I promise! And don't forget...REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!