Note: I want to explain the title. To me, "Gray Sky Morning" means even the sweetest of things have their downsides, their pitfalls. Morning is a renewal, a bright pureness. But even mornings can be gray and lonely, and have something painful lurking beneath.
Lizzie and Gordo sat in the leaves back to back waiting for someone to show up. Gordo blew his whistle again to see if anyone would hear them. Gordo sang camp songs to ease Lizzie's fears. They waited for what seemed like hours and it was starting to get dark out. It wasn't that late, but the tall trees blocked out the light and made it seem much later.
"What was that?" Lizzie said, jumping at a noise.
"Probably...just a squirrel," Gordo said.
"Oh, okay," Lizzie said. They sat in silence for a few minutes. "Gordo, I'm sorry. This is all my fault. I should have just forgotten about the stupid bag."
"No, it's fine."
"No it's not, we're lost Gordo! In the woods! At night!"
"Lizzie, you've just gotta roll with the punches."
"Roll with the punches?" Lizzie said turning around. "This is like a full body slam. How can you be so calm all the time?"
"Lizzie! Gordo!" They heard Miranda's familiar voice calling.
A huge wave of relief passed over the both of them. "We're over here!" Lizzie shouted. Lizzie and Gordo swiftly got up and brushed off their backsides. They gathered their stuff, and started running toward the sound of Miranda's voice. "Miranda! Oh my god, I'm so glad to see you!" Lizzie exclaimed with pure joy. The three friends embraced, and they made their way over to the other campers.
"Where were you guys?" Rachel asked sternly.
"I'm sorry, I dropped my bag, and I made Gordo go down and get it with me, and then we couldn't get back up...and we had to go all the way around, and we couldn't find the trail..." Lizzie explained.
"Lizzie, Lizzie, it's not your fault, don't worry about it, we're fine," Gordo said.
"Well you two had me worried sick! But I'm so glad you are okay! We were searching for about two hours! It's all my fault. I should have kept a better eye on you." Rachel told them.
The group made their way back to camp. Lizzie and Gordo were pretty shaken up, and they didn't speak the whole way back. However, Ian was regaling them with fascinating stories of his previous journeys through the wilderness, complete with animal sounds. Miranda was smitten.
When the group got back, they went straight to the mess hall for dinner. Leftover surprise. Great. Miranda, Gordo, and Lizzie secured a table together, with Charlotte and Crystal right behind them.
"Are you guys ok?" Charlotte asked.
"Um yeah I guess," Lizzie said, "I'm gonna go use the phone. Gordo, want to come with?"
Gordo and Lizzie got up to use the pay phone near the restrooms.
"Do you want some privacy?" Gordo asked.
"No stay. Please," Lizzie said, dialing the phone.
"Mommy!!" Lizzie shouted over the phone. "Everything's pretty good....the food is not...yeah Miranda and I have the same bunk...the bunkmates are not so nice. There are these mean ones named Jenna and Jessie. And then I thought Crystal and Charlotte were nice. Well Crystals nice, but Charlotte..." Lizzie looked at Gordo, "well she's pretty nice too. But mom, today, Gordo and I got lost in the woods! I was so scared! Yeah mom, we're fine....yes.....yes mom! Gordo was my hero." Lizzie laughed. "No, Mom, don't come pick me up...Mom I gotta go, I hear the music starting outside. Say hi to Dad for me. And Gordo says hi too! Ok...ok...bye mom!"
"I'm your hero, huh?" Gordo teased.
"Shut up!" Lizzie giggled.
"What's so bad about Charlotte?" Gordo questioned her.
"Oh, nothing really. She can be a bit much."
"Yeah," he said smiling.
The two of them walked out into the hall passing a room where a lot of shouting was going on. They couldn't help but listen in.
"I was searching all over the place!" Rachel's voice said sobbing. "I thought I had everyone together, but the next thing I know they were gone!"
"You should have all of them in plain eyesight! All 5 of them!" The head counselor, Alissa shouted
"I know, but they go all different speeds. Some are more athletic than me! I'm really trying, you know. They had me so worried. I love those kids. It won't happen again!"
"You're right. It won't happen again. Because you're fired," Alissa said sternly.
Lizzie barged through the door. "Wait no! I'm sorry for listening in, but you can't fire her." Rachel and Gordo shot her glances. "She's trying hard. Please don't fire her, Alissa. Please? We were the ones who wandered of the trail, and she found us again! It was our fault."
"Excuse me, but I've made my decision." Alissa said.
"Come on, kids get lost a lot. What if she hadn't found us? You'd still fire her?" Lizzie asked.
"Well, ok, one more chance," Alissa said reluctantly.
Rachel started crying some more and hugged Lizzie. Oh great, what did she just do. I actually pled for a basketcase counselor, Lizzie thought. However the proud look on Gordo's face made it all seem better. Lizzie quickly walked back to the table with Gordo.
"That was great, Lizzie, you're really brave," Gordo told her.
"I'm brave? You're the one who saved me in the woods. Without you I probably would have wandered to Canada."
"You know if I had to get lost with anyone, my choice would be you," Gordo told her.
Lizzie smiled. Getting lost was awful, but it wasn't all bad.
Lizzie and Gordo sat in the leaves back to back waiting for someone to show up. Gordo blew his whistle again to see if anyone would hear them. Gordo sang camp songs to ease Lizzie's fears. They waited for what seemed like hours and it was starting to get dark out. It wasn't that late, but the tall trees blocked out the light and made it seem much later.
"What was that?" Lizzie said, jumping at a noise.
"Probably...just a squirrel," Gordo said.
"Oh, okay," Lizzie said. They sat in silence for a few minutes. "Gordo, I'm sorry. This is all my fault. I should have just forgotten about the stupid bag."
"No, it's fine."
"No it's not, we're lost Gordo! In the woods! At night!"
"Lizzie, you've just gotta roll with the punches."
"Roll with the punches?" Lizzie said turning around. "This is like a full body slam. How can you be so calm all the time?"
"Lizzie! Gordo!" They heard Miranda's familiar voice calling.
A huge wave of relief passed over the both of them. "We're over here!" Lizzie shouted. Lizzie and Gordo swiftly got up and brushed off their backsides. They gathered their stuff, and started running toward the sound of Miranda's voice. "Miranda! Oh my god, I'm so glad to see you!" Lizzie exclaimed with pure joy. The three friends embraced, and they made their way over to the other campers.
"Where were you guys?" Rachel asked sternly.
"I'm sorry, I dropped my bag, and I made Gordo go down and get it with me, and then we couldn't get back up...and we had to go all the way around, and we couldn't find the trail..." Lizzie explained.
"Lizzie, Lizzie, it's not your fault, don't worry about it, we're fine," Gordo said.
"Well you two had me worried sick! But I'm so glad you are okay! We were searching for about two hours! It's all my fault. I should have kept a better eye on you." Rachel told them.
The group made their way back to camp. Lizzie and Gordo were pretty shaken up, and they didn't speak the whole way back. However, Ian was regaling them with fascinating stories of his previous journeys through the wilderness, complete with animal sounds. Miranda was smitten.
When the group got back, they went straight to the mess hall for dinner. Leftover surprise. Great. Miranda, Gordo, and Lizzie secured a table together, with Charlotte and Crystal right behind them.
"Are you guys ok?" Charlotte asked.
"Um yeah I guess," Lizzie said, "I'm gonna go use the phone. Gordo, want to come with?"
Gordo and Lizzie got up to use the pay phone near the restrooms.
"Do you want some privacy?" Gordo asked.
"No stay. Please," Lizzie said, dialing the phone.
"Mommy!!" Lizzie shouted over the phone. "Everything's pretty good....the food is not...yeah Miranda and I have the same bunk...the bunkmates are not so nice. There are these mean ones named Jenna and Jessie. And then I thought Crystal and Charlotte were nice. Well Crystals nice, but Charlotte..." Lizzie looked at Gordo, "well she's pretty nice too. But mom, today, Gordo and I got lost in the woods! I was so scared! Yeah mom, we're fine....yes.....yes mom! Gordo was my hero." Lizzie laughed. "No, Mom, don't come pick me up...Mom I gotta go, I hear the music starting outside. Say hi to Dad for me. And Gordo says hi too! Ok...ok...bye mom!"
"I'm your hero, huh?" Gordo teased.
"Shut up!" Lizzie giggled.
"What's so bad about Charlotte?" Gordo questioned her.
"Oh, nothing really. She can be a bit much."
"Yeah," he said smiling.
The two of them walked out into the hall passing a room where a lot of shouting was going on. They couldn't help but listen in.
"I was searching all over the place!" Rachel's voice said sobbing. "I thought I had everyone together, but the next thing I know they were gone!"
"You should have all of them in plain eyesight! All 5 of them!" The head counselor, Alissa shouted
"I know, but they go all different speeds. Some are more athletic than me! I'm really trying, you know. They had me so worried. I love those kids. It won't happen again!"
"You're right. It won't happen again. Because you're fired," Alissa said sternly.
Lizzie barged through the door. "Wait no! I'm sorry for listening in, but you can't fire her." Rachel and Gordo shot her glances. "She's trying hard. Please don't fire her, Alissa. Please? We were the ones who wandered of the trail, and she found us again! It was our fault."
"Excuse me, but I've made my decision." Alissa said.
"Come on, kids get lost a lot. What if she hadn't found us? You'd still fire her?" Lizzie asked.
"Well, ok, one more chance," Alissa said reluctantly.
Rachel started crying some more and hugged Lizzie. Oh great, what did she just do. I actually pled for a basketcase counselor, Lizzie thought. However the proud look on Gordo's face made it all seem better. Lizzie quickly walked back to the table with Gordo.
"That was great, Lizzie, you're really brave," Gordo told her.
"I'm brave? You're the one who saved me in the woods. Without you I probably would have wandered to Canada."
"You know if I had to get lost with anyone, my choice would be you," Gordo told her.
Lizzie smiled. Getting lost was awful, but it wasn't all bad.