Disclaimer: Ya'll should know by now that I do not own 'Holes' but for those who don't know…I'm pretty sure you've gotten the message by now.
It has been 56 hours 26 minutes and 48 seconds since they arrived at Camp Green Lake. I swear from the looks of it you have guessed it was a fucking summer camp by the way folks is acting. It's almost as if I don't exist…even Magnet is off in the clouds barely speaks to me any more. Not that I'm hard up for attention but people aren't allowed to shut me off like that or are they? These people are just so strange and there are too many personalities which are starting to clash. Hell will freeze over before I let that happen because you can trust as leader I'm not letting not one of those persons step out of line. Especially not after what happened the first night they got here…
Flashback
Redbone was the only thing keeping me from falling as my eyes rested on most mortifying site I have ever witnessed in my life. Before I could fully register what was going on I knew this situation was dangerous. Boys were already starting to lose it…I mean if it hadn't been for the Warden and some new counselors ushering them into the Rec. Room then God knows what could happened. Soon like them Mr. Sir shoved us into the Great Hall like a herd of cattle.
For the next twenty minutes no one ate they sat and talked anxiously about our new arrivals. I got up in a huff and went to the line and retrieved a tray. They servers barely acknowledged me as they too were conversing excitedly.
'Boys! They need to learn how to keep it in their pants…but hey I guess it's a good opportunity to get extra bread,' I thought angrily grabbing four extra slices even though I knew I wouldn't eat them.
"A lot of food for a girl as small as you," a voice called out to me commanding my attention.
My head snapped up to see Spike with a spoon full of fried pork and beans ready to slap on my waiting tray.
"Huh," I questioned confused.
"You know as well as I do your not going to eat all this food…and if by some miracle you do…the bathroom will be your best friend," I smirked but still pushing my tray forward signaling for him to fill it up.
"I didn't ask for your comment Oprah," he shook his head grinning but continued to comply with my request. "Can't say I didn't warn you!"
As I was about to turn and go back to the table my breath hitched and my body switch around so fast he shrunk back slightly.
"What the hell is wrong them it's like they haven't seen a girl in their entire lives," I vent almost feeling stream shoot out of my ears.
"Well to them they haven't," he said cautiously as if he were afraid I would explode.
"Then how come they never act this way around me," I whined.
"Come on Ice be realistic when you first got here they were a hell of a lot worse then they are now...you set the bar pretty high. All good things do come to an end though," he explained.
"What is that suppose to mean?"
"I mean X-Ray and the rest of D-tent made it so no one could get within breathing range of you so the camp had no other choice…you were one of them. They either saw as their little sister or one of the guys."
"But I'm not one of the guys I'm a girl," I sneered.
"I know that but they don't and now I'm not so sure they give a rat's ass about you right now. Truth is your old news and to the boys' fair game stepped off that bus and they'll do anything to get a piece of it!"
"Okay...well since you're so open then how come you're not acting like a dog in heat," he paled.
"Well I...um see...you know...it happens," he rambled on twiddling his thumbs.
"What?"
"Swear to me you won't tell a soul," I nodded as he began to quietly explain in a hushed tone.
By the time he was done my heart stopped and eyes budged all I could say was, "Oh."
"Leslie...don't you think you should be heading back to your table now," a high pitch voice I recognized to be Pendanski called.
I nodded my head curtly and walked away tilting my head slightly to look back at Spike he had this murderous look on is face bringing his pointer finger to his lips sealing the deal.
When I finally returned to the table no one had noticed my absence except Rex winked at my entrance. Magnet who was seated next to me had his hands clasped together propping up his head. His eyes were dull yet mysterious as if they were hiding something or from someone. Zero sat with his head down picking at the wood chippings on the edge of the table. Squid, Armpit and Ziggy playfully jeered each other's person style and mannerisms. All the while Caveman just slouched forward glancing around the group every so often.
"So what do ya'll think?" X-Ray interrupted.
"About?" I questioned.
"About the girls," Redbone cut in from a table over.
"Hell yeah I wanna get me one of them bitches...fine as hell," an Asian boy named Black cosigned.
"Black now you know none of them girls want you," Squid teased.
"They'll be on my dick all day like lap dogs...be like come here bitch that's a good bitch," Black enforced making idle gesturers.
"Black do you have to refer to them as bitches," Caveman scolded always the compassionate one.
"Oh my bad, you right son I should really call them hoes," X-Ray cut his eyes at him making Black shut up.
"You watch too much M.T.V. and shit...your ass needs to calm that shit down cause no girl wants to hear that," X-Ray preached as Caveman nodded realistically.
"Caveman what do you know anyway...nobody giving you pussy," Black angered by the fact that everyone was attacking him.
"Bet I get more than you!" Black started laughing along with Redbone until they saw the dead serious look in Caveman's eyes.
"You serious?" Squid gawked.
"Treat a female like a princess and doesn't necessarily mean be all up her but...just let her think she actually means something," the boys leaned in closer to hear the words of wisdom.
"They give it up for real that easy," Black asked.
"The good ones take time just wait and she'll come and when she does you'll get it however long you want it!"
"I don't believe you...what girl in her right mind would give it up to Erkel!" X-Ray mocked as the boys erupted in laughter.
"You the one with the glasses...while ya'll are sitting' here calling girls out they name I'm the one calling them by their name. Who do you think they'll come to first? Oh and by the way Jerome White got plenty of girls!" Caveman defended himself causing the table to laugh.
"If all you tryin to get from her is some ass then you a punta...because a girl ain't worth that kind of headache. Speaking of headache I'll be in the tent," Magnet spoke for the first time.
He abruptly pulled himself up from the table and walked calmly out of the door. Everyone was silent for a moment before Rex's eyes shot open cursing under his breath.
"What's wrong X?" I asked curiously.
"Nothing...I'm tired...see ya'll," he rambled before sauntering out the door after Magnet.
Without skipping a beat Black unearthed the previous conversation noticing the uncomfortable air that began to choke the table. Wise enough to ignore what had happen the rest of them began to converse but...you know me I couldn't shake the feeling.
"Which one of them do ya'll call dibs on?" Black inquired as he and Redbone took both Magnet and Rex's seats.
"I was feeling the light skinned chick with the long hair," Armpit gushed cupping his hands together in mock love.
"You mean the big girl with the extensions," Redbone said as if he was going to gag.
"Pit you can have her...I'm more interested in the twins...they got that double the trouble thing going on." Squid commented slapping hands with Black.
"I don't know the pretty blond girl looks alright to me," Caveman sighed.
"Naw...she looks too uppity to me...now if ya'll wanna catch then the red head is the way to go," Ziggy mused as Squid and Black made gagging noises.
"You must have been daydreaming cause the only red head I saw was that anorexic chick with bad acne!" Armpit joked.
"She didn't have acne they were her freckles...they look delightful," Caveman checked him for a fever.
"No she looks delightfully like a toothpick," Black remarked with a disgusted look on his face.
"Zero which one of them girls you like," Zero only stared blankly at Redbone.
"Fine then don't answer!"
"Man the only person he talks to is Caveman," Armpit explained easing toward my tray earning him a lethal swat on the hand.
"Ice Mice heard a lot bout you."
"What are you talking bout Black?"
"I'm talking about you and Magnet is official...news travels fast," he drawled as I threw death looks at various people who I knew couldn't keep is trap shut.
"And?"
"And soon he won't want you much longer especially with that honey I saw him talking to," Black boasted.
"What," Squid said in disbelief.
"Yeah that fine as Puerto Rican chick I saw him bunin' like right after she got off the bus," I almost choked.
"Black you run your mouth too fucking much," Armpit seethed knowing that it affected me.
"Damn just tryin' to look out for a sister!"
"You ain't looking out for nobody but yourself...by the way your yellow ass ain't my brother," I yelled before storming out of the Mess Hall.
I don't really know why I allowed his comment to affect me so much but it did anyway. It felt like a knife craving a hole in me making me sick at the stomach. The longer I thought about it the worse I felt and in a few seconds everything in my stomach spewed out my mouth faster than I could have stopped it. Next thing I knew I was hunched behind the Mess Hall with one hand grasping the side of the building for support and the other holding the lose strands of my hair back. I hacked up the remains and pushed myself unsteadily away from the wall.
'You gotta really like a guy in order for him to make you sick,' I thought as I made my sluggish trek back to my tent.
"Magnet you have to do something," Rex's voice erupted the quiet.
"I know but what am I going to do about your sister, she'll be absolutely crushed when she finds out," Magnet responded strongly.
My heart stopped, they were talking about me and the direction the conversation was going in didn't sound pretty. I crouched down camouflaging myself in the darkness preparing to listen and watch their every move.
"I love this girl but at the same time I don't want to hurt Ice's feelings either," gasped at Magnet's defeated words.
"For right now you're going to have to what's necessary and you just going to have to cut her loose," X said putting a supportive hand on his shoulder.
"I really want to be a nice guy and stay true to her but not while she's here."
"I wouldn't have worked out between you two anyway...ya'll would have broken up as soon your bid was done," X sighed.
"I know, thanks for helping me out," Rex nodded and patted his shoulder.
Deciding it was the right time to emerge from the shadows I back away then walked around the tent until I was facing them. I made they heard me as each of my steps crunched against the ground. When I came face to face with them the looked guilty as charged but I didn't let them know that.
"Sup," I greeted neutrally with a soft smile. They both acknowledged me with nods so I decided to take up a notch and in doing so I kissed Magnet square on the lips. He moved away quickly rubbed his lips absently. My heart ached as he bid Rex goodnight and went to D-tent without so much as a bye to me.
"Feelin' okay baby girl," I nodded.
"Maybe you should head off to bed now cause I got this feelin' tomorrow is going to be crazy," I hugged him then move at a snails pace back to my tent. I turned and he was headed back to the Mess Hall. Having an idea I made a bee line for D-tent.
I peeked inside to see Magnet perched up in his bed staring a worn out picture. His finger lightly traced it a tiny smirked played his features.
"Magnet," he jumped shoving the picture un his pillow.
"Huh?"
"What's up with you...you've been real jumpy since dinner did something happen," I asked as he sweated as if he were being interrogated.
"I dunno what you mean...how u doing?"
"I would be doing a lot better if you told me the fucking truth!" He cocked an eyebrow.
"The past two days have been extremely hard on you so I suggest you head back to your tent and get some sleep," I shuddered at his not a request but an order statement.
"I don't think that you-
"No see that's the problem you don't think...for your own good walk away," he seethed through clenched teeth as his hand balled into a fist.
My mouth hung open with the realization that I not only over stayed my welcome in the tent but in his heart also.
"Since you seem to be stuck on stupid I'm going to show you how this goes," he pulled at my elbow and gently guided me to the door.
"You know what...fuck you straight to hell! I heard talking to my brother you were going to break up with me after CGL!" His tried vainly to form words but all that came out was a vacant stutter.
"Because whatever's going with you now has nothing to do with me right?"
"You wouldn't understand...it's too complicated," he whispered.
"Oh really...try me," I commanded plopping down on Zero's cot.
"Like I said before you wouldn't understand you haven't been through enough to know I'm coming from on this one...your too innocent!"
I'd had up to here with people telling I don't understand or I'm too young to roll with life's punches. I've had all I can stand and I can't stand anymore.
"How dare you? I'm too innocent you say well what the fuck has been going on in my life to make people think that. You and everyone just assume I'm a child who doesn't know anything. I'll have you know it's you who knows shit about me! Forget about what's in my file or what went down in the circle because the shit I went through day in and day out is something you yet to imagine!"
Magnet stood there lost with lips pursed eyes narrowed defiantly and shoulders erect but it didn't scare me nothing did at this point.
"What cat got your tongue or are you just upset that know the shoe is on the other foot?"
"Before you answer that lets see if my theory is correct," I said breezing toward his cot and fishing out the photo underneath the pillow.
"What the fuck are you doing?" He yelled as he stalked across the room but by then it was too late.
"The question is who is she," I screamed balling up the picture then ruefully chucking it at his chest.
"None of your damn business," he fumed while ironing out the picture then clutching it against his chest.
"I've had enough of your bullshit to last me...if you want this relationship over with then please tell me now!" He sighed as his eyes dropped to his shoes.
"Fine...when grow some balls come and talk me," I whispered and moved to the door.
His arms shot out and grabbed me but I pulled away without avail, he only pulled me closer. He wrapped his arms fully around me allowing me to burry my face in the contours of his neck. By then I had stopped struggling and snuck deep in his gentle embrace for what seemed to be the last time. He kissed cheek forehead and nose then in a cruel moment pulled away.
"I'm sorry chica," I nodded hurtfully but retreated back to my tent where I could lick my wounds privately...or so I thought.
Preview of Chapter 13:
"Don't worry girl I can't stand the bitch either," Cross agreed as they sat alone in the tent.
"So what should I do? I can't throw up the surrender flag, you know that," Ice protested kicking one of the nearby cots.
"All you can do is wait this shit out and be ready cause you know what they say 'luck favors the prepared," Ice nods then bits her lip.
"What's wrong girl?" Cross asked making eye contact.
"It seems like you're the only ones I can trust...need to tell you something. I don't know what to do," Cross leaned in anxiously.
"Remember that boy from yesterday," she nodded wirily.
"Well, he told me that he was gay," Cross burst into a fit of giggles.
"I would defiantly expect that from a place like this," Ice's expression hardened silencing the other girl.
"That wasn't the part that freaked me out...it was who he's with that scares!"
"Well who is it then," she whispered as though she didn't want to know the answer...
I hope that keeps your juices flowing for the time being oh and just so you know it might...it just might be a member from D-tent...SORRY!
-Spiggi