Ten-year-old Annabelle West's clear blue eyes lit up when she passed the Camp Hippodrome sign as she entered the ground of the camp. She excitedly pressed her face against the rental car's window, fogging up the glass with her quick breaths. Her eyes darted around the campus as she was driven down the driveway and to the parking lot. She contentedly drank in all of the new sights, which were vastly different from what she was used to at home.
As a resident of New York City, Annabelle was used to pushing her way through immense crowds wherever she went. Her usual urban surroundings included skyscrapers, lights, and taxicabs. She immediately decided that she prefers the beauty and serenity of the wide open spaces to the bustling commotion of an urban setting.
Annabelle was so distracted with looking at everything that she didn't notice that her au pair, Cecilia, had parked the car, gotten out, and opened her door. Hearing her name being said softly in a familiar French accent grabbed her attention. She turned her head towards Cecilia and sheepishly smiled.
"Sorry, I was looking at...well...everything," she told Cecilia as she hopped out of the car.
Cecilia chuckled and smiled at her charge. She gently ruffled the small girl's dark hair, then she assisted Annabelle with her baggage, which consisted of a large pink duffel bag that was monogrammed with her initials and a smaller duffel backpack with a flamingo design on the front. The two took the duffels out of the trunk of their rented station wagon.
Cecilia closed the trunk, and Annabelle closed her car door, since she forgot to do it right after she exited the car. Then, they looked for the admissions office.
After getting lost twice, Cecilia swallowed her pride and asked a staff member for directions to the admissions office. The staff member, who was coming back from escorting a new camper to her division, was also heading there, so she told Cecilia and Annabelle to follow her.
Marjorie helped Annabelle register, then she gave the girl her cabin assignment and swag bag. She refrained from making any assumptions about which division Annabelle was supposed to be in because she already made that mistake earlier this morning. She tied a satiny black ribbon around the handles of Annabelle's bags, indicating that they needed to be taken to the Phantom of the Opera Cabin, which was where Annabelle would be residing during her time at Camp Hippodrome. Annabelle expressed her appreciation for Marjorie's help, then she politely stated that she has a question. Marjorie told the girl to "ask away."
"Are there times when we can wear our normal clothes?" Annabelle asked in reference to the camp uniforms.
As a way to promote unity and instill a sense of togetherness, Camp Hippodrome required all its campers in the Elementary through Senior Divisions to wear a uniform. The uniform was comprised of several articles of clothing that can be mixed and matched to the wearer's liking. Campers had the choice of wearing a solid purple, royal blue, navy blue, or white (camp-approved uniform colors) polo shirt or button-down shirt (short or long sleeved) with the camp name and/or logo/shield embroidered on it or a solid teeshirt (short or long sleeved) in camp-approved uniform colors with the camp name and/or logo/shield screen-printed on the front of it. They could pair any of these tops with a pair of khaki or neutral-colored chino bottoms (skirts, pants, shorts, Bermudas, or capris), a pair of athletic shorts in black, grey, or a camp approved uniform color with the camp name on the bottom, or a pleated kilt in purple plaid or navy blue plaid. Campers in the Elementary and Secondary Divisions also had the option of wearing a solid purple or navy blue jumper or a purple or navy blue plaid jumper. The uniforms should be in good repair and were not allowed to be "obnoxiously short or revealing." Additional pieces of clothing could be worn for warmth if desired. These pieces of clothing didn't have to be in uniform, but outerwear with the camp name and/or logo/shield was available for purchase. When not in uniform, campers were expected to follow a simple dress code.
"You're the first person to ask about that. That is an excellent question and yes, there will be times when you won't have to be in uniform. Your cabin counsellor with go over uniforms in more detail tonight," Marjorie told Annabelle.
Annabelle nodded and accepted the camp director's response to her question, then told her au pair goodbye.
"Au revoir!" she said to Cecilia in the woman's native language. She hugged the au pair tightly. Cecilia bent down and kissed each of Annabelle's cheeks. She told the girl that her French accent has improved a lot and to call her if she needs anything. The two parted ways when a camp counsellor took Annabelle to the Secondary Division.
As she walked with the counsellor, Annabelle turned around and gave Cecilia one last smile and wave.
