An: after a very long break from writing this story I'm back! I have been working at my originals and growing as a writer. Plus I was gaining the experience I needed to really write this story the way it needs to be written.

Chapter six: Waking up and shaking up

It has always amazed me what a good nights sleep can do. You can go to sleep thinking the whole world is against you and that everything is wrong only to wake up ready to face whatever it was that got you down the day before. I knew that at some point today I would have to face Uncle Marion's questions about what all had happened. I always had made sure that he didn't find out about the border-line abuse. My father had never laid a hand on me, but mentally there were many scars that went deep down. All the times I was brushed aside as a kid sitting on the sidelines of campaigns. I remember a few times were I was left alone with complete strangers. It was a miracle that nothing bad ever happened to me.

My parents were too busy with their lives to care about me. The only times they really did talk to me was to complain that I wasn't doing enough. I had to have perfect grades and volunteer and play sports. I had to be the perfect daughter don't get me wrong I okay with volunteering that probably the one thing my parents made me do that I didn't mind. Everything else I thought should have been my decision.

I heard the trumpet's going off telling the boys it was time to get up. I decided to get up as well. After sleeping all day I wasn't tired anymore. I figured I could get in a shower quickly so that I could cook breakfast for Lou and me. I felt kind of bad for running off. Uncle Marion had looked so scared and she looked really guilty and sad. I shouldn't have been so sensitive. I had just given her the be more careful you could get in trouble speech and when she did do something that was more cautious I ran off in tears. I really was a mess. I turned on the water. That was the one bad thing about Camp Green Lake. Even the Warden didn't have a hot water tank so cold water plus the air conditioning made for one freezing me. I washed my hair and then worked my way down my body with the wash cloth. I stepped out of the shower and grabbed the towel. As I dried off and reached for my clothes, when I stopped and blushed. I fell asleep in the car so how the hell did I get in my p.j's? I immediately narrowed it down to two choices. Either Uncle Marion had changed me or Lou had. I felt my face heat up. I didn't think I wanted to know which one had changed me. Both options were embarrassing for different reasons.

I entered the kitchen and started digging around in the fridge. I got out the eggs, cheese, bacon, and mushrooms. I was going to make Lou my amazing omelet. I had yet to find a person who didn't like it. I cracked the eggs into a bowl and added some milk and whisked the eggs. Then I started cooking. I got so lost in it that I didn't notice Lou wake up or her coming into the kitchen.

"How're you feeling?" I jumped and let out a little squeak. I turned to look at her. She looked like she hadn't gotten any sleep. I started to feel guilty all over again.

"I'm okay" I answered, I keep staring at my feet so she didn't see me crying. I felt so horrible, I caused so many people to worry about me. Lou took steps toward me and lifted my face up with her hands and started rubbing the tears away with her thumbs.

"sweetheart, what's the matter? If it's about yesterday, I'm not mad at you, and your uncle isn't either. We were just worried about you, the boys aren't the only dangerous thing around here. There are scorpions, rattlesnakes, and then there are the yellow spotted lizards. The yellow spotted lizards are extremely poisonous one bite from one of them will kill you." She pulled me closer into a hug and I keep crying. I felt so stupid, only I would run into a desert full of poisonous animals when I needed time to think.

I smelt the mushrooms were done so I pulled out of the hug to dish out the plates and set them on the table. We ate in silence and then it was time for me to head out to the kitchen's.

I walked as slowly to the kitchen as I could. I knew that I was going to have to talk to Uncle Marion. Finally it happened the moment of dread, I had arrived at the Kitchen. I took a deep breath and released it, Lou had said he wasn't mad at me just worried. I hoped she was right, Uncle Marion had never been mad at me before so I had no idea what to expect. I pushed open the door…

This is a line

That wasn't what I expected. I was prepared for every situation except for this. Uncle Marion wasn't there. Dr. Pendanski was, apparently my Uncle needed to run some errands and had left for the day. I heaved a great big sigh. I was stuck with Pendanski for the day.

"So I heard you ran off yesterday. Want to talk about it?" He asked while we were assembling some lunch for the boys.

"I appreciate the concern but unlike the boys, I've been made aware that you are not a doctor. I'm defiantly not spilling my guts to an adult that I barely even know that doesn't have a medical degree that could actually help me." He smiled at me.

" I may not have gone to medical school or where ever it is that physiatrists go to school. But I do have practice, I don't just stand around nilly willy shaking my head at the boys and saying how does that make you feel. I give them what they need, an adult that can't help them out of the situation they got themselves in but is still willing to sit and listen to them just talk about the stuff that has happened to them. Most of these boys have never had an adult that has cared enough to just listen. So since you played the your not a doctor card then just keep this in mind. Whenever you think you know me enough and you need to talk you can come to me. I'm not going to rush out and tell your Uncle or Lou and any of the counselors." He finished talking right as we finished the last bag. Now we just had to load them in the truck. I smiled at Dr. Pendanski, maybe he wasn't as horrible as I thought he was but I was still curious about Hector.

"So what's your problem with Hector anyway?" I asked him while we got into the water truck.

"You mean besides the fact he hit me with a shovel yesterday. I heard you got him to come back." He looked kind of grouchy at the mention of Hector. I wasn't going to drop it. It was the only thing keeping me from thinking he was an okay guy. It would be nice to have someone to talk to.

"Yes, besides the fact that he had every right to be pissed when you treated him like an idiot and then hit you with the shovel for it." He smiled at me. He does that a lot I've noticed.

"I don't like the fact that he doesn't talk about anything. I don't think he's stupid, I think he has an attitude problem that makes him think he is better then everyone else just because his crime wasn't as bad as some of the other boys."

"Did you ever think that maybe it's because he is really shy. He grow up homeless and most people don't like doctors. They scare people especially people that aren't use to them. He might not be seeing it from the adult willing to listen prospective, I mean he got sent to prison for stealing something he needed. He obviously hasn't had anyone listen or take care of him before. He probably doesn't know that you want to help. It's also plainly obvious even to the boys that there is something more going on here then just prison time. It makes it harder for them to trust you. I'm not even sure if I should trust you. Hector is never going to like you or trust you now the only thing you can really do is just back off. Start calling him by his name like you do the other boys."

We got to the first group of boys and handed them their water and lunches. Dr. Pendanski looked lost in thought about what I had said to him. I wondered if he was going to take my advice. We loaded back up in the truck when he finally replied.

"I know you've been told everything, and your right there is more going on here and the main thing is the money buried here. That doesn't mean that's it though. I really do want to help these boys. I can do them both at the same time. We can do both, help these boys and get that money. We're not bad people, Alexandria. Your Uncle, Lou, and me. Even the other counselors have their good points. Sure we are manipulating the system a bit but did you know that out of all the Juvenile programs for troubled teens that commit crimes Camp Green Lake has a higher percentage of teens that do not end back up in prison. It's tough love and it's working." He finished on that pleading note. The one people always get when they truly believe what they are saying and just praying for the other people to realize they are right.

"I know it's working. I never said I had a problem with what you guys do. I think you should be a little more careful about breaking state laws but other then that I don't have a problem with it. I had a problem with you not treating Hector like every other boy here. It wasn't right, he didn't deserve it."

We got to the next group and handed out the lunches. We continued to do that until we got to the last group and headed back to the kitchens. The rest of the trip was quiet we understood one another now. I headed back to the cabin. I wasn't needed back at the kitchens for awhile and it would be nice to be in the air conditioning. I step into the cabin and froze in shock. Lou was bandaging my uncle who looked like he had gotten into a bar fight.

"Of all the idiotic things for you to do. Do you ever think before you act? Why is it that all men's first reactions to any problem is to go hit someone." Uncle Marion started to get up when he saw me but Lou pushed him back down. "I'm not done fixing you up and I have a few more words to say to you. I mean could you have been any more reckless. Do you want to end up back in prison."

"Oh cramp Lou, my niece is behind you. She didn't know I'd ever been to prison but thank you so much for dropping that bomb shell on her. That's exactly what she needed after the last couple of days she's had." I just looked at my uncle in shock, when was he in prison? I knew it was possible. There was always long periods of time in between visit's. It could have been any of those times.

"When?" Shit my voice was coming out choked. Why I'm a crying every five minutes. "why didn't you tell me?"

"Do you think that was something I wanted you to know? I didn't want you thinking badly of me. I made a mistake, I needed money so I robbed a bank. I got out early for good behavior and no body was hurt during the robbery."

"So what did you do this time?" I pulled up a chair I didn't think I could stand anymore.

" I went to pay that brother of mine a little visit. He needed to be given a good ass whipping to teach him a lesson. He shouldn't get away with treating you the way he did." He gave me a small smile and grimaced with pain. " No body treats my niece like that."

"Okay you big baby your done. Next time there is a problem don't use your fists. Get the boys to cook dinner. Alexandria is spending the rest of the day with me. Your right she's had several upsets in the last couple of days, she needs to relax." Uncle Marion just nodded his head he kissed me on the forehead and left the cabin.

"how're you doing, pumpkin?" Lou asked, she came around and started rubbing my shoulders. I slumped down, I suddenly felt drained. It was too much, all of a sudden I had a bunch of people that cared. Gone were the days were I could go do stupid dangerous crap and get away with it. People cared enough to stop me, cared enough to go beat the crap out of the people that had treated me like I didn't matter.

"Come on Hon, We'll see what's on TV." She tugged me to the couch and laid me down she sat on the end of the couch that had my feet on it and put them up in her lap.

" I talked to Pendanski today. I think he is finally going to lay off Hector a bit. At least treat him like he does all the other boys." I told Lou, I was proud of myself for that.

"Good, I've been telling him for awhile now to lay off a bit. Hector isn't a bad kid. And any attitude problem he has is in Pendanski's imagination."

"So why can't Hector be taught to read. I agree that Stanley needs to dig his own hole. But Stanley did say that he would dig his hole from now on and teach him."

"Because, it's too much temptation to go back to what was going on. With Stanley teaching him to read Hector will still feel obligated to help Stanley and as you saw yesterday that just causes problems with the other boys. It's too much of a risk." She was looking at the TV, but not really watching it. Finally she turned to look at me, "it's not right that he has never been taught or taken care off. He deserves to be able to read and write and everything else that other children in this country are taught and have. It's not right that he was born into so much poverty that he was never given that chance. A lot of the boys here, come from those types of situations. We can't help them all Alexandria. But we can teach them that it's better to try to find another way other then crime. That the punishment for crimes is harder then whatever struggle they go through to make their way up in the world." She gave me a hug and kissed me on the forehead. We settled in to watch the TV. I was going to help Hector learn how to read. He wouldn't have to give me anything for it. He deserved this, I knew that Lou knew my plans. She had that little smile on her face that said that she would have been disappointed if I wasn't going "behind" her back to teach him. Their wasn't anything she could do for these boys other then tough love. She was an authority figure and she needed to stay that she that no one got hurt. I on the other hand was their age and on their level. I could try to knock some sense into them.

An: ha, it's done!!!!!!!!! Hopefully my readers haven't given up on this story! Please review and tell me what you think.