Chapter Two
Standing on the porch outside a beautiful house next to the lake with a clipboard in hand was Paul Holt, the head counsellor who was teaching this very course. His light brown curtains seemed to shine in the Sun's light. Wearing his favourite blue shirt with red and white stripes, beige jeans and comfy, white trainers, Paul was feeling very good about himself and couldn't wait to get the day started. Standing beside the bell that was fixed to the porch, he gripped the handle and pulled it back and forth, ringing it as loud as he could for everyone's attention. Within a couple of minutes, counsellors from all around started to gather in front of him coming from everywhere. Jeff and Sandra were running up the wooden steps side-by-side that led down to the small dock.
A guy in a wheelchair wearing a white, sleeveless shirt and blue jeans was wheeling himself carefully down a large, stony path. Just as he was passing a cabin a girl with conspicuous curly, brown hair walked out of it and asked him politely, "Do you need some help?"
Not wanting to hurt the girl's feelings, he decided to let her down easy, "No, eh…it's okay. I got it. Thanks, anyhow," and then continued on his way.
The girl placed her hands on her hips and felt a little self-conscious, looking to her left to see Ted passing by, his eyes fixed on the electronic game he held firmly in his hands.
Elsewhere a brunette with her hair tied back into a ponytail, wearing a white-crop top and blue denim shorts which were incredibly short, was jogging down a dirty pathway alongside her faithful dog, Muffin, not noticing that someone was watching her from the seclusion of the flourishing trees. Lifting up a makeshift slingshot the onlooker pulled the rubber band, took aim and fired it, hitting the jogger square on her right ass-cheek. She placed her hand on it in reflex and turned immediately on her heels to see what had struck her. From out of the bushes a guy in a black shirt, a few buttons opened to reveal his toned chest, and pale blue jeans appeared, brandishing the slingshot in one of his hands.
She tilted her head to the side, a small smile forming on her face as though to say, 'Oh you!' as the guy smirked and winked back. Without saying anything the jogger turned back around and started to walk back to the gathering point, the smile on her face growing wider.
As all the counsellors gathered and took their places around the tables a few feet away from the porch, Paul was waiting patiently for all of them to settle down. Ted, his eyes still locked onto the game he was playing, took his place beside him, sitting down on the second-to-last step.
"Okay, let's settle down," Paul started, clearing his throat afterward to get their undivided attention, "It's great to have you all here at our new counsellor training centre. You've all worked as counsellors at one camp or another. Terri, Vicki, Chantelle, you three were upstate last summer, right?"
He pointed at the three brunettes; Terri, who had Muffin on her lap, Vicki, who sported a rather bright red tank-top with dark navy jeans and tried to help the guy in the wheelchair earlier, and Chantelle, whose hair was tied back neatly into a bun and was clad in a pink halter top that tied around her neck, a denim mini-skirt and pink flip-flops that seemed to complete her ensemble. The trio of brunettes nodded back to him while Chantelle waved afterward.
"Scott! Hi! Good to see you here, buddy. You need it." Paul replied, earning a smarmy look from the guy in the black shirt, the others all laughing at Paul's remark.
"And, Mark, I know we worked a season or two together, right?" he asked, the guy in the wheelchair nodding his head and uttering an enthusiastic 'Uh huh'.
"Okay. The rest of you I'm sure I'll get to know soon enough. I'm also sure there's one thing I don't have to tell any of you. Being a counsellor isn't the "gravy" summer job everybody thinks it is…."
While Paul and the others were back at the centre listening to his introductory speech, on the long and lonesome road that led to it Crazy Ralph was on his way home on his bike. Coming up from behind him, a red Volkswagen beetle with its roof all the way down, spluttered and clunked its way along before passing him. From what he could see of the driver, it was evidently a young woman probably in her early 20's with long, blonde hair that danced along with the wind as she drove. His squinty brown eyes looked in the direction of where she was heading and saw that she had passed the sign that read: "COUNSELLOR TRAINING CENTRE" and disappeared down the only road into the facility. He shook his head, knowing exactly what was in store for her and her friends. For that place had been set up near the now-desolate Camp Crystal Lake, the very same camp where those young counsellors were found brutally murdered 4 years ago…
"…And what we're gonna do over the next two weeks, if the rest of my staff ever shows up…" taking a second to look in the direction of the road to see if his assistant was coming before turning his gaze back at the others, "…Is going back to the basics. Survival, first-aid, boating, archery, rifle range, all of it."
Just then Paul was interrupted by a sudden clank coming from the Volkswagen beetle that had just pulled in, drawing everyone's attention to it.
"What the hell…" Paul uttered, standing up from his seat on the porch, down the small steps and in the direction of the car, "I'll be right back." He said to Ted, walking fast up the hill to meet the young woman.
The blonde pulled the vehicle into park and looked up to see Paul coming towards her, a wide smile forming quickly on her face, "Hi! I know I'm late." but Paul didn't return it with an answer. He just waved her to follow him as he disappeared past the car.
Knowing that she was in trouble now she climbed over the car door, easy enough for her as she was only wearing a white spaghetti-strapped shirt and a pink broomstick skirt, as she followed Paul into his office, dragging her wedge sandals along with her.
Stopping short of his desk he turned to face her as she sat upon it, her arms crossing over her chest, "So what is this crap Ginny? You're supposed to be my assistant. Everyone else got here hours ago." Paul pointed out, indicating to the group waiting outside with his hand holding the clipboard.
Ginny Field rolled her eyes, keeping them to the floor as she spoke, "I said I was sorry," uncrossing her arms and placing them back onto the table.
"You did?" Paul asked in reassurance, Ginny seeing the very look in those handsome, brown eyes of his.
"I'm sorry. Okay? But my car's sick," she uttered, an arm pointing in its direction.
"You could have called." He answered back.
"Paul, I tried, but your phones aren't even working yet."
"Oh," Paul uttered, remembering at that very moment that he was going to get that fixed after the introductory, "Okay, erm, get your gear stowed and then help me outside, okay?" He had made his way over to the door as he spoke, turning to face her.
Ginny pushed herself off the table, also turning to face him, "Paul, look, the course starts today, right? Well, here I am. And I promise you, I'll never, ever be late again in my entire life." She pledged, squeezing his shoulder a little, earning a dimpled smile from Paul.
"All right, all right, what the hell. You know, Ginny, I was starting to worry about you," he muttered, wrapping a powerful arm around her and hugging her close.
Ginny stood up on her tip-toes and kissed him gently on the lips, smiling again when she moved away, "Bullshit, Paul." And without saying anything else, she left the office with Paul following shortly behind.
Climbing back into her car, Paul swiftly swatted her ass before she could sit down, receiving a smirk from Ginny as she checked her hair in the mirror. Standing back in front of the group Paul called back up to her, pointing in the direction of the car park, "Eh, Ginny! Put your car on the lot, okay? This place is started to look like a Burger King." He said the last part to himself.
Observing his notes Paul did not have a clue where he'd left the speech, "Where was I?" He asked, hoping that at least one of them was listening to him.
"You were about to give us your "Let's keep our shit together" speech." Ted answered, Paul nodding as he recalled where he was, "Right, Ted. Right." He then looked back to all the counsellors, "Okay, look, a few words about safety. Axes, knives, lanterns, saws. They can all be trouble. Their misuse is the main course of camp accidents. Take care of your equipment, and it'll take care of you."
Meanwhile Ginny was still having trouble starting her car, turning the ignition but only making it sputter and die on her.
"Now, a word of caution about our friends in the forest. Among other things, this is bear country. And contrary to what everybody hears, bears are dangerous. That means no food fights. Change often. Food odours cling to clothing. If you're a woman, don't use perfume." He looked at the trio of girls whilst saying that, all of them disappointed at that little known fact, "And, err, keep clean during your menstrual cycle." He said that whilst looking at his notes.
Chantelle nudged Vicki in the arm, looking away with a smile on her face as Vicki blushed lightly, her cheeks coloured in a gentle crimson.
"Having trouble there?" Paul asked, leaning against the car door, the introductory sppech now over, "You gotta treat them real gentle. Just like kids," he pointed out, strolling his way over to the back of the car, "Use a little of that child psychology you're majoring in."
He then knelt down, popping the hood to get to the engine, looking at it carefully and sussing out what could be wrong with it, "Try it," he called to Ginny, as she did as she was told. Turning the ignition the car spluttered into life and coughed out a cloud of black dust from one of its pipes, covering Paul's face with it.
Shutting the cover again and clapping his hands together to get rid of the dust, he coughed as he backed away to let Ginny reverse by. She stopped beside him and smiled cheekily, "It's more fun using that child psychology on you. You're such a sucker for it."
Paul could only watch as she disappeared backward up the stony road to park her car in the lot, coughing and wiping the black dust from his face.
Author's Notes: So what do you think? Please gives us your reviews as we absolutely thrive on them!!! (^_^) Stay tuned for more Friday the 13th action and who knows, maybe someone will get killed in the next chapter but you'll just have to wait and see!!! *laughs uncontrollably*