If there's one thing I've learned from being at Camp Metamorphosis, is that after being in the sun twenty four hours a day, seven days a week, everything starts to look the same. When I first arrived, Link told me to get used to the holes, temperature, and sweat. He said after awhile each day looks like the last, and that the only real thing to look forward to is the day you're released. Unless you're Sam, and the only thing you look forward to is lunch, this place is real depressing.

One night I heard Link struggling in his bed, punching at the pillow as if fighting some invisible demon. After examining more closely, I realized he was asleep, simply having a nightmare. When I woke him up he told me nightmares were another common ailment of life in the desert; that the longer you stay, the stranger your dreams get. He laughed and explained that he was dreaming his shovel had come to life and was trying to knock him out. I laughed and asked him how long it had been since he had normal dreams. He got real quiet for a while, and then said, "I haven't had a normal dream since my last night at home."

I tried to remember the last peaceful dream I had before being shipped here, but the only one I recalled was the dream I had the night Sam kissed me. It wasn't like any other dream I had ever had before- there was strange music playing in the background, and Sam was actually smiling. She had met me at the fire escape again, meatball in hand, eager to kiss me one last time before she went to bed. Now that I think about it, I wish I could-

"Dude, are you okay?"

Link's rough voice sent me flying out of my reverie. We were out in the hot sun, shoveling dirt out of holes; just another day in the desert.

"You've been staring at Sam for the past ten minutes. I don't blame you, though, she's got some wicked eyes, but, considering she's asleep and all, It's kind of creeping me out."

I glared at Link, a look he was used to by now. He just smiled back, sending me a wink before he lifted another pile of dirt out of the hole. He had spent the last few days in the infirmary, leaving me to deal with the pearls burning a hole in my pocket. It was almost Sunday. That's what kept me going. The thought that Sunday was a few days away. Nothing can bring me down. I'm a treasure hunter now.

"I was thinking. I didn't mean to stare." I explained, nudging Sam with my shovel. "Get up. Yesterday we totaled three holes, that's ten less than what Munroe expects."

Recently, our camp director, to encourage us to work, gave us a digging limit. If you dig the given amount of holes, you're free to go to the dorms. If you have over the expected amount of holes dug by the end of the week, you get a free day when the next week rolls around. Link and I need that free day to look for treasure. Digging has a whole new meaning to me now. Instead of digging to make the day go by- I dig to claim that free day; to be something other than a boy with mommy issues and a criminal record. I dig to find treasure.

"Maybe if you spent as much time digging as you did staring at me we'd get somewhere." Sam flashed open her eyes, clearly waking up on the wrong side of the world.

I hid the blush creeping up on my face with another deathly glare.

"Maybe if you spent as much time digging as you did sleeping, or eating, we'd actually get somewhere. But no, you leave me to do all the work, just like usual. That's just typical Sam; never getting anywhere in life, and allowing others to take the blame for her."

She stood up; shaking the few pieces of dirt she gained from digging a hole to sleep in, and threw her shovel on the ground.

"I'm really tired of your stupid rants, Freddie. All you try to do is gain pity from everyone here. Well, newsflash, everyone here has owned up to what they did. Everyone here is just trying to move on with their lives, everyone but you. Grow up and stop feeling sorry for yourself, Benson. I fessed up to what I did- I'm sorry for ruining your perfect little life. Don't expect me to feel sorry for you. That's your mother's job."

After enduring that embarrassment, she continued the rant, her words echoing throughout the desert.

"Oh, and while I'm at it, would you freaking call your mom? Every phone call with Carly- that's all I hear. Mrs. Benson is so worried about Freddie. Mrs. Benson is driving me crazy. Mrs. Benson cries all the time. I know you're angry, but it's not your mom's fault. Don't blame her for something you would've done. She may be a wacko, but sending you here to erase a crime from your permanent record was the most rational thing she's ever done, and you know it.

I was enraged beyond degree. I knew it, too, because when I get extremely angry I start to shake, and I was shaking like jello.

"Are you done? Good. I don't expect your pity, nor do I want it. As a matter of fact, I pity you, Sam. At least this is the only blemish on my record. At least I can move on after this incident. You can't. You've gone too far already. You lost your mother's attention long ago, and with this altercation, you've lost your precious sister too. How does it feel, Sam? How does it feel when your family gives up on you? Looks like the only person left that believes in you is Carly, and you know as well as I do that won't last long. Don't you ever expect me to talk to you again, Sam. Oh, and you're right; this isn't my mom's fault, it's yours. Looks like you've lost me, too."

Her face looked like a tomato about to burst. The red from her cheeks made her blue eyes look brighter than ever. She picked up the shovel and started to storm off, but changed her mind and turned around. She threw the shovel down one last time. It landed at my feet.

"You can take that shovel and shove it up your-"

One of the other campers must've alerted Mr. Munroe, because he slapped his hand down over Sam's shoulder before she could finish her sentence. She jumped, clearly not expecting anyone to be around her while she was this angry. He eyed me coldly, his muddy brown eyes switching between Sam and me.

"Lincoln," he said, motioning for Link to come to him. Link had stood by awkwardly throughout the entire heated debate, cracking his knuckles and clearing his throat occasionally. Lincoln walked up to Mr. Munroe with a look of anxiety on his face, "Yes, sir?"

"Call the other campers to the meeting area. Looks like these campers need to learn how to be a team. Bring the survival kit, while you're at it. It's in the office."

Lincoln nodded, but seemed confused. "Uh, survival kit, sir?"

Mr. Munroe shook his head gravely.

"That's right. There's only one thing that can bring people together and teach 'em a lesson all in one: a week in the desert. Alone."

A quick update, as promised.. hope this increases your trust level! I will be hard at work on this until my break from school is over.. then I'll be hard at work on homework. :[

Hope everyone had a pleasant New Year! My first update of 2012... wow. The year of change, as I like to call it, is here!

-D'neice