Chapter 1: The effects of hair gel
It was another fabulous morning in the beautiful campgrounds of Wawanakwa, if you were a fish. It had started raining late last night and had continued that morning. I woke up and smiled. I loved the sound of rain. I hopped out of bed and walked over to where my last cabin mate, Bridgette, was still asleep.
"Wake up," I whispered shaking her gently. "Come on Bridgette wake up! Breakfast is going to start with out you." Bridgette mumbled something and pulled the covers over her head. "Fine. If that's how you want to play it." I looked out side to see rain coming down hard, and yet Chris was still out there with a jacket and an umbrella with an air horn in his hand. Just as he was about to pull the trigger I called him over.
Chris walked hastily over to the Bass cabin and shook his dripping hair in front of me. "What is it Courtney?" He asked slightly irritated. He kept messing with his hair and I knew how much he hated rain since it messed up. "Why don't you let me wake every one up? You could go uhh, fix your hair if you want." Chris sighed sadly. "I would if I could but I'm all out of my special water proof hair gel! My hairs going to be all wet and nasty until we get a new shipment tomorrow." He whined like a little kid who had lost his favorite toy. "I have some of that kind of hair gel. Want to borrow some?" Chris' eyes lit up happily. "You would do that for me?" "Well sure. I hate it when my hair gets like that to. Be right back." I quickly walked back into the cabin and grabbed the hair gel out of my bag. I walked back out and handed it to Chris. He was so happy it looked like he was about to cry. "Thank you so much! You have no idea how much this means to me. I owe ya one!" he said as he put the umbrella back over his head after tossing me the air horn and was about to make a mad dash for his trailer.
"Wait, Chris. Why aren't you using the speakers instead of standing out in the rain?" Chris shook his hair again sending tiny drops of water flying everywhere. "The rain fried them. I have no idea when they will be fixed." With out another word he ran out from under the roof of the cabins. I shook my head at him, a faint smile on my lips. 'Chris and his hair'. I thought to myself. I walked back into the cabin and tried one last time to get Bridgette out of bed. Again she didn't budge.
"Fine. Sorry about this but you asked for it!" I plugged one ear with my finger while the other pulled the trigger on the horn. I was surprised at how loud it was and instantly felt guilty when Bridgette's head shot up and hit the bunk above her.
"Ow! What the heck Courtney?! She yelled rubbing her head.
"Sorry! It's just that you wouldn't-" I stopped as I looked closely at Bridgette and bit my bottom lip trying to hold back my laughter.
"What?" she asked. I bit my lip even harder and tears started to brim my eyes.
"What all ready?!"
"Your hair…" I said barely letting a giggle out.
"What about it?" I handed her a mirror and she all most dropped it when she saw her reflection. "What the!" Bridgette's hair was incredibly… poofy. It stood strait up all together and I reminded me of an afro… on a poodle. At this point I couldn't hold back my laughter any more. I started cracking up and had to lean against the wall for support.
"Its not funny!" she yelled. I laughed even harder. Bridgette scowled at me but eventually gave up and began to laugh along. After we both calmed down and caught our breath Bridgette stood up and sighed. "This happens every time it rains, it makes it so full of static I could turn on a light bulb by touching it."
"How can rain create static for your hair? Wouldn't that mean there would be LESS static?"
"How should I know? This has happened every time it rains since I was, what? Four I think."
"Well that sure is weird. Anyways I need to wake up the others. See you later." Bridgette waved good bye as I stepped out side and went next door to the boys side. I opened their door and pulled the trigger again. Thankfully no one hit their heads, all though Harold fell out of his bed. Duncan looked up at me from his bed and smiled that cocky smile he all ways gave me. At first I had hated it but now it seemed kinda cute. "Morning Sunshine. Nice jammies." I looked down and noticed I was still in my pink silk pajama pants with matching pink silk shirt with thin straps. I blushed and hoped no one else noticed. "Ya well… just get up." I was about to run out of the cabin when Duncan started to speak again.
"Ah, I'm to tired to get up. You're going to have to help me get out of bed. I rolled my eyes and smiled at him. I walked over to his bed, grabbing his hand and pulled him up. He stood next to me smiling. "Thanks Princess… what is that on your arm?" he pointed to the top of my left arm. I looked down and felt dread creep over me. "Is that… a tattoo?" he said barley containing his laughter.
"Uh ya… what of it?" I said putting a hand over my tattoo of a snake with a rose in its mouth.
"Nothing. Just that I never expected someone like you would have a tattoo, especially one like that. Looks like the Princess does have a dark side. How come I've never seen it before?"
"Well first of all I DON'T have a dark side. Second my sleeve has always covered it. Duh." I said making a stupid face and letting my tongue hang out.
"So when did you get a tattoo?" he asked obviously entertaining himself.
"None of your business, all right?" I said starting to get irritated. "Look I have to go, I'm doing Chris a little favor right now."
Duncan looked a confused but then quickly asked "What favor?"
"Again, none of your business."
He shrugged. "All right then, meet you at breakfast Princess," he said winking. I rolled my eyes, clearly irritated now.
"Ya well, maybe you will maybe you wont." With that I backed out quickly and went back into the girls side, leaving Duncan with a confused look again. 'I wonder what she could be doing for Chris'. He thought. But he shrugged off the thought and got dressed for the day.
Bridgette was all ready dressed when I came back and had miraculously fixed her hair. She asked what was wrong when she saw how red my face was.
"I just walked in the boys cabin looking like this," I motioned to my pajamas.
"Oh that's not very bad. At least you weren't wearing anything totally embarrassing. I think you pajamas are cute."
"He also noticed my tattoo…"
"Oh, well… that is pretty bad. But I'm sure Duncan has lots of tattoos."
I felt reassured and nodded towards her. "Thanks Bridgette. I'll go get the Gofers up. But this time I wont go in their cabins." I ran outside all the way to the Gofers cabins. I sounded the wake up call one more time before running back to my cabin, shaking off as much water as possible before entering. Inside I quickly changed into my normal outfit. We hung around the cabin for about an hour talking before we figured it was late enough for breakfast. I quickly slipped on a sweater, pulling its hood tight over my head. "Hey," Bridgette said from the door. "Race you to the mess hall!" I smiled at her. "Your on! Ready, set, GO!" We ran out the door and headed for the mess hall. The rain had begun to light up but the ground was still muddy and slippery, but we made it there without injury.
"Ha! I won!" I said as I ran in to the mess hall. Bridgette came in panting beside me.
"You sure were fast," she said. Chef was behind the counter and he clapped a bit for me. I bowed and took a seat on the Bass table. Bridgette sat next to me. "So why were you so embarrassed when you walked into the cabin in your pajamas? They really aren't that bad, neither is your tattoo. I blushed again as I remembered seeing Duncan smile at me and comment on my PJs and tattoo. Bridgette thought for a while before saying, "Is it because Duncan was there?" now I could tell my face was totally red. "It is! Come on Courtney I'm tired of hearing you denying you like him, admit it!"
"Ok."
"Don't give me that! Wait, what?
"I said ok. I think I can admit it now… I think he IS starting to grow on me a bit." I smiled to my self happily. Bridgette's jaw dropped. She couldn't believe I had actually admitted what I had denied for so long. She let out a high-pitched squeal, like the ones Sadie and Katie all ways did.
"Oh Courtney I knew it! I'm so proud of you!" she said giving me a quick hug. I was surprised at how much this ment to her. At that point the others had started to come in. No one else heard their little conversation, except Chef who stood by smiling evilly taking notes, and I got in line with Bridgette. I was behind her and before Heather. I made a face when Chef dumped some kind of green goop on Bridgette's plate in front of me and when it was my turn I prepared for the worst, but I was not prepared for what happened next. Chef gave me the best looking food I'd seen in weeks, a whole breakfast buffet to! He gave me eggs; sausages, bacon, pancakes, hash browns, waffles, orange juice, and he even gave me a nice looking cup cake for breakfast dessert. I stared at my plate in awe, as did every one else around me.
"What?! That is so not fair. Why does she suddenly get all the good stuff?!" Heather complained beside me. Suddenly Chris walked in. "Because Courtney here did me the nicest favor this morning, and for that she can eat like this for the rest of the competition!" every ones mouth dropped, except mine which dropped even lower.
"But… but Chris all I did was give you some hair gel."
"You saved my hair, there for you saved me. My hair is everything to me you know. I said I owed you one so this is how I repay you."
"For the rest of the competition?"
"That's right!" I couldn't believe my ears. Suddenly I was over come by happiness.
"Wow thanks Chris!" I said as I put my arms around his waist and hugged him, he was too tall for me to reach his neck. Chris' arms flew up in surprise, and then patted my head awkwardly. Every one stared at me with shocked expressions, but no one was as shocked as Duncan. I pulled away from Chris and happily made my way over to where Bridgette was sitting. She to stared at me with her mouth open and her eyes as wide as saucers. Before I sat down I turned around and said, "Oh and thank you to Chef." He just nodded eyes wide and mouth open like every one else. Chris was scratching the back of his neck casually smiling a bit after his nice little hug. 'When is the last time I had a hug anyway?' He asked himself. 'Well that was nice of her. That gel worked great to!' He ran his fingers through his now dry silky smooth hair. He began to whistle to him self as every snapped out of their trance and continued down the line. I knew it was kind of stupid to hug him but I was just so happy when I saw that food after weeks of eating who knows what, I thought I was about to cry. I happily started eating as the others sat around me, staring at my food like a pack of hungry wolves.
"… So what was that all about?" Bridgette asked after a few minutes of poking her goop.
"Oh nothing. Like he said, I did him a little favor this morning." I said happily.
"And just what might that favor have been exactly?" Duncan asked repeated from this morning with out looking up at me.
"I just gave him some hair gel. No big."
"Suuuuuuuurrrrrrre." He replied as coolly as ever.
I put down my fork and glared at him. "And what is that supposed to mean? You just heard him now anyways, he said I had given him hair gel. That's it!"
"Oh nothing," he mimicked. "Just that it seems like you did a lot more than give him some lousy hair gel."
"Oh ya? What do you think I did for him this morning?"
"Lets just say something I don't think you would be very proud of."
I slammed my fist on the table, making it shake. The other Bass members moved all the way to the other end of the table and hid behind it while the Gofers looked worriedly over at us, even Heather. Chef and Chris seemed to have left. "I can't believe you would think that! What kind of person do you think I am?"
"I'm not so sure any more." He glared up at me, his eyes cold and unfeeling. His gaze was so intense and full of hate that I stood up from the table, my eyes starting to fill up with tears.
"Fine, if that's how you feel." I turned around and walked towards the door. Once I reached it I ran outside without looking back. The rain had stopped and the sun was beginning to creep out from under the clouds. I kept running until I went a little passed the campfire pit. I sat down on a large, flat, wet rock. I hid my face in my hands and began to cry.
* * * * *
Meanwhile back at the mess hall Duncan stares blankly at the door Courtney just ran out of. He continues to poke at his food as the Bass team slide back to their original spots. Duncan could feel every ones eyes on him, finally it was too much and he looked up. "What?" he asked stupidly. Every one, even the Gofers and yes even Heather, shook their heads at him. "What!" he asked again. They all sighed in unison and continued poking about their food.
"Maybe I should check on her," Bridgette said after a while. Geoff who sat across from her shook his head. "Nah just give her some time to cool off. That's what she all ways does when they have a fight." Bridgette nodded. "I guess." But inside she felt something was different about this fight, like Courtney would never forgive Duncan for what he had said in front of every one. She also felt that there was something worse yet to come. She didn't know it yet but sadly, she was right. Suddenly Owen popped up staring at the food Courtney left behind. "Do you think she's going to eat that?" Bridgette smacked him on the arm and he retreated to the Gofer table.