Ella had to admit...the camp was beautiful, just as Gilly said it would be. When the bus pulled in over the old wooden bridge, cozy and nestled by treetops overhead, she really did start to actually feel like this summer might be good after all. The bus came to a complete halt, and the doors opened. A young woman, appearing to be in her mid to late twenties or early thirties stepped on board, in full scout uniform, holding a clipboard. She had the most bored, uninterested look on her face.
"Okay, hello girls, I'm Charlie Robinson, and I'm the leader of Rabbit Cabin. I'm going to call off some of your names, and if I call your name, it means you will be in Rabbit Cabin. If you're called, please grab your things, step off the bus and stay by the bus. I will be with you when I've gotten everyone."
The girls chattered excitedly, as Charlie held up the clipboard and cleared her throat. She sounded like she was sick or something.
"Alright, Jeanie McQueen," she started, as a girl with dark oak colored hair got up, grabbed her things and walked off the bus. As Charlie continued to call off name after name, and girl after girl followed suit off the bus, Gilly turned back around in her chair and looked at Ella.
"This is so exciting! We might be in the same cabin!" she said, nearly bouncing up and down.
"That would be so exciting, I can't even contain myself," Amie said dryly, making Ella snicker a little to herself. Gilly smiled, clearly not recognizing Amie's comment, and turned back around on the seat face forward. Charlie continued, and when it got to a good size group gone, she finally read the last names on her list.
"Ella Fitzroy and Ramona Gilly," she finished off, taking a sip from her canteen. Gilly giggled excitedly as she got up and grabbed her things. Ella looked at Amie, who looked completely crestfallen. As she reached down to grab her suitcase, she looked at Amie again and smiled.
"Well," Ella said, "We can still see eachother at breaks and stuff!"
Amie forced a smile, but Ella could tell it didn't really please her. Gilly took Ella's wrist and nearly dragged her off the bus with her, almost gliding along ecstatically. As they got off the bus and stood by the side, waiting for the rest of their bags and their new cabin leader, Gilly just couldn't contain her excitement. She looked all around, but babbled endlessly to Ella.
"We can stay up and tell ghost stories and stuff after the rest of the cabin has fallen asleep, oh this'll be so much fun! Now, do you want the top bunk or the bottom bunk? I don't really mind, in fact, I have a bit of a fear of heights, so if you take the-"
"I'll take the top, yeah," Ella said, and Gilly clapped happily. Charlie finally came off the bus and passed by another young woman with her own clipboard, heading onto the bus. Charlie looked at the girls, sighed heavily and waved her hand, as if trying to indicate to them to follow her. Gilly took Ella's hand, and some luggage in her other hand and started following Charlie.
"So, who's first time at camp is this?" Charlie asked, walking backwards so she could face the girls. A number of hands raised up, but it wasn't many, and Charlie counted for a moment, "Okay...yeah that sounds about right. Most of you I recognize from last summer. Well, I'm counting on you returning campers to help the new girls to acclimate to the whole thing. It's a little weird at first, but you'll get the hang of it."
"I'm already helping one of them," Gilly said, holding up Ella's hand, and Charlie smirked.
"That's good, Gilly. Well done," Charlie replied, "Alright girls, I'll explain the rules when we get to the cabin. Let's just get there first so I don't run out of breath, 'cause I'm not in the best shape despite running a summer camp cabin."
Some of the girls laughed as Charlie turned back around and they continued on towards the cabin. Once inside, Gilly picked out a bunk for herself and Ella, and they put their luggage down. Ella slid her suitcase with her fish under the bottom bunk, and then sat on the bunk when Gilly plopped down beside her. Ella watched the other girls putting their luggage away, and then looked at Gilly for a moment.
"I knew your friend was being sarcastic," Gilly said suddenly, taking Ella by surprise with her change of tone, "I'm not stupid. I know she didn't like me. I'm kind of glad she isn't in the cabin though, because if she were, you two would be friends, and I'd be alone again all summer."
This token of reality took Ella completely by surprise. She hadn't expected Gilly to be so somber. She had known girls like Gilly at school; perky and bubbly and overachievers but a lot meaner too. She'd never met someone like that who was nice, who had depth, like Gilly had. It was almost as if her cheery persona was nothing but a front, a mask, to hide who she really was from everyone else for fear they really didn't like her. If they didn't like the bubbly version of her, how could they like the real version?
"Well," Ella said, "I...I'm glad we're bunkmates then."
Gilly looked at Ella and smiled warmly, genuinely, not the fake smile she'd had plastered on all morning. Just then, Charlie called the girls into the cabin foyer and told them to hang out for a minute so she could get a list. When she came back, she put on some reading glasses.
"Alright, so for those who're new here, here's a short list of the things you shouldn't do. Some of these are super obvious, like, no late night hikes without supervision, stupid things like that. No swimming without a counselor present. Listen, I've actually printed out copies of this thing, and you can all read them yourselves, yeah? Saves me the trouble. You should all be literate, I take it," Charlie said, "Keegan, can you hand these out please?"
A girl with short black hair took the papers and started passing them out to all the other girls. Gilly took one but immediately folded it up neatly and slipped it into her shirt pocket, patting it gently.
"I have it all memorized up here," she said, pointing at her head, "Stick with me and you'll do fine."
"Good to know," Ella said.
The rest of the first day was the girls to have, to get settled in and ready for the coming activities. Ella and Gilly spent it outside, sitting under a big elm tree while Gilly made a flower crown. Ella just picked at the dirt in the soles of her shoes, trying not to think about what her parents were doing back home.
"Did your parents send you here to get rid of you too?" Ella asked, "That's what my parents did."
"I don't know, I haven't seen my parents in months," Gilly replied, tying one flower stem to another tightly.
"What?"
"Mhm," Gilly said, pushing some hair back behind her ear, "They went to France for business, and I haven't seen them since then. I've been staying with my nanny."
"...wow," Ella said, "Don't you miss them?"
"How can I miss people who're never there?" Gilly responded, quite sternly, as if she'd been asked that before. Ella sensed a feeling of bitterness under those words, so she dropped the whole thing. After another minute, Gilly finished the crown and put it on top of Ella's head.
"There!" Gilly said, "That looks wonderful! I'm a true fashion diva!"
Ella got up and walked over to the nearby lake, leaning over to look in at her reflection, and smiled. It was actually very pretty, and looked very nice on her. Gilly came and stood beside her, both of them looking at Ella's reflection before Gilly pointed at a rowboat in the lake.
"Look at that," she said, and Ella and she turned to look at the rowboat, filled with a few boys and a guy who looked around Charlies age.
"Must be from the boy camp," Ella said.
"There's a boy camp?" Gilly asked.
"I just assumed, I mean, we have one, so why wouldn't there be?" Ella asked, and Gilly blushed.
"I never thought that we might have a boy camp nearby," she said, "It's never even occurred to me that that was a possibility. How exciting."
Just then, the dinner bell rang, and the girls were all called into the main hall for dinner. Sitting at the long tables in the main hall, stirring her peas with her fork, Ella just couldn't figure out what this feeling she felt was. Maybe isolation? But could you be isolated while still surrounded by people? She wasn't sure. Maybe this was what independence felt like; being away from your parents and all. Maybe. Maybe it was-
"Excuse me?" a girl asked from behind, and Ella looked around to see a black girl standing behind her, about a year older than her.
"Yeah?" Ella asked.
"I'm just letting you know, be careful around that Gilly girl," the girl said, "She's tried to kiss other girls at the camp before, and I didn't want you to be surprised by it. I'm just looking out for you."
Ella looked a bit to the right, where Gilly was standing giddily in line, waiting for her food and talking to a girl who didn't even appear to be slightly interested. Ella looked back at the girl and nodded.
"Tha-thanks," Ella said, "I'll...uh...I'll make sure to be aware of that."
"Of course," the girl said, smiling, before heading back to her own table.
Lying on the top bunk of her bed that night, her open suitcase laying on her chest, her finger in the water while her fish nibbled at it, Ella couldn't help but replay that scene over and over again in her head. She looked down at the bunk below her, where Gilly was fast asleep, sucking on the tip of her thumb, and she blushed. Ella shut the suitcase and then covered her face with her pillow.
She'd been right all along.
This summer was going to suck.
"Okay, hello girls, I'm Charlie Robinson, and I'm the leader of Rabbit Cabin. I'm going to call off some of your names, and if I call your name, it means you will be in Rabbit Cabin. If you're called, please grab your things, step off the bus and stay by the bus. I will be with you when I've gotten everyone."
The girls chattered excitedly, as Charlie held up the clipboard and cleared her throat. She sounded like she was sick or something.
"Alright, Jeanie McQueen," she started, as a girl with dark oak colored hair got up, grabbed her things and walked off the bus. As Charlie continued to call off name after name, and girl after girl followed suit off the bus, Gilly turned back around in her chair and looked at Ella.
"This is so exciting! We might be in the same cabin!" she said, nearly bouncing up and down.
"That would be so exciting, I can't even contain myself," Amie said dryly, making Ella snicker a little to herself. Gilly smiled, clearly not recognizing Amie's comment, and turned back around on the seat face forward. Charlie continued, and when it got to a good size group gone, she finally read the last names on her list.
"Ella Fitzroy and Ramona Gilly," she finished off, taking a sip from her canteen. Gilly giggled excitedly as she got up and grabbed her things. Ella looked at Amie, who looked completely crestfallen. As she reached down to grab her suitcase, she looked at Amie again and smiled.
"Well," Ella said, "We can still see eachother at breaks and stuff!"
Amie forced a smile, but Ella could tell it didn't really please her. Gilly took Ella's wrist and nearly dragged her off the bus with her, almost gliding along ecstatically. As they got off the bus and stood by the side, waiting for the rest of their bags and their new cabin leader, Gilly just couldn't contain her excitement. She looked all around, but babbled endlessly to Ella.
"We can stay up and tell ghost stories and stuff after the rest of the cabin has fallen asleep, oh this'll be so much fun! Now, do you want the top bunk or the bottom bunk? I don't really mind, in fact, I have a bit of a fear of heights, so if you take the-"
"I'll take the top, yeah," Ella said, and Gilly clapped happily. Charlie finally came off the bus and passed by another young woman with her own clipboard, heading onto the bus. Charlie looked at the girls, sighed heavily and waved her hand, as if trying to indicate to them to follow her. Gilly took Ella's hand, and some luggage in her other hand and started following Charlie.
"So, who's first time at camp is this?" Charlie asked, walking backwards so she could face the girls. A number of hands raised up, but it wasn't many, and Charlie counted for a moment, "Okay...yeah that sounds about right. Most of you I recognize from last summer. Well, I'm counting on you returning campers to help the new girls to acclimate to the whole thing. It's a little weird at first, but you'll get the hang of it."
"I'm already helping one of them," Gilly said, holding up Ella's hand, and Charlie smirked.
"That's good, Gilly. Well done," Charlie replied, "Alright girls, I'll explain the rules when we get to the cabin. Let's just get there first so I don't run out of breath, 'cause I'm not in the best shape despite running a summer camp cabin."
Some of the girls laughed as Charlie turned back around and they continued on towards the cabin. Once inside, Gilly picked out a bunk for herself and Ella, and they put their luggage down. Ella slid her suitcase with her fish under the bottom bunk, and then sat on the bunk when Gilly plopped down beside her. Ella watched the other girls putting their luggage away, and then looked at Gilly for a moment.
"I knew your friend was being sarcastic," Gilly said suddenly, taking Ella by surprise with her change of tone, "I'm not stupid. I know she didn't like me. I'm kind of glad she isn't in the cabin though, because if she were, you two would be friends, and I'd be alone again all summer."
This token of reality took Ella completely by surprise. She hadn't expected Gilly to be so somber. She had known girls like Gilly at school; perky and bubbly and overachievers but a lot meaner too. She'd never met someone like that who was nice, who had depth, like Gilly had. It was almost as if her cheery persona was nothing but a front, a mask, to hide who she really was from everyone else for fear they really didn't like her. If they didn't like the bubbly version of her, how could they like the real version?
"Well," Ella said, "I...I'm glad we're bunkmates then."
Gilly looked at Ella and smiled warmly, genuinely, not the fake smile she'd had plastered on all morning. Just then, Charlie called the girls into the cabin foyer and told them to hang out for a minute so she could get a list. When she came back, she put on some reading glasses.
"Alright, so for those who're new here, here's a short list of the things you shouldn't do. Some of these are super obvious, like, no late night hikes without supervision, stupid things like that. No swimming without a counselor present. Listen, I've actually printed out copies of this thing, and you can all read them yourselves, yeah? Saves me the trouble. You should all be literate, I take it," Charlie said, "Keegan, can you hand these out please?"
A girl with short black hair took the papers and started passing them out to all the other girls. Gilly took one but immediately folded it up neatly and slipped it into her shirt pocket, patting it gently.
"I have it all memorized up here," she said, pointing at her head, "Stick with me and you'll do fine."
"Good to know," Ella said.
The rest of the first day was the girls to have, to get settled in and ready for the coming activities. Ella and Gilly spent it outside, sitting under a big elm tree while Gilly made a flower crown. Ella just picked at the dirt in the soles of her shoes, trying not to think about what her parents were doing back home.
"Did your parents send you here to get rid of you too?" Ella asked, "That's what my parents did."
"I don't know, I haven't seen my parents in months," Gilly replied, tying one flower stem to another tightly.
"What?"
"Mhm," Gilly said, pushing some hair back behind her ear, "They went to France for business, and I haven't seen them since then. I've been staying with my nanny."
"...wow," Ella said, "Don't you miss them?"
"How can I miss people who're never there?" Gilly responded, quite sternly, as if she'd been asked that before. Ella sensed a feeling of bitterness under those words, so she dropped the whole thing. After another minute, Gilly finished the crown and put it on top of Ella's head.
"There!" Gilly said, "That looks wonderful! I'm a true fashion diva!"
Ella got up and walked over to the nearby lake, leaning over to look in at her reflection, and smiled. It was actually very pretty, and looked very nice on her. Gilly came and stood beside her, both of them looking at Ella's reflection before Gilly pointed at a rowboat in the lake.
"Look at that," she said, and Ella and she turned to look at the rowboat, filled with a few boys and a guy who looked around Charlies age.
"Must be from the boy camp," Ella said.
"There's a boy camp?" Gilly asked.
"I just assumed, I mean, we have one, so why wouldn't there be?" Ella asked, and Gilly blushed.
"I never thought that we might have a boy camp nearby," she said, "It's never even occurred to me that that was a possibility. How exciting."
Just then, the dinner bell rang, and the girls were all called into the main hall for dinner. Sitting at the long tables in the main hall, stirring her peas with her fork, Ella just couldn't figure out what this feeling she felt was. Maybe isolation? But could you be isolated while still surrounded by people? She wasn't sure. Maybe this was what independence felt like; being away from your parents and all. Maybe. Maybe it was-
"Excuse me?" a girl asked from behind, and Ella looked around to see a black girl standing behind her, about a year older than her.
"Yeah?" Ella asked.
"I'm just letting you know, be careful around that Gilly girl," the girl said, "She's tried to kiss other girls at the camp before, and I didn't want you to be surprised by it. I'm just looking out for you."
Ella looked a bit to the right, where Gilly was standing giddily in line, waiting for her food and talking to a girl who didn't even appear to be slightly interested. Ella looked back at the girl and nodded.
"Tha-thanks," Ella said, "I'll...uh...I'll make sure to be aware of that."
"Of course," the girl said, smiling, before heading back to her own table.
Lying on the top bunk of her bed that night, her open suitcase laying on her chest, her finger in the water while her fish nibbled at it, Ella couldn't help but replay that scene over and over again in her head. She looked down at the bunk below her, where Gilly was fast asleep, sucking on the tip of her thumb, and she blushed. Ella shut the suitcase and then covered her face with her pillow.
She'd been right all along.
This summer was going to suck.