Chapter 7

The rest of that afternoon was filled with canoeing, swimming, hikes and setting up the tents. It was getting cold, so Kim dug into her backpack for her sweatshirt. The army tents were big enough that they could fit twenty five people in them at one time.

"Hey Kim, mind if I set my sleeping bag up next to yours?" Erin asked.

"No, not at all. Be my guest." She smiled.

"Are you serious right now? You can see right through the floor!" Sylvie said, throwing her sleeping bag in a corner.

"Oh quit whining. You'll be fine. It's not like it's going to kill you to sleep in a tent. Plus, we'll only be here one night."

"Shut up Dawson." She rolled her eyes as she walked over to set up her sleeping bag.

"I'm just saying-" Gabby began.

"You need to calm down, girl. Like Gabby said, it's not like we're going to die out here." Leslie said as she was entering the tent.

"But there's mosquitos, spiders, ants and all that other nasty crap out here!"

Leslie rolled her eyes and gave the other girls a look. "Sylvie, please, for everyone's sake, SHUT. UP."

The girls all started laughing.

"Well don't come crying to me when you get eaten alive. Just saying." Sylvie told them as she was setting up her sleeping bag.

Kim and Leslie headed out of the tent to help set up the buffet table for dinner.

"Somedays, I really just want to kick that girl's behind, she gets on my nerves so much." Leslie rolled her eyes.

Some counselors were cooking hot dogs as well as hamburgers over the giant man made grill. The other girls started gathering around the fire, sitting on the log seats. Gabby made a disgusted face at the thought of sitting on logs.

"You're kidding, right?" Gabby asked Ms. Carter.

Ms. Carter laughed. "Nope, but it's not even that bad. Just put your sweatshirt down and you'll be fine."

"No I won't be, cause then my sweatshirt will get dirty!"

Kim suggested that she use her towel and she went for the idea. Leslie and Laura gathered sticks for roasting marshmallows over the fire.

"Ugh!" Sylvie and Gabby yelled as they smacked away the tons of mosquitos that were attacking them. Kim jumped up and started spraying bug spray all around them because like them, she had no interest in being attacked by insects. Laura was sitting down on the dock with her feet in the water, away from everyone else. Kim looked down and couldn't help but feel bad for her for some reason. Wanting to be a good friend, she headed down there and sat next to her.

"Hey Laura, is something wrong?" She asked.

"Not really." Laura looked away.

"I know you're lying to me. What is it?"

"Nothing is wrong, I can promise you that."

"Then why won't you look at me when I talk to you?"

"Okay fine, something is wrong."

"What is it?"

"Was I stupid for trying to put the moves on Antonio when he's sixteen and I'm only thirteen?"

"Well no, not really. But I would go with what you said and wait a few more years to start a relationship. Don't get me wrong, age is just a number, but just to be on the safe side, wait."

"I was planning on doing that. I just don't know how my parents would ever react if they found that out."

Kim looked at her. "Try not to think about it. Come join us up by the fire, we're having hot dogs, hamburgers, fruit, macaroni salad, all that good stuff. There's even cupcakes for dessert."

Laura perked right up when she heard that word. "Did you just say cupcakes?!"

"Yes I did."

"Well what are we waiting for?! Let's go!" Laura grabbed her arm and practically dragged her up the hill.

"Alright ladies, let's play a get to know each other game. We're gonna go around in a circle and each say something we like, a hobby or something. Since we all already know each other's names." Ms. Carter smiled. The girls all responded with "Yeah!" and other forms of agreement.

"Okay Kim, you start." Ms. Carter looked down.

"Well, um...I like reading."

"Gabby, what about you?"

"Annoying the crap out of my brother, Mr. Dawson."

Everyone laughed. Ms. Carter looked shocked. "That's your brother?"

Gabby rolled her eyes and said "Unfortunately." making everyone laughed again.

"How about you, Erin?"

"Jay." The laughter was unstoppable.

After everyone, Leslie was the last person so go.

"Leslie, you're it. What's one thing you like?"

"Girls." She said that with the straightest look on her face and didn't even crack one smile. It was silent for a minute, until one girl said the same thing. Once again, laughter commenced. It was around midnight when the girls finally headed to bed. When it was quiet, Leslie rolled over so she was facing Kim.

"Psst. Get your butt up!"

Kim groaned and pulled her pillow over her head. Leslie kneed her.

"What is it? I'm trying to sleep here!"

"Want to go scare the living crap out of Megan and her friends in the other tent? It's just up the hill right there."

"No, I'm tired. Get Erin or something."

"Megan's hiding candy in her backpack and we can sneak it, but only if you help."

"Okay, fine!" Kim said, clearly annoyed.

"What's this about an evil plan?" Gabby sprang right up.

"Shut up and come with us." Leslie said, shuffling through her sleeping bag for her flashlight.

"What ever evil plan you guys are conjuring up, I want no part of." Erin said, sliding down into her sleeping bag.

"No candy for you then." Leslie said as she jumped out of the tent, landing on the tarp placed in front of it. They were as quiet as they possibly could be, then crossed the dirt road that lead to the other tent. Everyone was still wide awake, except for Megan. Megan was knocked out cold.

"Hey aren't you Megan's little sister?" A red headed girl asked.

"Younger sister, but yeah."

"Let's mess with her in her sleep." Gabby suggested.

"Oh you had me at 'mess with her' because there is nothing I love more than annoying my sister." Leslie looked back at her.

The girls in the tent made space so Leslie and the other girls could come in. Kim pointed to Megan's backpack, an open pocket exposing the giant bag of candy that she snuck with her.

Sylvie got really close to her face and whispered "Hey Megan, camp ends tomorrow." Megan was a big sleep talker, so they all figured they would make the best of the situation.

"Huh? What? It just started."

"You've been kicked out for being too darn annoying." Leslie whispered.

"That's impossible."

"Oh no it's not." Gabby quietly laughed to herself.

Before ducking out of there, they stole the bag of candy and raced back down to their tent. They were lucky the counselors didn't hear them, because they were all sitting around the campfire on their phone and a couple of them were on their laptops at the picnic table.

"Erin Anna Lindsay, get your butt up! We have candy!" Kim said, throwing a pillow at her, hitting her right in the face as she got up.

"Really dude?"

Kim laughed. "We have candy. We stole it from Megan."

The girls didn't realize just how loud they were laughing and when they heard a voice coming towards the tent, Kim hid the bag of candy inside her sleeping bag. They all pretended to be asleep. Suddenly, one of the tent flaps was opened.

"Girls, it's late and there are other people trying to sleep. Please be quiet." She said as kind as possible.

"Yes Mrs. Voight, sorry." Erin said. Mrs. Voight smiled and then gently closed the tent flap and walked back to the campfire.

"Who was that?" Laura asked, settling back into her sleeping bag.

"Mr. Voight's wife."

"Is it just me or does he always seem have a bug up his butt?" Sylvie asked.