Calidity : A Summer Camp Story

9 checkmate

The next day, we girls just sat outside the cafeteria talking when a flyer on the wall caught my eye. I lean over and peer at the many brightly coloured posters but only one peaks my interest-

"Talent Showcase," Daphne snorts behind me, as she follows my eyes. "What's your act? 100 ways to be a frigid bitch?"

I roll my eyes and scoff at her, reaching for a flyer "No you idiot, I'm looking at this... " I stare down at the pink sugar paper "Cake baking competition?". 

She flicks her hair over her shoulder and the sun illuminates her emerald eyes as she laughs, "Really? I've seen you burn toast Scarlett"

"It was a battle between man and machine, I was destined to lose," I say, unsure. I feel all the girls' eyes on me disagreeing with me. 

"I bet $10 you lose epically," She says, her eyes crinkling upwards as she eyed me up and down. I gasped dramatically, as the other girls agreed. I tried to look at Nina and clasped my chest as she tried to get in on the bet.

"You lost to a toaster, Scarlett," she shrugged, and I bit back my laughter as they all bet on my downfall. 

I looked down and read the paper again taking in the information, I had 2 hours to decide on a cake, find a partner and most importantly, learn how to cook. 

I walked off thinking of my options. Nina had already bet against me so there was no point asking her, Daphne would purposefully sabotage me. I thought of all my friends, then remembered all their bets. Only one option remained: Wren. 

I cringed at the thought of having to work with her and even contemplated telling her it was a silent competition. 

I mentally told myself off for being a bully, when she had done nothing to me. It was just that as a person, she was so aggravating with her copy-and-paste personality and lack of spatial awareness. 

Maybe it's because she looked so much like me, with big eyes and long brown hair she reminded me of who I used to be before I found a box of hair dye and too much eyeliner. 

I sighed, pushing negative memories back and walked on. I looked all over the site for her, but she was nowhere to be found. I checked the pool, the hall, the room, and the pool again. I even tried to stand silently and hear her high-pitched whine and follow that. When that didn't work I contemplated saying her name 3 times in a mirror to summon her. 

I took a peek out of interest in the isolated chess tent. I looked around and saw the usual outcasts. All the tents usually have an odd dampness to them, and the musty air hung thick. A few guys who usually muttered to themselves but seemed friendly enough. 

I saw a small familiar face in the corner and my mouth almost gaped when I saw Wren sitting in the corner. 

She quickly stood up and brushed herself off when she saw me enter the tent. "Scarlett!" She said nervously, her eyes round with guilt as if I'd just caught her in the middle of a murder. 

Her hands were raised in defence, her hair shaking around her face in surprise. I couldn't even begin to speak before she cut me off, "This isn't what it looks like, I was just bored and I thought they had board games here and I was really just about to leave and-" 

I cut her word diarrhoea off by holding one of the arms she was frantically waving about. "Wren, I really don't care about you being here". 

I watched her process that, then realised how harsh that sounded "I really don't mind you liking chess." 

I waved around at one of the games "I haven't a clue how to play but I assume it's-" I peered at the little pieces on the board "Interesting" She sat back down and I joined her.