Keep Digging

You Got a Funny Way of Showing It

"I didn't have to carry your shovel either." That one sentence had been running through my head ever since Squid had said it. I hate myself for overthinking things like this, and I definitely hate that every time Squid would look at me now, I get weird goosebumps and butterflies in my stomach. Dumb shit! 
He didn't even mean anything by it.. I'm sure he didn't. Boys say stupid things and never mean anything by it. 
He doesn't even really know me yet., why would he mean anything by it?
He wouldn't, that's why.
  
I've been at Camp Green Lake for a little over two weeks now and I was finally starting to get into a normal routine which had really helped me adjust to everything around me.
Having a routine had always helped me feel more comfortable and confident and being in a camp full of boys, both of those things were desperately needed.  

"Devin, let's go!" I heard Caveman shout from up above me, for I was still down in my hole finishing up. 
"Yeah I'm coming!" I called back up to him. For the past two weeks, the last people to finish up their holes and leave were me, Caveman and Squid. Squid would finish an hour before us but he'd stick around and wait for us and Caveman was just generally slow, like myself. 
Measuring my hole one last time before deeming that I was done, I called out from my finished hole "Look out!" I hollered as I flung my shovel out of my hole, hoping not to hit one of my tent-mates. 
I heard the shovel hit the ground which was a sure sign that I had successfully not injured either one of them. 
Caveman kneeled down to help me out of my hole, pulling me up to ground level. 
"Y'all ready?" Squid was sitting on the edge of his hole waiting for us "Yeah, let's go." Caveman said as he swung his shovel over his shoulder. I grabbed mine off of the ground and did the same. 
We started our trek towards camp in silence, which was getting less awkward each time. 
But the second we met up with the rest of D-Tent, the silence turned to laughter and jokes. Which I enjoyed from the sidelines. I may have gotten into a routine, but I was still trying to fit in with D-Tent.
They teased me and involved me in conversation sometimes, but mostly at Dr.Pendanski's group things we did every Wednesday's I've figured out. Usually, at least. That is if the boys didn't drive him nuts before we even started.

We walked passed hole after hole, me being more interested in them than Squid or Caveman.
Mostly because each hole was so different, like everyone had a different way they dug holes.
I was yet to ever find a hole that was a perfect circle, though.
Which I had been looking for the second I saw all these holes in the first place. 
But Armpit had told me that he hadn't ever seen a perfectly curricular hole and that I should give up. 
But what else would I do while I'm here?
One hole caught my eye though, I hadn't seen one like it before. There were lizards in it.
"What the hell?" I spoke to myself and stopped dead in my tracks to look inside the hole.
Squid and Caveman stopped walking when they noticed I wasn't trailing behind them.
"What are you lookin' at?" I was crouched over and peering into the hole "These lizards."
I tried to lean in to get a closer look because the sun was going down, casting a shadow over half of the hole. Squid quickly grabbed my shoulder and pulled me back "Don't get that damn close! You wanna die or somethin'?" I shrugged his hand off "What do you mean? They're lizards, Squid." I figured it was just a dumb prank or some stupid hazing thing that the D-Tent boys loved to do so much.  God when will that end? 
Caveman walked over to the hole me and Squid were by "Yeah, lizards that can kill you with one bite."  I was lost at this point
"They're dangerous?" I questioned "Yes.. Mr.Sir didn't tell you about the yellow spotted lizards?" Caveman asked me "No, he failed to mention deadly lizards to me." I took a step back from the hole, feeling more cautious than I was a few seconds ago. "Well just stay away from 'em, alright?" Squid said as he turned his back towards us and started walking back to camp again.
Caveman followed behind him. "Yeah, I will." I lingered by the hole for a few seconds before following along. 

After our little biology lesson, we finally arrived to the camp where most of the campers were either in the Wreck Room or walking around the campgrounds. I guess it'll never matter how long I've been here, I'm always going to get crude comments shouted at me so I stuck close to Squid, or whoever I was walking with at the time.  
"You going to the tent?" Caveman asked me as he tossed his shovel into the pile "Yeah. I'll meet you guys in the Wreck Room?" They both mumbled something which I assumed just meant 'Okay' 
I split away from them and beelined it to D-Tent. Each of those boys had become a security blanket for me, even Zero. Being with any one of them made me feel comfortable.
Without them there I felt exposed and open to attack or something like it so if ever I was without any of them I tried to get to the tent as quick as possible. It's not that I couldn't put up a fight or anything, I definitely could, but the fact that I am totally outnumbered is what really makes me feel uneasy. 
I pushed open the flaps to the tent and to my surprise, it was completely empty. 
'I guess they're all in the Wreck Room' was the first thought that popped into my head.
I took the opportunity to enjoy the solitude because I don't get much alone time anymore.