"When you're through with life and all hope is lost hold out your hand because friends will be friends right till the end."
-Queen
Camp Oak Ridge. Population: 93
Meet Mary Anne, Myles, Penelope, Princeton, Emily, Blake, Mallory, and Chase - everyone...
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Emily's screeching alarm blasts through the cabin and I fight the urge to break her phone. I open my eyes and groan as the sun burns them. Rolling over into my back, I stare at the ceiling until I realize that if I stay up here another five seconds I will totally pee on myself.
I drag myself out of bed and into the bathroom, making a face at my hair in the mirror. My various cowlicks causing a pretty awful looking result.
When I'm done in there and content with my hair, I start waking up the girls who are still asleep.
"God, I'm sore," Julia groans, rubbing her back.
She should be. We raced kayaks yesterday.
After everyone is ready for the day, Eric rings the breakfast bell and we head out the door. Down the path, I see Mary Anne and Mallory hopping down their stairs. Mallory walks on while Mary Anne stays back for a second. I'm ready to go and grab her until Myles beats me to it.
"See I did it myself!" He points to his man bun.
"Good job," she laughs.
They keep on walking down the path together until they disappear around the curve of the path.
"So I guess they made up?" Emily asks.
"Looks like it."
"Good," she sighs.
We walk on together until we finally get to the mess hall and Emily steps aside to talk to a camper. I get in line for my breakfast without her.
"Good morning, Penny."
I look up from my tray to see Johnny smiling as usual. He fills up my plate for me and I notice there's no one behind me so I decide I have time to stand here for a while.
"Good morning!"
"So I saw Myles and Mary Anne come through here together," he says. "Is everything good again with them?"
"I guess so. I'll have to talk to them and make sure but I think so."
"How's the bet going?"
"Emily's already lost and Blake's going to within the next couple of days unless something weird happens and they just realize that they're perfect for each other," I laugh.
"How long until you lose?"
"I've got a few more weeks."
"Well good luck."
"Thanks." I smile. "By the way—"
Just then, Emily comes in line behind me along with the camper she was talking to.
"Never mind."
I quickly walk away to find a spot to sit down across from Myles and Mary Anne. They seem happy and smiley this morning so it seems like a good sign.
"— and I'm really sorry again about your neck," she says.
It's only then I notice the dark bruise on the side of Myles' neck, close to his jaw. My eyes bug out and I sit down so fast I'm worried about the seat.
"Did you do that?" I ask.
"Yeah, I didn't mean to," Mary Anne pouts.
"How can you 'not mean' to do that? Like I thought you guys were mad at each other and the next thing I know Myles has this freaking impressive hickey that he's just showing off like it's a trophy or—"
"Penny it's not a hickey," Myles interrupts. "She shot me with a paintball when she was still pissed."
"I didn't mean to!"
"Something makes me doubt that."
"So you guys are good again?" I ask.
"Yeah," Myles says. "She realized that she couldn't be mad at me anymore because I'm the only person who puts up with her shit."
"More like he snuck into my cabin and dragged me out of bed, begging for me to forgive him."
They keep up with their little argument and I can't help but smile. This is the way things should be. Normal and happy.
No secrets between us.
When it's time to dismiss to meet with our teams, I put my tray away and send a wave to Johnny before heading outside. I trek up the gravel path to find my girls so I can explain our first challenge of the day.
"Okay girls, easy and simple today," I smile. "Kickball."
"Thank God," Bethany groans.
"Alright then, let's get a move on to the Field!"
Chase's boys are there already and have put out the plastic bases. He stands off to the side with his team and the kickball, I guess coming up with a game plan.
"Alright, who wants to pitch?" I ask my girls.
A shy girl, Quinn, slowly puts her hand halfway in the air.
"Awesome, okay so Quinn will pitch, thank you. Um okay so, Lydia you take first base, Blair cover second, and Julia get third. The rest of you are outfield. There's not a lot of us, so you actually need to try and catch the ball. Throw it quickly and don't be lazy. Got it?"
"Yep!" Lydia smiles.
"Alright then let's find out who's team is kicking first. Stay here," I say.
Chase informs me that my team will be kicking first so I like them up in the order I want while the boys go out in the field. Bethany steps up to kick while Drew, a boy on Chase's team, takes the ball to pitch. He lets it roll and, surprisingly, Beth kicks it way out past where any boys are standing and makes it to second base.
I move to stand next to Chase as the game continues, my team scoring four points. After they get too many outs, the girls go out into the field and the boys line up to kick.
"Hey," Mason calls over to us. "Why aren't y'all playing?"
"Wouldn't be fair," Chase calls back.
"But y'all look bored," another boy, Elliot says.
"Yeah, Penelope come play!" Julia shouts from third base.
"Are y'all sure?" I ask.
"Yes!" Mason yells. "Now come play!"
Smiling, Chase slaps me on the back before running over to join his team. I try to suppress a whine as I grudge my way to the outfield.
I hate sports.
Elliot is up to kick first and, as my luck would have it, the ball comes flying straight at me. I try my best to catch it as it soars through the air, but of course, I drop it. I quickly pick it up and chuck it as hard as I can to Blair on second base, successfully getting Elliot out.
