TWO
Gretchen, as the girls would come to know her; stood before the group. The blazing sun sending a stinging warmth across their delicate skin.
Shelby knew this kind of heat well, the kind of dry July heat that sent even the most stoic of people into a head spin. Made people go a bit crazy as they tried to compose their humanity.
She let her eyes wander over the group until she found the brunette, with her tiny baby curls spilling out off her ponytail and onto her forehead. She let her mind wander for a moment before snapping right back into reality.
It was the heat, she thought. The heat clouded her judgement.
Gretchen introduced the other adults as she welcomed them to the camp. Toni took no notice, she didn't care much for pleasantries— and then there was that god-awful welcome video that played on an old projector screen right in the middle of camp.
"Are you ready for a summer of female-centric learning and growth? The Dawn of Eve literally waits for no man." Gretchen blasted through the old static speakers, her smiling face glowering down upon the group.
Toni wanted to gag.
Where was the good food, extra downtime and basketball she was promised? Not this hair braiding, kumbaya singing, girl power snooze-fest.
"Leave your bags girls, you've had a long flight to get here so be our guests." Gretchen called out.
The adults beside her began collecting the girls items before taking them away to where Toni assumed they would be staying.
"Well ladies, we will leave you be to socialize with your peers and find your way around the island." She finally instructed before heading off back into the centre of camp and disappearing.
Toni couldn't get one word out to Martha behind her before the sunny blonde piped up.
"I don't know about you, but I really want to get acquainted with that water!" She giggled to Martha, pointing to the shore where waves languidly lapped upon the black sand beach.
Martha excitedly nodded in response and both girls took off towards the water. Leaving Toni alone walking behind the group, an unsettling feeling brewing in the pit of her stomach. Martha was her whole family, her best friend and companion all rolled into one. Naturally, the feeling of her drifting away was not one that Toni was accustomed to. It felt like dark, thick, black sticky tar filled her stomach overflowing and grasping onto her lungs until she couldn't breathe.
She couldn't breathe.
She watched as the majority of the girls ran into the water, excitedly screaming and splashing in the gentle waves. Shelby sat on top of Martha's shoulders and Leah on top of Rachel's while they wrestled, their shrill screams filling the air as Leah toppled over and crashed into the waves, bringing Rachel with her.
"It's okay, I'm not a fan of the water either." Dot commented, empathizing with Toni who stood on the shore, longingly looking out to the sea.
"You just don't want to part with those... pants," Fatin retorted, her large sunglasses perched on the bridge of her nose as her eyes travelled up and down Dot's body.
Fatin delicately lay up on the sand, her toffee coloured skin gleaming in the afternoon sunlight, soaking up the golden waves.
"Hey, I've got a question about your shirt." Dot turned toward Fatin, gesturing at her pale pink graphic tee with "Bye Girl Bye" printed on the front.
Without missing a beat Fatin quickly retorted, "I've got a few questions about your cargo pants."
Toni watched the interaction between the two girls in amazement, laughing quietly to herself.
YOU ARE READING
𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐬 ➪ the wilds
Fanfiction"a weakness in spite of overall strength, which can lead to downfall." Shelby Goodkind's world is on the verge of collapse; Toni Shalifoe's just got turned upside down. Desperately trying to cling onto the pieces of their old lives, they are sent by...
