Bonding By The Bonfire.
Day One 1/2.
Another summer, another trip with someone else's family to the mountains. Well, technically I guess they're my family too-through marriage. This is the fourth or fifth time I've made this trip to the White Mountains, to spend a week with this crazy family. Don't get me wrong, I love them, but it's a big cluster-fuck of people. There's at least ten children under the age of ten. Then probably twenty adults. When I say adult, I mean physically over the age thirty. Maturity has nothing to do with it.
Anyway, that's about it, except of course, us. Me, Danny, and Crystal. Crystal is twenty. My aunt married her dad when I was about three. Until two years ago, she hated my guts. She even had to go to counseling because she said she wanted to kill me. Now, we're cool. We're actually pretty good friends. We like the same music and stuff. Danny is nine months older than me. Which makes him just-turned-seventeen. I had a crush on him the first year I came up here, but hey, I was thirteen, I had a crush on anything with a dick. Danny's pretty cool, though. He brought his girlfriend, Lisa, last year. What a fucking mess. She just sat in a room in the cabin the whole time and cried.
As I think about last year's camping trip, I'm putting together the poles for the tent I share with Crystal. It isn't complicated at all, and I could do it in my sleep. I seriously hope that Danny didn't bring Lisa again. I'm pretty sure he didn't seeing as how they broke up. Well, thats the last I'd heard when I talked to him. Bringing a girlfriend to a family vacation at our age is stupid anyway.
We put up our tent, sweep it out, and blow up our air mattresses. There's just enough room for us to fit our duffel bas in between us. We help set up the tarps around the campsite, move the picnic table, and pull out the awning from the camper my aunt, uncle, and two little cousins stay in. Then we sit down for supper. Not that I'd normally call PB and J a dinner. Then, Crystal and I head for the cabin. Its only about a ten minute walk.
Now, when I say cabin It's not what you think. It's just a wooden shell. There's no electricity, no running water, no bathroom. There's an out house up a small path. All it is is shelter, and a wood stove. It will keep you warm though, and everything stays dry.
We walk down the small driveway, and I'm instantly bombarded with hugs, and cries of joy that I'm finally there. I give each of the children a hug, and say hello. It's been more than six months since I've seen most of them, if not a year. I've missed them all. Last year Crystal couldn't make it, and Danny was preoccupied with Lisa, so I spent the week swinging these kids around and playing games with them. I got attached.
Then, Danny's little brother, Hunter, grabbed my hand and pulled me through the cabin, saying something about Danny wanting to see me. I new he was bringing someone, and I hoped to god it wasn't Lisa. Let's just say we didn't really get along. I took a deep breath and stepped through the back door to the fires were held, and looked up to see Danny and another boy.
Anyway, that's about it, except of course, us. Me, Danny, and Crystal. Crystal is twenty. My aunt married her dad when I was about three. Until two years ago, she hated my guts. She even had to go to counseling because she said she wanted to kill me. Now, we're cool. We're actually pretty good friends. We like the same music and stuff. Danny is nine months older than me. Which makes him just-turned-seventeen. I had a crush on him the first year I came up here, but hey, I was thirteen, I had a crush on anything with a dick. Danny's pretty cool, though. He brought his girlfriend, Lisa, last year. What a fucking mess. She just sat in a room in the cabin the whole time and cried.
As I think about last year's camping trip, I'm putting together the poles for the tent I share with Crystal. It isn't complicated at all, and I could do it in my sleep. I seriously hope that Danny didn't bring Lisa again. I'm pretty sure he didn't seeing as how they broke up. Well, thats the last I'd heard when I talked to him. Bringing a girlfriend to a family vacation at our age is stupid anyway.
We put up our tent, sweep it out, and blow up our air mattresses. There's just enough room for us to fit our duffel bas in between us. We help set up the tarps around the campsite, move the picnic table, and pull out the awning from the camper my aunt, uncle, and two little cousins stay in. Then we sit down for supper. Not that I'd normally call PB and J a dinner. Then, Crystal and I head for the cabin. Its only about a ten minute walk.
Now, when I say cabin It's not what you think. It's just a wooden shell. There's no electricity, no running water, no bathroom. There's an out house up a small path. All it is is shelter, and a wood stove. It will keep you warm though, and everything stays dry.
We walk down the small driveway, and I'm instantly bombarded with hugs, and cries of joy that I'm finally there. I give each of the children a hug, and say hello. It's been more than six months since I've seen most of them, if not a year. I've missed them all. Last year Crystal couldn't make it, and Danny was preoccupied with Lisa, so I spent the week swinging these kids around and playing games with them. I got attached.
Then, Danny's little brother, Hunter, grabbed my hand and pulled me through the cabin, saying something about Danny wanting to see me. I new he was bringing someone, and I hoped to god it wasn't Lisa. Let's just say we didn't really get along. I took a deep breath and stepped through the back door to the fires were held, and looked up to see Danny and another boy.