Chance Taker, Heart Breaker
Two.
"Well, sweetie, this is it," Charlotte's mother cooed as the two stood in front of her gate as an announcement was made that all rows were boarding.
"Yeah," the girl got out.
Ignoring her daughter's downtrodden look, she wrapped her in a hug.
"You'll have fun, Charlotte," she assured, before releasing her. "Off you go." With that, Charlotte was nudging slightly toward her gate. Sighing, she began to make her way toward it. After getting her ticket scanned, she turned around to give her mother one final wave before making her way on the plane.
The next few hours of waiting to take off, flying, having to be escorted off the plane, and collecting her luggage were all a bit of a blur to Charlotte. When she finally boarded a bus that would take her to the camp, she was past grumpy and anxious - she just wanted to get there and be done with it.
The next few hours would be spend driving around picking up other teenagers from other airport terminals and a few other places in the area. When they finally arrived at the camp, it was almost noon.
As soon as they got off the bus, they were told that their stuff would be taken to their cabins, and that they were to report to the mess hall. Charlotte wondered how they expected the group to find the building without a map or any guidance, but followed the other teenagers as they wandered around. Nearly fifteen minutes later, the group arrived at a large building that said MESS HALL in large letters on the front of the building. Reluctantly, she followed the group up the stairs and into the large room.
Stepping into the hall, she immediately noticed that most people had already made friends that they were chatting with happily. Groaning, she made her way over to the line that seemed to be where she could get her lunch. After collecting it, she faced the decision of where to sit. She could approach a group of strangers and ask to sit down, or sit by herself. She decided on the latter.
After choosing a table near the back of the room where she could see the people coming through the door, Charlotte sat down and began eating.
For the rest of the day, they had a "free day." In other words, you could sit in your cabin and laze around, or explore the camp. Charlotte, wanting to put off meeting her cabin mates for as long as she could, spent the majority of the afternoon walking around the vast camp grounds. By mid-afternoon, she had discovered that the camp had various sports fields, art studios, an outdoor theatre, several lakes and a large stable of horses. She briefly wondered how her single mother could afford to send her there, before blowing it off. Reaching a third lake, she noticed a variety of boats already out on the lake and yearned to take one out got a bit herself. Reaching the main dock, she was informed by "Scott" that, no, all the single kayaks are in use, but you can share a canoe with someone? Before she could argue, she was being directed towards several teenage boys who were climbing into a large canoe.
"Hey, boys," the man that had dragged her over called. "Do you think er,-"
"Charlotte," she offered quietly.
"Right," he nodded, before turning back to the group. "Do you think Charlotte could join you guys?"
The group exchanged glances before one of them nodded. "Sure."
Cursing the man, Charlotte followed Scott back to the main part of the dock, where he tossed her a life jacket before leading her back to the canoe, where she was directed to sit on the seat in the very back. After being handed a paddle by an over-enthusiastic Scott, the boat was pushed away from dock and she sat quietly in the back rowing occasionally while the three boys talked among themselves.
"So, Charlotte," the one sitting in front of her of her said rather loudly, "I'm Josh." He sent her what she supposed was a charming smile.
Smiling back hesitantly, she replied, "Nice to meet you, Josh."
He seemed pleased.
"This is Doug and Brian," he continued, nodding at the two boys in front of him. They seemed a bit more pleasant. For the remainder of their little trip around the lake, she made small talk with the small group. They weren't too bad, once you got used to them. When they reached the shore, Josh hurried out of the canoe before offering his hand to her.
"Thanks," Charlotte nodded, dropping his hand as soon as both of her feet were on solid ground. "I'm going to head to my cabin, since I haven't been there yet. I'll see you guys later."
"Hey, what cabin are you in?" one of the boys called after her as she made her way up the small hut situated next to the lake.
"Dunno," she called back. "I have to go find out." With that, she headed toward the mess hall where she had seen the list earlier. Thinking back, she probably should have looked at it while she was there for lunch.
Once she was informed as to which cabin she would spending the next month in, Charlotte headed towards the direction she had been pointed in, hoping she would come across it eventually. When she did, she was instructed to pick one of the remaining bunks and was then introduced to her cabin mates, Afterwards, Charlotte headed back to the mess hall for dinner with a girl from her cabin named Elizabeth from Australia.
"Yeah, the flight over here was killer," she was explaining as the two walked toward a table with their trays already full of food.
"I bet," Charlotte laughed, setting her tray down on an empty table..
By the end of dinner, several other people had joined them at the table, including a girl from France whose English was surprisingly good.
When dinner ended, Charlotte and Elizabeth headed back to the cabin where they were expected to bond with the other girls in the cabin for the rest of the evening.
"Yeah," the girl got out.
Ignoring her daughter's downtrodden look, she wrapped her in a hug.
"You'll have fun, Charlotte," she assured, before releasing her. "Off you go." With that, Charlotte was nudging slightly toward her gate. Sighing, she began to make her way toward it. After getting her ticket scanned, she turned around to give her mother one final wave before making her way on the plane.
The next few hours of waiting to take off, flying, having to be escorted off the plane, and collecting her luggage were all a bit of a blur to Charlotte. When she finally boarded a bus that would take her to the camp, she was past grumpy and anxious - she just wanted to get there and be done with it.
The next few hours would be spend driving around picking up other teenagers from other airport terminals and a few other places in the area. When they finally arrived at the camp, it was almost noon.
As soon as they got off the bus, they were told that their stuff would be taken to their cabins, and that they were to report to the mess hall. Charlotte wondered how they expected the group to find the building without a map or any guidance, but followed the other teenagers as they wandered around. Nearly fifteen minutes later, the group arrived at a large building that said MESS HALL in large letters on the front of the building. Reluctantly, she followed the group up the stairs and into the large room.
Stepping into the hall, she immediately noticed that most people had already made friends that they were chatting with happily. Groaning, she made her way over to the line that seemed to be where she could get her lunch. After collecting it, she faced the decision of where to sit. She could approach a group of strangers and ask to sit down, or sit by herself. She decided on the latter.
After choosing a table near the back of the room where she could see the people coming through the door, Charlotte sat down and began eating.
For the rest of the day, they had a "free day." In other words, you could sit in your cabin and laze around, or explore the camp. Charlotte, wanting to put off meeting her cabin mates for as long as she could, spent the majority of the afternoon walking around the vast camp grounds. By mid-afternoon, she had discovered that the camp had various sports fields, art studios, an outdoor theatre, several lakes and a large stable of horses. She briefly wondered how her single mother could afford to send her there, before blowing it off. Reaching a third lake, she noticed a variety of boats already out on the lake and yearned to take one out got a bit herself. Reaching the main dock, she was informed by "Scott" that, no, all the single kayaks are in use, but you can share a canoe with someone? Before she could argue, she was being directed towards several teenage boys who were climbing into a large canoe.
"Hey, boys," the man that had dragged her over called. "Do you think er,-"
"Charlotte," she offered quietly.
"Right," he nodded, before turning back to the group. "Do you think Charlotte could join you guys?"
The group exchanged glances before one of them nodded. "Sure."
Cursing the man, Charlotte followed Scott back to the main part of the dock, where he tossed her a life jacket before leading her back to the canoe, where she was directed to sit on the seat in the very back. After being handed a paddle by an over-enthusiastic Scott, the boat was pushed away from dock and she sat quietly in the back rowing occasionally while the three boys talked among themselves.
"So, Charlotte," the one sitting in front of her of her said rather loudly, "I'm Josh." He sent her what she supposed was a charming smile.
Smiling back hesitantly, she replied, "Nice to meet you, Josh."
He seemed pleased.
"This is Doug and Brian," he continued, nodding at the two boys in front of him. They seemed a bit more pleasant. For the remainder of their little trip around the lake, she made small talk with the small group. They weren't too bad, once you got used to them. When they reached the shore, Josh hurried out of the canoe before offering his hand to her.
"Thanks," Charlotte nodded, dropping his hand as soon as both of her feet were on solid ground. "I'm going to head to my cabin, since I haven't been there yet. I'll see you guys later."
"Hey, what cabin are you in?" one of the boys called after her as she made her way up the small hut situated next to the lake.
"Dunno," she called back. "I have to go find out." With that, she headed toward the mess hall where she had seen the list earlier. Thinking back, she probably should have looked at it while she was there for lunch.
Once she was informed as to which cabin she would spending the next month in, Charlotte headed towards the direction she had been pointed in, hoping she would come across it eventually. When she did, she was instructed to pick one of the remaining bunks and was then introduced to her cabin mates, Afterwards, Charlotte headed back to the mess hall for dinner with a girl from her cabin named Elizabeth from Australia.
"Yeah, the flight over here was killer," she was explaining as the two walked toward a table with their trays already full of food.
"I bet," Charlotte laughed, setting her tray down on an empty table..
By the end of dinner, several other people had joined them at the table, including a girl from France whose English was surprisingly good.
When dinner ended, Charlotte and Elizabeth headed back to the cabin where they were expected to bond with the other girls in the cabin for the rest of the evening.