Just the Five of Us

My heart sank down very, very deep. How deep I wasn’t sure,maybe all the way down to Hades. Then suddenly realized the second name he had said. Crystal Morris. The popular, amazing chick everyone wanted to be with in school. The girl, who was excellent at making my tiny social life miserable, was here.

Oh shit.

I slowly stood up from Table seven. Immediately everybody’s heads swiveled around to watch me march up to the platform. I kept my head down and my hair in front of my face as I slumped up the three steps; I stopped next to Mr. Arty and glanced out at the crowd.

There was a hushed chatter amongst the guys. They were all watching me with curious eyes and excited looks. I even heard a low whistle. I went slightly pink. I wanted to blow away with the wind or maybe the ground could open up and gently lower me away.

“Everybody, this is Kristin, Kristin everybody.” Mr. Arty looking triumphant as if that was the most miraculous sentence he had every come up with.

I gave a weak smile, what else was I supposed to do?

“And Kristin, I would like you to meet Crystal,” he continued, gesturing to someone who had come up next to me.

Sure enough Crystal stood next to me looking quite surprised. I felt the blood leave my face.

She would tell everyone at school that I went to an all boys camp for summer and ruin my
meager reputation. I could see it all now, the stares, the laughs, the disses…

Wait, what was she doing here? The thought hit me but before I could sort out an answer she spoke.

“Hi,” she said, slamming up a fake ‘I have never met you before in my life’ smile.

I decided to pretend too, “hello.” I muttered weakly.

“Crystal comes here with her mom every summer to help with the boys.” Mr. Arty said happily, “I think you girls would get along really well.” he turned his attention back to the crowd; “I would like you to be very kind and helpful to Kristin while she is here. Be a true Wallabe Camper!”

I heard a couple of snickers and snorts. Most of them obviously didn’t want to be here, probably forced by their parents like me. I would hate being known as the kid who goes to a dumb camp called Wallabe. And in a way I was them and I was here so the feeling was mutual about the ‘Be a True Wallabe Camper!’ cheesiness. Either that or they all hated me and were not going kind and helpful.

He motion for us to leave and I scrambled back to my table, nothing embarrassing happened, that had to be the first time I hadn’t made a fool of myself in a large crowd. Maybe it would be okay. Except now everyone knew I was here and they would cast a glance back at me every other second as if I was an interesting science project. No, it wouldn’t be okay.

“So for you first proper meal here we will have something special,” Mr. Arty finished and on cue the counselors entered carrying trays full of good looking food.

My mouth watered as one was set down in front of me. I noticed pancakes, bacon, eggs and toast. A plastic cup of orange juice was set in front of me and I had to sit on my hands to keep from leaping at it.

I glanced up at the others. Ray was watching his food with a curious look as if there was only a small chance it was digestible. Darren was brood about something else and Shean was staring at the table with a deeply thoughtful look on his face. Adrian was actually scowling at his plate looking disgusted.

I made sure everyone else around us was eating before tucking in. I had had an experience when we were served and I started eating but we weren’t supposed to eat until the bride and groom had taken their first bite. I was so humiliated when people started looking at me funny. So ever since then I made sure I wasn’t the only one eating. It was so bad that even at the school cafeteria and home I double checked.

Darren began nibbling at his food but neither Shean nor Adrian touched theirs. Curiosity reared its head again.

“You don’t eat normal food?” I asked Ray lowering my voice to barely a whisper.

“Sometimes, when what I do eat is nowhere to be found, it’s like eating rice and beans when you could be having caviar, I don’t get hungry that often though.” He smiled at me.

I looked at Shean waiting for an explanation too.

“Same as him,” he said shortly. His dark eyes looked distant and thoughtful.

“I just don’t like sausages,” Adrian said shrugging.

I looked back at my food; I suddenly wished I wasn’t human like everybody else. I wished I had a special diet like they did; wings wouldn’t be so bad either. I ate with a little less enthusiasm. I began thinking about what else could be real. Monsters, the boogie man, aliens… I shuddered slightly at the thought of aliens being real and coming to kill me and suck my brains out.

But if there were aliens, they could be different. Like Adrian and Shean were. When you think of reapers, you think skeletons and a black cloak. When you picture vampires you see red eyes, evaporating in the sunlight…

I needed ask Adrian about that.

“Hey, Kristin right?”

I jumped at the new deep voice; I turned quickly wiping my mouth free of any food bits. A tall guy stood above me, he had dark skin and dark wavy hair with bright brown eyes. He looked like the guys at my school that every girl would go crazy for. I swallowed; these were the boys that I tended not to get along with.

I forced a smile, “um yes.”

“I’m Jake, Jake Ronald,” he held out his hands and smirked handsomely.

I took Jake Ronald’s hand and we shook, “nice to meet you.”

Adrian muttered something to Darren who began to snicker. Jake’s face darkened and he gave them a cold look before turning back to me.

“Why don’t you come and sit with us?” he asked jerking his head in the direction of a table full of popular looking boys. “These dweebs aren’t worth your precious time. They’re nothing but freaks.”

Wow. Those were normally my nicknames. Why the heck would he give them to people as awesome as these guys?

“No one asked for your opinion Ronald,” I heard Shean growl.

I glanced at him; he had a dark and angry look on his perfect face.

“No one asked for yours either, Belkove,” Jake said smirking again. He looked back at me, “you can talk to some normal people, not just being stuck with these idiots…”

“I’m fine, thank you for the offer. I’d rather stay here.” I said getting courage for the first time.

Jake suddenly grinned widely, “You’re staying in their room aren’t you?”

I opened my mouth to respond when Ray suddenly stood up.

“Ronald, could you please excuse us, I think I can’t breathe with you around, your cologne is killing me.”

“Can’t handle a little manliness Orteskii? I’d think you could, seeing as you spent the night—” Jake began but was cut off by Adrian.

“Get lost Ronald,” he growled in a low angry voice.

“See you know what I’m talking about, you’re getting defensive,” he said sneering.

I suddenly got some insight into what he was suggesting. My face went hot and my heart picked up. How dare he think that I was like that? I sat there looking up in horror at him as he sneered at Adrian. I didn’t know what to say or do.

“Just fuck off,” Ray snapped.

Jake laughed, “You like that don’t you, seeing as you say it all the time.”

“I said fuck off,” Ray hissed again.

“You don’t scare me Orteskii,” Jake said, crossing his arms over his chest, an evil grin plastered on his face.

“He said go away,” Shean said also standing up. His face had such a dark look on it I felt a chill run down my spine scared as to what he was capable of.

Jake frowned, obviously slowed down by Shean. But after a moment of indecision he grinned again. “We’ll just destroy you during the dodge ball match.” He turned and walked away with his nose in the air like a girl.

“Ignore him,” Ray said glaring after Jake, “he’s and evil little…OW!”

“You swear too much,” Shean said quietly, I hadn’t even noticed him sit down but it was obvious he had kicked Ray from under the table.