Survival Camp

April 23, 2012
Monday
Afternoon

"Alright you lazy bums! Get off the bus!" one of the consolers said as the bus rolled to a stop at what looked like a campsite...in the middle of the wilderness. "I said move it! This ain't no spa retreat!"

CC nodded for me to get up and I did, then he got up behind me and pushed toward the front of the bus.

The girl who had threatened to cut me smirked at me, but CC growled at her and she backed down. That made me wonder. Were CC and his friends the top dogs? Or was she just waiting for a better opportunity? Now wasn't exactly the best time to strike being the councilors both had their eyes glued on us.

"I said off the bus!" one of them shouted, making me jump.

Everyone filed off the bus in front of me before I followed behind them with CC behind me along with the girl who threatened to cut me behind him and the guy who claimed like three rows in the back of the bus bringing up the rear.

"Line up against the side of the bus! All of you! Now!" one of them demanded.

No one exactly scrambled to form a line against the length of the bus, but everyone did lazily form a sloppy looking line after a moment or so.

The blonde haired consoler straightened up and adjusted his shirt, "My name is Mick and this is my bud Jerry and we will be supervising you." Mick said as he brushed back his near surfer-styled hair with his fingers before he patted his black haired friend Jerry on the back, "Now, introduce yourselves and state your crimes." he ordered us.

The first guy was the guy who held up in the back of the bus, "The name's Warner and I'm here for getting in too many fights." he said proudly, "All of which I won." he added with a smirk.

The next person was a girl who didn't really look like she could quite belong in a program like this. Kind of like me, I suppose. But she did have this Queen Bee air to her. She boredly checked her nails as she said, "I'm June and most people call me 'that popular mean girl' but they're all just stupid poor people who don't know what they're talking about. My school told Mother and Daddy that they wouldn't let me back in until I went through one of these program thingys. This place wasn't my first choice though. It was Rehab with Dr. Drew."

"That's for drug addicted celebrities." the other girl said with a roll of the eyes.

"Who cares?" June questioned.

One of CC's friends was next. Or, at least I think he was his friend. There were five guys who dressed similar and CC had already told me he was here with his friends... "I'm Jake and I'm in a gang." he stated. No more, no less.

The guy next to him was dressed the same as well. "Jinxx; gang." Dang, he said even less than Jake.

I was next in line and Mick shot me a look before he stepped in front of me and smirked, "Ahh, the 'innocent one.'...What's your name?" he asked me.

"Tara." I said just above a whisper.

Mick nodded and his eyes shot to CC who stood on my other side, completely skipping my reason for why I was here. Possibly because he thought I was going to keep up with the innocent act which is what I was going to say because I am innocent.

"The name's CC, it's short for you don't need to know, and I'm in a gang." he said confidently.

I wish I was as confident as him.

The other girl was next. "Yo, I'm Tiffany." she said as she popped her bubble gum and then Jerry eyed her until she spit it out, "I'm here for stealing." she said like it was no biggie.

"Stealing what?" Jerry questioned.

Tiffany shrugged her shoulders, "It would take less time if I told you what I haven't stolen." she replied. I recognized her as the girl who threatened to cut me so I stuck a note in my brain. 'Don't accuse her of stealing anything....ever.'

After Tiffany was another one of CC's friends, one of the guys who was looking at me on the bus."I'm Ashley and I'm in a gang!" he smiled, like there was some kind of award for best reply. But I don't think he was gaining brownie points from Mick and Jerry who seemed to be giving him the evil eye until he dropped his smile.

"Andy; gang." the last guy who looked like CC said, no emotion behind it whatsoever. I wondered what happened to that curious and smiling guy on the bus I had seen him as earlier.

The last guy looked kind of creepy, "People call me Skip and I deal drugs." he said, "Whatever you want I've got it or I can get it." What? Was he trying to deal right here?

Mick smirked, finished with the introductions, "So, any questions?"

Slowly, four hands hesitantly raised into the air. I was not one of them.

"None? Good!" Mick said happily, "CC, Warner, and Jinxx, climb on top of the bus and start untying the luggage and throw it down to Jake, Skip, and Tara. Andy, June, Tiffany, and Ashley, you all begin setting up camp and get the firewood."

"And what will you be doing?" June asked as she rested a hand on her hip.

"Us?" Jerry questioned, "Well that's very simple."

"We're going to sit in these lawn chairs, drink these exotic drinks, and watch you do all the work." Mick said as Jerry retrieved the supplies from inside the bus and found somewhere to set up. He and Mick then planted their asses in the lawn chairs and began to drink the day away after they clinked their glasses together.

Jerry's eyes snapped up at us who had just been watching them with stunned looks on our faces, "Well, what are you waiting for?! Get to work!" he shouted.

CC, Warner, and Jinxx climbed up on the bus and began untying the camping equipment and tossed it down to Jake, Skip, and I.

Warner practically bottle rocketed a tent duffel bag at me which I managed to catch even if it did send me into a back flip, heels over head and flat on my back on the ground.

With the exception of Mick and Jerry who seemed to not notice, everyone stopped what they were doing and looked at me. I knew it was because they thought I was going to whine about somehow injuring myself and try to get out of the work.

Instead, I surprised everyone and got up without a word. I dusted myself off and carried the duffel bag to Ashley before I handed it to him.

"Are you alright?" Ashley questioned with a shocked look on his face.

I nodded, "I'm fine." I replied before I walked back over to the bus to catch something else.