Stoney Camp

“ It's sounds kind of boring doesn't it. Stoney Camp.”

Moving town is never easy I figured as I've been sitting in the car for what feels like forever now! I looked out into the darkness through the car window and all I could see my were my weary brown eyes staring back at me. Heck I don't even know where we are moving too. Give me points for giving a rats!

“ Hey mum!” I called out. “ What's the name of this town we are moving to again?” I should really find out what it is called I suppose.

“ Stoney Camp deary.”

Mum replied in her leave me alone voice. A voice I seem to be familiar with. She always seems to be busy doing something, whether it cooking, looking after my little brother Jack. He is only five. Doing the washing, ironing, cleaning, the list goes on really. So I was used to this voice. But why did she use it on me now? I guess she's eager to spot Stoney Camp. We had to be close!

Ugh that name. “ It sounds kinda boring doesn't it?” I asked the family. Hoping for a response. Looking out the window wasn't cutting it for entertainment anymore. I needed something else to do.

“ Now listen here Summer!”

Oo. Ok. Why are you grumpy? What a silly question that is. When isn't my father grumpy. See my parents seem to have their rut. Mum's like I said, she's always passive, to busy to care, whereas dad, well he is always working long days and comes home tired and well this - grumpy.

“I wouldn't have gotten a transfer here if I knew this place was an abandoned wasteland with inhospitable surroundings now would I? " He continued, always using big words to try and sound smart.

He is a miner you see, so he becomes all self-conscious about the stereotypical miners. School dropouts. Using big words is his way to prove that he isn't dumb. Which I'm not questioning his intelligence. Never ever would I do that, unless I wanted to be locked up in my room for the rest of my life.

“Do you want me to answer that truthfully dad?”

No I think you would have, should've been my response but I decided to play nice-ish for the moment. Don't want to make him too grumpy.

“ Well what I mean, the name. It's not really selling the town to be a fun upbeat kind of place.” I could sense that he was displeased with what I had said.

“Really?” He asked. His chocolate eyes quickly glanced and glared back at me through the reverse mirror. “Well then, please enlighten me on what Stoney Camp is selling itself as?

Oh great now I've done it. This has the word trap written all over it. No matter what answer I give, it won't be good enough for him, unless I agree with him. Which is another thing that is never going to happen.

“ Well, in my opinion, the name suggests that this is a hard place to live in. Like a rock. Or-r-r in Stoney Camp's case, a stone.”

What else was I meant to say. Stoney. Camp. Why would anyone want to camp on stones?

“ Is that what you think?”

Ok. Now I could hear that he was displeased with me. Really he just fails to understand my logic. I replied with a pleased hum. Now wait for it, I'm going to get some cliché line about why I should never judge things before finding out about them.

“ Well you should never judge a book by its cover!”

Bam! What did I tell you!

“ Mum are we there yet, it's boring in the car!” Moaned my sister Sally.

Forgot about her. Lol jokes, how could I when half of her butt is on my lap. Alright I'm being a little mean about it. But she is the fat one of the family, she has this kind of unspoken alliance with dad. Anything she wants she seems to get, a lot of food seems to be one of those things.

“No, not yet sweetheart.”

Mum there was nothing sweet about her. Ok maybe her rosy cheeks, but that was about it. I know I'm being mean about her. She just, ugh! So annoying lately.

“ Well I want to be there yet!”

See what I mean?! Whenever she's not pleased with something she'll make sure everyone knows about it. It drives me and mum bonkers.

“ I'm sorry to disappoint you Sally, but we are not there yet. So please just be patient and quiet. And what do they teach you at school?”

“ Clearly not enough.”I replied to mum's question.

Oh wait I wasn't suppose to say that out loud! Oh well it's something I enjoy doing. Annoying my sister back. It was great fun because she snaps at everything.

“ Mum! Summer's smiling at me!”

There's a prime example, somedays I can't even look at her without her having a moan about it. Shesh was I ever this bad going through puberty?

“ Sally! Mum doesn't care.” Mum replied in the same whinging tone as her.

I grew an even greater smile as I watched Sally grow angrier by the second. Once I was satisfied with the piercing glare she was shooting back at me I looked back outside the car window before I started laughing.

Were we nearly there yet? Nope, it took us another half an hour before FINALLY dad pulled into this driveway. Right in front of us I could see a stormy blue metal garage door and beside it was a large two story house. How fancy are we! Coming from living in a one story house all my life. This was definitely an upgrade.

“ Alrighty kids, this is our new home.” Mum squealed excitedly.

Rather she was happy to arrive here or happy to escape the car. I was definitely happy about being able to move again.

“ About time. I was about to die of boredom.” Moaned my sister quietly, however not quiet enough.

An evil grin spread across my face. I needed a little reward after surviving that car trip.
“ And that would be oh so horrible.” I moaned back to her.

I almost lost it when I saw the face she shot back at me. It looked as if she wanted me dead. She could try!

“ Mum! Summer wished that I died of boredom.”

Poor mum, she did cop a lot of this from Sally. Every time something annoyed her; which it was normally me; she would whinge to mum about it. Dad was only for if she wanted something. I heard someone giggling and noticed Jack had just got out of the car. Man I loved this kid, always laughs at my insults. Sally seemed to be very mean to him, I think she's jealous of his blonde hair. Sally has brown just like the rest of us. I heard mum sigh, clearly she had enough of Sally's behaviour especially spending a whole day trapped in the car with her. Don't worry I was feeling it too.

“ You know what Sally. How about you start solving your own problems for once instead of passing them on to me.” Mother growled.

Yep she definitely was done dealing with her.

“ Ok then, I will.” Sally replied and she too began supporting a devilish grin upon her face.

What was she thinking? She walked next to Jack who was still giggling. No she wouldn't!

“ Shut up you little turd!” She screeched at him.

How dare she! The poor little guy, I could see it in his face. He was on the verge of crying. Oh the things I could say to her right now. He quickly fled from the scene and after dad who I think has the keys for the house. Well he is at our front door. I heard mum sigh again as she turned and face a now pleased Sally.

“ I can't believe I'm going to scream this at you already outside our new home.” She said, warning Sally. “ GO TO YOUR ROOM!”

Did my mum know how to scream or what. It made me shiver with memories of her yelling at me. That was possible her only weapon that worked against Sally.

“ But mum!” Sally whined in protest.

What this never happens!

“ But what?” Mum replied furiously.

“ I don't know where my room is?” Sally replied quietly.

Well she had a point if anything else. If it was me though I would've just ran.

“ That's right, new home. Sorry! Well when you go up the stairs it's the first door on the right ok?” She said more calmly and Sally nodded silently. “ NOW GO!”

And off she went as fast as her tubby body could take her into our new house, she even pushed Jack aside so she could get in first. Oh how I'm going to have words with her tomorrow and why am I still outside, it's FREEZING! The joys of living up on a mountain. I rest my case Stoney camp is going to be a hard place to live. I don't like the cold. Not one bit.

“ So ma this is home?” I asked as I looked at the fortress in front of me.

“ Yes this is. Boy won't we be paying it off for the rest of our lives.”

“ What this big rock...I mean stone.” I replied almost laughing at my own joke.

I turned to look at mum and she was glaring at me. Though it only lasted for a second.

“ Come now lets get inside. It's bloody freezing out here!”

I couldn't agree more.