Muttering under her breath, Samantha whirls around and stomps back down the rows of tissue boxes. “Let’s see if Zarya and Renee will let us bunk with them because I amnotsleeping inthatroom.”
Luckily for us, Renee and Zarya welcome us with open arms after we tell them about our incident in the other room.
Zarya and Samantha head back to the other room to grab another mattress. We can’t fit two in here, so Samantha and I decide to bunk together on the bottom while Renee claims the top and Zarya takes the mattress.
As we reach the bonfire,most of our year and the year above move in groups with the year advisers. We stay at the back, and I clutch my phone, looking at the no-service symbol. I wonder if Conner has sent me a message, but because there’s no service, it hasn’t come through yet…
I ignore what Mrs Moore says and follow Samantha, Renee, and Zarya towards the hiking trail with the rest of our year, soI assume we’re going there. Samantha links her arm with mine and tells me some spooky stories about a murderer on this trail.
My imagination grows, seeing a man in the woods, cloaked in darkness, and with a knife clutched in his hand as he watches us. I wonder if he thinks I’ll be an easy victim, seeking the girl no one would miss, but before my imagination runs away, a pitched scream tears me out of my thoughts.
A girl in my year runs back, and when we look ahead, Mrs More has an incredulous look on her face. “Seriously, Rebecca. It’s a lizard. This is why you girls need to get out of the city more and experience life.”
The lizard doesn’t move, as if it wants to be stone as we all walk past it. Samantha takes a picture and tells me she will send it to Dylan when we return home.
The hike isn’t that eventful. We cross a rickety bridge that sways from side to side. Algae floats in the lake underneath, and I bet that if anyone dares to swim in it, they will need to go to the hospital for a checkup.
Abseiling is scarier, though. We pass the year twelve students, and Sarah Jane smirks at me.
I decide I don’t want to push boundaries and instead record Renee, Zarya and Samantha as they head down the massive wooden wall structure. It’s the least I can do. If Conner were here, he’d push me to do it, and I more than likely would, but without him, I don’t think I’m ready.
Afterwards, we make our way down the path, and Mrs Moore tells us that before it gets dark, we should shower. Envious of the girls in the cabins with their indoor bathrooms, we head down another path, following the sign leading us to shady, creepy outdoor bathrooms.
“What the fuck,” Samantha breathes. Ahead of us is something that resembles a shack, with water trickling out from the running water inside.
I grip my towel tightly with my dry clothes wrapped inside and follow Samantha into the girls’ shower. A few girls are already in the stalls, complaining that the water isn’t warm enough. One student has a stall door open, and she tells me she has finished, so that I can use that one. I murmur my thanks, close the door, and stiffen as I realise there isn’t anywhere to put my clothes aside from the stool in the corner. Light also seeps in from the slanted, uneven stones near my feet, which lead outside the shower.
I undress and touch the yellow bruises across my belly and thighs. The water is cooler than warm, but it doesn’t bother me much. It’s a hot day, so it’s like swimming in a pool.
Untying the elastic, I step under and wash the grime, dirt, and sweat clinging to my skin. I close my eyes, tip my head back, and drag my fingers through my hairline when a light flashes underneath my eyelids. I open my eyes and look down. A stream of water flows through the uneven stones, leading outside.
“Hey, are you nearly done, Noya?” Samantha calls.
I turn the water off. “Yeah…I will meet you back at the cabin. I still need to dry off and dress.”
“I will wait outside, then.”
After I dry off and dress, she waits for me outside the girls’ showers. As we make our way to the campfire, we both admit the showers are creepy and will have one when we get home tomorrow morning.
We aren’tsure why Mrs Moore praises camping until we enter the dining hall for dinner. They sure went all out, setting up a dessert table and an all-you-can-eat roast.
After we eat, Samantha and I skip the bonfire. Rumour has it they hired someone to scare everyone with a spooky story. So, we lie in bed and talk instead.
“I’m sorry for begging you to come,” Samantha whispers. In the corner of my eye, I notice her squirm. “I thought it would be more fun than this.”
“I had fun,” I admit. “Besides, we haven’t done that much together all year. It’s my fault. It was a tough year for me.”
“Yeah, I get that. Your parents are harsh on you, aren’t they?”
I nod in the hopes she sees.
“What are you going to do on Monday if Andy is back at school?”
“Nothing.” I bite my lip before saying, “Conner said he wants to talk to him. Other than that, I don’t want to talk to Andy or hear what he has to say…at least not yet. I don’t need any excuses.”
“True.” She faces me, propping herself up on her elbow. Even in the darkness, I can see her grinning. “Have you and Conner kissed yet?”
My face burns. “No.”