Six: Yeah, I'm a Great Swimmer... But I'm Kind of Afraid of Water

As I lay in my bed that night, I can’t help but be extremely paranoid that the boys in the next room are plotting some kind of prank against me. Well, can you blame me? All that’s running through my mind is the possible schemes that their brains could be conjuring up right at this minute.

            And Jake’s probably got the most messed up brain of all, meaning he will be able to invent pranks worthy of being in Saw movies.

            Can you see why I’m scared?

            I sit up in bed and grab my phone so I can check the time. 11:34. It’s been an hour since I got into bed and the whole time I’ve been lying here wide awake, anticipating their next prank. It’s inevitable, but I don’t know when it will arrive. In a way, I’m kind of hoping they’ll get it over with so I can actually get some sleep tonight.

            What will it be this time?

            A bucket of spiders poured in my bed? Wait… what if they’re already there? My stomach drops and I pull my feet up to my chest immediately, suddenly paranoid of anything with more than two legs (me) in my bed. I’m not scared to the point of a heart attack by insects like some people (Savannah…), but I’m still not keen on the idea of sleeping with them.

            After a few moments of disconcerting silence, I eventually summon enough courage to throw back my comforter and check for any evidence of insects. When I realize I am alone under the covers, I breathe a sigh of relief that sounds unnaturally loud in the silent room. Yes, silent… that’s why I’m so suspicious that the kids are up to something. This is Forte Cabin we’re talking about and I’m not sure the name is just coincidental. I’m ninety nine per cent sure that Jake and his followers wouldn’t just settle down to bed without some kind of fuss, unless they were planning something.

            And it was surprisingly easy to coax them into bed…

            Oh my God, now I’m just making myself paranoid. If I keep this up, I’m going to be sleep deprived by the end of the first couple of days. Taking a deep breath, I force myself to lie back down under the comforter and close my eyes. The mask of blackness that my closed eyelids provide only increases my paranoia and I immediately want to sit up again, so I will be ready for an oncoming attack. However, I know that I can’t sit here all night so I force myself to remain in my horizontal position, no matter how much it scares me.

            I should probably start planning my funeral now.

***

            When my eyelids flutter open, my first thoughts are ‘where the hell am I?’ I don’t recognize the wood paneled room that I am sleeping in, and it’s then that I wonder if I’ve been kidnapped.

            Pretty cozy for a kidnapper’s dungeon…

            Then, memories of yesterday coming flooding back to me. Oh yeah. I’ve taken a completely crap job at a summer camp, been switched to the worst cabin in the entire camp, had my newest crush drooled on by a sugary sweet flautist and decorated the porch with my underwear.

            Just a normal day in my life, then.

            Sunlight is streaming in through the gaps in the blinds and the sound of muffled talking from the other room greets my ears. Immediately, I jump out of bed and throw open the door, revealing the rest of the cabin.

            There is silence for a few moments as I stand in the doorway. The kids are awake, at least, but none of them have ventured out of the warm comfort of their beds. Jake, Connor and Shaun are facing each other, probably plotting something. Bobby is still under the covers, looking incredibly scared. Alexander is reading and Isaac is sitting awkwardly, wondering what to do. The silence is short lived and is ended abruptly by Jake’s crew bursting into laughter.

            “What?” I demand, narrowing my eyes at them.

            Jake sniggers and leers at me. “Nice PJs.”

            For a moment I’m unsure of what he’s talking about, but when I look down at my appearance, I realize. I kind of forgot that I was wearing my oldest baggy night shirt, with the teddy on the front. Completely lame, I know, but they’re comfy, and who’s going to see me in my PJs anyway?

            Oh, yeah. Them.

            “Shut up,” I retort.

            Jake narrows his eyes. “You’re not supposed to talk to me like that.”

            “I don’t care.” This is the truth. I’ve only spent about thirty seconds with him and already he’s irritating me beyond belief. I’m still inwardly cursing Jenny for landing me with this cabin. This is a sure fire way of guaranteeing that my summer is going to suck.

            “Did you get the spaghetti out of your hair?”

            Is he purposely trying to wind me up? Oh, wait… yeah, he is. I don’t know what his problem is; I’ve never done anything to him. Fair enough, he’s been forced to this camp against his will, but that still doesn’t give him the right to treat me so badly.

            “Don’t even bring that up,” I warn, in the most threatening tone I can manage. Suddenly, I hear voices from the direction of one of the other cabins and instantly my head snaps to the clock on the wall. “Crap,” I mutter to myself, as Jenny’s instructions from yesterday enter my head. We’re supposed to be down for breakfast at eight, and there’s only fifteen minutes to go. “You guys need to get ready.”

            There is a pause as the words linger in the air. I can see that Jake is debating internally whether to challenge my instruction. This can go down one of two routes: the easy way, or the hard way.

            “Why should we?”

             Okay, I guess he’s chosen the hard way.

            “Because if you don’t, you’re not getting any breakfast,” I tell him simply. “Wait on the porch when you’re done, okay?”

            There are a few murmurs of response and I avoid eye contact with Jake as I head back into my room. At least that shut him up. Seriously, I can’t believe that one kid can aggravate me so much. I rifle through my case and try to find something decent to wear. I don’t know what the agenda for today is, but I throw on a comfy tee and a pair of shorts, hoping they don’t reveal too much skin. I don’t want to look like a slut.

            That’ll be Cindy’s job, after all.

            Okay… maybe that was a low blow. She wasn’t dressed particularly slutty yesterday, from what I remember, but if she’s on a hunt to seduce Blake… it’s likely that some low cut top will be in order.

            For me, low cut tops are not exactly effective. What’s the point when you have practically non-existent boobs?

            I run a brush through my hair quickly and hope that it’s not too frizzy. However, between my hopefulness and the humidity outside, it’s pretty obvious which is going to win.

            After a quick glance in the mirror at my reflection, I exit the room and head for the porch to face the beasts. Breakfast will mean escaping their presence for over half an hour, but also entering the company of another one. One with an immaculate white smile.

***

            “Hey, Bailey.”

            Tom flashes a friendly smile at me as I place my tray on the table and sink onto a bench. I’m kind of relieved, actually, because the last time we saw each other I was covered in Bolognese sauce and storming out of the dining room – a sure fire way to put awkwardness into a conversation.

            “Hi,” I respond warmly, nodding at Danny too. They are the only two at the table, which leaves me half disappointed (Blake and Savannah) and half alleviated (Cindy).

            As the tantalizing aroma of my breakfast reaches my nostrils, it comes to my attention how hungry I am. Since I only got to eat half of my dinner last night, I haven’t had a full meal in the time I’ve spent here. Surprisingly, the food is actually good here and this morning I’ve helped myself to a somewhat large serving of bacon, eggs and other fat rich menu options, which will probably go straight to my thighs.

            But I’m freaking hungry, so I don’t care.

            “Hungry?” Tom says amusedly. It is only the sound of his voice that makes me realize he is watching me scarf down my breakfast in a completely unladylike way (story of my life).

            I shoot him a sarcastic look and continue eating, although I’m making a conscious effort to slow down now. After a few moments of quiet, Savannah collapses into the seat next to me.

            “Hey!” she greets brightly, dropping her tray onto the table. Her tray, I notice, which only contains two slices of toast… therefore emphasizing the fact that I am consuming probably half of the kitchen’s stock. She turns to me expectantly. “So how’s it been?”

            “How’s what been?” I query, through a mouthful of egg. Wow… I am just the epitome of elegance.

            She smiles wryly. “Last night. Any more hassle from Jake?”

            “Surprisingly no…” I tell her. “Although that didn’t stop me from being freaking paranoid the whole time. It’s shocking I even managed to sleep.”

            “Maybe he’s got it out of his system,” Tom suggests, reminding me that the two guys are still present at our table.

            “Doubt it. He was still mouthing off to me this morning, so I don’t think that’s the case.”

            “He’ll calm down eventually,” he assures me, his trademark friendly smile once again appearing on his face. “He’ll get bored.”

            “I hope so.” I sigh. “Do you know what we’re doing today?”

            “Oh, yeah!” Savannah says, nodding vigorously at me. “I forgot to tell you. We’ve got to do some kind of team building activities on the lake. Jenny told us.”

            “Team building?” I raise my eyebrows. Wow… that sounds lame. I can see why the camp leaders think it’s a good idea though – in theory, it is. However, when you’ve met Jake, you know that team building exercises aren’t going to miraculously make the kids the best of friends.

            Tom is about to respond, but is interrupted by the sound of a familiar voice in close proximity to our table. Upon turning my head, I realize that the first and last people I want to see are heading towards us. Well, I should’ve expected it really. Although I was kind of hoping that Cindy would’ve made a last minute decision to quit camp and hop on a bus back to wherever she came from.

            Bit of a long shot, really.

            “Hi, guys!” she squeals, in a pitch that I’m pretty sure humans have never accessed before.

            “Hey,” we respond, less enthusiastically.

            She is clinging onto Blake’s arm, but to my dismay, he doesn’t look too concerned about this. In fact, judging by the smug smile on his face, he seems to be… enjoying it? My heart sinks a little. I know it was another long shot, but from last night I really got the impression Cindy’s presence also annoyed the hell out of him. However… this sight seemed like that wasn’t the case.

            The pair sink into adjacent seats across from me, giving Cindy the opportunity to shoot me a saccharine smile. Her gaze subsequently falls onto my plate and the smile leaves her face. She doesn’t make a comment, but it’s not like she needs to. It’s apparent that she thinks I’m some fat ass, especially when all that’s on her tray is a banana.

            “Is that all you’re eating?” Blake asks her, voicing my thoughts.

            Cindy transfers her eyes to him, giving him a look that probably reads duh! “Yeah,” she says. “Bananas are healthy and plus, I want to lose three pounds.”

            “You’re crazy,” he says, but there is a glint in his eye. Oh God. They are actually flirting. If I wasn’t so damn hungry, I might puke up my breakfast.

            I fake a cough, which ends up sounding a lot more awkward than I had intended. Way to kill a conversation, Bailey. “So what’s this team building thing we’re doing today?”

            Cindy’s face immediately brightens, even though I wasn’t technically aiming my question at her (yes, I am that immature). “Team building!” she squeals, almost ruining my hearing as she does so. “Oh, the girls in my cabin will love that! It’s going to be so much fun!”

            By this point, I want to punch her in the face. I resist the urge because I know that this will both make me look like an idiot (because I can’t fight to save my life) and also a bitch. I take a deep breath and instead of calling her a string of very bad words, say, “So what kind of stuff do we have to do?”

            Thankfully, the conversation transfers back to Tom at this moment. “Just random stuff that’s supposed to help us ‘bond’ with the kids. A lot of it’s on the lake – water sports and stuff.”

            I freeze. “Water sports?”

            “Yeah. Canoeing, kayaking… that kind of stuff.”

            Oh my God. In the space of about two seconds, I’ve lost my appetite. Water sports? No. Please, God, no. Please tell me I heard him wrong.

            Tom is looking at me strangely. This is probably because a look of pure unmasked terror has crept onto my face at the sound of his words. “That’s okay, isn’t it, Bailey?”

            I swallow, trying to sound as confident as possible. “Yeah, fine…”

            Did I mention I have a deathly lifelong phobia of water?