James

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I couldn't believe they had left me here.

They had really left.

Despite my tantrum and protests, my mom signed me in, gave me what I assume was her idea of a reassuring pep talk, and then drove away with Lizzie, both of them abandoning me.

And they didn't even leave me with a sane counselor, much less a nice one. Judy, my group leader, was rigid and cold from the moment she met me.

Her first words to me after my family drove away were,

"Okay, look, kid. I really don't have time for the dramatics today. "

My eyes widened at her statement. There was an edge to her words, almost as if she were threatening me.

"I'm in charge," she said. "And I don't want to deal with clingy brats that can't go without mommy for a couple of weeks. So, get it together or else."

Almost immediately after finishing her sentence, a bright smile

overtook her face. I wasn't an expert at reading people, but I could tell it was a fake one. I looked in the direction she was now facing.

A woman with brown eyes, butterscotch skin, and night sky black hair was walking over to us. She was wearing a white t-shirt with the camp logo on it and a name tag that said Andrea.

I took another glance at Judy's face. Her fake smile almost seemed to have a trace of fear in it, now that I thought about it. Upon seeing this, I concluded that Andrea was the one that was really in charge here.

Not Judy.

"Hi, you must be our new visitor, James! I'm Andrea. How nice of you to join us this summer at Fairington!" the woman greeted. Her voice was kind and compassionate, nothing at all like Judy's aggressive and demanding nature.

Nevertheless, my reply to her was only a slight nod.

Andrea continued rambling about how much fun I was going to have here and then asked, "Are you ready to meet the people in your group?"

I bit my lip.

Andrea seemed to sense my uneasiness because she bent down to face me and said, "Don't worry, James; the kids here are all very nice."

I took in a deep breath, trying to muster the courage to agree with her request.

Maybe she was right. Maybe everything would be okay.

I followed Andrea and Judy to my bunk so that I could meet the other boys I would be sharing it with for the next few weeks. I knew that as long as I wasn't paired with Jasper Collins, I would probably be okay.

Jasper was my sworn enemy. He was the main reason I hated school back at home. Unfortunate fate would have it that he'd attend camp here too. Most kids in our town attended Fairington due to its popularity and proximity, but I wished that he'd had different plans this year.

Well, maybe the odds weren't in my favor concerning that area, but hopefully concerning the bunk situation they would be.

As introductions took place, I felt a flicker of hope.

My bunkmates seemed like nice guys.

"James, this is Evan Smith and Kaden Kemsworth; they are two of the people in your group, and you'll be sharing a bunk with Evan," Andrea explained.

I recognized both of the boys from school; neither of them was in my homeroom class, but their faces were still familiar. Especially Kaden's, because we had the same PE class.

Kaden gave me a slight nod. Evan glanced me over but didn't say a word either. The glance held intensity and curiosity, but much to my surprise, it didn't indicate that he hated my guts.

That was a turn of events. Usually, people took one look at me and decided right then whether or not they wanted to be friends with me.

I was yet to find someone that wanted to.

Maybe Evan would be that someone.

I concentrated on the wooden floor beneath my feet. I was still too anxious to approach others. So, if Evan wanted my friendship, he would have to reach out to me himself.

"Okay, we're going to have to give you the rest of your tour later, James, because I have more campers to show to their bunks. Normally, a volunteer would show you around, but unfortunately, we're short-staffed this summer. Unless one of your bunkmates would willingly volunteer?" Andrea prompted.

Silence ensued.

I wasn't surprised.

Of course, no one was going to show me around. Just as I'd recognized them from school, they had recognized me. They knew who I was. I was the boy no one talked to.

The kid no one liked.

My face went hot from humiliation, and I was more than ready to bolt from the room until a quiet voice said, "I'll show him around Fairington if he wants me to."

Andrea let out a breath she probably didn't know she was holding.

My eyes shot up to identify the speaker. Although, something inside of me kind of already knew who it was. Evan gave me a friendly shrug, and for the first time that day, I almost smiled.

Almost.

"Great! Fantastic!" Andrea exclaimed a bit too joyfully. I could tell she was worried I would have no friends here, and Evan being kind to me had given her some relief. Honestly, I was quite relieved too. The optimism was working.

Right then, I realized everyone was staring at me, and it dawned on me, they were waiting for my response.

"Sure, thanks," I managed to mumble back.

Evan just shrugged again. For some reason, this made me like him more. He was just a nice, chill guy and wasn't seeking praise for his offer to show me around.

As Andrea and Judy made their exit, I realized that Evan was the first person from school that had ever volunteered to spend time around me. The hope that was flickering within me began rapidly growing from a flicker to a flame. This summer could be okay. It could be even better than okay. It could be fun. I knew I was probably getting excited too quickly but didn't mind. If I was going to be stuck here for a month, I wanted to try and, at least, enjoy myself.

Evan walked over to me and sat down on the lower bunk.

"Want me to help you unpack?" he asked.

The offer took me by surprise, but I wasn't hesitant to agree.

"Yeah, sure. That'd be great," I said.

Evan shrugged yet again and then began to help me remove my unfolded clothes from my suitcase. We didn't care to place them neatly in the drawers like my mom had put them in the suitcase. We simply shoved them into the drawers without a second thought.

Inwardly, I laughed at how Lizzie would respond to our actions. She'd say something completely sexist like, "Boys are just animals."

A smirk appeared on my face.

Evan gave me a weird look.

I quickly explained what had me smirk.

"Sisters are dumb," he replied immediately.

I nodded with him in agreement.

"Mine thinks she knows EVERYTHING," I said.

Evan flopped back on my bed like we were old friends sighing,

"Mine too, dude. Mine too."

He and I continued discussing the stupidity of our older sisters for the next couple of minutes. Kaden was playing a game on his phone, not paying either of us the slightest bit of attention. That was fine with me. One new friend was something I'd never had. I wasn't complaining that I didn't have two.

As Evan and I put away the last of my clothes, the wooden door swung back open to reveal the face of my third cabinmate.

At first, I don't think he recognized me.

But once he did, a smug look appeared on his face, eyes gleaming like he'd just won the lottery. I was surprised at first, but the shock that was overwhelming me quickly turned to fear.

Standing in the doorway was none other than Jasper Collins.