Short Story #1

Camp Overnight
The group of girls lay on their blankets across the big soccer field, munching on their popcorn as they watched Troy kiss Gabriella projected onto the white wall of the pavilion. On one of the bigger blankets lounged four of the girls in the fourth grade camp group, their three counselors sitting behind them. Rebecca and Jessyca lay contentedly on their stomachs, occasionally whispering to one another about how they had each seen High School Musical 3: Senior Year in theaters and how dreamy Zac Efron was. Sharone and Stephanie, two of their counselors took turns shushing them when their voices threatened to overpower Sharpay singing on the screen. Cheryl, another girl in the group lay on her stomach as well, devouring her popcorn as she lay on her stomach slightly off the blanket with her bare feet kicking up and down. The third counselor sighed quietly, pushing her light blond hair out of her faces as she kept her eyes on Cheryl before focusing on the arguing girls in front of her. Elizabeth's head rested on the sweatshirt the counselor had placed on her lap earlier, laying contently on her back. Beside her, Rebecca H. begged her to move up closer to the screen.
Realizing the argument would only get louder if she let it continue, the counselor butted in. “Girls, the movie is almost over. Why don't you just stay where you are for now?” Jamie whispered to them.
“Fine.” Rebecca H. huffed, laying back down with her head perched on her counselors knee. Her eyes drifted from the screen, staring up at the dark sky above her as she watched the twinkling of the stars that were not present when the movie had began.
The sound of clapping brought the young girl out of her reverie, glancing back at the credits rolling on the makeshift screen.
“Alright everyone. I hope you all have been enjoying your overnight at camp so far.” Hilary, the division head's, voice rang out over the group of thirty third and fourth grade girls and their counselors. “Unfortunately, now I am going to ask you all to go back to the drama building and set up for bed. We have another busy day of camp tomorrow.” she continued amidst the grumbling of the girls.
Reluctantly, the girls rose from their perches on the vast soccer field, gathering their blankets and putting their shoes back on. With a counselor taking the lead, the group made their way away from the pavilion.
“Come on girls. Hurry up.” Jamie called, glancing behind her and noticing a few stragglers. They were all strangely quiet for the trip back. Flashlights gleamed, lighting up the path through the woods that led to the drama building. Some of the girls quickened their pace after the trees surrounded them, others holding on to their friends in fright and worry that the fox they had seen earlier in the light of day or something even scarier would show itself.
Luckily, it seemed that the fox was taking the opportunity of a quieter camp to get some rest as well and did not show its face. The group made its way to the drama building without incident, as they climbed up the steps and entered the wood cabin like building that would be their room for the night. One of the counselors flicked on the light, bringing the large room into focus. The small, red couches were pushed to the side and a pile of sleeping bags and luggage was visible in one corner.
“Girls, grab your stuff and find a place to put your sleeping bags. When you are done, brush your teeth and get ready for bed.” one of the older counselors took charge, calling out names on the luggage as the girls came over to claim them. Jamie ambled over to help, finding the correct owners of the luggage while watching her campers carefully waiting for a sign of trouble. After each of the girls had their stuff, Jamie laid out her own sleeping bag towards the middle of the room and near her campers, while most of the other counselors put their sleeping bags together towards the back corner of the room.
A scream of frustration stopped Jamie from untying the knot keeping her sleeping back together. Looking up, she noticed with disappointment that it was coming from her group of campers. With a sigh, she walked the few steps over to them. “Cheryl, what is the problem?” she questioned, addressing the camper who had screamed.
“Elizabeth won't let me put my sleeping bag next to hers. She promised I could sleep next to her.” Cheryl complained.
Jamie looked at the row of sleeping bags with her girls sitting on them while Cheryl held hers tightly in her hands. “Elizabeth, did you tell Cheryl she could sleep next to you?”
“Yes, but then Rebecca and Jessyca said that they wanted to sleep next to me and they put their sleeping bags their first.” Elizabeth informed Jamie.
“Okay. Cheryl, what if you put your sleeping bag next to Kara?” Jamie questioned, attempting to placate Cheryl without making the other girls move.
“No! I don't want to sleep next to Kara. I want to be next to Elizabeth.” Cheryl replied stubbornly, scrunching her face in defiance.
“Rebecca, Jessyca. Would either of you be willing to move next to Kara?” Jamie asked, indicating the girl who set up her sleeping bag just a few down. Both girls shook their head resolutely. Jamie sighed, running her hands roughly through her hair in frustration as she looked about the room.
“What if you put your sleeping bag horizontally right here and your head can be near Elizabeth's too?” Jamie tried, at a loss of what to do since no one seemed willing to move.
“Okay.” Cheryl said slowly, wiping the tears from her face and starting to put her sleeping back out. Nodding, Jamie watched the girls for a while and realizing that the crisis was averted, went back to setting up her own sleeping bag.
As the girls got their bedding set up, they all took turns using one of the two bathrooms located in the back of the room to change into their pajamas and brush their teeth. The younger girls looked knackered, their eyes drooping shut as soon as their head hit the pillow despite the fact that the light was still on. The older girls, on the other hand, still seemed wide awake. A few of them were congregated on Elizabeth's sleeping bag, talking animatedly. From where she was a few feet away, Jamie could hear snippets of their conversation. Her fourth grade campers took turns talking about the activities that had gone on during the day.
“The talent show was the best. Did you see when Rebecca and Kara did all those dance moves together? So cool.” one of the girls commented.
“Uh uh. Making the raft and getting to swim in the pool after everyone else left was by far the best.” another claimed.
“I liked watching High School Musical Three.” a small voice added in to the discussion. Jamie just smiled, glad that the girls were all getting along well at the moment. Her eyes scanned the room. A few of the third graders were still awake, though just barely. Their eyes kept drifting closed even as they tried to read the pages of the books that they had brought with them. A few of the fourth grade girls were huddled together filling out mad libs and laughing. The majority of the counselors were huddled in the corner, trying to hide their phones as they texted whoever it was they were talking to. Jamie looked up as she noticed them all stash their phones quickly under their sleeping bags.
Their division head's curly hair came through the door as her brown eyes surveyed the girls in the room. “Time for lights out.” she called out from the doorway. “Goodnight everyone.”
The girls scurried over to their own sleeping bags, not questioning after hearing her stern voice. With a movement of her hand, she beckoned all of the counselors over to her. “I just wanted to let you know that I don't care what you do once the girls are asleep as long as there are at least two counselors in here with the girls.” she whispered, handing a walky talky to one of the counselors, “I will be sleeping in the office by the phones. If you need anything feel free to walky me.” We all nodded, turning out the lights after the division head had left.
“Goodnight girls. Try to get some sleep.” one of the older counselors said before turning to the other counselors and whispering. “Who wants to stay in here?”
“I'll stay.” a tall, brunette third grade counselor offered.
“Me too.” Jamie informed them at the same time another counselor said that she would. The remaining counselors nodded, slowly and quietly making their way out into the darkness of the woods surrounding them. Jamie and the other two counselors plopped themselves down on the red couches they had moved earlier. They stayed there, talking quietly to themselves until a few of the younger girls giggling started to get out of hand.
“I've got them.” the brunette offered, getting up and carefully making her way over the sleeping girls to the two who were not.
“I can't sleep.” a small voice uttered from the other side of the room.
The other girl began to get up, before Jamie stopped her. “She's mine. I'll go over and see what was wrong.” Trying to find spots not filled with slippery sleeping bags, Jamie cautiously made her way over to Elizabeth.
“What's the matter?” she questioned softly, sitting down by the head of her sleeping bag.
“I can't get to sleep. I'm too hot.” Elizabeth muttered softly, tossing and turning in her sleeping bag as she tried to get comfortable.
Jamie went to get up, only to be stopped by Elizabeth's pleading voice. “Jamie, don't go. I want to go home. I don't want to sleep here. I miss my mom.”
“It's okay Elizabeth. You will see your mom in the morning. And I'll be right back. I'm just going to get you a cool cloth.” Jamie promised, making her way to the bathroom to put some cold water on a cloth before making her way back.
“Will you stay with me until I fall asleep?” Elizabeth questioned as Jamie put the cool cloth over her forehead in an attempt to cool her down so she could sleep.
“Sure Elizabeth.” she told the young girl, making herself comfortable by her sleeping bag. After several more trips to rewet the compress, Elizabeth's deep breathing joined the snores and sighs of the rest of the campers. Waiting a few more minutes to make sure that she was truly asleep, Jamie made her way back to her own sleeping back. The other counselors had already joined the campers in the land of dreams. Jamie set the alarm on her phone to vibrate before placing it under her pillow and drifting off into sleep herself. Two o'clock in the morning. Tomorrow would be a very long day indeed.