Exciting Conclusion!

Ella and company find out what will happen next. -i know, real descriptive, right?-

***

Later that day, around 8:00

 

            “This is the scary part!” Jennifer whispered to me, clutching her teddy bear closer. Sunday nights were movie nights, and this week was Snow White. The witch was talking with the mirror at this point. All of the girls were in pajamas and drinking hot chocolate, sitting on blankets or inside sleeping bags on Sunset Prairie, a big projector by the edge of the clearing. Groups sat together, so I was by cabin 1. I sat in between Jennifer and Leah, who got scared the easiest.

            “It’ll be over soon,” I assured them, and soon enough it was back to Snow White, singing with the dwarfs.

            “Wiggy!” I heard someone call. It was Courtney, gesturing for me to come. This was the scary part.

            “I’ll be back, girls!” I called, and followed Courtney. We were going to the Sunset Prairie cabin, where Aster was going to tell us if someone (presumably us) was getting fired.

            We walked on the cool grass to the quaint cabin. The kitchen part of the cabin was full of girls getting nighttime medicine, so Aster brought us to another room. This room had a lumpy sofa and a TV. Courtney and I opted to stand. Aster, Nara, Bloop, Striker, Courtney, Bubbly, and I were standing in the crowded room.

            “Seven lovely ladies stand before me, but one of you is responsible for this catastrophe, and you all will have punishments.” Aster told us seriously. “Bubbly,”

            Bubbly looked at Aster, pushing down her Coach sunglasses, “What?” she asked impatiently.

            “You abandoned your group more than twice, not telling anyone where you were and threatening your CIT. You are banned for Camp Lakewood. Your replacement already knows. You must pack your bags and go home.”

            Bubbly swore at Aster, words that I cannot repeat in this story, “You’ll regret this day! I’m telling Daddy!”

            “I already told him. He agrees that putting you as a counselor right away was a bad decision.” Aster turned to us again as Bubbly stormed out of the room, “Bloop,” Aster addressed.

            “Yes?” Bloop was obviously nervous.

            “I’m sorry I switched you from lifeguard to a regular junior counselor. It wasn’t fair. You may pack your bags and go to the beach house. I’m putting you as a junior lifeguard again.”

            “Thank you!” Bloop hugged Aster and waved goodbye to us. I felt happy for her.

            “Striker,” Aster got her attention.

            “Yeah?”

            “You shouldn’t have let your cabin go without a counselor. The meeting was important, but your bunnies are more important. Do you understand?”

            “Yes, I’m sorry.”

            “Nara?” Aster called her.

            “Yes?” she stood next to Striker.

            “I expect more from you. I understand that you thought there was a counselor with the group, but you knew that there were no junior counselors around and that the counselor was rather unreliable. You should have been there.”

            “I understand and I apologize.”

            “Good. The both of you need to work on communication and teamwork, but to help you along the way, this week Mole has come to help out. After the week, we’ll discuss you two being with your CITs again. Talking about CITs” Aster looked at us, and Courtney and I stepped forward.

            “You should have told someone straight away when you had no counselors.” Aster told us. We nodded. “I know you were being threatened, but you still should have told someone. It wasn’t safe, and the girls could have gotten seriously hurt.”

            We apologized, and I felt like something inside me was stabbing my stomach with a pitch fork.

            “Here is what is going to happen. Rumble,”-Courtney looked up at Aster-“You are going to be switched to a group I think you would rather have. Cabin 3a, a cat cabin, could use a CIT. The cabin 1a replacements are well qualified and won’t really need a CIT. We ask that you stay with 1a until Tuesday, since the girls will get used to the new counselors if there is at least one person they know with them. How does that sound?” Aster asked.

            “Perfect!” Courtney smiled wider than I had seen her smile in a while, “Thank you so much!”

            “My pleasure,” Aster smiled, “you may go watch the rest of the movie.”

            Courtney left, and it was only Nara, Striker, and me. I was shaking in my sneakers.

            “Now,” Aster said, “you three. Wiggy,”-she turned to me-“since now 1b has two senior counselors and one junior counselor, they will be more than qualified to handle the girls. If you stay with them, you will be seriously bored. Luckily, cabin 5a is going on their “Lake and River” kayak trip, and they need CITs. One of your friends, Roo, I believe, has been requested for the trip, and since you have nowhere else to go, you’re tagging along.”

            I was flabbergasted. Kayak trip? I can’t do that! I can barely kayak in a lake! How am I going to do on a river? What about rapids?! Oh my gosh! I took a deep breath of air and tried to think positively. I’m going to be with Addie, at least. She knows as much as kayaking as I do, so we’ll be together. It’s only for one week, anyways. One long, tiring week.

            “Thank you so much, Aster!” I tried to smile, but I think it came across more like a grimace.

            Aster laughed, “I know that it’s not what you wanted, but I’m sure you’ll like it once you get going tomorrow afternoon.”

            “Tomorrow?!” I gasped.

            “Yes! You better get packing before the sun goes down, actually. You may go to your cabin and pack your bags.”

            “Uh, thank you.” I said again, and left Sunset Prairie to pack up. I finished early and came back to see the end of the movie, when Snow White is kissed by the prince and starts the beginning of the rest of her life. That’s what was happening to me, when you think about it. I was beginning the rest of the summer.

 

 

Dear Mom,

            Thank you for the new pair of mud boots, fleece jacket, long underwear, pack of tube socks, baseball cap, pack of cards, and backpacking sleeping bag. Although you bought all this when I told you I was going on an overnight backpacking trip for one night and only four miles each way, your over worrying has helped me out. You see, that girl I told you about, Bubbly, has caused my cabin group to need supervision from another counselor, leaving me in the dust. One of the only other options (and the only one available to me) is going on a kayak trip for a week with a group of seven 12-14 year olds. Oh boy.

            Don’t worry about me! All of the time when I was packing to go to camp, you were stuffing in things I thought I would never need, like six pairs of gloves, rain pants, a whole collection of winter hats, winter snow pants, a whole drawer of long underwear, at least twenty socks, and five flashlights. Thank you for packing them, by the way. You are my favorite mom!

            The pictures of Paris are absolutely gorgeous! I hope you’re having a good time, and I miss you! I’m keeping safe and wearing sunscreen.

 

All of my love forever and always,

Ella Thompson

PS. If I ever become a textaholic, shoot me in the foot.

Author's Note

anyone get the ANTM reference? Anyone?