Camp Z

Chapter 3: popularity?!

I had assumed that the camp had been running for years and everyone was already in friendship groups, so I didn't have many high hopes for making friends straight off. Turns out, this was the first year of the summer camp, and everyone else was feeling the same as me and looking for friends. I walked over to the group of people who who had gathered together in the centre of the field. It consisted of a group of triumphant-looking adults (proof that I wasn't the only one who didn't want to go!) and their nervous children. Even though the leaflet said ages 13-15, none of them looked any older than my age, 13. I was surprised that there were so many of them. I had originally estimated the numbers being around 10, but it looked as though there were nearly 50 here!
When they noticed me coming, they all turned around and watched me walk towards them. The other kids looked relieved, as I did, that they Weren't the only ones. A man who was wearing a t-shirt with the summer camp logo on it smiled and greeted me warmly. 'Hello!' he said. 'Always great to see more young people interested in Going wild!'. I grinned back, and my mum handed over the permission form, the money and the donation form. 'Thank you so much, Madame, for your kind donation to our cause' he said kindly. 'Use it well, and I might donate more!' my mum said, equally kindly. She turned to me, gave me a hug and told me to 'take care and have fun!'
I hugged her back and replied 'you too, mum, you too'. Then she turned around, and walked back to the car. 'See you in a month!' I yelled after her.

*
After my mum had left, the other parents decided that they could leave now as well. There were choruses of 'goodbye!' and 'see you in a month!'.
The camp leader smiled (he seemed to do a lot of that), and then called 'come on, boys and girls, let's get this thing started!'
We followed him towards a van about a hundred metres away, and I found myself walking next to light-brown haired girl, who I found myself feeling attracted to. She looked at me, and grinned nervously. 'So' she said. 'what you called?' 'James' I replied. 'you?' 'Millie'. I decided to grin back. I was rewarded with a big smile and an immediate friendship. 'I was so nervous that everyone would know each other already and I would be the odd one out' I said. 'I was too' she replied. We arrived at the van and the camp instructor told us to divide into girls and boys. I grinned and waved goodbye as I moved away from Millie.
'Now, as you will be all working together for the next month, I don't want to have arguments springing up all over the place, and as the most common arguments are boys against girls, you will be put in pairs. These pairs will consist of one boy and one girl. Now, I will put you into random pairs, unless there is anyone who knows someone of the opposite sex who they would like to be in a pair with. If you do have a preference, please put your hand up now'. I felt my hand going up as I thought: 'what the hell'. I looked over to the group of girls, and was relieved to see Millie's hand going up as well. When she saw my hand going up, she grinned, and I smiled at her. I was triumphant. I had made a true friend in the first hour. The camp instructor nodded, and indicated for us to go and stand about fifty metres away, next to a sign labeled: boy/girl pairs.
As we walked over, I took the time to look at her. She looked amazing with splashes of sunlight glittering in her hair... I stopped my thoughts there, before they went to far. I thought about the irony of it all. Yesterday, I was determined not to go, but now I was falling for a girl I only met ten minutes ago? I shook my head and laughed. Millie looked at me, with a puzzled expression on her beautiful face (shut up brain!). 'What?' she asked. 'It's just, yesterday I was about to run away so I didn't have to come here, but now I've just made a good friend in the first quarter of an hour? At school at home I'm used to being the loner, just coz my family don't have that much money' 'really?' Millie asked. 'coz I think that your a really nice person.' she smiled at me. I felt my face going bright red, and just managed to get out: 'I think your a nice person too'. God, I was always rubbish at this. She leaned over and pecked me on the cheek. I pulled stepped backwards, surprised. She looked hurt. 'Sorry' she said. 'I just. Thought that-' 'there's nothing to be sorry about'. I said. 'I was just surprised, that's all'. I grinned, she grinned back, and I knew no harm was done. Then she leaned in again, and I thought, what the hell and leaned in too. We kissed.