So this was how it was going to be. Violet wasn’t exactly thrilled that her summer camp cabin was shaping up to be exactly like the high school lunch room. But it wasn’t like she was limited only to befriending her sulky, snipey cabin mates. Surely there were other people she would be friends with. Though, she thought, it would probably be best to attempt to be at least...amicable with the people she was going to live with for the next two and a half months.
Violet stared at herself in the scuffed bathroom mirror in the tiny set of stalls and sinks behind Cabin 8, then glared down at her dry shampoo. Her curly blonde hair was not cooperating, per usual. She didn’t usually mind, but she was trying to make some good first impressions where she could perhaps look a little more presentable. Less like she had just stuck her finger in a socket. Maybe people would be more likely to approach her - or less likely to run away, should she approach them - if she could just defy gravity. For a few hours?
She groaned and angrily sprayed the dry shampoo onto her part, and glanced over at the stalls to double check that nobody was in them. When she looked back, she gritted her teeth and silently cursed whatever greater force was out there controlling fate. Flakes of powdery white drifted down from her scalp, covered in the caked layer of her Luscious Rose Petal Deluxe Dry Shampoo for Curly Hair (Satisfaction Guaranteed!).
She tried to find a positive angle. Okay, so she’d have to somehow run this suspicious sink water over her hair which would dry it out and probably increase the gravity-defying prosperities of her curls. On the flip side, however, her hair would smell less like sweaty summer and more like Luscious Rose Petals. Maybe the good smell would cancel out the whole hair thing?
“Cabins 7, 8, and 9! Time to leave for dinner!” A voice blared through a squeaky megaphone.
“Oh, hang on!” Violet cried, though she knew nobody could hear her.
She cupped her hands, water spilling over the edges, and began rapidly scrubbing the white powdery parts stuck on her hair. She didn’t have time to grab a towel, but breathed a sigh of relief when she stumbled outside and saw that groups of girls from each cabin were still lingering while the counselors counted heads.
“...tables organized and labeled.” The counselor with the megaphone was explaining. Violet stood on her tiptoes to try to get a better listen without drawing too much attention to herself. “Today you’ll be sitting with your cabin, but starting on Friday you’ll be able to sit with whomever you’d like.”
Violet tried to hide a smile of relief. Even more time to make friends, and less time to spend with her cabin.
“Where have you been, Little Miss Sunshine?” Dani’s leering voice called from behind and Violet turned around quickly.
“Um...I, uh-“ Violet stammered. “Just in the bathroom?”
“Well it was nice to have a little reprieve, so thanks for taking your time,” Dani’s mock cheerfulness made Violet’s cheeks redden. The girl turned around and Violet fiddled with the ponytail holders on her wrist, not quite sure of what to do with herself. “Honestly, I’m so glad we don’t have to sit with her at all our meals. Thank god Friday’s only two days away.”
Dani made no effort to keep her voice down, and Violet could tell her cheeks were getting even more red. She didn’t want to add that to the list of Things to Point Out About Violet, so she turned around and started making her way to the very back, behind all of the small groups and clusters.
“Alright kiddos, move out!” Megaphone Counselor hollered. The groups started moving faster than Violet would have expected, probably eager to get to dinner. Violet made sure there were several paces between herself and Dani’s group before bringing up the rear of the trail of campers.
The trek wasn’t that long, but with an empty stomach, it seemed like an eternity. And with nobody to talk to, it seemed to drag out even longer. Twisting at the ponytail holders on her wrist, Violet sighed and starting tugging her hair into braids to pass the time as she walked.
Her go-to hairstyle wasn’t too difficult, and she preferred it, especially in the summer, so she knew how to do it in pretty much any situation, stationary or on the go. She could probably braid her hair hanging by her feet at this point.
In the middle of her second braid, Violet began to hear voices close by, more varied in tone and timbre, louder and filled with more laughter. The sound, a harsh contrast to the quiet conversation of the girls in front of her, Violet’s attention was drawn to her right, where the sound seemed to be coming from.
“Hey, it’s Cabins 10 and 11!” Man, that counselor really liked her megaphone.
“HEY!” Somehow, another counselor leading the other group of campers had an even louder megaphone. The other girls winced but Violet laughed to herself. “WHAT’S UP MEGAN?”
Of course Megaphone Counselor’s name was Megan. Violet looked over as her cabin group and the other group both converged and she let out a loud laugh. As her embarrassing squeak of laugh carried across the path, but thankfully nobody seemed to notice.
Except a person in a black leather jacket.
Violet stumbled in her tracks as their eyes met. The other person seemed startled too, rubbing their shaved head and licking their lips. Their eyes looked at something right in front of Violet, probably Dani coming to-
Violet’s head smacked into something hard and she reeled backwards, her foot catching on a tree root and tripping her as she landed hard on her back. Violet rubbed the spot on her head where she hit the tree and she sat up, slightly dazed.
Being in the back of the group, it seemed that again, nobody had noticed Violet.
But then she heard a chuckle nearby.
She looked up.
Leather Jacket again.
Violet’s cheeks flushed as the very attractive person in question covered their mouth in an attempt to shield their noise, but Violet had already seen, and twisted her lips in embarrassment.
She sighed and flopped back onto her back, staring up at the clear blue sky tinged with a slight evening pink. Of course she had to literally run into a tree when she saw the first attractive-looking person at this camp. It was perfectly in character for her, and nothing short of the worst possible addition to an already bad day.
As the voices quieted, Violet hoped that by now, Leather Jacket had walked off. Pulling herself up, she dusted off the back of her shorts and shirt. She looked up.
“No, no, no!” Violet’s group of cabins had already started to make their way up the hill ahead of them, at the top of which was the Mess Hall. She had avoided attention for her loud laugh and her tumble, but it would all be for naught if everyone’s eyes were immediately latched onto her for being late.
Violet patted down her rebellious curls, dusted herself off one more time, then took off, carefully watching her path for stray trees.
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