New Horizons

Chapter 1

"You have got to be kidding me," I said as the rustic log cabin appeared outside my window. A short distance after that came the sign: New Horizons Bible Camp. "No way, do not tell me we're stopping here."

"You know, if you gave it a try you might like it," my mom gave me a hopeful look.

"I lost cell service 2 hours ago," I told her. "And my phone can't find wifi."

"Give it here," my father held his hand out. I put my phone in his hand and he threw it out the window. "There. Problem solved."

"Dad!" I gasped and stumbled out of the car. "Fuck," I groaned when I saw my phone sitting right in a puddle.

"Ahem," a voice said. I looked up to see a pudgy woman in khaki shorts. "New campers should check in over there."

"Thank you," my father said all too cheerfully. "Come on, Piper."

"I'll wait in the car," I told him.

"What are you talking about?" Mom asked.

"Obviously this," I pointed to the landscape around me. There were kids about my age everywhere, singing and playing games. It looked like a commercial until you noticed the giant wooden cross standing next to the lake. "Was just some elaborate scare tactic you cooked up to shock me into acting right. Well, it was fun, but we can go home now."

"Piper, this isn't a joke," Dad's face turned cloudy. "We didn't drive you 4 hours into the mountains just to mess with your head. This is it. You're spending the summer here."

"Like hell I am," I laughed.

"Piper, please," Mom was making her usual pouting face at me. "You brought this on yourself. First with your grades, and then the alcohol and then-" her voice trailed off.

She didn't have to say it for me to know what she was talking about. I'll never forget the look on my parents face when they found me that night. That memory will probably haunt me for the rest of my life. If I ever manage to escape it, the internet will remind me.

"I don't think spending the summer trapped with a bunch of Jesus freaks is going to make me want to stop drinking," I said. "Or anything else. Really it might just make me want to drink more."

"That's too bad, Piper," Dad said. "Because it's going to be an awfully long summer for you with that kind of attitude."

"Clearly I can't appreciate this kind of gift," I smiled at him. "Maybe you should take me home."

"Actually I think you need this now more than ever," Dad said. "And if you can't find a way to make it work then we'll be looking at other options."

"There are options?" I asked.

"Not good ones," Dad shook his head. "If you think this is bad, the alternatives for next year are far worse."

"Wait, next year?" I couldn't help it, my jaw dropped open. "Like boarding school or something?"

"Or something," Dad said. Mom turned her face away and flashed a smile at another parent. She does that when she's trying not to cry in public.

"You would seriously send me away?" I gasped. "I can't believe this."

"Start believing," Dad turned to the car and hit the remote to open the trunk. "Your mother packed some things for you."

"No fucking way," I bit the inside of my mouth and tried not to start crying. "This isn't fair, I get that I messed up but you can't just leave me here. I said I was sorry."

"Sometimes saying you're sorry isn't enough," Dad said as he hefted two brand new-looking bright pink duffle bags out of the car. They each looked like they could easily have fit me and my best friend inside. "And this isn't just about your recent mistakes, Piper. There's so much more to it than that."