Second Chances

Chapter Three

**Angel's P.O.V**

Then it hit me, like a ton of bricks.

"A boy?! You turned me into a boy?!?!" I stuttered nervously, my hands automatically flying to my chest. Sure enough, I was as flat as a washboard. I took a step backwards in disbelief. What had they done to me? This had to be some sort of a dream, a mirage.

"Now, listen," Julie coaxed, "it's only temporary, and--"

"You're KIDDING ME!" I yelled, suddenly uncontrollably angry. "I never gave you permission to do this!"

The people around the room looked uncomfortably towards each other. "You didn't have to," a woman's sarcastic voice snapped. I looked over and saw a lady with large, glossy red lips and auburn hair that cascaded down in waves. She seemed to have a permanent smirk on her face. "Your mom did, sweetie."

My heart stopped. "My mom? What?"

"--She gave you permission to go to rehab, Angel," Julie explained frantically. Addressing the woman, she added, "Lydia, hush now..."

Lydia said nothing else, she just peered down at her clipboard.

A man suddenly materialized on a blue dot in the room that I hadn't noticed earlier. He stepped off of the dot, and it disappeared. His face screamed of urgency. "We have twenty seconds."

Julie whipped her head around to me. "We don't have much time, Angel. Listen to me. Don't tell anyone who you are. Never reveal your real name. The people at the camp don't know about you, so unless you come in contact with me, then don't. Tell. Anyone."

I began to get scared. Really scared. Like, I'm-about-to-jump-out-of-an-airplane-with-a-makeshift-umbrella-parachute scared. "What's going on here? I still don't understand!"

Julie continued to rush through instructions. "We have meetings with our administrators every other day at dinner, so you can talk to me there. Make friends, have fun, and even if you didn't take drugs like you claim, try to learn a thing or--"

A blinding light flashed in front of my face, and I shielded my eyes, falling to my knees. "JULIE!" I yelled, but didn't hear a reponse. I could have sworn that she was about to say "two," but that wasn't the first thing on my mind right then.

I wanted to yell, but couldn't force words to come out of my mouth. I felt sort of like I was flying and falling at the same time. It was an eerie, zero-gravity sort of feel.

Desperately trying to find a topic of distraction, my mind flew through different scenarios. What if I actually did jump out of a plane with a makeshift umbrella-parachute? I would float through the air, be able to touch the clouds... It would be nice, breezy, and calm. Just a short flight until my feet tapped the ground. And if it rained? I had nothing to fear, after all, I would be under an umbrella.

The though calmed me down, but not for long. Suddenly, the light faded and I felt the ground beneath me. I took a wild look at everything and saw twenty or more teenage facing staring up at me.

~~~

The first face I saw was a girl, who seemed about college-age. She had mousey brown hair pulled up into a messy bun, and a button nose. She was pretty tall and fit. She looked sort of like a jogger.

"I'm Rachel, the Head Camp Counselor here at Second Chances. What's your name?" She flashed an award-winning smile.

My gaze skimmed over the crowd like a waterbug skimming over a pond. "I'm, um..." Julie had told me not to give away my identity. Not only that, but "Angel" wasn't really a boyish name.

"My name's Chance!" I burst out. Oh shit. Had I really just named myself after my favorite TV show character, Chance Markson?

Rachel grinned. "It's nice to meet you, Chance."

The crowd of kids began to dissipate, and I began to check out my surroundings. I was once again on a large yellow dot, this time on the edge of a forest. In the clearing before me I saw a few scattered buildings and dirt paths, and a row of cabins that people seemed to be heading in and out of. It was all teenagers. It looked like a typical high school, with popular people and losers and nerds. Even goths and emo kids. Before I had become a singer, I had wanted to be a cheerleader in high school. Of course, I had gotten a much better opportunity.

I grinned nervously as Rachel held out her hand to help me off of the yellow platform. I slid down and my feet hit the grass. As tall as I had assumed Rachel was, I appeared to be a whole head taller. This whole thing was new to me.

Just go along with it, I thought. When we get to meet with our Administrator's I'll ask to leave.

"Follow me!" Rachel exclaimed peppily. "You're one of Julie's kids, so you'll be in the Blue Division."

"Blue Division?" I asked. Oh great, more proper nouns.

Rachel nodded. "There are four Divisions, just like there are four Administrators. Blue, Red, Yellow, and Green. Y'all were divided up due to special talents. Blue is the musical Division, Red is the martial arts Division, Yellow is the athletic Division, and Green is the theater Division. Julie told me you're a singer." Rachel giggled. "That's pretty amazing."

I blushed. "Yeah, well, it's nothing." I wonder how she'd react if she knew that I was Angel.

"There are three cabins for each Division. I'm Cabin 3 of the Green division, so I won't see ya very often. You're in Cabin 2, so you'll be with Rocky. He's pretty cool, but loves to play pranks on the newbies." Rachel giggled. "Be careful!"

I nodded as the cabins came closer and closer. I began to notice that the roofs of the cabins were different colors, the colors of the four Divisions. Well that was nifty.

Rachel led me over to the Blue cabin in the middle. "This is yours," she smiled. "Rocky's in there, and he'll appoint someone to show you around the campus. Okay?"

I nodded. "How many people per cabin?" I inquired.

Rachel shrugged. "About 5-10. I think Cabin Blue 2 has six now. Rocky doesn't count, since he's the counselor."

I nodded. What would a guy say in this situation? "Thanks." I suppose that was relatively painless.

She nodded happily, and skipped away. I stood at the entrance of the cabin, people walking everywhere. The cabins was pretty nice, square little houses with porches. They appeared to be two stories. I walked up the dirt driveway and opened the screen door of the porch. I didn't notice the boy to my right, and as I set my hand on the doorknob I heard a grunt.

Alarmed, I turned to my right. I had assumed that there was nothing but a black chair, but a boy, clad in dark clothes, sat there. His eyes were covered by a pair of sunglasses and he had a smirk on his face. "You the newbie?" He grunted.

I nodded nervously. This guy looked like the sort of guy that didn't want to be messed with. He had a spiked choker, along with various piercings along his ears. He had one under his lip and one on his eyebrow. He grinned at me with a snakelike smile.

"I'm Axel," he sneered, standing up. He began to stroll over to me, and I instinctively took a step back. He chuckled, and held his hand out with a satisfied smile. It was like he wanted me to be scared of him.

I shook his hand firmly. I wasn't going to be afraid of this guy, not if I could help it. I countered his smile with a snakelike grin of my own. "It's a pleasure."

Axel chuckled, and then leaned down to me. The satisfied smirk had transformed into a look of menace. "Listen here, pretty boy, don't get in my way."

I blink as he walked down the porch and out onto the dirt road. Immediately he was surrounded by a mob of girls. He seemed to be quite the ladies man.

Yeah? Well I know who I'm NOT falling for! my determined mind exclaimed. Then I realized that I was a boy. It'd be awfully awkward if I fell for anyone.

I took a glance back, and then stepped into the cabin. I had no idea what the rest of the boy'd be like, but I was expecting the worst.