Cabin thirteen

4

I bit into my sandwich as Isabelle told me about her hiking experience this morning. Her cabin was one of them that hiked too. She said that they walked all the way to a lake nearby that was hidden by trees. It was only like a 10 minutes walk and the scenery was beautiful.

How come I didn't get to go that way? Lame.

"Are you guys almost done talking, we need to head outside for volleyball." Levi approached our table and tapped his large hand on it impatiently.

I stared up at his green eyes that looked right back at me before muttering my response, "why?"

"Because it's our next activity, Duh."

"Okay, I'm almost done." I replied as I turned back toward Isabelle. Levi remained standing there, waiting.

"Is that all you needed?" I furrowed my eyebrows as my expression conveyed my confusion, "why are you still here?"

"I'm waiting."

"Christ, okay. I'm done. We're done." I replied as I stood up.

He beamed, "good."

Isabelle and I followed him out to where a bunch of volleyball nets were set up on the grass.

"It's a tournament." He stated.

"Okay?"

Jack, Marshall, and Owen approached the three of us with laughs surrounding the space.

"So...I take it we're all a team?" Jack motioned to the six of us standing around.

"Counselors are participating?"

"Of course." Levi smiled, "most of them."

"This is going to be so fun!" Isabelle cheered.

I smiled, trying to be as excited as she was.

We all got into positions on the court with another team on the other side of the net.

Isabelle, Levi, and I were in the back row with the other gremlins in front of us.

The ball was served over the net and I passed it up into the air and watched as it was set and hit over the net. The other team returned it back quickly and we repeated this for a little. Occasionally we'd call out "I got it" or "mine" to make things less confusing.

The ball came hurdling over the net to the right of me a little and I moved quickly to get it. I bumped into Levi hard against his shoulder and we both went tumbling down.

"Why'd you go for it, it was closer to me?" I asked as I rubbed my arm, still sitting on the ground.

"You didn't look like you had it." He replied as he stood up and dusted off his hands.

"I did."

He held his hand out toward me and I grabbed it as he yanked me up off the ground with a lot of force.

"Use your words next time." He smiled at me.

I gave a small fake smile as I looked back to the game and it resumed.

Isabelle passed it up and I set it, leaving Jack to spike it down hard onto the other side of the net. One of the girls on the other side ran for it but didn't make it and the ball touched the ground. Jack cheered and high fived me with a smile.

We all got back into position and the ball was served over the net. We went back and forth for a while, they scored and we scored.

We were up the other team by one point and they served it over the net. The ball flew toward the spot in front of me and I dove forward to get it, as no one else was going for it. This may be a silly camp game but I was all in it. The ball came down and smacked me in the face as I was flying down onto the ground. It hit hard, slapping my nose and part of my eye and cheek. It hurt like a motherfucker. Clearly I didn't hit it, it hit me.