Family + Camp (working title)

Chapter 3: Loser part 1

The thing was, the new job did not require her dad to be a perfect hero. This camp in California that had recruited him didn't care that he was a loser.

At least, that is what Nell shouted at him when he explained why they had to move.

They were in the dining room, which was nothing fancy, really, an offshoot of the kitchen, and Sandra had stood up and grabbed Nell by her upper arm, fingers digging into her muscles. Nell thought for sure Mom would slap her. She had the temper for it.

"Sandy!" Her dad had said, alarm in his voice. He knew his wife was capable of balancing and falling off the knife's edge if she let herself.

"Don't you ever, ever call your dad a loser, you ungrateful, little brat," her mom said, teeth clenched.

Nell swallowed her fury. Because she knew her mom was right. She was an ungrateful, little brat. Her parents deserved better. But she was pissed.

"He is a hypocrite," Nell said, matching her mom's low tone. "And so are you."

Her mom looked like she wanted to deny it, but she didn't. Maybe she was confused by the word hypocrite in this context. Nell was a little confused herself. Hypocrite was a favorite callout by her peers. They used it without hesitation all the time. In this context, it sounded good. Right. Righteous.

Nell had spun out of her mother's grip. They didn't get along all that much—dad was Nell's ally—and it had gotten worse in the last few years.

After her call with Len, Nell had paced her small bedroom for a while. She was too amped up. Sitting around for the rest of the evening, pretending that everything was okay was out of the question.

Peeking her head out of her door, Nell listened. Everything was quiet. Her parents must have gone to their bedroom or maybe out for a twilight walk through camp. She tiptoed down the hall with her purse, then hesitated. She wasn't in trouble. Sure, she'd been a shit, but they hadn't grounded her. Just to be on the safe side, she scrawled a note and left it on the kitchen counter: Went to Len's. Back by 9. There. Ass covered.

Still, Nell scooted quietly out of the house and got into the car that was "hers"—her mom's old VW Rabbit. Sandra had upgraded to a Golf, and Dad had the camp pickup truck. Guess he'd have to give that up.

Nell headed out of camp, driving five miles above the posted 5 MPH signs. Past the Slow Children at Play sign—Len always asked where the slow children were—and up then down the hill to the main road.

Len's home was a fifteen minute drive, twelve if she sped, which she always did. She knew the speed traps, the blind curves.

Len and his mom lived in a small, slightly rundown apartment building. Mrs. Rodriguez was originally from Mexico, and Mr. Rodriguez was back there, although they were no longer together. Len didn't like to talk about it. He and his mother spoke Spanish together, and Nell always wondered what they were saying. Her high school Spanish just wasn't good enough for their rapid-fire conversations. Morrie and Sandy both spoke the language, and Jamie spoke it as well as French, German, Portuguese and some Mandarin, the show-off.

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Wattpad fam: The beginning of another chapter in which we meet Len, Nell's BFF. And I've included a magazine ad for a 1975 VW rabbit, which is what I imagine Nell drives--her parents are frugal, so I think of her driving a 15-year-old car as something that would track. More to come soon! Thanks for reading, and please like and comment.