𝖼𝗋𝗈𝗌𝗌𝗋𝗈𝖺𝖽𝗌 | 𝗁𝗈𝗅𝖾𝗌 2003

³ who's ladybird?

(tw: mentions of the r word, violence, language?)

I pulled my things out of my bag carefully, trying not to make too much of a mess. I hadn't packed an awful lot. A 15cm by 7cm bag held my toiletries. I also packed my favourite book, a notepad, pens, envelopes and stamps to write home with and an extra hat and pair of shoes that I probably wouldn't be needing with my bulky boots. Clothes-wise I packed a hell of a lot of underwear, couple sets of pjs and a few shirts and pairs of trousers.

I felt as though all eyes were on me as I organised my toiletries and books into the small crate. I decided to leave my clothes in the large duffle as there wasn't really anywhere else to put them.

Once I'd finished I shoved the bag under my bed and turned round to the boys who all immediately turned away as if they hadn't been staring at me for the past 5 minutes. "Hey, Magnet? Do you know where I can fill my canteen?" I asked him.

There was a large plastic bottle at the end of my bed that looked like a milk jug and the rest if the boys had theirs crossed over them, so I assumed that one must have been mine.

"Yeah, uh there's a tap by the showers, I'll show you." he offered. "Okay, thanks." I followed him back into the sun and towards the showers. I was far from looking forward to using them, they seemed as though they wouldn't provide an awful lot of privacy.

"Damn," I grumbled, turning on the tap. "It's boiling out here, how do you all deal with it,"

"We don't," he laughed, "You kinda just have to ignore it after a while." I switched off the tap and looked up and the rest of D-tent was walking to us. "Y'all wanna go to the Wreck Room?" Squid suggested, moving the toothpick in his mouth. "Yeah, c'mon," Magnet replied for the both of us.

The 'Wreck Room' lived up to its name. It was quite small for a place meant to fit about 30 boys. It had a small tv placed infront of a grim sofa that had chunks taken out of it, surrounding it was also a couple armchairs. There was makeshift bowling, a pool table, a foosball table, a couple circular tables.

My eyes went to the corner of the dull room, sat covered in dust and cobwebs sat a large bookshelf. I brushed past Armpit and walked towards it, completely surprised in. Though I wasn't too shocked about how untouched it looked.

I'd be surprised if half the boys here could read.

The bookshelf had five shelves and i was just over half the size of it. The third shelf was directly in my eyeline and I spotted a book I'd been meaning to read for ages, 'It' by Stephen King. I pulled it out and blew the dust off of it, coughing slightly.

I turned to go sit on the worn sofa, Zigzag was sat directly infront of the tv, his eyes wide. X-ray, Magent  and Lewis were playing cards, trading shower tokens and Squid and Armpit were playing pool. 

"Ladybird," Squid called as I dusted off the books cover. "Who's Ladybird?" I asked him. "You are," he laughed. "You play pool?" he picked up a cue.

"I'm Ladybird?" i've got a name already? "Why Ladybird?"

"Cause of your shirt, and earrings." he stated, as if it was obvious. "Oh yeah, Ladybirds are my favourite animal." I smiled. "Aren't they bugs?" Zigzag looked up at me from the floor. "Well, yeah but it don't really matter." I laughed a little.

"D'you play pool," Squid repeated. "Oh, urm yeah.." I stood up dropping the book on the sofa. "I'm not very good at it though, my seven year old brother is better at it than me."

"S'alright, Armpit can't play properly either," he snickered and the bigger boy punched him in the arm. "Who's breaking?" I picked up a cue and the blue chalk. "I will." Armpit decided, linining the balls up and shooting the white one into them.