The Summer of a Teenager

Chapter 12: Camp Drama

"Kate!" Alex shouted from downstairs.

"What?" I groaned.

"Time for camp!" he shouted.

Oh, shoot. I totally forgot about camp. Every year, since third grade, Alex and I went to a summer camp called Happy Summer. Yes, its literal name was Happy Summer. But I had completely forgotten about camp. I hadn't packed, I didn't prepare myself at all. And camp was for two weeks, so I had to think fast.

I quickly grabbed my green duffle bag out of my closet and stuffed a lot of clothes into it. Basically, my whole wardrobe. Then, I went into my bathroom, brushed my teeth and stuffed my hairbrush, toothbrush, toothpaste, and other stuff into my duffle bag as fast as I could.

I headed out, lugging my bag. Alex was downstairs, his duffle bag over his shoulder. He carried it like it was nothing, but he looked like he was annoyed at something.

"What's wrong?" I asked him.

"Kate, Olivia is going," Alex explained.

Oh, I forgot to tell Alex that Olivia and I weren't exactly "friends" anymore. I thought to myself. "Uh, Alex," I began.

"Yeah?"

"Olivia and I aren't exactly, hehe, 'friends' anymore."

"Whatdoyoumean?" he asked in one word.

"I mean what I said."

"Well, that's just great," he said sarcastically.

"Whatdoyoumean?" I mocked him.

"Now, Olivia hates both of us. She's going to get all of her other 'bratty' friends to go against us."

"So? It's not like I'm friends with Olivia's friends," I said.

"This is going to ruin us in high school. Kate, everyone will hate both of us."

"Wait, I don't understand. We're both not 'popular,'" I said.

"But her friends are," Alex explained.

"Like who?"

"Amanda Renolds. Joshua Howard," he said.

"Oof. Well, she does tell her friends, I have some serious dirt on her," I explained.

"Like what?" he asked.

"Well first off, since you don't have Instagram, and I do: She posted, after you broke up, that you were the worst boyfriend she's ever had."

"Geez. Wait. She's never had another boyfriend."

"I know, but since you don't have Instagram, she can put whatever she wants on there."

"What's your point?" he asked.

"My point is, I'll tell the whole high school that she never had a boyfriend before you. So, the whole school will think she's a liar."

"Genius." He put his hand up for a high-five. I slapped it in victory.

***

Happy Summer was only twenty minutes away, thank God. I hated road trips, and just transporting anywhere in general.

"Bye!" Mom kissed me on the cheek. She gave Alex and I a big hug and then drove off.

"Is it just me, or are there way more people here than there were last year?" I asked Alex.

"No, there are definitely more people," he responded.

We both held our duffle bags over our shoulders as we looked around.