7 Days {edited}

Three

The food was surprisingly good. Not at all how I'd expected. When it talks about camp food in books, it's always gross and inedible. But not at Lake Tishomingo.

Tonight there's chicken-real, tenderized Parmesan chicken-and brown rice with little vegetables in it. I ate everything on my plate and washed it down with a plastic cup of Mountain Dew, my favorite soda.

I didn't recognize some of the people at my table. There was Emily, Cami, Jordyn, and Blake, but Blake had invited some of his guy friends to sit with us. One of them-I think his name was Lincoln-was really cute, but I tried not to stare.

Everyone chatted endlessly about camp, and swapped stories from past years. Meanwhile, I sat there listening. I didn't have anything to add.

"Rain?"

At the sound of my name, I looked up. "Hm?"

"I asked what you like to do." Surprisingly, it was Lincoln who was asking the question.

"Oh. Well I work at Chick-Fil-A, and I love reading."

"What do you like to read?" he added.

"Fiction, mostly. The Hunger Games. Divergent. Things like that."

"Oh, I love the Hunger Games! What's your favorite book in the series?"

"The first one," I replied, smiling.

Everyone else at the table continued to talk while Lincoln and I discussed books and movies, kind of tuning the rest of them out.

When dinner was over, it was time for the first session. I was nervous as Emily and I walked to the chapel. I hadn't been able to bring my Bible, considering I didn't have one, and I felt like everyone would judge me.

We sat in these cushioned blue chairs that were in rows of eight. The others-Cami, Jordyn, Blake and his friends-joined us.

There was a stage about ten feet from the first row of chairs, with microphone stands and instruments set up. I hoped the music would be good. I didn't listen to gospel music; mostly it was just country. But I knew it wouldn't be all trucks and beer at this place.

The youth pastor-his name was Brett, I'd learned-jumped up on stage with the band and they prayed over us. I closed my eyes and pretended to listen, but I was really just trying to look like everybody else.

Brett announced the first song and I prepared for the worst. But the song was...good. Catchy, even. I saw people clapping to the beat and raising their hands in the air. What was this? I'd never seen anything like it. But I found myself joining in with the clapping and even smiling a couple of times.

Maybe church camp wouldn't be so bad after all.