Game Piece

One

I stare out the bus window, watching the waving trees pass faster than the blink of an eye. Today I left for camp with my best friend and all the other stupid people in my grade, to spend three days at a camp in the middle of nowhere: hiking, canoeing, and swimming.

After about three long hours of driving on a school bus, we reach the camp ground.

"Oh, Anne! Aren't you so excited! I love camping!" my best friend, Sydney, remarks sarcastically. I giver her a very large fake smile and nod ferociously. Outsides stand three counselors. One of them is a man with a long red beard who looks like he just smoked a lot of weed and two other girls that seem like this is the last thing they want to be doing.

When we get off the bus, the counselors sort all of us into cabins.

"Anne Jasper! Cabin two! Sydney Benjamin! Cabin two!"

Syd and I high five and haul our crap up a hill to our cabin that looks more like a shed. Thick woods surround the camp and it takes every muscle in my body to not take off into the forest. I look back and see the teachers all staring at the woods, probably thinking the same thing.

"Hurry up, ladies! We are going on a two mile canoe trip in twenty minutes!" our gym teacher, Mr. Thomson announces with a thumbs up. Everyone groans and continues clambering to their assigned cabins.

I throw my bags on the bottom bunk next to a window so I don't feel completely claustrophobic. Sydney sets up her One Direction sheets and pillow on the top bunk.

"Uh, Syd? What if those get ruined?" I ask, very worried that dirt or something will get one Liam's beautiful face.

"I can't get a good nights sleep without knowing Harold is safe with me," she coos, not at me but at the pillow. I watch as she practically pets Harry's hair.

"Ten minutes until the canoe trip ladies!" yells one of our teachers. The two of us groan and follow the rest of the girls outside. We all sit at picnic tables, staring a counselor who is passing out papers about water safety.

All of the girls scoff and toss the paper aside, bragging about how well they did in gym swimming. I for one, am not a good swimmer at all and can barely stay afloat for five seconds so I pay close attention to the instructions.

"Firstly of all, no one stands in the canoe or it will fall over. Secondly, no one stands- oh, I said that already," mumbles the head counselor. He defiantly smoked something before this. As he rambles on about god knows what, my eye catches something in the forest. It looks sort of like a shadow, a human shadow, that isn't supposed to be there. I squint my eyes to get a better look but it's to far away to get a good look.

Relax, Anne. You are only seeing things. I tell myself. I screw my eyes shut and when I open them, the shadow has vanished.

"Anne? Are you alright?" asks Sydney with a worried expression on her freckled face. I nod. "This crap is bullshit! Why did I agree to come to this? Why!" she moans rubbing her temple.

I say nothing and slam my head down on the table, my braids falling over my shoulders.

"Everyone got that?"

I shoot up, completely unaware of anything the counselor just told us.

"Wha-what?" I ask frantically looking around. Syd notices.

"Don't worry, my fatness won't tip the boat over," she says and I roll my eyes.

"It's my fatness we should be worried about!" I exclaim.

"Shut it, your a total bean."

"Gee, thanks."

It's true though. I am a total stringy bean with long arms.

"Let's go," Sydney grabs my wrist and pulls me to catch up with the group.