My 17th Summer

Chapter One

"Don't you just love the smell?" Dad said taking out the luggage.

"The smell of what? Old wood, horse poo or the dirty swamp water?" I replied refusing to get out of dads rusty ute. I cringed as I looked outside, this place is just so depressing and disturbing. How anyone enjoyed coming here was beyond me.

"No silly, the smell of home!" Dad sighed shutting the boot.

"You used to love this place when you were a kid." Mum started, smiling at the place. "Now all you do is tweet your friends and share pictures via the cool new apps these days. You know, when I was a kid we didn't have phones, we just had each other and the great outdoors!"

"I've heard it a million times mum." But I guess is was true. I used to love this place, but I when when I was small enough to not look stupid whilst trying to fit into the harness for the flying fox.

"Come on, get out." Dad instructs.

"No. I refuse to enter a world wifi and cell service isn't a thing!" I moaned hitting my head on the headrest of the car.

"Stop your complaining and get out." Mum grumbled wheeling a suitcase along the dirty gravel. I groaned dramatically. My two options were to stay inside the car for eight weeks alone without food, or to go inside for eight weeks surrounded by grubby kids but with food.

"Whatever, I'm coming." I muttered pushing open the door and feeling the musty heat hit my hair. I could feel my hair already going frizzy, great, what was the point of straightening my hair this morning?

"Speed it up love." Dad called over his shoulder, walking towards the reception.

It looked like a wooden cabin, dark oak and dirty Windows. Every building was like that. I shuddered at the thought of how many spiders the winter would've added into the corners.

"Welcome back Jenny and Craig!" Tony called grinning from the doorway. Tony was the maintenance guy, he was twenty eight and had been here as long as I can remember. He was that kind of guy who was always saying he'd start his own business and become a multimillionaire, but we all knew that would never happen. Tony was too goofy and messed around way too often.

"Morning Quinn." He winked at me. I rolled my eyes and walked past him into the cabin following my parents.

"Good on you Tony for coming a day early." Dad grinned patting him on the back.

"Who else was going to clean out the toilets?" He laughed.

"When will all the camp leaders, cooks and first aid ladies be here hun?" Mum asked Dad as she put down her handbag on the front desk table, where everyone signed in or asked questions.

"Tomorrow." Dad confined. "And the happy campers will arrive on Monday, three days from now. So we better get our act together." I groaned. That meant cleaning for three day straight. Fun.

"Have you started cleaning the mold of the cabin walls yet Tony?" Mum asked.

The guest cabins always became really damp and moldy over the winter with all the rainfall, so every year we came back and had to clean it off. Mum acted like it was like going to a theme park or something. Every year she asked Tony the same question 'had he cleaned the mold'. The answer was always no, which of course delighted her.

"Okay Quinn, don't think you'll be slacking off. We've got work to do!" Mum said while jumping up and down. I threw my phone down on the bed, grabbed an old jumper and followed her outside. This was going to be awesome. Note the sarcasm.

"Alrighty," Mum said clapping her hands. Oh God, help me now.

"Quinn, I think it'd be best if you could go to the cafe and start a bit of cleaning?" Dad offered.