The Camp of Elements

The Interview

"So what happened, Lauren?" The nurse, Selena, asks me, tying the final knot in the cast-like bandaid before pushing her thick, glossy black hair to the side. She smiles but I wince in pain when the skin colored healing device squeezes my wounds tightly.

I lay on a surprisingly comfortable bed in the nurses office, my leg propped on a plain white pillow. I lean against the backboard on the twin sized bed. My head is threatening to explode, I can feel my leg throbbing from underneath the bandaid, and my eyesight becomes blurry when I focus too long on something.

"Well, um," I say, trying to come up with a believable story. If I say that a hand had grabbed me and dragged me under, she wouldn't believe me. My racing mind lands on the only explainable storyline. "A cabin mate and I were boating, well, my other cabin mates were also boating but not in the same boat, anyway, we tipped over and my leg got caught on a tree branch."

Selena shoots a doubtful glance but let's my answer pass. I relax slightly when she smiles softly again, telling me that my answer is fine for right now. She stands from her small stool and walks to the other side of the office. I take this chance to look around the room. There is a huge counter on the wall, taking up most of the space. One other bed reflections mine on the opposite wall, no one is laying on it. The room smells of clean, fresh laundry; the fumes are going to my head.

My nurse returns, she has a yellow blanket in her grip. I sit up but immediately regret it, I quickly become lightheaded, "I'm not staying here over night, right?" I ask. I can hear the panic in my voice, I fight the urge to cringe at myself. I really don't want to stay here, I want to have dinner with Camila, Dinah, Normani, and Ally.

Selena laughs softly, she shakes her head, "No, definitely not," she reassures me, I try to not let my facial expressions show too much relief. "But you do need to take a nap."

I sigh softly, leaning back on the backboard. I slide down the board and onto the actual bed, it's warmer than the one in my cabin; probably because this place has heating. Selena lays the blanket down on me, she sets a glass of water on the stool she once sat on. I feel the hands of tiredness wrapping around me, my lips curve into a smile. Blackness takes over as I drift to sleep.

-~-

Camila's POV:

-~-

"Time?" I ask my best friend, Dinah. She gives me an annoyed glare, then rolls her eyes.

Dinah, Normani, Ally and I are sitting in our cabin, on the ground; which is actually really dusty. Since we had time after tree climbing before going to yoga, which sounds really boring, we decided to come back to our cabin. During tree climbing; I fell out of the tree.. four times. Lauren is constantly on my mind, I love the way her eyes sparkle, the way she holds me when I'm scared like at the boating lake, and definitely when she talks. Her voice reminds me of meadow where the wind is swaying the cattails gently while the moon is full and fireflies twinkle in the bright darkness. But I can't get too attached, last time that happened.. Well let's just say it didn't turn out too great.

"Camila, you asked me what time it was two minutes ago!" Dinah points out, scoffing. "So, let me ask you this; what's sixteen plus two?"

"Eighteen." I reluctantly reply under my breath, glaring at her. I just want to know when Lauren will back!

"What?" Dinah asks me again, cupping her ear with her hand. "Didn't hear you." She says, making the 'you' sound more like 'ya'.

"I said, eighteen." I answer again, glancing up at her.

"And what was the hour two minutes ago?" She question, I roll my eyes playfully.

"Twelve." I say, Dinah nods.