Here's To Teenage Memories ~ L.H.

Chapter One

"Are you sure you've got everything?" Mum asked as we walked out the front door. "Yes Mum. I'm positive I have everything." I huffed, pulling my suitcase behind me to the car. She nodded, "Well you know to call if you need anything." Lifting my suitcase into the boot of the car I tossed my backpack in on top and closed it, "Mum It's only two weeks, I'm going to be fine." Walking around the car I slid into the passenger seat and closed the door behind me. Watching Mum start the car I waved goodbye to my house.

"But you know you can call either me or your father if you need anything at all." She said, she was fussing over me as usual. I was her only child and I was going away to summer camp for two weeks so it was natural for her to fuss but I wasn't twelve anymore. "Yes Mum, I know, but seriously I'm going to be fine." I replied, brushing off her concerns.

"I still can't believe you're going back to summer camp!"

"Me either, but I need the extra credit I'm getting for it. Plus I'm a counsellor now." I said watching the houses of the neighbourhood pass by the window. "You're growing up so fast. It feels like yesterday you were ten and excited to go your first summer camp." Mum reminisced. "Mum." I whined. "And now you're eighteen and going back to camp. It's like the circle of life." I could see the tears welling in her eyes. "Mum if you cry right now I swear to God." I joked. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry." She laughed.

Smiling I rested my cheek against the cool window. I didn't know whether I was excited or dreading going back to summer camp. I needed the extra credit for school and at the time counselling at my old summer camp seemed like a great way to get it but now I wasn't so sure. Closing my eyes the gentle vibrations of the car lulled me to sleep.

"Tess. Tessa, we're here." Mum shook me gently as she woke me from my nap. "Ugh. What?" I murmured groggily, my face was pressed against the window uncomfortably. She laughed quietly, "We're here. At camp."

"Oh shit." I mumbled, opening the door and stepping into the cool summertime air.

"Watch your language." She scolded, popping the boot so I could pull my luggage out. Quickly pulling my sleep-mussed red hair into a pony tail, I stepped from the car and strode around to the boot. "Sorry." I replied absently as I looked around the camp I remembered from my childhood. Parents and children were everywhere; erupting out of cars, dragging luggage down to the dorms, running between trees. The camp was alive with activity. Pulling my suitcase to the front of the car I hugged Mum tightly. "I love you and I'll see you in two weeks." I said, pulling away from her and beginning my hike down to the mess hall. "I love you too. Be safe. Call if you need anything." She called as I walked away.

Looking around, the camp was exactly as I remembered it. The mess hall at the bottom of a small hill with a circle of logs and fire pit in front of it. The lake stretched out as far as the eye could see beyond the hall, glittering and blue under the clear summer sky. A dock reached out into the lake. Two rows of dorms bordered the mess hall, girls on the left side and boys on the right. Reaching the mess hall, I left my luggage in the pile and jogged up the stairs. Parents and kids filled the hall. "Counsellor check in over here!" A male voice yelled over the noise of all the people in the hall. Pushing through the people I made my way to the table labelled 'Counsellor Check In'. "Name please." The man sitting behind the table asked, he had a strong British accent.

"Tessa Parker."

"Tessa. Here is your dorm room list, key, nametag and t-shirt. Meet back here at one o'clock for counsellor briefing. When you get to your dorm take a roll and if anyone Is missing report back here." Said the British man simply, handing me a pile of things. I nodded my thanks before turning and smacking straight into a body. I grunted, stumbling back a few steps. "Red? Is that you?" A male voice asked. Oh no. Oh please no. Anyone but him. Looking up into the face of the body I'd walked into I cursed inwardly. Luke God damn Hemmings.

"Fancy seeing you again." Said Luke, a smug smirk on his face. "Hello Luke." I replied dryly. "What brings you back here?" he asked. "Funny, I was about to asked you the same question." He the smirk on his face grew, "Well I asked you first."

"I'm counselling this year-"

"Oh my God, me too. What a coincidence!?" Luke cut me off, pressing his hands to his chest in mock excitement. "That's so great." I replied sarcastically. "I know right?" The smirk had not moved from his face. "I'm gonna go now." I said pushing my way around Luke. "I'll see you later Red." Luke called after me.

Weaving my way out of the mess hall, I grabbed my luggage and walked to my dorm. Why did he have to be here? Anybody but him and by the looks of it he hadn't changed. Checking my piece of paper I was the counsellor for dorm 4. Reaching my dorm, six girls and six suitcases were scattered on the porch. Dropping my suitcase in front of the porch, the girls looked up at me. "Hey guys. I'm guessing you're all in dorm 4?" I asked and they nodded, "Well I'm Tessa, your camp counsellor."

"Hi." Said a golden haired girl, stepping forward, "I'm Stacey."

"Hi Stacey. How old are you guys?" I asked with a smile, weaving my way through the maze of girls and luggage to unlock the door. "I'm twelve." Said Stacey, "I'm the oldest."

"Oh okay cool." I unlocked the door and stepped out of the way so the girls could file in. Stacey seemed to be the self appointed leader of the group. As they made their way in one by one I checked their names off the li. The dorm room was medium sized with three sets of bunk beds lining the walls. In between the bunk beds were two doors, one leading to a reasonably sized bathroom, the other leading to a small room with a single bed, my room. Dragging my suitcase into the small, single room I dumped it down on the bed along with my backpack. Joining the girls back in the main room I made the obligatory counsellors speech. "So guys you know I'm your counsellor. I'm gonna be with you for the next two weeks and just want you to know that you can come to me with any issues you might have." The girls nodded and smiled at me, they seemed like a nice group of girls and I hoped I wouldn't have any problems with them. Suddenly a bell rang out from the main hall and the girls chatter fell quiet.

"Lunch time." I announced as they looked at me for an explanation. The girls squealed, running out the room. Glancing down at my watched I noticed the time, I had a counsellors meeting to go to. Following the stream of kids up to the mess hall I sat down at the counsellors table. "I am just so glad you're here Red." Luke's smug voice rang in my ears as he sat down next to me, "Just like old times, ay." I rolled my eyes, "Yeah. Just like old times-"

"Counsellors! Listen up!" Standing at the head of the table was the British guy from sign in, "I'm Oliver Sykes, Oli. The head counsellor. Any questions come to me. Night curfew is ten o'clock. Breakfast is at eight a.m. and everyone needs to be there. Lunch is at one and dinner is at five. The activities time table is on the wall and you must follow it. Group wise, the girls and boys dorm numbers correlate, therefore the dorm one girls will be grouped with the dorm one boys and so on and so forth." Finishing his speech Oliver sat down and the talking resumed. "So Red, would you happen to be in dorm four?" Luke asked, leaning towards me and resting his head in his hand. I paled, oh no. If Luke was in the boys dorm 4 then we would have to group together. I didn't know if I could handle two weeks with Luke Hemmings, I was struggling and I had barely been around him an hour.

"What if I said I was?" I asked in return, narrowing my eyes at him. He grinned, "I'd say we're gonna have a great two weeks working together." I sighed, resting my head on the table in defeat, "Damn it." He rested his hand on my shoulder, his voice was drenched in sarcasm, "We're gonna have a great two weeks."