Republican Phenoms

Camping Trip

June

I'm looking forward to our platoon's camping trip. Metias took me camping a long time ago, and I really liked it. Plus, I'm excited to learn some practical survival skills. If we're ever in a situation where we really have to be out on our own, which could potentially happen when fighting a war, it would be handy to have.

We all meet in the early afternoon on Friday, after all of the classes are over for the day. We're all going to be taking a large bus. When I arrive, I see groups of people milling around the bus. Daniel is talking to Josh and Karen, who seem to be laughing at some joke he told.

Derrick waves to me. "Hi June!" he says. "Go ahead and put all your things underneath the bus."

The underside of the bus is open and is half-full of duffel bags of clothes, bags with people's tents in them, and storage containers full of camping equipment. I stow my tent and clothes underneath the bus like everybody else has.

I talk to Josh as we wait another ten minutes and forty-five seconds as a few more other cadets arrive.

"Time to board the bus!" First Class Cadet Martell shouts. We line up at the entrance of the bus and find a seat.

Karen and Josh sit together. I notice that Daniel takes a seat by himself in the row across from them, but ends up chatting with one of the sophomore girls in the seat in front of him. Funny, I thought he was with Lauren, but she ends up sitting with a sophomore in the back of the bus. I had seen Daniel kissing her though. That was about a month ago, so maybe not. That can be a lifetime in a relationship at our age.

It takes several hours to get to the campground, which is located in Central California. At first I try to read while the bus rattles along, but most of the other students have other ideas. An upperclassman has the idea to start singing songs, and most of the other students join in. I give up reading my book and sing along.

It's starting to get dark as we arrive, but we still have to set up our tents. I set up mine fairly quickly, and then help some of the other freshmen that are having trouble. Daniel seems to be having a little difficulty with his tent, but I ignore him in favor of helping Derrick. By the time I'm done helping him, Daniel already figured it out on his own.

All of the classes have duties for the camping trip. The freshmen are standing watch on Friday night, the sophomores are standing watch on Saturday night, the juniors are making dinner on Friday, and the seniors are making Saturday night's dinner.

Karen, another one of the freshmen, approaches me with a piece of paper. "I have tonight's watch schedule," she says. "You are sooo lucky!"

I look at the paper. I have the watch from midnight to 0200 with Daniel. "Why am I lucky?" I ask. "I'm standing watch in the middle of the night."

"Yeah, but did you see who you're standing watch with?"

"Daniel. Great." I say it almost with a monotone voice.

"You don't sound so enthusiastic about it. Maybe it's a twelve-year-old thing." She laughs.

"Well, I'm not as into him as most people are, I guess."

She shrugs. "Fair enough."

At fourteen minutes before midnight, Karen wakes me up. "Time to get ready for watch," she says.

I rub the sleep from my eyes and sit up in my sleeping bag. The air is a little chilly, even inside the tent. I quickly get dressed after Karen leaves the tent, making sure to throw on a jacket.