TIES [EN]

Chapter 2 - LIZ

-Oliver, I hate you!

The lake water is cold and I just got thrown in by my best friend. It was the first feeling I had when my body entered it, but now it's pretty good. Even if the lake is so cloudy that you can't see your feet and you wouldn't want to know what's in its depths either.
I look at Oliver who's still on the pontoon with the others. They take turns jumping and once they are all in the lake, we start swimming a little further. We can hear the group of pre-teens who stay by the lake. It's a big noise mixing screams and laughter. And joining in is all we did the next hour. Yeah, I think we stayed in the lake for a good hour. Maybe we can already see it with our faces reddened by the sun.
We swam and played together. Suzy took me on her shoulders for a fight with the twins Maya and Leyla, I ran with Oliver to the buoy in the middle of the lake and we played water polo. It is an hour of happiness during the free afternoon of each Sunday before new people arrive at the camp.

I also like resting on the grass and being rocked by the hubbub of pre-teens who never stop. I climb the last one up the old pontoon ladder and join the others lying in the grass. Not even a shiver runs through my body when I get out of the water. It's so hot, I think it's the best summer we've ever had here and maybe for the whole of Yorkshire. I'm here to lie on my towel in the sun. It's like she's welcoming me with open arms. I wrap myself in her softness and put my head next to Oliver's, our temples glued together. I watch the leaves move and the clouds move as the breeze blows. It's quiet, it's perfect. Without looking away from the sky, I slip to my best friend:

-I'm sorry, I don't have a gift for you. I could catch a woodlouse or a butterfly for you, but, I'm not sure that's what you want.

He gives a little laugh before turning his head towards mine.

-I don't need any gifts. I have everything I want. I'm here, with you and the others. Here and not with my parents.

Oliver then began to imitate his father telling him not to do his hair like that because that's not how men do it or not to wear these colors because they look too feminine.
I've never met Oliver's parents. For me, they only live through my best friend's descriptions. I don't think it's right to say that, but I don't want to meet them. And Oliver always tells me that he shares my opinion, that he would be ashamed.

-I always like to come here," he continues. So I'm not at home on my birthday. And since we can't communicate with the outside world here, I have no way of knowing if they have forgotten or not. No news so no disappointment, you know?

I sketch a shy smile because I don't know what to say and turn my attention to the sky.

-Finally, exclaims Leyla lying further down on her towel.

-What?

-It's 5:00 p. m., the pre-teen group is leaving. No more yelling, it's time to relax.

We instantly look at each other with Oliver. Damn it. The new ones. My best friend gets up quickly and starts putting on his tank top before I start:

-Okay, come on, Liz. We're late for work. We're going to get cut up into little pieces and put in tonight's meal.

-I always thought the chili con carne was a little short of Oliver," jokes Suzy.

There she is tanning, her milky skin on her sky blue towel the same color as her eyes behind her big sunglasses. She seems to shine like the red reflections of her hair. She's beautiful, she looks like a real Hollywood actress.

I wish I could have stayed tanned too. I pick up my last cases and wave goodbye to everyone. The second after that, I'm running, Oliver by my side. We leave the lake area, run on the waste ground for several meters before stopping at the large plane tree in the middle of it. Oliver goes left and I go right. We have to meet here when we pick up all the newcomers.
I take out of my bag the list of names and cabins of the new residents that Kyle gave us at lunch. Seventeen new girls and there I meet the first two at the "gloriosa" cabin, just next to mine. My cabin is the "brugmansia" cabin. I think it is all flowers' names. Mine is the last one in the last row. I really love it, it's like a second home to me. I knock on the door of the "gloriosa" and a few seconds later, a girl in a bathing suit opens the door. I don't know if I've seen him in the last few weeks, so I resolve to ask him: