(COMPLETED) Together, Under The Stars

Chapter 6: A Note

"Okay campers," our female PD, Amber, says. "Put your backpacks down in your attendance lines. Then find your group seats to sit in. Make sure your entire group sits together."

We quickly file into the seats that have already been set up. A large circle of chairs goes around the perimeter of the Dome, facing inward, while two smaller circles of chairs sit in the center, facing outward.

Our group ends up sitting next to Group H. One of the girls looks vaguely familiar, even though I can't place where she came from. Eh. It doesn't matter anyways.

I turn around to talk to Brie, who's sitting next to me, when a voice asks, "Zennzy? Is that you?"

I turn the other way, and there she is, one of my best friends from preschool. She's here too!

"Sophelia? Is that you?" I ask. This cannot be happening. I haven't seen her since I was four! "Oh my gosh! Sophelia!"

"Zennzy!" she gushes. "You haven't changed a bit!"

"You haven't either!" I reply.

"What school do you go to now?" Sophelia asks.

"Oh. I go to-" I'm cut off by Bire.

"Friendship bonding time is later!" she whisper-shouts. "William"-the male PD-"is giving us instructions!"

"Okay campers! So, we are going to play a modified version of 'Never Have I Ever'," he explains. "So there are a few more campers than chairs, so when you hear the statement, and you have done the action, you have to get up and move to different chairs that are at least five seats away from you. If you have not, just stay where you are. In the end, there will be a few people who did not get into a chair and from there, we will ask a question and they will answer. Then they will choose the next 'Never Have I Ever'. Okay?"

Everyone nods.

"Fabulous," William says. "Okay. The first one is. . . Never have I ever worn a watch my entire life."

People frantically jump out of seats and run to different ones. Most of our group dashes away to different parts of the Dome.

Once all the commotion has stopped, there are six people standing by William and Amber. One of them is Ezme.

"So let's start with a simple question," Amber announces into the megaphone. "What grade are you campers?"

"Fifth."

"Seventh."

"Ninth."

"Fourth."

"Eighth."

"Sixth."

Then they put their heads together to come up with the next Never Have I Ever.

Ezme yells it into the megaphone. "Never have I ever had a crush at camp."

Surprisingly, many people run up and around.

We keep on playing the game. Not once do I not find a chair, so I'm never called up to answer a question, thank goodness. 

The last Never Have I Ever is "Never Have I Ever been dared to ask someone out".

Obviously, our whole group stands up, along with a few other people. In the end, Edmund, Ria, Justin, and three other people from different groups did not find seats.

"Interesting," Amber says. "The entire Group J got dared to ask someone out?"

None of us bother to answer her.

"I'll take that as a yes," she notes.

Then she gives Jamie one of those you-will-tell-me-later-or-else looks.

Next, we do this activity where you get out into a group with some people from other groups. My brother, Sophelia, and (ugh) Amelia are in my group, along with some older kiddos I don't know.

Basically, we do this thing where you come up with a name, handshake, and slogan.

Our name is Royaltea.

Our handshake is this modified version of that Pikachu thingy. It is so hard to memorize.

Our slogan is "Good solo, better together".

Then, we just chat with each other for the rest of the time until we have to go to bed.

I start babbling away Sophelia. Long lost friends, finally reunited, forever.

We exchange emails and cell phone numbers. We are just starting to do some real talking when Kevin clears his throat really loudly, making my head turn in his direction.

Amelia's bothering him again, no surprise there.

"Hang on," I tell Sophelia. "I need to go rescue my dear brother from his doom."

She laughs. "Okay."

Sauntering over to Kevin, I say, "Hey, Kev. Howya doin'?"

He glares at me, giving me a get-me-out-of -here-or-I-will-never-forgive-you look.

I laugh cheerfully. "C'mon. Let's go look for Soph."

"Soph?" he asks, while quickly ditching Amelia and walking to my side. Amelia's eyes flash with anger when she sees me.

"Yeah!" I reply enthusiastically. "Remember Sophelia from preschool? She's here!"

"Um. . ."

"Yes?" I ask with a threatening glare. "I just saved you from the wrath of Amelia. Would you like me to bring you back to her?"

"No!" he exclaims. "How about we go, er, somewhere nowhere near her. Seriously. She thinks I like her."

I try not to laugh. "I guess Qirleya has competition, eh?"

Kevin gives me another glare. Then I drag him with me to chat with Soph.

Soph and I continue babbling about whatever we were talking about earlier, and poor Kevin just sits there, not knowing what to do.

When time is up, we go grab our backpacks and walk back to our rooms for Cabin time. Charlie is straightening our bags.

"It looks too messy," he explains to me as we walk back.

All of us took showers earlier, (except for Jamie obviously), so we reach into our backpacks for a few decks of cards, to play our all-time favorite, Nerts.

For some reason, I can't find mine, and I have to dig through everything. When I find it though, I open it, and inside is a note.

A note from Charlie