Where They All Go

~Chapter four: Strange people and volleyballs~

Day two.

I glance at the time. 6:32 a.m. I've only gotten three hours of sleep. I slowly, stiffly, stand from my post at the foot of Gales bunk. My legs hurt so bad. I sigh and stumble into the middle cabin. I have about half an hour before I have to wake up the first of my kids. Today is the first full day. I can do this.

I carefully peel off my dirty clothes from yesterday and step into the shower. By the time it heats up fully, I've already washed my hair.

I quickly rummage through the clothes I have and pull out a pair of shorts, a red T-shirt, a purple hoodie, and a baseball cap. Colourful.

When I recheck the time. It's 7:12 a.m. I'm late for waking up the boys. I burst my way into the semi-cold cabin.

"If you want to take a shower before breakfast, I would go now. Breakfast is at 8:00!"

There's a chorus of groans and grumbles as they're stolen from sleep. Axel and Fox get up and disappear into the bathroom. Twenty minutes later they reappear with wet hair. One by one the boys slowly come back to life, some getting showered, some just lounging around.

The last to get up is Tom. All of the boys have already left the cabin, except for Gale who was trying to find his shoes.

"Tom, you've got ten minutes before you need to be down at the dining hall," I say loudly.

"Yeah, I get it! Just shut up why don't you," he mumbles into his pillow.

"Clearly you don't get it, because you're still in bed, so just get up why don't you?" I snap back.

Tom glares at me from under his blanket. "Fine."

"Thank you."

I was about ready to throw this kid through a window. He grumbles his way out of bed and into the bathroom. Gale watches him with a weird look in his eyes.

"You alright?" I ask, pulling on my shoe.

He nods.

"You find your shoes yet?"

He nods again. "I'll see you at breakfast," he mumbles before escaping out the door.

I raised my eyebrows at an empty room. It's only the first day. I can do this.

~~

Breakfast is somehow disgusting and delicious at the same time. That's the strange beauty of camp food, you can never tell if it's good or not. French toast and strawberries. And of course, my table turns into a war zone. Because why wouldn't it.

I get up and walk up to the counter to get more napkins to try and clean up the syrup lake at my table and I run into Ali.

"Good morning," I say and turn to leave.

"Good morning! Jac wait!" she says and grabs my shoulder.

I stop moving.

"Lane wanted the cabin leaders to know that the meeting will be after team sports today. Also, good luck with that syrup ocean you've got going there."

I roll my eyes. "Thanks."

"Jac! Jac! Jac! Jac! Jac!" Tom is bouncing in his seat impatiently.

"Hold on Tom, I'm busy right this moment!"

"But I have a question!"

"And I am cleaning up your little toddler mess, so hold that small thought of yours for a few more moments!" I'm treading shallow water with this little entitled brat.