Sweet Like Revenge

IV - Friend and Foe

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then

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I never told my mother what Astor Black did to me.

I never told her what Principal Walsh had said afterward, before he took me to the school nurse and told her I'd tripped over my own muddy feet.

I never told her because I could never find the words. And, by the time that I could string a coherent sentence together, I felt like it was too late.

I felt like no one would believe me.

That's why my mother let me go on the year seven camping trip without a second thought. She had taken me shopping for new clothes and told me that camp would be the perfect opportunity to bond with my classmates, and maybe even make some friends.

She wasn't wrong.

No one sat next to me on the bus until all of the other seats were taken. Sienna and the Elites sat at the very back, laughing loudly and gossiping about all of us peasants as if we weren't plainly within earshot. I couldn't help but steal a look at them all — at Poppy, who twirled strands of her fiery hair around her finger as she flirted with the football players in front of her. At Nate, who watched with boyish amusement as Astor placed torn-up bits of paper from his notebook into the hood of a boy sitting in front of him. At Sienna, who tutted playful disapproval at the football captain while she lounged in her boyfriend's arms.

Even though I hated them, I wanted to sit with them. Laugh with them. Be one of them.

We all did.

"Are you saving this seat?" A cheery voice asked me.

I spun my head back around, surprised to see that the source of the sound — a girl my age — was speaking to me. I recognized the girl instantly from elementary school. We hadn't shared that many classes, but we had attended each other's birthday parties and occasionally exchanged civil chatter.

"Yes," I replied without thinking. Then, "I mean, no. I'm not saving it. Here." I moved my bag from the seat to the floor and shuffled over to make room for her.

"Thanks!" She said as she sat, then motioned to my iPod. "What are you listening to?"

The girl and I took turns listening to each other's playlists all the way up to the camping grounds. I told her about my mother's surprise birthday party that I'd organized the weekend prior, and she showed me pictures from a modeling shoot she'd been scouted for at the mall. The campsite was a fair way away from Irvine Falls, but having someone to share the journey with made the time pass by a lot quicker than it would have had I still been on my own. 

The girl and I weren't assigned to the same cabin, but we spent the first day buddied up in all of the activities. Archery was our favorite, and rock climbing was our least favorite, but I soon realized that it didn't really matter what we did. I was just glad to have someone by my side. Someone to laugh with, and gossip with, and make memories with. A friend.

We sat together that night at dinner, too, moaning about the tinned spaghetti and making mustaches with our french fries. I was so wrapped up in our childish fun that I barely even noticed Sienna making out with Nate in between mouthfuls of her bland-looking salad. Barely.

The next day was similar. We got to go canoeing on the lake, and then orienteering in the woods. My new friend and I stopped by the waterfall and made plans to go shopping together that weekend. It didn't even matter that we were the last pair to make it back to camp; the fact that I had a friend to make weekend plans with was a win to me.