Chaelisa Diaries # 1

Bible Camp

35k+ words

WARNINGS: f/f, 18+, religious themes, homofobia, death of a loved one. Story set in early 2000s.

*****

"No way! Uncle Navin!"

"Your Honor, if you please," the judge bellowed, gavel cracking against the desk.

"Sorry," Lisa muttered. "Your Honor, that isn't fair."

"It is fair, and it will be your sentence," the judge cracked the gavel again, making the brunette teen wince. "You will join the Mountain Creek Bible Study group for their annual retreat for two weeks. You will participate, and you will learn the lessons they impart." He leaned his bulk over the bench, voice lowering. "If you screw this up, young lady, next time it will be Juniper Hill, do you understand?"

Lisa looked into the dark brown eyes, so much like her own, and nodded dumbly with a swallow.

"Court adjourned." CRACK!

"Thank you, Navin," Lori Manoban smiled, grabbing her still stunned daughter by the arm. "You and Rita are still coming for b.b.q., right?"

"We'll be there," Navin said, standing, black robe falling from his suited shoulders. "as long as you're making mom's banana cream pie?" he asked, brow raised.

Lisa stopped listening, feeling like she was stuck in a very long, very bad nightmare. She was embarrassed, her uncle having to hear every single detail of her crime, as he was the only judge in Brit County, Colorado, population two hundred and thirteen poor, God fearing souls.

The walk to the car was done in silence, Lori wanting to get out of the courthouse as quickly as possible before anyone else saw her delinquent daughter.

* * *

The little white bus bounced it's way across the rocky, winding mountain roads. It's cargo- twenty-one laughing, yelling bible studying teens- looked forward to the final destination- the Mountain Creek Bible Study retreat camp.

The twenty-first camper was not a happy one.

Lisa Manoban sat at the front of the bus, where she was instructed to sit by Pastor William, who sat in the smelly green seat across the aisle. Her eyes squeezed shut as the songs continued, a chorus of high-pitched, off tune, joyous voices singing all God's praises.

Dear god- I promise to be good if you'll make them stop. No doubt you like hearing them toot your horn, but please! Can't they do it telepathically, or something?

She groaned as yet another song was started. Looking out the window, the teen just about jumped out of her skin, taking the offending hand with her, that reached over her shoulder.

"Here!" a very nasally girl said, thrusting her song pamphlet into Lisa's face. Lisa looked over her shoulder at the girl who sat behind her. The girl's dreamy eyes were magnified behind her glasses.

"What?"

"Here," she wiggled the pamphlet. "I noticed you aren't singing, then I remembered you're new, so probably don't know the words." Light brown brows raised in hope and friendship. Glancing over at a glaring Pastor William, Lisa snatched the small booklet from the girl's fingers, which smelled like grape jelly, and turned back in her seat.

Dear god- please let that annoying little imp forget I exist.

Grape fingers reached over her shoulder again, excitedly tapping at a song title as the group began again. Lisa, acting purely on instinct, turned, snarling at the startled twelve year old, whose eyes got even bigger.