Musically Gifted? Well, I Used to Play the Recorder...

Nine: On the Bright Side, the Floor's Comfier Than I Expected

Hey! Another chapter for you all - hope you like it! I really can't think of anything else to say in here other than I HATE REVISION. Seriously, I've been doing so much of it. And I have the worst case of writer's block ever and can't think of any ideas for my next story. :( Still, here's the next chapter.

------------------------------

“Are you okay now, Bailey?”

            I look up from my tray (containing considerably smaller portions than this morning), which is laden with a plate of chili con carne, to see Cindy smiling at me.

            Oh, great.

            I’d been trying to ignore her for the duration of this meal, especially after the mortifying day where I: told Blake I was on my period for no apparent reason, capsized a kayak, almost drowned in the lake, and had to be carried off to the sick bay with my arms round a probably lesbian nurse.

            Just a standard day in the life of Bailey Cunningham.

            When I see Cindy’s slightly bemused and prompting expression, I realize that I have not yet responded to her. “Um, yeah...” I say awkwardly. “I’m fine.”

            “You seemed pretty bad earlier,” she continues, as if this is the best thing to say. “When I saw you lying on the bank, it was such a shock to me. I wanted to come over and see if you were okay, but my hands were tied helping with the equipment...”

            Yeah, right. She’s such a liar. She wasn’t even helping set out any of the equipment, and there was no way she wanted to come over and ensure my well-being. If anything, it’d be the opposite.

            “Oh,” I respond, pushing my fork around my plate, as if this will somehow reduce the awkwardness that is settling in. Apparently, though, Cindy seems blissfully unaware of this. “Well, I’m okay now.”

            “Good.”

            She smiles at me brightly, but it’s so false I want to laugh. How can one person be so fake? The most irritating part is she doesn’t actually say anything bad directly to me, so it’s almost as if I have no reason to hate her. Ha. Like I’ll let that stop me.

            I look around the room and pretend to be interested in a potted plant that is residing in the corner of the room, close to the hot food hatch. At least it prevents me from having to look at Cindy’s sickly expression... and to be perfectly honest, the plant my gaze is focused on is probably more interesting than her. There’s only so much fake perfection one person can take and I’m close to my limit.

            Good to know there’s still five and a half weeks of her artificially sweetened personality to go.

            “You were a long time in the nurse’s office,” Savannah states, directing her gaze towards me.

            Before I can respond, Tom’s amused tone interrupts me and my unspoken answer. “That’s because her and the nurse were having some fun,” he says, winking.

            I roll my eyes and turn back to my best friend. “Uh, no.”

            However, much to my dismay, Savannah grins at Tom. Looks like he just roped in another member of the Bailey’s lesbian lover club. Great.

            “I would’ve come to visit you,” Cindy pipes up. “But I had to do something with the girls in my cabin. You know, they are so awesome. I think I got like, the best cabin in the whole of camp. I feel bad that you were in there all day alone.”