Lufkin Summer Camp: The Year I wasn't there

Chapter 2

Okay, listen I know Bill left it on a cliffhanger yesterday, and he was going to write the continuation today, but today was a busy day for him. Today the swimming team is holding a tournament and as camp director he's the referee. So I offered to take over for him while he did the tournament. My name is Phoebe Barnes and I'm going to tell you from a child's perspective what Aiden was like. And if I do a good job, maybe Bill will let me do it again!

••••••••••••

I got out of my mom's car and grabbed my bags out of the trunk. I walked to the entrance said goodbye to my mom and went to the tenth grader girl cabin.

Same old story.

I'd been here before many times and knew the layout like the back of my hand. I even had a tree that nobody knew about that was hollow and big so I could hide in it.

I had to do a lot of hiding.

Jill, on the girl's wrestling team was huge and there was no way I was getting away from her and her troupe. I'm a bookworm! I admit it! I had a couple friends and that was it. I wanted more friends, I tried hard, but Jill had disrupted anything I tried to do. I started a book club and that got a few members. But I cherished them all.

I'm getting off track. Forgive me, there's not to many people to talk to. I should start a diary!

Anyway, I got to my cabin and found where I'd be sleeping. I unloaded my stuff and made my bed. And went outside to greet other campers. In hopes of a friend.

Then along came Aiden.

I didn't see him arrive but I saw him with Daniel. Daniel walked him over to Jennifer and told him that she was going to lead him around the camp and introduce him to other important campers along with a couple other newbies. Or something like that, I never heard him. But sure enough, Jennifer was walking around with her group introducing them to campers of high status. Swim team captains, wrestling team captains, archery captains. All sorts of captains.

What I didn't realize is that since I was the leader of the book club, I was a camper of high status.

She walked over to me with her group and I started to panic. I didn't know she was walking to me and I didn't have a speech ready and-

"Okay, guys! This is Phoebe, the leader of the book club!" Jennifer announced with fake enthusiasm.

"Hmm? Oh, er-hi."

"Hello." Aiden said without acknowledging my stuttering. None of the others seemed interested but he seemed to want to know me better. "What kind of books do you guys read?"

Yes! "We read any kind of fiction. Sci-fi, historical, realistic, you name it. We meet every Tuesday after lunch."

Then, for a split second I swear he had a weird look in his eye, as if processing things. "Okay. I'll be sure to check it out."

On the inside, fireworks went off. Nobody on the first day of camps decides, "Hey, I'll join a book club" but he did! A new member!

"Well that's great!" I say, "I can't wait to see you there! Um, what's your name?"

"Aiden"

"Sweet. See you-"

"Yeah, yeah, let's get a move on." Jennifer so graciously interfered. And Aiden was led away. I was so excited, I nearly fainted. But that would have been bad, huh?

The next the next few days were interesting. I wanted to know Aiden to see if I can figure out what books he liked, but I didn't want to pester him so I just followed him around.