Writing prompt challenge

Day 10 Story

I've always hated moving.
Dismantling the furniture, packing everything into the big cardboard boxes, carrying them into the new apartment.
It was a pain.
Moving a lot as a child, it had left some pretty bad memories that I would rather forget.
But there I was, sitting on my bedroom floor, cleaning out the clostets and cabinets, sorting out the stuff I didn't need anymore.
As a usually messy person, I had lots of work to do.

Pushing back my hair, I sighed, gazing over all the boxes, decorations and books scattered across the floor, clothes stacked on my bed.
Even though I had already sorted out a lot, filling a large bag, I frowned seeing how much I still had left.
I picked up some books, reading the titles and occasionally the summary on the back.
Reaching out to the last book, I noticed that it was a photo album.
Furrowing my brows, I failed to remember where I got it from.
Confused, I opened it, revealing multiple pages filled with childhood photos.
Smiling, I turned page after page, taking in the details of each picture.
So many forgotten memories coming back, seeing familiar faces of childhood friends who's names I couldn't recall, family members I hadn't seen in years.
Skipping a few pages, I looked at the last ones, deciding to keep the photobook due to emotional attachment.
I reached towards the cardboard box next to me, ready to place the album inside, when a single photo fell out, landing on the ground.
Picking it up, I found myself staring at a picture I had completely erased from my memory.
It was a photo of multiple people, including me, in front of a sign. In the background, a few little cabins and a fireplace amidst the trees.
The year where my parents sent me to a summer camp.
I had made an effort to forget everything that happened that summer, but upon seeing the picture, all my memories came flooding back.
The barriers I've built breaking like all those years of surpressing them were nothing.
In the photograph, I'm smiling, but my memories from that day were far from happy.

10 years ago, me being 16, my parents had to work all summer.
We had just moved once again.
It was a house this time, but due to a heavy storm, we couldn't pay all the reparations that had to be made.
My parents practically overworked themselves and my grandparents had the brilliant idea to sent me to a summer camp.
Not that I could really blame them.
They were old and couldn't keep up with a 16 year old teenager who would sneak out at night to meet friends.
So they did the most logical thing and sent me away.
Both waited with me for the bus to arrive.
Nervously, I hugged them, saying goodbye before getting on the bus.
A woman, who introduced herself as Mrs. Harper, the leader of the camp, guided me to my seat.
Already sitting on the window seat, the girl had earphones in, her eyes closed.
I sat down, careful not to wake my seatmate and followed her example by putting in my own earphones, blasting music while staring out of the window.

A few hours later, my eyes became heavy.
Trying to stay awake, I turned up the volume, blinking a few times.
The girl next to me started steering in her sleep, indicating she would probably wake up soon.
She blinked, slowly sitting up straight, then turning her head.
A shocked expression on her face, she stared at me, surprised to see someone sitting next to her.
I turned off the music, taking out my earphones and introduced myself.
"Hey I'm Alice", I awkwardly smiled at her, holding out my hand.
Reluctantly she took it, shaking it before she spoke:"I'm Emma, nice to meet you".
We were both shy at first, but warmed up to each other quickly.
Talking about our hobbies and interests, we found out that we shared most of our passions.
It was already dark outside, but we stayed up, quietly chatting and laughing.
It was almost like we had known each other for an eternity.

Arriving at the campsite in the early morning, it was already decided that Emma and I would share a cabin.
Mrs. Harper had previously informed us, that 3 people would be sharing a cabin, so we immediately looked at each other, knowing what the other was thinking.
Since we were only two people, another girl was randomly assigned to our cabin.
Olivia was a shy, reserved girl and hadn't been chosen by any other group of girls.
Feeling sorry for her, we took her in, not wanting her to feel left out, like an outsider.