The Camp

Chapter Three: Raven's Step

Raven's Step

"Who are you texting?"  Raven asks Valerie while trying to take a peek on her phone.

"Oh just sum relatives, naw I am going to spend the vacasion with yu"  Valerie said with her usual French accent while keeping her phone aside.

"Relatives, sure; wonder if I got any..heh heh", Raven sighs.

"You 'ave your sista", said Valerie in assurance while seizing the gap between them and making eye contact.

"Otherwise both of us are much more alike, right?", Raven chuckled.

"In which sense?", Valerie winked without breaking the contact.

"You don't know about your parents and I never get to see my parents",  Raven stated with disappointment.

"Let'si make de most out of this trip then!",  Valerie marked and let Raven out of the building tension.

"Aight, aight", Raven sighed with relief.

"So where ah we going", Valerie asked in a cheerful tone.

"I don't know", Raven said while shrugging her shoulders a little.

"But yu... haw ah we going?",  Valerie asked, perplexed.

"They are going to pick us up", Raven stated.  

"They?" Valerie asked with a confused look on her face, and slightly drained cheerfulness.
"You know, the people" Raven air quoted.

"De people", Valerie mimicked Raven as she got up from the bed.

"Where are you going?!", Raven asked.

"We stayed up ol night chatting and paking, und that is eyur question?", Valerie raised her eyebrows.

"I forgot you were also a caffeine addict", Raven rolled her eyes.

"It's joost som koffee", Valerie stated holding the coffee mug.

"We are leaving in 15", Raven marked get your ass with the koffee here by then.

"I'll get yu som too, miss kool" Valerie chuckled and left.

I don't understand how Valerie can stand caffeine in her system every day, I mean Starbucks is fine for me once in three days maybe but still. Well, I wonder whom Valerie was texting, I haven't seen her text anyone in a long time.

Raven lay flat on Valerie's bed and stared at the neon-starred ceiling as she gave into her thoughts.

For once the thought of checking Valerie's phone did cross her mind but, friends trust each other right? Also Raven did not want to go on a guilt trip for the sake of their friendship after all Valerie is the only one who has always been there for her no matter what, no questions asked.

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-- vehicle engine roars loudly--

Raven tries to open her eyes which felt like they were glued shut. The roar of the engine was loud enough to wake her up this time, almost with a startle.

"Wh..where are we going?", Raven questions sets herself up and asks Valerie who was on the wheel.

"The kampz", Valerie answers confidently.

"But...bu.. when did we leave?,  Raven asks in confusion while rubbing her eyes.

"Yu don'te 'emember? Yu fell asleep afta we gout into the jeep",  Valerie stated with her eyes fixed on the road.

"Huh? What are you talking about and how do you even know the directions?", Raven questioned again, yawning and stretching her arms a bit.

"uff...What is w'ong with yuu garl? I see the caffeine gout to yu head. Remembe yu gout a kal fom the kamp und they sent wus the jeep; but the driva dropped it off cauze he doesn't know the way and then the kamp emailed yu directions!??,  Valerie tries to help Raven recall what happened.

"Oh, heh...Ofcourse, Ofcourse, is that okay though?", Raven answers, still unsure.

"Whut do yu mean? It is alright!! I am driving perfectly fine and we even have the map, sou we jest follow it",  Valerie replies confidently.

"Well, if you say so...", there was a slight disagreement in her tone.

**Silence**

"Where's my phone?", Raven asks while checking her pockets.

"It wus wit yu, I 'ave no idea", Valerie answers.

Raven looks for her phone everywhere, in her bag, front deck, the back-seat. Unable to find she finally gives up.

"Nevermind, I'll take another nap my head hurts so much; you keep your eyes on the road aight" Raven smirks while throwing her hands up in the air.

"Yus, Madame", Valerie let out a chuckle.

"Btw yu can't ead a map", Valerie tried to annoy Raven.

"Even if I could, now I wouldn't; do it yourself" Raven says annoyed while closing her eyes shut for another nap.

---Few hours later---

"Vake up, vake up", Valerie gently shakes Raven's shoulder as she wakes her up.

"What is it..??"  Raven questions, with her half-shut eyes and who has been sleeping the whole journey.

"We ah hea, look!!!"  Valerie announced excitedly.

" WELCOME TO "THE CAMP",  it said, with letters huge enough to fill the entire banner.
Raven and Valerie step out of the jeep and take a deep breath.

"Hous of driving and we ah finally hea", Valerie exclaimed!!

"Who quotes "the camp" specifically?! ", Raven still seemed a bit annoyed from their earlier conversation.

"Chill garl, gimme a hug befoe we gou in",  Valerie hugged Raven with a little tension.

Raven hugged Valerie back but her eyes wandered around in search for some assurance, " was it the right choice?".

There were other campers who had already arrived and were gathered while eagerly waiting on the site right in front of the entrance. And for some reason, the crowd assured Raven a little as if she wasn't the only one who chose a camp for her summer break.

This was it, they were standing in front of the main entrance of "The Camp".