Camp Kumoni By Anistasia Allread Edited by Nick B “Where’s Katie?” Erika ventured. She hadn’t seen the tall girl all day. “She’s guarding our table.” Rachel stated. “Oh my god, you’re serious.” Erika shook her head.

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Camp Kumoni 65

Erika felt strange taking a shower with Tricia on guard outside the shower stall. She pulled her hair up and washed the remnants of the lotion from her skin then opened the new bottle of body wash and rubbed a little bit of it on her hand and got it wet, testing it as Samantha had warned her to do, even though it was a new bottle. She then opened the razor and deftly shaved her face to remove any hairs that might have grown in since the morning.

“You okay in there?” Tricia asked, concern coloring her sweet voice.

“Yes.” Erika suppressed a groan. She turned off the water, dried off, and slipped into shorts and T-shirt before exiting to find Tricia waiting with a smile.

When they entered the cabin, it looked like someone had redecorated it. Dani had all of the nail polish out and was going through them discarding most, but keeping some. Samantha had their entire collection of makeup gathered on one of the beds and was going through it doing the same thing. Victoria had two curling irons and a flat iron out, bobby pins and three different hair sprays.

“…can you imagine what that would do if she had blonde hair?” Rachel said to Krystal as they came in the front door, “Oh look, there’s our beauty queen now.”

“Hey!” Samantha warned. “Erika can’t know ANYTHING about operation Yelhsa. You two stay on watch; let us know if anyone other than Phoenix comes close to the cabin.”

Rachel rolled her eyes, but she and Krystal went back outside.

“What’s operation Yelhsa?” Erika looked at Samantha.

“We’re just trying to keep any last-minute maneuvers; Ashley might try, from happening to you?”

“Like what?”

“Like something similar to the flag pole incident.” Samantha’s eyes were firm.

“Little paranoid much?”

Samantha ignored her and pointed over to Dani. “Nails first.”

Dani and Tricia double teamed Erika. They first used acetone to remove her ‘Cajun shrimp’ polish than chose a softened version of hot pink and polished her nails and toe nails.

While they were doing that, Victoria came over and combed out her hair. She then began sectioning pieces out and wrapping them around a curling iron.

“Is the dress still in the safe place?” Victoria asked.

Samantha went over to Phoenix’s bed and lifted up the mattress. “Yep, still there. Let’s keep it there until after dinner.”

“Good idea.” Dani agreed.

“You guys are acting like we’re going to be invaded.”

“With nasty girls like Ashley and her cronies, you never know.” Samantha shook her head.

“Are girls really that vindictive?” Erika inquired.

“Not all, but most.” Tricia sighed. “It’s not one of our better attributes.”

“You should see us when a guy is involved,” Victoria added.

Erika’s nails were polished, and shining with a top coat, her hair mostly curled when it was time for dinner.

“Sit in the middle of the table with your back to the wall.” Samantha instructed her as they walked down to the dining hall, “Don’t get up for anything. If you need anything, ask one of us to get it. If you have to go to the bathroom, two of us will go with you.”

Erika rolled her eyes.

Rachel and Krystal closed ranks around them.

“Where’s Katie?” Erika ventured. She hadn’t seen the tall girl all day.

“She’s guarding our table.” Rachel stated.

“Oh my god, you’re serious.” Erika shook her head.

“You’ve only been a girl for ten weeks,” Samantha reminded. “We’ve been girls all of our lives.”

Ashley snarled as they approached the dining hall. “You bitch! You put ink in my body wash!”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Ashley,” Tricia said. “Erika has been with me all day and we have never been near you, or your cabin, let alone your body wash.”

“Luckily I noticed it and the nurse had something that removed the stains from my hands.” Ashley snarled. “Watch it, you tit-less bitch, you don’t know who you’re sparring with.”

The Lavender Ladies marched Erika over to their table where Katie looked apprehensive and relieved.

“Did you put ink in her body wash?” Erika asked.

“She’s just trying to smear you further.” Samantha shook her head. She pointed Erika to a seat and looked to Katie, “Any problems?”

“None that I couldn’t dismantle. They came in just after I got here. Looked at our table and turned around and walked out.” Katie smiled. “They kept coming back, checking to see if I had left.”

“Did you get to use the bathroom?”

“No. I really need to though.”

“I’ll go with you.” Rachel volunteered.

The two of them took off.

Ashley’s table kept glaring over at Columbine’s table. Ashley kept trying to get Erika’s attention and mouthing words at her but the other girls kept her busy and her mind off the vixen of Daisy.

“Phoenix,” Victoria suddenly spoke up.

“Yes?”

“Could you do us a HUGE favor, and go check the cabin?”

“Huh?” Phoenix was confused.

“Two of the girls from Daisy left to go to the bathroom a while ago, and they haven’t been back. Could you please go check on the cabin?”

“Why would anyone go into our cabin?” Phoenix asked.

“I just have a feeling that Cabin Daisy is going to prank our cabin.”

“She’s right, Phoenix,” Samantha joined. “If one of us went, and they were there, there could be an altercation. I would be one’s word against another.”

“You’re serious,” Phoenix stated.

“Please Phoenix,” Krystal, Katie, and Tricia added their pleas.

“Oh, all right, if it will make you feel better.” Phoenix stood up. “This had better not be one of your tricks.”

“It would make us feel much safer.” Victoria looked nervous.

Phoenix walked out the front door. Erika and the other girls watch Daisy’s table. Ashley watched Phoenix leave, glance over at Columbine then looked nervously out the front door again.

“They did,” Tricia snarled. “Look at how nervous that wench is. She sent them up to our cabin.”

“I just hope she can catch them in the act and not after they have started back here.” Rachel sneered. “Oh, look how she is squirming.” She referred to Ashley.

The Columbine girls watched as the Daisy girls squirmed, darting glances at the door.

“This is actually kind of fun, in a twisted sort of way,” Victoria let out.

The door opened and Phoenix came through the door with two girls, each held by the arm. She marched them up the wall next to the kitchen door. She then turned and walked over to speak with Director Hobbs who looked over at the two girls and frowned. Phoenix walked over to the Columbine table and glared at the girls.

“What the hell is going on?” Phoenix looked around the table.

“What do you mean?” Katie asked a bit nervously.

“They said that you have pranked their cabin. Something about ink in Ashley’s body wash.”

“They said what?” Samantha disclaimed. “Those liars. Phoenix, this is just another one of Ashley’s things to get at Erika. You saw how she treated Erika all week during the Olympics.”

Phoenix looked each of the girls in the eye.

“You have only seen the tip of the iceberg of what she has said or done to Erika all week,” Victoria stated.

“If there was ink in Ashley’s body wash, she probably did it herself to continue this smear on Erika,” Krystal stated. “I had no idea she was so insane about this whole camp Queen thing.”

Director Hobbs took the two girls out the door and looked to be heading to her office.

“There will be NO retribution for this or anything else. It’s the last night of camp. Let’s end this peacefully and fun.” Phoenix stood up.

“That is all we ever wanted,” Tricia insisted. “We’ve been trying to be really good, but it has been hard this past week, with those Daisy girls spreading hurtful rumors about Erika and saying nasty things to her face when counselors aren’t around.”

“I’ll be back in a few minutes. I’ve got to report to Director Hobbs.”

“Can we go back to the cabin and get ready for the dance when we are done eating?” Rachel asked.

“Yes, and stay there.” Phoenix walked out of the hall.

Erika looked around at her cabin mates. “Did you put ink in her body wash?”

No one spoke, and only Tricia met her gaze.

“Oh my God, you did. Didn’t you?”

“We were just protecting you, Erika.” Rachel stated. “We already de-activated several of their pranks.”

“Why else do you think I gave you an unopened body wash before you showered?” Samantha told her. “Or have been acting paranoid? We’ve already spent a better part of the morning fixing things that she had put into place.”

After they finished eating, they stood as a group and walked past Ashley who glared daggers at them.

“Okay, I need to finish her hair,” Victoria ordered when they reached the cabin.

“I’ll hang and de-wrinkle the dress,” Katie volunteered.

“Victoria, when you are done with her, I get her for make-up,” Tricia stated.

Erika watched in bewilderment as the cabin suddenly became a place of chaos as everyone, except Victoria and herself, launched into stripping out of their clothes. None of them went to the bathroom to change, but changed right in front of her.

Phoenix came back into the cabin. The girls all but stopped their whirlwind and looked at their counselor.

“What happened?” Rachel asked.

“They said that you are lying about not pranking their cabin,” Phoenix sighed. “The two that I caught in our cabin will be spending their last night at camp cleaning the kitchen with Sheila.”

“So they were in our cabin?” Victoria looked vindicated.

“I caught them going through our closet.” Phoenix nodded. “There will be no more pranks or name calling tonight. No shenanigans of any kind. Do you understand?” She met the eyes of each of the girls, some who nodded. “If I find out that you did prank their cabin, or planned any retribution whatsoever for tonight, you will be sleeping in Daisy cabin. Got it?” She swept the room again, her gaze spending a little more time on Rachel. “Okay let’s get ready for the dance. Victoria, could you flat iron my curly mop?”

“As soon as I’m done with our hopeful Queen.”

“Thank you.”

“Erika felt like a beach ball bouncing from one person to the next as each took a hand in getting her ready.

“This color will set off your eyes so well with your dress.” Tricia smiled. “Already your eyes are popping.”

Tricia, wearing a soft pink floral dress had the front of her hair pinned loosely back with some lose curls falling down over her bare shoulders. Erika was in awe of the petite girl’s effortless, simple beauty.

Samantha walked across the room behind Tricia wearing a bright red halter top dress. She had her hair pulled up in a French twist with spiky pieces sticking out,

“Are your forms glued down firmly?” Tricia asked drawing her attention away from the cheerleader.

“Yes, I did it yesterday.”

“Okay, I’m going to put some powder to blend them in a bit better.”

Tricia stood back and looked over her work. “Samantha, what do you think? Is that enough blush?”

Samantha came and looked at Erika. “Yes. Anymore and she’ll start looking too fake. She’s going to a dance, not on stage.” She looked Erika in the eye and smiled. “You look beautiful.”

Erika flushed slightly, but not out of discomfort. Was she really feeling like a girl now? Just a few short weeks ago, Eric would have been humiliated if anyone had called him beautiful. He would have been a little embarrassed if someone had called him handsome, but Eric was supposed to be handsome. As Erika beautiful was a flattery that Eric would never have believed he would have liked.

“Here, you need to put these on.” Samantha handed her some nylons, then eyed her curiously, “Do you know how to put them on?”

“I think so.”

“Be careful not to snag them. It’s the only intact pair of nude hose we have left; another casualty of Ashley’s earlier strike.”

Erika took the offered panty hose into the bathroom and carefully pulled them up her calves and thighs. The nude nylons stretched to form to her leg hugging it in a second skin of breathable, sensual elegance.

“Oh my god, these feel wonderful.” Erika whispered as she felt them encompass her legs in a silky embrace.

She stood and wiggled her toes and smiled. “And girls complain about wearing these?” She shook her head, causing her curls to bounce.

Katie entered the bathroom. “Wear them for the night then you will understand why we complain. Here’s your dress.”

A few minutes later, Erika stood in front of the mirror. She had truly lost her breath. If Eric had seen a girl looking like this in room he would have forgotten about Samantha in a heartbeat. Tears welled in her eyes.

“Don’t go crying and ruining all of my work,” Tricia admonished.

“I can hardly believe what I’m seeing.” Erika turned and looked from a different perspective. “I look so–so pretty.”

“That was the idea. You don’t see many ugly girls winning the title of Dance Queen, do you?” Victoria smiled.

Erika looked from Victoria in her yellow dress back at the familiar stranger in the mirror. Her dark hair had been curled–the sides pulled up and back, exposing her fine bone structure and sparkly earrings that Dani had found at the thrift store. Her makeup looked as good as any actress or model gracing a magazine. The spaghetti strapped royal blue dress made her skin look creamy and her eyes shine like two blue jewels. The nylons smoothed out any blemishes her legs might have had and gave them a barely there tan color.

“I’m still not sure about these shoes.” She said looking down at the blue three inch rounded toe pumps that Tricia had picked to go with the blue dress.

“You’ve been practicing in the wedge sandals all summer.” Samantha stated. “You will be just fine.

“Is that really me?” Erika asked in disbelief.

“You’ve gone from being a plague to becoming a princess.” Krystal looked up from her book. She was wearing a black slinky skirt with a slit up the side and a low-cut purple top.

Tricia leaned forward and lightly caressed Erika’s lips. “You are going to blow them all away.”

“Okay, girls,” Phoenix announced, “Stand together so that I can get your picture.

The Lavender Ladies of Columbine cabin gathered together and smiled as Phoenix’s camera flashed.

The cabin counselor smiled. “Okay, let’s go dance and throw those cute guys, down there, for a loop.”