The girls in the cabin erupted in applause and rushed over to hug the large girl. Erika, who hung back a bit, was a bit mystified by what was happening. Guys didn’t do this kind of thing for one another. Well not really. It was more like. ‘Hey, Dude, want to?’… ‘Yeah, sure.’….. ‘Cool.’. That was about all that guys did, not this whole 'We are going to help you out, every step of the way and give you hugs of encouragement' thing."   Camp Kumoni By Anistasia Allread

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Chapter 11
 

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Phoenix was concerned about the missing Krystal when she returned to the cabin, but with Rachel’s assurances that Krystal was just fine, she didn’t ‘call out the cavalry’.

Arts and crafts, to Erika’s surprise wasn’t stringing macaroni necklaces. The Crafts leader, Amber, handed them a round disk of wood and some leather.

“We are going to make leather drinking tankards.” She smiled.

“Won’t the liquid seep through?” Victoria asked. “Eventually?”

“With leather, you would think so, huh?” Amber grinned, “But we will be treating these with an environmentally safe, non-toxic resin that will keep it water proof... even coffee proof!”

Amber handed out pieces of paper with curved rectangles drawn on them. “These are for you to design an etching to be scored into your mug. You can put anything you like on your mug. Your name, flowers, hearts, MOM, DAD, for your parents, whatever, as long as it is tasteful and rated ‘G’.”

“Can I scribe ‘Beer’ on it for my dad?” Dani giggled.

“Nope. But you could put ‘Dad’s drink’ on it” Amber beamed. “Now you don’t have to rush through this. This project will be taking most of the week to complete.

With pencils in hand, the girls began talking and sketching various ideas for their mugs.

“Were you able to get anything done on your comic?” Samantha asked.”

“I was too distracted.” Erika shrugged. “I’ll try again later.”
 
 
An hour later, Amber had everyone clean up their crafts, label them and put them into a special bin labeled Columbine, and put it aside.

“What now?” Katie asked.

“Kickball.” Victoria smirked. “Against Foxglove.”

“I’m wearing a skirt, and heels.” Erika waved her hand at her bare legs drawing attention to them.

“Good point.” Phoenix cleared her throat. “Let’s run back to the cabin, change if you need to and pick up Krystal. Hopefully she will be able to join us for kickball.”

“Hopefully she will decide to become one of us.” Rachel muttered under her breath, so that Phoenix couldn’t hear.

Krystal was indeed waiting back in the cabin for them, sitting on her bunk, reading one of her novels.

Rachel greeted her with a smile, and a probing look. Krystal smiled back at her with a slight blush and an open smile.

“Erika and anyone else, who needs to change, do so quickly.” Phoenix directed. She looked over at the plump new camper. “Feeling better, Krystal?”

“Yes, I am, Phoenix.” Krystal put her book down, dog-earing the page.

“Put on your tenni's, cuz we need to go kick some Foxglove butt in kickball.” Phoenix grinned. As the other girls cheered the sentiment.

With Rachel’s athletic abilities, Katie’s height, Samantha’s flexibility and Dani’s determination. Victoria, Krystal and Erika didn’t have to do a whole lot to win the game by six runs. Krystal was smiling and participating now, especially when the other girls cheered on her efforts. But she was still a bit reserved and shy. She didn’t speak unless spoken to, and when she did speak it was only with a few words.

Their schedule allowed half an hour before they had to go to the mess for dinner. Phoenix gathered the sweaty, exhilarated girls back to their cabin for a quick wash with wash cloths before sitting them down in the cabin on their various beds.

“Krystal, yesterday when we all met. We went through and introduced ourselves.” Phoenix began. She quickly went through her spiel about getting a fresh start. “So please tell us about yourself.”

Krystal, under the scrutiny of the others in the cabin blushed and looked down at the floor. “Well, I’m um…. from the Eastern part of the State. My family is in the process of moving to the city.” Her eyes glanced up then back down. “That is why I was late getting here. I like to read…….. A lot.” She smiled at the floor. “And I uh….. I have a problem with my weight.” She glanced up and shared a look with Rachel who nodded encouragement with a smile. “Rachel and I had a talk earlier and she said that you all would help me…… shed some of it.” Her eyes flicked quickly around the room. The whole group of girls smiled and nodded at her. Phoenix however looked confused, but smiled anyway.

“Do you want to go through with it?” Rachel asked very sternly. There was a silence that fell over the room while everyone strained, waiting to hear the answer.

Krystal looked up, her gaze quickly scanned the room, then focused in on Rachel’s. “Do you really think I can lose that much?”

“Perhaps more, depending upon how much you want to work at it.” Rachel smiled.

“I want to do it.” Krystal affirmed.

The girls in the cabin erupted in applause and rushed over to hug the large girl. Erika, who hung back a bit, was a bit mystified by what was happening. Guys didn’t do this kind of thing for one another. Well not really. It was more like. ‘Hey, Dude, want to?’… ‘Yeah, sure.’….. ‘Cool.’. That was about all that guys did, not this whole 'We are going to help you out, every step of the way and give you hugs of encouragement" thing.

“Before I condone what you are all planning, I need to know what you are up to.” Phoenix was a bit disgruntled at not being kept in the loop.

“We all agreed, that if Krystal wanted to lose weight this summer, we would all pitch in and help.” Rachel explained quickly. “What this means is that Krystal and I will be waking up early in the morning and doing some exercises before going to the mess to get some breakfast. Anyone who wants to join us may. That is, if it is okay with you, Phoenix.” Rachel looked to the redhead.

Phoenix sighed. She didn’t really have a choice, did she? The girls getting up early for exercise to help a cabin mate out, wasn’t exactly how she hoped the cabin would mesh, but if it worked to bring them together and get them to enjoy the summer, why would she want to discourage such a positive rally?

“Erika, we need to add a swim suit for Krystal to the list.” Rachel directed.

“And sweats, and an alarm clock.” Victoria added.

“List?.... What list?” Phoenix was feeling that she was no longer in charge of the cabin.

“We have started a list of items to get while we are in town doing laundry.” Katie explained. “Hangers, to hang our nice stuff up in the closet with… that kind of stuff.”

“Oh.” Phoenix commented.

“Can we add air-freshener to the list as well?” Samantha inquired. “It would be nice to have a cabin that smells of something other than dirt, lake water, and mustiness.”

“I’ll add them after dinner.” Erika nodded. “Remind me.”

“Umm…. “Krystal spoke up. The group turned towards her. Her face turned pink. “I …. Don’t really have any money to get a swim suit and sweats.”

“That won’t be a problem.” Samantha squeezed the girls shoulder. “I’m sure I can find something we can afford.”

Erika feeling comfortable was emboldened. “She is an incredible shopper, Krystal. She can sniff out a bargain as soon as she enters a store.”

Phoenix looked down at her watch. “If we don’t hurry, we’ll be late for dinner. I don’t think another fashion show will save us from losing points tonight.”

“Fashion show?” Krystal inquired.

“We’ll explain on the way.” Dani giggled.
 
 
The girls were just finishing up their taco salads when Josh approached their table with another guy. “Hello Erika.” He smiled down at her.

“Hi Josh.” Erika replied after finishing her bite of food. She wouldn’t smile at the guy. He was like so many she knew, full of themselves and able to get away with treating people they deemed less than themselves like dirt.

Josh scanned the table, smiling at all of the other girls. His eyes landed on Samantha. “This is my friend Kyle.” He introduced to Samantha. “Kyle this is Samantha.” Erika took a deep breath trying not to roll her eyes or groan. She was doing this for Samantha and in a way, for Summer.

The two exchanged pleasantries.

Josh smiled down at Erika. “I can’t wait until we see each other tomorrow night. I noticed that we all passed our swimming test.” He looked down at the green bracelets that adorned their wrists. “I thought a nice boat ride out on the lake at sunset would be nice.”

“Okay.” Erika said. She didn’t know how she should answer the proposal. After all, she really didn’t want to go out on this ‘date’ with Josh. She was doing it because Samantha said that that was how the popularity game was played. ‘Go out with him once or twice, and let him down easy.' She felt Samantha kick her under the table. She looked over to see her smiling, almost forcing it. Erika looked up at Josh. Forcing her own smile, she answered, “That sounds like a nice plan, Josh.” She wanted to gag.

Josh and Kyle left the table and exited the mess hall.

“What was that?” Samantha hissed.

“What was what?” Erika hissed back.

Samantha put a dopey, moping look on her face, “O.K.”

“What else am I supposed to say?” Erika demanded. “I don’t even like the guy.”

“You don’t like him?” Dani asked curiously.

“No.” disgust filled Erika’s voice.

“How can you not like tall, dark and handsome, with a tight ass?” Dani was in disbelief. “Can I have him?”

“I’ve got dibs.” Samantha jumped in.

“Damn. Then I’ve got no chance.” Dani looked to Erika. “Think of me next time you need to double date, or need to pass on a guy. It usually throws them off dating a midget, until, I show them I don’t have to get on my knees to blow them.” She smiled wickedly.

“Dani!” Samantha, Katie, and Victoria all verbally jumped on her as one.

“I’ve got to play to my strengths.” Dani complained. “I don’t have Rachel’s body, Victoria’s smarts, Katie’s height, Samantha’s flexibility, or Erika’s looks.”

“That is just tasteless.” Samantha got up from the table and started to leave.

“It’s not like you’ve never done it.” Dani called after her.

 
End of Chapter Eleven