June 10, Amber

"Do I have to go to camp?" I had been pleading with my mom not to make me go to summer camp while she visited her sister's family. Sure I don't really like my aunt but spending
a week with twenty strangers isn't exactly my idea of fun. This is not to mention the six­-hour car
ride required to get to the remote town in upstate New York. My mom insisted I spend time with
other kids my age and "explore the great outdoors" during my two months of freedom. I would
much rather be left alone inside with a good book and some music.

"Yes, you have to go," my mother finally responded, "You need to make some friends.
Besides, it's too late to get a refund for the admission." I consider offering to pay her back the fee but I don't know if I have enough money if she did agree. Also, I think we should be clear here, I don't plan on making any friends at this place. Usually I leave people alone and they do
the same for me. You'd be surprised how eager people are to ignore you and move on with their lives. Anyway, I can't wait to get out of this car but that means going off to camp so at the same time I'd rather be stuck here forever. I slump down in my seat to pull my earbuds out of my
backpack. I have found music to be the best way to entertain myself on long car trips and stay sane in most situations.

"You do realise you aren't allowed to use your phone at camp right?" my mom's voice interrupted my sanity.

"That's why I brought my old iPod," this rule seemed standard at camps I'd read about in books so I dug out my old MP3 player (as in doesn't­-have-­a­-screen old) and charged it up. I'll just have to pray they don't have a policy against those too.

***

I must have spaced or fallen asleep because a little while later I glanced at the car's clock and lo and behold we only had 45 minutes of driving left. We had long exited the highway
and my heart was beating much faster than normal. What is wrong with me? Kids love summer
camp. They go by choice all the time. Why can't my brain just suck it up and deal with it? The road here was bumpy and surrounded by trees. Now, I don't live in a city or anything but this feels like the middle of nowhere. I mean there are houses but no neighborhoods to speak of and
the road twists and turns like an indecisive snake.

"Amber, can you find my phone and map the rest of the way there?" my mom has been trying not to blow her data plan and live off paper maps despite each wrong turn costing us at
least twenty minutes of driving time. I guess these roads just ran her off the edge. At least I have something to distract myself from the impending week of sure disaster. Maybe her phone won't get any service here and we'll have to give up and turn around, I thought just as we passed a cell tower, nevermind, then. After a half hour of navigating through the woodsy road the camp appeared. It looked like I expected it to. All log cabins and lakes with canoes. Terrifying. I utterly suck at swimming so boats are for the most part out of the question. I mean, if I went overboard I'd be dead meat. After leaving the car, a woman my mom's age came over to welcome me and inform me I would be staying in cabin 15 with a few other girls. I didn't think about that. There's no way I'm going to be able to sleep in the same room as other people I don't even know! I suppose it has to work out somehow right? Well, I'll find out soon.