Delinquent Camp

Chapter Three

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Three

I don’t understand why people hate the rain. They would deem the day a bad one automatically when they see the gloomy clouds rolling in. They never wanted to get wet so carried umbrellas and rain coats, shielding themselves from the water as if it would be painful to touch. However, I’ve never been one of those people.

Instead, I’ve always embraced it. I would treat it like others would treat a sunny warm day. I love the smell of the fresh air, the feeling of the raindrops on my skin. However, the best part has always been when it rains at night. The sound of the rain on the roof while you fall asleep or when you wake up has always been my favorite thing.

“What do we do when it rains?” I ask Ember quietly, as we stare out the front screen the next morning.

“Outdoor activities are canceled,” she shrugs, heading back towards her bed. She starts digging through the trunk in the middle of the aisle, looking for clothes.

“But apparently we need some form of physical activity every day,” Scarlett says, sounding unenthusiastic. “So every morning that it rains, everyone goes jogging through the camp.”

“Jogging?” Melody gives me a nod from her sitting perch on her top bunk, wearing an oversized Safe Haven sweater and the matching sweatpants.

Five minutes later, the four of us are standing out on our porch, all of us matching in our Safe Haven clothes. The rain is pouring, creating small splashes of water wherever it hits the ground. Or, maybe I should say mud. The whole trail looks like a slippery, brown mess.

“This is going to be hell,” mutters Scarlett, hugging her sides tightly. She has her blonde hair tied in a high ponytail, exactly like mine.

“Last one out there has to sit beside Michelle at the fire tonight,” Ember laughs, heading down the few steps into the rain. She flicks her hood up over her dark hair and turns around to face us with a huge grin. “Is that going to be you, Scar?”

All at once, the three of us rush down the steps just as a group of kids’ jogs past, every one looking unimpressed. I don’t know who the last one was, but regardless, we all start jogging in our own little group, trying to keep balance on the slippery ground.

It doesn’t take long before I find my vision becoming impaired by the water. I try to wipe my eyes with my sleeve, but it doesn’t make a difference, considering that after five minutes, I’m already completely drenched. Grunting, I slow to a walk and start to pull up my sweater to wipe my face.

“Watch it, bitch!” A girl yells, and suddenly, my body is shoved to the left. I stagger a few feet, trying to gain my balance in the mud. However, it’s not long before I’m hit again and being yelled at by some guy who doesn’t sound to happy.

“Sorry,” I mutter, starting to jog again. Now the rain’s coming down so hard that I can only see a few feet ahead of me, making my efforts to wipe my eyes before pointless. Not wanting to slow other people down, I pick up my pace. “Where is everyone?” I ask myself after a minute of running. I lost Ember and the group long ago, but now I don’t even see any other kids on the trail.

I push myself faster, hoping to find someone and worrying that I might have taken a wrong way. It isn’t long before I do see someone, but by the time I do, it’s too late.

“What the hell?” A boy’s voice grunts as we barrel into each other. We both slip into the mud and in a matter of seconds, I’m lying on top of him, blinking as I try to figure out what just happened.