Dig It Up *A 'Holes' Fanfiction*

Centre of Attention

Chapter 19

Later that evening I gave Charlie a complete tour of Camp Green Lake. During the whole process we were surrounded by wolf whistling boys, obliviously observing the new girl. Charlie just tried to hide herself in her hair and staring at the scenery. If there was any interesting scenery besides, hmm, I dunno dirt, sand, and more dirt with a yellow spotted lizard thrown in.

“You don’t have to hide your face, they won’t bite!” I muttered.

“I know, but I don’t want to be the centre of attention, it’s just too awkward, if you know what I mean.” Charlie said. I rolled my eyes and punched her arm playfully.

“I know secretly want to be! I mean there are at least a hundred guys surrounding us trying to get a look at you, don’t you feel at least a tiny bit confident to not hide yourself.”

“Not in this state!”

“Stop denying it! You look fine. I know you want to get with one of them…anyone in particular? Someone in our tent perhaps?” I smiled cheekily feeling determined to get information about why she was staring at Ziggy.

 “There are a lot of um, cute boys here…but…I don’t know really.”

“Seriously, I totally saw you staring at Zigzag. It was so obvious!”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Charlie stated though I saw her hiding a smile by looking at the ground. I was just about to point it out, but the dinner alarm was going off.

“It’s dinner time!” I exclaimed, “Prepare yourself for the silence!” I took her hand and dragged her towards the Mess Hall.

“Wait, what?” she blurted out just before going through the doors. As I said, the noise from the boys faded and the typical silence greeted us. Charlie looked like deer caught in the headlights. “Why are they all staring at me?” she whispered to me out of the corner of her mouth.

“Just ignore it…they’ll get used to you soon enough.” I saw our group lining up beside the counter to get the mush.  I pulled a hazed Charlie along behind me walking towards the end of the line behind Zigzag. I bent over to pick up a tray, letting go of Charlie’s hand. I didn’t realize she continued walking and smashed into Zigzag’s back causing the whole line to lurch forwards. Some angry shouts erupted from some of the boys farther up in the line. Charlie came back to her senses and started stuttering apologies and excuses to the stunned Zigzag. I just laughed.

“Oh my god, oh my god, oh my g-god! I’m so sorry, I-I, uh didn’t see you there…oh my god…” she went bright red and tried to continue talking but no words were coming out. Zigzag just stared at her for a moment then murmured something that I couldn’t catch since it was so faint. It seemed to calm her down though, but she was still hyperventilating a bit when she turned to face me. I handed her a tray and swiveled her back around. Charlie was careful not to walk forward too fast, just in case she tripped and fell on Zig. Which meant it took forever for me to get my bread and mush. Not that I really wanted it…Charlie was kinda surprised when the green shit that was meant to be broccoli surprise was dumped onto her tray. “Excuse me,” she said to the server who wasn’t that happy to be talked to, “where’s the other option?”  The server just cackled at her as he splashed the mush onto my plate.

“There is none, now move on before something else embarrassing happens…” I whispered to her and nudged her forwards towards the table where the boys were eating. As we walked towards them I could feel all eyes were on us, but I was starting to get used to the feeling. Charlie had different ideas; she tried to hide herself behind me, treading on my heels and ducking down. “Would you cut that out?” I hissed.

“Sorry.” She mumbled. We reached the table and I sat her down between Zigzag and me. There was an awkward silence.

“So everyone…what’s up?” The boys just shrugged their shoulders and started conversations between each other. I talked to Squid about how crazy Mr. Sir was and how Mr. P should be sent to a mental asylum. I saw something move in the corner of my eye. Just as I suspected I saw a dark hand reach over my tray and try to grab Charlie’s bread. She was too much of a nervous conversation with Zigzag to notice the fingers curling around the crust of fluffy whiteness.

 “Excuse me one sec.” I reached out and pinched the dark skin hard. I heard a yelp as the arm shot back.

“What’d you do that for?” said X-Ray rubbing his arm.

“Don’t steal people’s life resources!” We all laughed. Charlie copied me and devoured her bread quickly. She started to poke her green mush and swirl it around her tray.

“Hey Kat,” she leaned her tray towards me. I saw that the green mush was decoratively blobbed around. “It’s modern art! Like the stuff you do.” The boys sniggered and I blushed.

“Nah, I sketch. I don’t wipe mush around a canvas! Though I do think that looks like a good picture of Stanley’s face.”