Chapter 15: Chapter 15

Chapter fifteen

Anika glared at her bedside clock as she watched the red numbers transform in the dead of the morning. She also noticed the stupid thing made an annoying ticking sound.

She let out an inaudible groan so that she wouldn't wake Mel and Keira up. Both of them were happily content with their heads buried in their pillows, a muffled snore vibrating in the back of Keira's throat.

Rubbing her eyes, Anika brushed her hair out of her face and changed into a pair of shorts and tank top with her bathing suit underneath. She glared once again at the little red clock as the numbers changed again. Five thirty... too damn early to see the devil, Anika thought.

Rummaging through her drawer, she found a hair elastic and her brush. Pulling it through her hair, she quickly threw up her raven curls and left the cabin. Watch him not even show....

Along the way to Gelsey's office, Anika stopped off at the bathrooms. She winced at her reflection in the mirror and fingered the fading yellow green bruise on her chin that Ryleigh gave her the first day in the car. Next was the long horizontal slash above her brow. A thin line of black crusted blood plastered against her forehead and took a while to wash off. The gash must've reopened a little while she slept. She had to be careful so it wouldn't bleed again. Once she was cleaned up, she continued to the office. Anika knocked softly against the door and it swung open moments later.

"Ah, good morning Anika." Gelsey stepped aside with her fairly large cup of coffee. Anika politely returned her words and walked in.

"I ran to the kitchen beforehand and grabbed some muffins and what not. Ryleigh's not here yet so dig in." Gelsey opened a white box and watched a cloud of steam roll off the tops of the muffins.

"Thanks. I didn't know the cafeteria ladies started this early." Anika thought. Those little ol' ladies were spectacularly wonderful.

"Yeah, they're pretty dedicated. And they also gossip like the rest of you kids." Gelsey took a seat at her desk. Anika dared to look up at Gelsey's raised blond brow.

"I can explain?" Anika ducked her head.

"No need. I asked around and it sounded like you met Victoria." Anika nodded. "You didn't exactly fight her so I guess I can't add on to your punishment this morning. It's too early anyway. I'll just recommend that you stay away from her. Mel and Keira on the other hand..." Gelsey rubbed a hand down her face.

"Is it always like this between them and Victoria?" Anika asked with a small chuckle.

"Yes. And there's no stopping it so as long as there is no real damage... or blood. I think we're good.  For now at least." Anika let out a small laugh as she picked at her muffin.

"Sorry for the fight yesterday." Anika sincerely apologized. "I know you probably had more important things to do other than break up our fight."

"Don't be. I'm not that naive to think that I can prevent all fights from happening. I run a camp for a bunch of troubled teens. Add in the raging hormones and summer heat and we've got flaring tempers. I'm just lucky that for some reason you all fear me."

"You aren't lucky. It's just that we all chose to come here for a reason. That other option is our own worst nightmare." Anika said quietly.

"I know. And between you and I that's why I'll never turn anyone away. It happened to me."

"You were a delinquent?" Anika asked in open shock.

Gelsey let out a laugh and shook her head before a dimmer smile pulled at her lips. "No, when I told my family I was going to open my own camp in the middle of nowhere they were disappointed. In their narrow minds delinquents can't be fixed, like you're all some broken toy. Sometimes these kids don't need help, but rather another person, another kid their age that's just like them. Someone that understands. But my parents didn't understand that. They looked at me as a failure."

"They disowned you? That's awful. They're awful!" Anika felt her anger boil at the vulnerable look in her camp leader's eyes, though she tried to hide it by shrugging it off casually.

"It's not that bad, really. I send them a post card with all of my kids' names on it every year." Gelsey laughed.

"So what about Genevieve? They had to shun her too because she was with you, right?"

The blond lady blew out a sigh. "Unfortunately yeah, though she was their baby girl they saw her 'throwing her life away for some ungrateful rats'. But Genevieve was Genevieve. Always wanting to help people. And if it meant that she could get out from under my mother's pampering, she deliberately said that our mother drove her away. For a long time Genevieve felt ashamed of our parents for thinking so lowly of you all." Gelsey let out a laugh. "She bought a camera a few years back and sneaks around snapping pictures of you all so she can email them to our mother."

"Well, on behalf of all us delinquents, thank you for stiffing your family and giving us all a second chance." Anika offered a smirk. "You might just be one of us, running away from your parents to be here." Gelsey laugh, and this time her smile reached her eyes.

"Well, no sense of keeping you waiting. I'll open the supply closet for you so you can get started." Gelsey grabbed her keys from her key rack and started towards the door.

"Aw, you mean I still have to do grounds keeping? We just had a heart to heart." Anika fake whined but followed after her anyway.

"Hey, you fought him remember? I'm just doing my job. A small amount of discipline will do." Gelsey held in her chuckle.

"He tackled me first. The ball was still at center field." Anika weakly defended but smirked as the chain dropped from the door handles after Gelsey unlocked the supply shed.

"I'll send him to clean the bathrooms then, how's that?"

"Ooh, that sounds delightful." Gelsey shook her head at the evil smirk on Anika's face.

"Alright, off you go. Start at the lake and work your way to the fields. Here's a bunch of bags for leaves and trash. This place has to look ship shape for the next round of photos Genevieve is going to send out." Gelsey dropped the materials needed into a wheelbarrow and shooed Anika away.

"Alright, alright I'm going. You can at least pretend to feel sorry for me." Anika grumbled lightly and pushed the cart onto the path. She plugged her ear buds in her ears and scrolled through her new songs that she downloaded yesterday after supper. Picking up the rake, Anika turned to the tree line bordering the lake's beach and began her work.

"That's not working." Anika jumped at the deep voice.

"Well, if you're stalking me than you aren't working either." Anika retorted, not bothering to look at Ryleigh as he stumbled from the path onto the sand. A part of her wanted him to fall face first in the sand.

"You wish I was following you." Ryleigh scoffed and threw his leaf rake to the ground.

"You know we were supposed to be at Gelsey's office for six. Not wake up then right?" Anika glared at him over her shoulder. She was having such a relaxing morning until he showed up. After an hour of cleaning the tree line and the few water bottles and wrappers in the sand, Anika took a break and sat on the dock to watch the rest of the sun rise.

The only reply she received was a snort.

"Why are you over here anyway? Shouldn't you be at the bathrooms?"

"They're clean now and I'm not going back to the office for more work." Ryleigh glowered at Anika who still sat at the end of the dock while he stood on the beach.

"And did you decided to come watch the sunrise too?" Anika asked with an irritated smile on her face.

"Nope. Just wanted to check and see if you didn't drown yet." Ryleigh looked around the clean beach.

"I can swim perfectly fine." Anika defended, standing up and walked back to the beach.

"Whatever. Gelsey wanted me to get you after I finished my area." Ryleigh announced and turned to walk back onto the path, picking up his cleaning supplies on the way.

"Where does she want us to go?" Anika called after him.

"Breakfast." he shouted back. Anika wondered just how fast time passed by. Was it already nine o'clock?

After Anika gathered her rake and other various tools, she dumped them in her cart and wheeled it back to the office area. The building was locked and Anika waited a few minutes after knocking on the door but no one answered. Her better judgment told her not to leave the materials out in the open but she didn't think kids would kill each other with a rake so she made her way to the cafeteria.

"Can I help you?" Anika recognized one of serving ladies as she looked up from her sweeping.

"Oh, I'm just a little early for breakfast I guess." Anika frowned at the empty room.

"Oh dear, breakfast doesn't start till nine." the woman gave a little chuckle.

"And what time is it now?" Anika's eye twitched with suspiciousness.

"A few minutes before eight, hun."

"Thanks." Anika turned to walk out of the cafeteria but stopped at the entrance. "Oh, and the muffins were delicious this morning." the lady gave a smile of appreciation at the compliment and went back to sweeping the floors.

"I'll kill him." Anika's smile dropped and was replaced with a scowl as she muttered lowly. With a sigh, she corrected herself.

"I would kill him." If it didn't involve Gelsey finding out, she thought.

"Why so grumpy?" Anika turned around to glare at Ryleigh and point an accusing finger in his direction.

"I don't know what's your problem, but I'm trying not to get thrown out of here." she hissed.

"Right, sorry. Forgot that painting flowers on buildings wasn't really a 'delinquent action'. I actually feel sorry for you. A foster home... that's rough."

"Glad to know the boy knows another facial expression besides his 'I'm pissed at the world and everyone in it today' face." Anika turned away from Ryleigh and his sarcastic smirk.

"So... what happened? Cafeteria not open yet? Is that when you normally eat? Early so no one can see you go to the bathrooms later on?"

Anika whirled around and shoved him back by his shoulders. "I do not have a eating disorder."

Ryleigh's dark blue ocean eyes raked up and down Anika's thin figure, stopping at her boney hips and shoulders, which stuck out slightly because of her slimness.

"Clearly." he raised his brow in disbelief. Anika glared at him a little longer before continuing down that path to the office and her wheelbarrow cart.

She felt the weight of his eyes on her until she disappeared from his calculating gaze around the corner of the building. Sure she was on the thin side, but it wasn't because she would starve herself or was self-conscious about her weight. Heck, she even had a second huge muffin this morning because they were so tasty. But when there isn't any food at home to eat in the first place....

With a sigh, Anika plucked the rake handle out of the cart and started to pile the leaves on the path together for the next hour until the camp stirred awake with life. All the while she thought of ways to get Ryleigh back.

"Oh hey, Anika." Gelsey finished turning her key in the office door in time to see Anika travel up the path.

"Hey, Ryleigh said we're done today?" Anika wanted to double check to make sure it was actually breakfast time now. The blue-eyed devil did fetch her once more and led her back to the supply shed with his own cart and bags full of leaves.

"Yep. You two are free to go. Come back at six tomorrow morning though." Gelsey gave the two delinquents a stern look before sneaking a wink at Anika. They both let out a groan. Anika held her hands palm up in front of her to examine the blisters on them and swore softly at the sting that radiated from the red circles when she poked them.

"Wear gloves next time." she thought she heard Ryleigh softly say as he brushed by her to start walking up the path. She shook the thought away though.

"Hey, how'd this morning go?" Mel was the first to greet Anika at their usual table in the corner. Everyone was already seated around the round table, even Ivy sat next to Skinner. She pulled out the last extra chair and sat in front of the already made plate.

"He's still alive if that's what you mean." Anika grumbled and sent a glare towards Ryleigh's back at the opposite corner of the room.

"And you're still intact so that's good." Keira noted with Ivy nodding along, forking a piece of syrup soaked pancake into her mouth.

"I need to get him back." Anika tore her gaze away from the dirty blond demon so that she could look Mel in the eye.

"What'd he do?" the red head asked lowly.

"Nothing major, just told me it was breakfast time an hour early. But I didn't know what time it was so I went all the way here from the lake to find out that it was in fact only eight in the freaking morning." Anika glared at Skinner when he laughed.

"You thinking what I'm thinking?" Keira connected her green-orbed eyes with Mel's caramel brown ones. The two shared a mischievous look and Mel gave a slow evil smile as she flicked her eyes to Anika.

"I think we have something for him."