Chapter twenty four
"Picture time!" Anika, Keira and Mel all jolted awake with a start at Genevieve's bubbly cheer.
"What?" Keira groaned and ran a hand over her face. Blue monkeys surrounded her on her bed.
"I said, picture time!" The blond lady chanted again with the same high level, excited pitch.
"Now?" Mel grumbled, but slid out of bed.
"Well I can't take a picture of you sleeping." Genevieve rolled her eyes and held the camera at an arms length, waiting for the girls to get out of bed and prep for the picture.
Anika swiped a brush through her tangled bed head curls and pinched her cheeks to add some color to her pale face.
"Gorgeous!" Genevieve snapped a few pictures before she lowered the camera down. "Oh, and Gelsey wants me to tell everyone that the party will be the day after tomorrow. Today all activities will be canceled for the preparation." Keira hooted while Anika and Mel chuckled at their friend.
"Thanks Genevieve." Mel offered a smile before she turned to her dresser to grab her bathing suit and a pair of light clothes.
"No problem." she chirped before jumping back from their doorway and heading off to take more pictures.
"Yeah no activities!" Keira cheered with a wide smile.
"What do you say we grab a spot on the beach this morning before everyone else is awake?" Mel proposed.
"Only for a little while. I think the sign up sheet will be up at the office." Keira said.
"What sign up sheet?" Anika questioned as they gathered their clothes and bathing suits and left their cabin.
"Oh, right. Well, the party is the day after tomorrow and it is only as awesome as we make it." Keira started to explain.
"So Gelsey prints up an assignment sheet of what we need to do and allows us to add any ideas that we have to it to make it better than last year." Mel finished.
"Were you guys here last year?" Anika asked as they reached the bathrooms. Genevieve must have just started waking people up because there wasn't anyone else on the paths.
"We weren't. We came in the spring. I think Ivy and a few other kids had to agree to come back for another year." Keira thought aloud.
"Oh. What kind of things can we do for the party to beat last years?"
"This year it's on the fourth of July, so fireworks will be a must." Keira said. Were they really already in July? Anika thought.
"But we can literally do anything. Gelsey orders balloons, snow cone and cotton candy machines." Mel listed off.
Keira jumped in to add more things to Mel's list. "Blow up obstacle courses, a dunk tank and other booth games."
"Wow." Anika changed and was the first to come out of her stall, quickly followed by Mel and then Keira.
"Yeah, I'm surprised you haven't seen any of the pictures hanging up in the office building." Keira worked on throwing her hair up into a high pony tail.
"Guess I never noticed." Anika shrugged. "So this party is like a we're-so-proud-there-hasn't-been-any-deaths-yet celebration?"
"Pretty much." Keira nodded with an amused grin.
"It's our reward for 'making better decisions'." Mel said.
"So what are some of the things that you can sign up for?"
"Are you girls talking about the party?" Ivy surprised the three girls as the pink haired girl sauntered into the bathrooms with her clothes tucked under her arm.
"Yeah, were just telling Anika what we do to set up." Keira nodded her head.
"You guys are going to have a blast." Ivy beamed a smile before entering a stall and continued to talk.
"Firstly, everyone takes the DJ chart and jots down whatever music they're into. It can be specific songs or artists or genres and eras. Last year it was a mix of everything you could think of but still, I don't think anyone left the dance floor.
"After that gets done, you sign up for your job. Lights and decorations usually take the longest and need the most people because we literally decorate every inch of camp. Food prep usually takes the second largest group of people and then there are the miscellaneous jobs. You know, the runners and time keepers. They make sure everyone has everything they need and that we'll have enough time to get everything done." Ivy emerged from her stall dressed in a pair of the camp's grey shorts and her grey bikini top.
"How long does this usually take for all the preparation?" Mel asked.
"Believe it or not, but we get all of it done in a day. So today is all we're allowed."
"But what about tomorrow? The party doesn't start till eight." Keira raised a blind brow in confusion.
"Tomorrow is a rest day. Most kids just sleep all day so they can party it up all night. Those who are up just wonder around the camp and relax. Some find last minute things to do for that night or things that were forgotten."
"Sounds like a lot of fun." Anika smirked in excitement.
"Trust me, it is." Ivy smiled wildly, her short magenta colored hair brushed forward in a foe hawk with the longest strands draping over her forehead and barely reaching the end of the side of her nose.
"So what do you think your job will be?" Keira asked no one in particular.
"Don't know yet." Mel had a thoughtful look in her caramel eyes.
"I'd say if you have any talent in art, go for the decorations." Ivy chimed and the girls all look towards Anika.
"Decorations it is for me then." she chuckled. "But what kind of art do you mean?"
"Depends on what the theme is. Last year we had an underwater theme. The kids in charge of decorations made sea creature cut outs. Be as creative as you can be, all I'm sayin'." Ivy shrugged.
"I'll go grab Skinner." Mel announced as the girls reached the lake shore. They nodded and the red head took off for the boy's wing.
"So we have to come up with a theme?" Keira asked and Ivy nodded. The three girls took a moment to brainstorm before voicing their ideas.
"What about a tropical theme?" Keira offered.
"We could try that. Make some homemade palm trees, tiki torches, get some platters full of exotic fruit." Ivy took out her iPod to make a list of their ideas.
"If that doesn't work, than we could try to do a masquerade theme. With the masks and a two colored theme." Anika said.
"That would be interesting." Ivy nodded in agreement.
"Were you guys think of themes too?" The girls jumped at Skinner's sudden appearance.
"Uh, yeah. You have any good ones?" Ivy looked up from her iPod.
Skinner crunched up his face in thought. His eyes light up with an idea. "How about a neon black light theme?"
"Like glow in the dark?" Meira asked and was met with Skinner's enthusiastic nod.
"That's actually a great idea." Ivy smiled at him.
"Yeah, we can rent the lights." Mel joined in.
"And when Gelsey makes the trip to pick up all the machines, we can go and buy some paints and bracelets that'll glow." Anika felt her heart quicken in excitement.
"Before lunch, we can stop by the office." Ivy turned off her iPod and put it in her bag. "But right now, I'm going in there." she threw her thumb in the direction of the lake and took off running.
"I second that." Skinner shouted and sprinted after the pink haired girl.
"Of course you do." Mel chuckled.
"You just want a reason to chase her." Keira teased. Ivy was already in the water so she didn't hear but Skinner skidded to a stop in the sand.
"Uh oh." Anika shot off her blanket just as Mel and Keira shrieked in surprise.
"Skin! Put me down, Skinner!" Mel's face flushed as a few more kids laid out on the beach. Keira also pounded on Skinner's back but the boy just let out a loud laugh as they continued to struggle on his shoulders.
"Don't you dare." Mel growled as Skinner walked up to his waist in the water.
"Sorry Red." he smirked, not sounding an ounce apologetic. With one swift movement, Skinner tossed both girls into the water.
"You're dead!" Keira spluttered once she resurfaced.
"I slipped?" Skinner held his hands up in defense and smiled over at Ivy who was nearly drowning in her fit of giggles.
"You want some of this too?" Mel playfully growled and laughed once Ivy's eyes widened with understanding. The pink headed girl tried to run from the red head but she only managed to trip herself in the water before Mel threw herself on top of the girl.
Ivy and Mel wrestled for a while with Keira still beating on Skinner. Anika watched from the shore, only walking into the water till it reached her ankles. She laughed at all the grunts and light threats being made.
"Come at me blondie!" Skinner taunted Keira. She gave him a 'what the hell' look.
"Dude, you're more blond than I am."
"I'm also sexier and more amazing and-" he was cut off when Keira tackled him back into the water.
"You think you're so cool?" Anika shifted her eyes over to Mel and Ivy who stood a couple feet apart, circling each other in the waist high water.
"Yeah! But not as cool as you!" Ivy shouted back, her shoulders shaking with laughter.
"No way man. You're way cooler!" Mel shook her head.
"Nuh-uh, guy. You're way cool." Ivy then hurled her arms around Mel's shoulders and both girls splashed back under the water.
Anika felt the water and sand disappear beneath her toes as someone lifted her from behind.
"Who the hell dares-" Anika narrowed her eyes at the face just above hers. "Skinner! Put me down!"
"If you say so..." Skinner smirked as Anika's eyes grew wide and she struggled to clasp her arms around his neck but it was too late.
"You idiot-" Anika's cry was cut off as fresh lake water filled her mouth and throat. Instinctively, she straightened herself under the water and stood up once she found the sandy bottom. Skinner had swam a few strides away and was laughing along with Mel, Keira, Ivy and a few of the other beach bums.
"Oh yeah?" Anika stretched her arms behind her and brought them back in front in one quick motion sending a wall of water in Skinner's face.
"You have no idea what you just started." he said lowly, and evil grin playing on his lips. Anika smirked back at the challenge.
"Bring it!"
"Oh my gosh." Keira groaned in exhaustion.
"I don't know how we plan on setting up now." Mel dragged her feet on the dirt path to the cafeteria.
After spending another forty five minutes of splashing each other... and random kids on the beach, Skinner and the girls forced themselves onto the shore.
"My arms are going to be so sore later." Ivy complained, looking at the spot where Skinner poked her upper arm.
"I feel like Jelly." Anika wiggled for effect, causing the group to laugh.
"Food." Keira brightened when they stepped into the dinner hall still in their bathing suits with their towels wrapped around themselves.
"For once, I think you're obsession with food is actually a good thing." Mel chuckled. "I'm starving."
Anika zoned out of her friends chatter as she searched for a particular dirty blond haired kid.
"He isn't here, I don't think." Mel startled Anika out of her quest.
"I need to apologize to him." Anika mumbled softly. The rest of the group laughed at the annoyed look Keira had made.
"He's around. You could always find him when we're setting up. Everyone will be too busy and excited to look for gossip." Mel shrugged and handed Anika a lunch tray.
Anika didn't say anything after that as Mel returned to the conversation. Every once in a while she would shoot Anika a small smile before chuckling at whatever was happening. At the moment, Skinner and Ivy were blushing madly.
"You two are just so cute!" Keira gritted her teeth in a squeal.
"Shut up." Skinner pouted and avoided the girls' amused eyes. He made the mistake of looking to Ivy when she looked at him, which released a drawn out 'awe' from Mel, Keira and Anika.
Skinner's eyes lightened and a confident smirk played on his face as he snapped his attention back to Ivy. She looked confused for a second before he whispered something in her ear. Her flush crawled over her entire face and neck but she nodded at whatever he said. Skinner lifted a hand to Ivy's jaw line and brushed his thumb along the skin there. He bent his head lower and brushed his lips across her.
Anika, Mel and Keira exchanged shocked glances and open mouths.
"Now there's something to awe at." Skinner said after he pulled away from a dazed Ivy.
"Holy crap." Ivy muttered to herself and had to restrain herself from touching her lips.