Chapter 52: "Begin!"

So we stood there.

Just standing.

Everyone else was chattering away about anything and everything while our group of misfits just stood there. It doesn't help that Kya's earlier words still floated around in my brain.

"So, what do you think the first challenge is?" Sophia said, trying to start a semi-normal conversation.

"Most likely a scavenger hunt." Lexi answered.

I decided to speak up, weird I know. "So are we going to try to win, or are we just going to play the bare minimum?"

"100% all the way! Jeez Leon, why would you even ask that?" Cammi said. Guess my name is Leon now. How fun.

"Okay. What's our strategy?" I asked again.

"Lidia do you need to ask so many questions?" Lexi huffed.

I bit my lip and swallowed my words. I'm not one to back talk, unless absolutely necessary, and right now, I'd rather be seen and not heard.

"Hello everyone! We will begin the first challenge today! Drumroll please!" Only about fifteen kids drum rolled, and I was not one of them. Plus, the lady was talking in a very high-pitched fairy kind of voice, "a scavenger hunt!"

"Called it." Lexi whispered.

I heard a kid beside me groan. Same dude, same. I really, really wish I wasn't here right now. As fun as it sounded, I guess I didn't consider how all of us would be cramped in a little camp, it's literally winter, and I had to meet new people.

"They are passing out the papers for what you need to find. The first team to find everything wins a point for their cabin! Good luck everyone!"

I got passed a paper and looked at the list.

1. Acorn

2. Yellow leaf

3. Red leaf

4. A willow tree branch

5. Your cabin's mascot

What the hell? What are we? Eight? A yellow leaf? Really? I need to add to my cons list: very, very, very, boring.

"Okay guys let's split up! Each of us should try to get everything on the list, that way we don't miss anything. Meet back here in thirty minutes." Cammi took charge. Fine by me, all I'm going for are the leaves.

"Okay, nice plan, just one question," Lexi asked. Cammi gave her, her full attention, totally getting into it, "what's our cabin's mascot?"

"Oh uh, I actually don't kno-"

"I know." Kya whispered.

"Okay then, what is it?" Lexi said, annoyed that thing weren't going her way.

"A Scissor Tail Fly-catcher." She whispered again.

"A scissor tail-what?" Sophia asked nicely, unlike her best friend.

"A Scissor Tail Fly-catcher."

"Okay how about Kya finds the mascot, okay? Agreed?" I said while nodding my head. I heard a variety of agreements.

"Begin!" A voice shouted. We were to engrossed in Kya's weird knowledge of birds that we missed the time to get to the front of the line. Oh well.

Cammi took off, and I mean took off. I couldn't even run half her speed if Carl was chasing me. I  leisurely walked off to the woods. I could care less about winning. As long as I'm in the woods, I'll be okay.

Leaves crunched under me as I walked some of the worn out paths. Within two minutes I found both leaves. Now, I'm just walking to walk. I abruptly stopped. I've picked up a thing or two from my brothers, one of them includes how to know when a person is following you.

I turned right and walked straight into the woods. Out here the leaves are more heavily fallen, meaning louder footsteps. If it's who I think it is, then he'll be leaving me alone in no time.

I fiddled around and swung my arms around my body, just missing certain trees. I stopped again, and surprise, surprise, I heard an echo of leaf crunches.

"Okay Cael you can come out now. Y'know, you're not very good at spying on people." I said to no one in particular.

Silence was all I got in response. This kid thinks that if he doesn't answer me, then I'll think he wasn't here? Where did he get his logic from? EBay? Probably.

"Okay then, don't answer. I'll make sure to tell my brothers all about how while I was away, a kid was sta-"

"Stop! Stop! Okay you got me, it's me. Hi." He popped out from behind a tree and smiled.

I narrowed my eyes. "Leave me alone. Now." I said and turned to walk away.

"Okay, but I'm still going to follow you!" He called out. That made me stop. He's going to follow me? He's going to follow someone, through some deep woods?

"Excuse me?" I slowly turned around.

He got a nervous look on his face. "Uh, I mean, I'll join you! Yeah, I'll join you."

"Um no you won't. Goodbye." I walked past him.

"This isn't over Lidia!" He called out.

It had been long enough, so I decided to head to where we were meeting. I was walking out of the tree line with the two leaves when all my teammates started to yell at me.

"What?" I said while walking over there.

"Hurry!" Cammi screamed.

"Jeez okay," I said and walked a little faster, "no need to scream."

I heard some people behind me, the leaves crunching loudly. I don't care. We already lost. I mean, what are the chances of us winning?

"Lidia White! Run your little ass off right this instant!" It was Sophia who yelled. Never would've thought she would've been the one to say that.

"Okay I'm coming!" I yelled back and sort of ran to them.

"And the point goes to, the Scissor Tail Fly-catchers!" The announcement lady said over the speakers.

I looked around confused. Why did she say we won? Aren't we in last? How in the world did this happen?

"-dia, you did it! We won!" Cammi yelled. Either she had tears in her eyes or the wind was just making them water.

All my teammates kept on congratulating me. I just kept nodding my head and smiling. Apparently I made it just in time because the person behind me had got out of the woods just right after me. I guess I only beat him by like four seconds?

I looked over and Lexi and saw her with her arms crossed. She had a scowl on her face. I no doubt think that if this was school, I would be on the floor right now.

"Good job I guess." She mumbled.

I've never won anything, well I take that back. I've won board games, not anything physical. Plus, if I win it's because I want to win. Not by accident. I guess we all break our habits once in a while.

"Alright girls, just stand here and we can wait for everyone else to get out." One of the many chaperones came up and told us.

Huh, who would've thought that Little Lidia White would win something for her team? And a physical match?

Definitely not me.