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“What’s so bad about a cute guy like Josh kissing you?” Victoria asked with indifference.
“Because I’m not attracted to guys!”
By Anistasia Allread
Chapter 16
End of Chapter SixteenErika was awakened by the alarm on Rachel’s watch for the second morning in a row. The constant beep….. beep….. beep. Was annoying. All she wanted to do was to pull her covers up over her head and relish in the comfort of the bunk, but she knew she had to get up. She had to help one of her cabin mates. The moans and stretches of the girls around her furthered her knowledge that the day was to begin. For better or for worse, it was to start with an early morning jaunt of exercising.
Erika slipped out of her bed and went into the bathroom. Katie was already sitting on the toilet, ridding her body of waste water.
“Morning.” Katie yawned.
“Morning, Katie.” Erika yawned back.
Katie wiped, pulled up her panties and traded Erika places at the sink. Erika pulled her jamma pants down and quickly sat, tucking her male member so that the tall model looking girl wouldn’t see. After using the toilet, Erika went back to her bunk and rummaged through her drawers for her shorts.
“Good morning, Erika.” Samantha greeted, warily as if poking at a snapping turtle.
Erika ignored her and continued getting dressed. Putting a bra on was becoming much easier now. As soon as she had it on, she tucked her breast forms and adjusted them the best she could without a mirror. The whole cabin probably already knew that she was using them, but she could hope that they didn’t, or that they didn’t care.
After a few warm-up exercises and stretches, Rachel had us on the path around the lake again, this time we walked it in the opposite direction. Rachel and Katie jogged in place, or jogged ahead and then back to join them.
“Feeling better?” Phoenix fell in beside Erika at a fast walk.
“A little.” Erika admitted. “Thanks for sending me to the showers.”
“You were so taut, I thought you were going to tear yourself apart.” Phoenix’s eyes went from the trail to Erika. “Don’t ever go charging off like that again. It is dangerous to run off the way you did, especially at night. If we hadn’t found you when we did, I was going to have to inform Director Hobbs and have the police and Search and Rescue called in to look for you.”
“I’m sorry, Phoenix.” Erika apologized.
Phoenix stopped walking forcing Erika to do like wise. The copper haired counselor turned and gave Erika a big hug. “I’d hate anything to happen to one of my girls.” She squeezed Erika a bit more. Phoenix released her and resumed walking.
Erika paused for a few moments. Was that the talk? Was that all there was to it? Don’t go running off? Guys didn’t get talks like that? They were yelled at, cussed at and told to ‘grow up’, to ‘take it like a man’, to ‘get over it’. Did girls really get a ‘please don’t do that’ and a hug? Erika shook her head and began jogging to catch up with the rest of the cabin.
About half way around the lake, Samantha fell back to walk beside Erika. The two walked in silence for a while.
“Erika.” Samantha began. “I’m really…..”
“Rachel?” Erika called out. “Could you hold up for a minute?” She cast Samantha a look of disdain and jogged ahead, leaving the blonde cheerleader, biting her lip, fighting back tears.
Samantha slowed to a lumbering walk. Tears obscured her view of the trail as she fought to maintain control. She needed to speak with Erika, to apologize for setting her up on the date with Josh. Erika had expressed dread at doing such a thing But Samantha was too wrapped up in her own feelings at the time.
Taking on the Winter persona, she had befriended a lonely soul. A soul that seamed as lost and lonely as her own after Summer’s death. She didn’t realize how isolated Eric’s soul was until she had gotten to know him over their computer conversations. Looking back, Summer’s soul seemed lost that way, floundering, grasping for something, anything to help pull herself out of the dark abyss of hopeless despair. If only I could have seen the signs. She thought, choking back sobs.
It had been almost two years and she was still breaking down in emotional fits over the loss of her only sister. At school, she was among the popular crowd. She was a cheerleader after all. She was the family’s golden girl. The daughter with the golden hair and good grades. Friends who kept the phone busy in the evening and always had a place for her at parties and sleep-overs. Even after Summer’s death, she was expected to put on the ‘golden mask’ and play the happy-go-lucky cheerleader, even though inside, she felt like a large vise was crushing her heart and lungs, wringing, squeezing them as if to juice the life out of her.
Yeah, she had a boyfriend who was on the varsity football team, but after three dates of his incessant talking about nothing but football and sports cars, she quickly learned that there wasn’t much to his personality, or thought patterns except those two subjects. But she had to keep up the image, she had to smile for the cameras. Smile while sitting in the convertible and waving as a homecoming princess. Smile and be dutiful at the family’s Christmas get-away at the cabin. Smile and be happy as she accepted her dull boyfriend's corsage for the Spring Prom.
She had to do all of this, and pretend that her sister hadn’t killed herself, as if to mention it would shatter the world that her family and friends had built up around her. Destroy the fantasy of the perfect daughter in the perfect world. It was Summer who should have gone with her to pick out her dance dresses. It was Summer who should have sipped hot chocolate with her next to the fire place at the cabin, or started a snow ball fight. It was Summer who should be spending time with her this Summer, not leaving her alone in a house of sad memories. A house of neglected opportunities and lost days to come.
It was her mourning of Summer that brought her to coax Eric into spending the summer as a girl. To needle him into ‘walking in her shoes’. It was her hope that getting to know Summer’s friend with the mislaid soul, she might better understand her sister and maybe find out what horrible secret life she had, in which she couldn’t escape, but in taking her own life.
It had only been a few days of camp and she had already alienated the only person who might be able to empathize with her, to share with her information and feelings about Summer. And she may have ruined all of this because she had a crush on Josh. That infatuation with the tall, dark, and handsome guy with the winning smile and she put her friendship with Erika on the line. She knew Erika wasn’t attracted to guys, but she was too dead-set in her ambition to try and win Josh’s attention that she sacrificed the two real reasons for being here. To help Eric have a positive experience in life. An experience that didn’t have him being shoved into garbage cans or tripped to land sprawled in mud puddles. One that was opposite from what he had experienced at school. The other was to learn all that she could about Summer through this friend of hers. A friend who identified with her.
Now this friend of Summer’s was quickly becoming a friend of hers. Once Eric began smiling and Erika emerged it was as if a rope had been tossed down into the dark hole, and the emerging person was grateful to clamber up and see what happiness could be found. Before the whole date proposal, Erika looked to be having fun, looked to be relishing new experiences, like a young girl trying chocolate ice cream for the first time. Erika was learning to trust her, to look to her for support and guidance. The reward of seeing a beautiful smile on Erika’s face was more than worth it.
Erika’s outburst, “Leave me alone and don’t you dare speak to me!” echoed through her mind. She tried to enjoy the campfire last night, she tried to put on her ‘golden mask’ but the mask now had a grievous crack in it. One that didn’t allow the mask to sit right, it began to look grotesque more of a mask of horror. This morning when she approached Erika while getting dressed, the look that Erika had given her was one that was full of pain and disdain. The look of one who had been betrayed. It was a blow that staggered her. It tightened the vice in her chest another turn. She had to talk to her, but how? How could she if Erika wouldn’t listen?
“Come on, Samantha.” Victoria called back, we need to get the cabin cleaned before we go to the showers. “Just because we have a lead in the points doesn’t mean we can slack.”
Samantha took a deep breath and exhaled, trying to shed the tension and raw emotion that seemed to coat her being.
Samantha caught up to Krystal, Dani, Phoenix and Rachel as they started to enter the camp. Rachel had pushed Krystal a bit faster today. The large blonde girl was breathing a bit heavier and looked flushed.
“You did great today, Krystal.” Rachel lavished praise upon the cabin mate. “Tomorrow we’ll start adding some exercises to it.”
Krystal moaned. As did Dani.
“Don’t worry, we’ll start out easy.” Rachel smiled. She rubbed Krystal’s shoulder and lowered her voice. “You are really doing good Krystal.” She said for the large girls ears only. “When we get back to the cabin, go ahead and hit the showers. I’ll cover your share of the chores today.”
Krystal nodded a thanks and concentrated on slowing down her breathing and heart rate.
“Victoria, could you braid my hair today for me?” Erika asked. “It looked really cute the other day and it was much easier to manage.”
“Sure.” Victoria smiled. “As soon as we get the cabin cleaned and I get a shower.”
Erika began the house work by making her bed, organizing her clothes in their drawers and lining up her shoes before she grabbed the broom and started to sweep the little bit dust and dirt that speckled the floor.
Okay Eric, last night was rough. But you decided to be a girl for the summer. An adventure of sorts. You have cabin mates that accept you and even like you. Erika’s mind was going over the different thoughts running through her head. So far, they seem to support you, even after that episode last night. If you’re going to do this….. thing. If you are going to be a girl for the summer, well…… be the best girl that you can. When you’re married and have grandkids you can always laugh about the summer you spent as a girl at Camp Kumoni. Who else will be able to claim to have had such an experience?
Once the cabin looked spic and span, Erika grabbed her towel, slipped on her flip-flops, scooped up her stuff and followed Victoria and Dani down to the showers. She really didn’t need much of a shower after the long time she stood under the hot water last night, but a refresher after the brisk walk around the lake would feel pretty good.
After she washed the morning’s exercise off, Erika dried, and pulled on some white panties. She carefully tucked her genitalia out of sight and slipped into a pleated knee length skirt and a low scoop-necked top. Swimming wasn’t on the agenda today so she didn’t bother taping down the breast forms, but instead fit them into the cups of the bra. Knowing that Victoria was going to braid it, she didn’t wash it, but it still got a little damp due to the spray. She dried it quickly and raked her fingers through it to get out some of the larger snarls.
Erika opened the stall door and walked out only to come face to face with Samantha, who bit her bottom lip and looked like she was about to burst into tears. Samantha looked quickly away as Erika stepped past her and headed up to the cabin.
The morning air felt refreshing after the morning exercise and the hot shower. After neatly storing her belongings, Erika pulled out her comb and combed the rest of the snarls out of her hair.
Victoria came up behind her and took the comb from her and finished it off. “You know, Samantha is really upset about what happened last night.” She said in a low tone.
Erika stayed quiet. She was still very upset with the situation that Samantha helped to orchestrate, putting her into a position where she was kissed by a guy.
“Are you going to stay mad at her the entire summer for something that she didn’t do?” Victoria prodded.
“What do you mean something that she didn’t do?” Erika turned over her shoulder. “I told her that I didn’t want to go on that date with Josh. I did it because I thought she was my friend.”
“What happened on the date that was so upsetting?” Victoria coaxed as she quickly gathered hair and plaited it.
“He kissed me!” Erika exclaimed in a harsh whisper.
“What’s so bad about a cute guy like Josh kissing you?” Victoria asked with indifference.
“Because I’m not attracted to guys!” The last few words brought the rummaging around the cabin to a standstill. All of the girls looked at Erika in shock then looked quickly away. Even Victoria’s deft fingers paused for a moment, before finishing off the braid.
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Comments
Camp Rumors
Time for the rumors to fly. A slip like that and the word will spread like wild fire.
Sooner or later Erika will soften a little and she and Summer will have to have a long heart to heart.
This is a great story. I'm enjoying each chapter as they unfold.
Penny
A seance perhaps?
Now that would be a neat trick. Summer's dead.
She might find it easier to talk to Samantha.
Go easy on her Nick
If you look through other comments on other chapters, she is not the only one to mix Samantha and Summer up
A.A.
Sorry
I meant no disrespect.
OOPS
Oh well, sorry about that.
I figure as long as I don't mix up the 60 or so characters I'm dealing with in Education in the Hills I'm doing pretty good.
Besides, I'm alowed a mistake or two now and then, I'm blonde :-)
Penny
I dunno
As determinedly close knit as this cabin seems to be, I don't think so. Considering that there aren't any raving homophobes among them (they would have already objected), I'd say that they'll help Erika come to terms with the fact that lesbianism isn't the end of the world (hehehe, it's the beginning... *lecherous eyebrow waggle*)
Edeyn Hannah Blackeney
Wasn't it Jim Henson who said, "Without faith, I am nothing," after all? Wait, no, that was God. Sorry, common mistake...
Good point
Well made...
***Lost for words***
Letting the cat out of the bag
Oh that's torn it.
I wonder how this is going to affect things?
Nick B
Summer Camp
Hmmm, everyone is getting upset over a little thing like a girl who doesn't like guys? EWWWW the guys have couties, I can understand her feelings. I would have thought the bigger problem of not actually being exactly a genetic girl was a worse secret.
Samantha never realized what she was doing, putting on her cheerleader smile all of the time and having a very shallow opinion of others. After all, She did have it all and everyone fawned over her all the time, and bent themselves backwards for her. SOOOO Samantha never ever had to feel anything about others or deal with real life; how they truely felt about who she was. Alias, the reason for Summer doing what she did, because she felt worthless with Samantha around. Samantha is the typical little rich girl that was truely spoiled, everythiing had been given to her and had to be her way, for she never got it any other way.
Eric, however, knows the true story what happened with Summer, and knew it was Samantha's fault because of the realtionship between the two. Because of the golden aura surronding the golden child, alias Samantha, that could do no wrong, Summer took her life.
I wonder how this bit of news will affect Samantha when she finally finds out it was her that caused her sister to take her own life? That could be pretty devestating to her ego. Will Samantha need therapy after finding this out? Will she become despondant at this bit of news? Or will Eric realize what the truth would do to Samantha and not tell her?
Looking into Samantha's mind, she is a well meaning individual, but fears rejection, so hangs out with the in crowd to play it safe, alias going out with jocks she cares nothing for, but a little thoughtless about what her actions might cause others to have to deal with. Samantha is not an evil person, she means well, but she lacks the sensitivity to understand the other people around her.
Samantha's 'not thinking things through' and 'doing things impulsively' created the problems, and she has no clue what she has truely done to Eric. She definately is a tad selfish.
Does she really have any feelings for Eric at all? OR is she doing this just to get more information about her sister and once she has that, will she drop Eric like yesterday's garbage?
Eric may be a diamond in the rough, but with a bit of polish Eric/Erica will be a great human being and from what I can see, a true loyal friend.
I wonder if Victoria realizes who Erica truely is, and does she feel sorry for him and will help him become the woman she feels Eric might truely be. She may realize that Eric is blossoming as Erica and has started to crack out of the shell that was his world, which isolated him from the other boys, at the school. She knows that Eric was called the plague and because of his stature, was always being picked on.
I'm pretty sure that the girls will not have a problem with Erica, if they ever find out he is not a genetic girl. They will see Eric for who he truely is, Erica. Who Knows, before the summer camp lets out evan Eric may come to the realization that Erica is who he really is after all.
I'm sure that by the time Summer camp is finished, Eric won't be able to return, Erica dressed as Eric may be going home, but his mannerisms, movements and behavior will be that of a girl, much to the consternation of his/her parents.
Erica could end up being quite the fabulous girl by that time, very outgoing. I think everyone will benifit from the summer camp experiance. I'm sure Eric's parents won't see it that way, but they were never around anyway.
I love the story so far, I hope Erica will not have to deal with her parents until the end of summer camp, but her trials with her peers are what's most interesting to watch. Will Erica be able to maintain her secret from everyone till the end?
Keep up the good work.
Hugs
Joni W
I agree with a lot of what you said, however...
I'm not convinced Ericka is his true self. Since Eric had no fem feelings coming into this story, I think Ericka's acceptance is what motivates him, not dressing up and taping his privates. He will come out of the experience a wiser more sensitive boy, but most likely still a boy...most likely a really CONFUSED boy...but still male in my opinion..author's wishes could be completely different in which case I'm all wrong :) But won't it be fun finding out??
Huggles!!
Alexis
The Author's wishes
The Author's wishes are unknown as of yet. Currently she is undecided whether or not Eric will emerge from the summer more female than male, or more male with an inside view of what a female is made up of. Lets see where Eric/Erika takes us on this journey through Camp Kumoni
A.A.
p.s. Remember it has only been a few days at camp. At this pace, a lot can happen in 10 weeks.
Can't wait for the next part in this epic tale
We're a few days into the camp and already chapter 16. Let's subtract some for the "pre-camp" part and we get two or three chapters for each day. A 10 week camp is 70 days, so we can expect somewhere between 140 and 210 chapters excluding the intro and epilogue. I have to say I find that idea very appealing.
On the other hand, at the current posting speed this would result in an adventure lasting about two years for the reader. I wonder if we can keep our talented author motivated long enough.
Hugs,
Kimby
Hugs,
Kimby
I'm sure we have enough cattle prods to keep her motivated ;)
Seriously though, the chapters are generally not that long, so you end up with more chapters as opposed to a story with a lot less chapters, but each one is much longer...either way as long as the story is good, works for me :)
Huggles!!
Alexis
I could use a prod
I could use a few prods right now. I have stalled. And am unmotivate right now. partially bacause I'm not sure which direction to take the story. second, is partially due to burn out. 16 chapters, 47,000 words in a month. that is a lot for me. I still need to catch up on reading all of the great stories posted on this site, since I've been too busy writing to read. Hang in there with me. It may be a little bit longer in coming, but it WILL come.
A.A.
Perhaps the truth will set them free?
Erika/Erik might benifit by her outburst.
Don't cover a lie with a lie but come clean on everything. I may be reading it wrong but Erika is happy and *blooming* because people are being nice to her and givng her a chance. Eric was miserable because he was small, ignorred or worse picked on.
If Eric was treated nicely he could have been the one to *bloom*. It still might happen. He needs a chance to find himself. His parents are a joke as are Samantha's. It had to take more than Samantha being poor at reading peoples fellings to drive Summer to kill herself. The parents and others must have kept comparing the two and belittling Summer. She may have been equally or more talented then Samantha but in areas she never was encouaged to try as they all wanted Samantha Mark II. Maybe Summer was what Eric may prove to be, a late bloomer but with Summer we will never know.
Perhaps as Eric confesses Smantha comes in and tries to stop her/him telling the truth or defend her part. He responds angrilly by telling how Samanrtha was a big contributor to Summer's suicide and that she set him up to date a boy in a weird ploy to get him through Erika. She knew it could get Erika/Eric beat up or worse but she cared onlu about her plan to snag the hunky boy. Sacrificng Erik was unimportant to her. Samantha needs to ne rebooted too and it may take being shunned/reviled/beat-up for a while to crack the facade. One hopes it woun't take a sucide attempt for her to understand her suffering late sister. Her breaking the mask might help her to heal her family too.
My 2 cents,
John in Wauwatosa
John in Wauwatosa
Second look at Samantha
I took another look at this chapter, particularly Samantha's thoughts on what she did after Summer's death. I think we have to remember she is also young and inexperienced in life. It would take a pretty strong person to decline all the opportunities she was given because her sister didn't get them. And I get the idea that her parents didn't teach her that kind of responsibility.
It can be hard to deal with pain when others expect you to be the one to carry on, to put on the "golden mask". She was never given the chance to properly grieve for her sister, and this has warped her behavior. But she is trying to reach out, to understand what her sister was going through by making contact with Summer's only friend. That he seems troubled also must make her afraid for him, so she tries to help Eric the only way she knows how, by letting "her" experience popularity as a pretty girl instead of a nerdy boy. This is all she knows, after all.
Yeah, she made a mistake, a big one. And she is paying the price. This summer is a learning experience for her as well. At the end not one but two better people will leave the camp.
I've had therapists that were as clueless as she is, and for less reason. Cut her some slack, and she may surprise us all.
Karen J.
"Being a girl is wonderful and to torture someone into that would be like the exact opposite of what it's like. I don’t know how anyone could act that way."
College Girl - poetheather
“When a clown moves into a palace, he doesn’t become a king. The palace becomes a circus.” - Turkish Proverb
Really really hope ...
... Erika gives Samantha another chance. I can understand how Erika must feel, but it'd really be a shame to miss out on a chance for friendship with what looks like a pretty decent person just because that person is kinda pushy and had a lapse in sensitivity and consideration. If there was a pattern of this kinda stuff, I could understand Erika wanting to avoid being involved with Samantha. I'm sure Erika would appreciate it if someone gave her a second chance after fowling up.
Heather Rose Brown :)
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Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend.
Inside of a dog it's too dark to read.
Groucho Marx
Heheh.. good one
Because I’m not attracted to guys!
Hmm, that answers my -rather rhetorical- question nicely huh? :)
What is wrong for a girl to be courted by dreamboat Josh?
Another possible answer could have been: 'Because I'm not a girl.' But I like this one too, and it's more consistent with the story.
One could conclude Eric is subconsciously accepting to be a girl. And this raises the question whether Erica is beginning to evolve, to the extend of Eric seizing to exist entirely at the end of the Camp season or just for the remainder of Eric's time there.
I'd say: All bets are off. Let's see how Erica is growing up, again, for I feel it's like Eric has been rebooted. At least for the summer camp time it has. Now Erica is going to be up and running, but not all of the set-up has been properly parameterized. Some tweaking might be necessary.
Jo-Anne
Uh oh
This is going to spark Victoria.
hugs :)
Michelle SidheElf Amaianna
“Because I’m not attracted to guys!”
well, she let part of the cat out of the bag, is the rest gonna follow?