*Yo Eric! How’s it hanging? Dude, when you posting your next Raven?*   Victoria was startled... Yo Eric? Dude? The Latina felt lightheaded and fuzzy. Eric? Erika? Oh my God! It all fits! Victoria sat down hard in a chair and stared at the screen. Eric Martin…….Erika Martinez. I am so stupid. The shyness, the similar looks, the breast forms, the duct tape…. Don’t think about what he does with that... Freaking out about dating and kissing a cute guy?…… Oh my God! Erika is Eric the plague!!!   Camp Kumoni By Anistasia Allread

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Chapter 22
 
Erika was taken off guard by the question, especially coming from Katie. “Well…….. I guess. I’ve always known that I’ve been attracted to

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Erika was taken off guard by the question, especially coming from Katie. “Well…….. I guess. I’ve always known that I’ve been attracted to girls.” Erika wasn’t sure exactly how to answer.

“I mean, was there a certain time in your life when you just suddenly knew that you liked them better than boys?”

“I have always been more comfortable around them.” Erika was treading carefully, not knowing where this was leading. “Girls just make me feel very warm and giddy inside. Guys never had.” Did I just say ‘giddy’? God this is a nightmare.

“Are you physically attracted to them?”

“Guys or girls?” Erika asked for clarification.

“Girls. Are you physically attracted to them?”

Erika looked from Katie to the masked woman who seemed to not be listening to the conversation. How should I respond to that? Erika wondered. Flat out yes? Or more tactfully? She is asking straightforward questions. Does she want straight forward answers? “Yes, I am physically attracted to some girls.” Erika decided that honesty would be the best answer. “Does that bother you?” she asked with sincerity.

“No.” Katie was quick with the answer. “I was just wondering.”

The masked woman pulled out some superglue and began applying long plastic looking ‘claws’ to Erika’s fingers.

“Have you had, ah... physical relations with a... with a girl?” Katie blushed and wouldn’t meet Erika’s gaze.

“No, not really.” Erika sighed. “I haven’t been able to find a girl who I like, who would consider a relationship with me.”

The masked woman took the other hand and began applying the ‘claws’ to it. A second masked woman who finished with her client scooted her chair closer and began working on Erika’s second hand.

“Wow, you’re being double teamed.” Katie smiled at Erika.

The masked woman took out a device, fit it over her ‘claws’ one at a time, checked the length and clipped off a large portion of the plastic nail. The two women, each with a file in hand, began filing on Erika’s nails.

“Are you attracted to anyone in our cabin?” Katie asked.

How do I answer this one? Erika looked and met Katie’s beautiful eyes and smiled. “You all are beautiful in your own way. You all can be very attractive.” She tried to evade.

“But is there anyone in particular that you find attractive?” Katie pressed.

“You can’t tell anyone.” Erika looked hard at Katie. The whole cabin already knew; why did Katie need to be asking?

“I won’t say a word.” Katie promised.

“Not even to Dani?”

“I promise.” Katie looked met Erika’s gaze.

“I have been attracted to Samantha for a long time.” Erika confessed. The girls already knew; what harm would it cause for her to confirm it? “Yes, I was Summer’s friend, but I have been in love with Samantha since the day I met her.”

“Why Samantha?” Katie posed. “She has been nothing but mean, and inconsiderate of your feelings, all week.”

“She’s still mourning the loss of her sister.” Erika excused Samantha’s behavior. “I don’t know what it is…” her eyes took on a faraway look. “There is just something about her that I find attractive.”

The two women began applying a smelly substance to her nails using a brush and some kind of powder.

“Does she know that you have feelings for her?”

“Don’t you go telling her!” Erika turned a cold gaze upon the tall girl.

“So, she doesn’t know.” Katie confirmed with a sad smile. “Don’t worry, I won’t say anything.”

Dani walked next to Samantha down to the end of the block to where the secondhand clothing store was located. The two walked into the store and were affronted by the smell of old fabric. The ancient brick walls were lined with tall shelves containing glassware, and mismatched, chipped china. Under the shelves were racks upon racks of clothing.

“Oh my God, I could spend hours in here.” Samantha gasped. “This is a virtual treasure trove waiting for me to dig into.”

“We are here for Krystal, not for you.” Dani reminded her.

“Where is Krystal?” Samantha scanned the store for the large girl.

“When I came to get you, she said she was going upstairs.” Dani explained.

The two girls climbed the stairs to the loft. At the top of the stair, they were met by shelf upon shelf of books. Paperbacks of all kinds crammed the shelves, from trashy romance novels, to bad murder mysteries. Hardbacks on how to maintain your 1973 Ford to greasy cookbooks.

“Oh my God!” Samantha gasped. “And you let her come up here unsupervised? We are never going to get her back down stairs.”

“Krystal?” Dani called out. “Krystal?”

“I’m right here!” A soft soprano called out from a couple of rows away.

“We don’t have a whole lot of time left Krystal.” Samantha urged. “Let's find you a swimsuit and some clothes.”

“Alright.” Krystal sighed. The old worn floorboard creaked as she walked across them to join her cabin mates at the stairs.

“Did you at least look at clothes?” Samantha asked.

“Kind of.” Krystal shrugged.

Samantha groaned and took the large girl by the hand and began to lead her down the stairs. “What sizes do you wear?” She asked.

“Well, I’m not really sure.” Krystal tried to shrug the question off. Samantha was already looking out across the racks of clothes, looking for size signs. When they reached the main floor, Samantha began leading Krystal towards the back of the store.

“Now seriously, Krystal, what sizes do you wear?” Samantha asked again.

Krystal leaned close to Samantha’s ear and whispered the sizes into her ear.

“That’s nothing to be embarrassed about.” Samantha gave larger girl a reassuring grin. “Let's see what they have here.” Samantha began shifting through the hangers looking for key items. She began pulling hangers from the rack and handing them to Krystal. “Take these, and these.” She stated absentmindedly. “Oh, the color is a bit faded on this, but you should try these on too.”

After Krystal had half a dozen items, Samantha directed her to the fitting rooms. “I want to see how they look on you. Even if they are too big, or you don’t like them.” She ordered. “If they are too small, noticeably too small, then don’t worry about showing me.”

“What should I do?” Dani asked, helplessly.

“Start looking for anything that looks like a swimsuit that will fit Krystal, and beach cover-ups.” Samantha directed. “I also need you to keep track of the time. I’ll lose myself and track of time in here.” She smiled.

Samantha took several other items off the racks and carried them over to the fitting rooms. “How are things going in there?” She tossed the clothes half over the top of the door and let them drape.

“More?” Krystal whined.

“Gotta have variety and something you’ll like.” Samantha took a few steps back. “You have anything on yet?”

“Hold on.” Krystal fumbled around a few seconds more before opening the fitting room door.

“Okay, that looks alright. How does it feel?” Samantha looked at Krystal from different angles.

“It feels alright, I guess.” Krystal shrugged.

“Okay, next.” Samantha left the fitting room area and found Dani with a couple of prospects.

“Sam, how did you and Erika meet?” Dani inquired. She was given a mission by Katie and she needed to get answers.

“Hmmm?” Samantha looked through what Dani had picked.

“How did you and Erika meet?”

“Through my sister.” Samantha selected two suits and discarded the third. “I told you that.”

“Are you two friends?” Dani pried.

“Of course we are.” Samantha started towards the fitting rooms. Krystal was waiting for her with the door open. “The cut is all wrong.” Samantha analyzed. “It’s cutting you too tight in the butt. Throw those in a ‘no’ pile. And take these in with you.” She handed Krystal the swimsuits.

“How long have you two been friends?” Dani sat down in a chair nearby.

“For a while now, I guess.” Samantha replied. “Where is this going?” she looked at the blonde girl.

“Katie and I were just wondering. It’s kind of interesting how friends meet and why they become friends.” Dani sighed. “Kind of like Katie and I. we met just this last week and we are, like, best friends.”

“I don’t have to come out wearing this do I?” fear crept into Krystal’s soft voice.

Samantha walked over to the door. “Just open this a crack so that I can see how it fits.” Samantha instructed.

The door opened a crack. Samantha viewed the swimsuit and how it fit on Krystal. “Okay, it’s not bad.” She smiled. “Try on the other one. If it fits, I’ll have you choose between the two.”

“There aren’t any others?” Krystal asked.

“There is one other, but it is pink with white daisies on it and a ruffled skirt.” Samantha explained.

Krystal shuddered. “I’ll be fine with one of these.” She closed the door behind her.

“Are you just friends, or are you like, soul mates?” Dani questioned.

“We’re good friends.” Samantha’s voice was starting to take on an edge to it. “Why all of the questioning about Erika and me?”

“I was just wondering.” Dani pouted. “Sorry.” The small blonde got up and began exploring other parts of the store. Erika had feelings for Samantha, but Samantha was either unaware of them or didn’t care. Dani shook her head, causing her blonde curls to bounce.

The masked woman dragged a brush loaded with a clear top coat across each of Erika’s now long, squared off, blue fingernails. “You look so pretty.” Her eyes twinkled.

“Thank you.” Erika smiled. “How are we doing on time?” Erika asked Katie.

Katie looked at the clock and smiled. “We have enough time for you to dry those before we pick Samantha and Dani up at the second hand store and meet up with everyone back at the Laundromat.”

“Dry them?” Erika looked confused.

“You come.” The masked woman stood up and guided Erika over to a device that contained what looked like a U.V. light. “You put dere for tree minute.” She nodded.

Erika sat down and stuck her new, longer nails under the light and looked hopelessly at Katie. Katie chuckled, got up and walked over to keep Erika company.

“Wow. I still can’t get over how great you look.” Katie smiled.

A few minutes later, a timer on the U.V. light made a ‘ding’ and the light turned off.

“You ready to go?” Katie asked looking at her watch. “We have about twenty minutes before we have to load up the bus.”

Erika nodded and was about to brush her fringe out of her face, but caught herself, reminded of Sasha’s words to give it a chance.

The two girls waved good bye to the masked women as they left. Erika’s long blue nails catching her eye as she did so.

“We were just coming to get you.” Katie called down the street. Dani, Samantha and Krystal were immerging from the second hand store with two bags. The trio waited for them and they started off to the Laundromat together.

“Your hair looks great.” Krystal said after staring at Erika.

“Thanks.” Erika smiled back. “Did you find a swimsuit?”

“Yes.” Krystal moaned. She really wasn’t looking forward to showing her chubby body off in a swimsuit. Even a one-piece.

Victoria finished folding the last t-shirt of the load and checked the dryers to see how well the other loads were drying before heading over to Erika’s laptop. She was thinking of checking out some of her favorite writing sites that she hadn’t had a chance to check in on since coming to camp. She was about to click on the web link when a folder labeled ‘Comix’ caught her eye. Let’s see how good Erika is at drawing. Victoria was curious.

She clicked on the folder and was surprised to see a large list of commix. She clicked on one and waited for a moment as the file loaded revealing what looked like a cross between a superhero and a villain, dressed all in black and beating up a football player. At the bottom it was signed Summer Thompson and Eric Martin. Eric Martin, ‘the plague’?

“Why would Erika have drawings of Eric Martin’s? Nah. It couldn’t be?” she muttered to herself. She quickly closed the folder, feeling a bit ashamed for snooping into someone else’s personal files, and opened the web.

She typed in a search for Petulant Poetess, One of her favorite sites to explore short stories and writings of virtually unknown authors. Victoria’s heart sped a few beats, one of her favorite authors; Anistasia Allread had posted her newest chapter of one of her favorite stories, ‘Healing a Princess.' She clicked on the posting and began reading. She was only a page or two into the story when an instant message popped up.

*Yo Eric! How’s it hanging? Dude, when you posting your next Raven?*

Victoria was startled... Yo Eric? Dude? The Latina felt lightheaded and fuzzy. Eric? Erika? Oh my God! It all fits! Victoria sat down hard in a chair and stared at the screen. Eric Martin…….Erika Martinez. I am so stupid. The shyness, the similar looks, the breast forms, the duct tape…. Don’t think about what he does with that... Freaking out about dating and kissing a cute guy?…… Oh my God! Erika is Eric the plague!!! The comix was signed by her... Him... by Eric.

“You okay?” Rachel entered the Laundromat carrying a bag of supplies. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

“I’m... I’m... not sure.” Victoria’s mind was in a whirl. Erika was Eric? Whoa! The plague was such a different person than Erika! The plague was a morbid, fumbling, bumbling, idiot who ruined everything he touched. Erika was a positive person, whose smile lit up the room. Her quiet but honest manner was one that the other girls looked up to. She was gentle and fun. Was she really a he? Why? Why would the plague go to summer camp as a girl? “I think I just need a moment.” She mumbled.

“I’ll start folding this load.” Rachel offered. “You really should put the laptop away before Phoenix arrives.”

Victoria looked back at the screen. She put her fingers to the keys and responded.

*Who are you trying to reach, Eric, or Erika?*

*Isn’t this Eric?* Came the response.

Victoria’s heart skipped a beat. *Eric Martin, right?*

*yes, who is this?* came the response.

Victoria, pulled the power cord out of the computer clicked the shutdown mode. She didn’t realize that her breaths had become short, and fast. Eric Martin, ‘the plague’ was sleeping in her cabin, saw her change clothes. More importantly, he had… he had seen her... naked!

To Be Continued...
 
End of Chapter Twenty-Two