Unfortunately, you can’t lie out on the floating dock all day, despite how nice it would feel. Soon enough, a sharp whistle pierces the air as Counselor Brooke calls out from the edge of the pier “Alright ladies, time’s up! We’ve got to let the next group take a turn on the lake.” With sighs, you and the rest of the girls slide off the floating dock into the war and swim back to the pier, where Counselor Brooke begins handing out towels. You and the rest of the campers start toweling off and troop back into the changing rooms to get dressed.
As you change back into your cheerleading uniform you can’t help but smile a little. Why on earth had you ever felt self conscious or uncomfortable in a cheer uniform? It fits you like it was made for you, and you just feel so confident when you wear it—and smoking hot! you think with a giggle. Your eye catches the mirror you’d been looking into earlier, and you can’t help but strike a few poses. And a few more. And a few more……
Abruptly, your trance is broken by someone coughing. You turn to see a blonde girl standing in the doorway rolling her eyes at you, who you abruptly recognize as Daisy, Counselor Taylor’s little sister, looking at you with an annoyed expression on her face. “Hello? We can’t get changed until all the campers from the last group are out, so can you hurry up?” She asks. A bit sheepishly you quickly grab the rest of your things and hurry out of the changing rooms, hearing Daisy mutter “airhead” as you pass. Indignant, you turn to snap back at her, but she’s already passed you and entered the changing rooms.
Catching up with Holly, you complain about Daisy being, like, a total jerk. Holly nods sympathetically. “Yeah, she’s totes rude sometimes. Her sister is a camp counselor and she’s, like, so good at sports that she thinks she runs the place.” She responds.
The walk back to the cabins seems to be much faster now that you actually know where everything is. Stepping inside the room and looking at your bunk, you get an odd feeling that things have changed yet again. Your iPad mini sits on top of a black sweatshirt with your high school logo, with “Tigers Cheerleading” emblazoned on it in hot pink lettering. Taped to the frame of the bed on either side are a series of pictures of you, both by yourself and with other girls(something about that makes you feel…..strange. “Other” girls? Of course, you were a girl…..right? Obviously! But still, a little voice in the back of your head keeps objecting…..)
You in your cheerleading uniform at school, you in your pretty white dress at homecoming with your friends Anna and Chloe, you with some of your friends in bikinis at the beach, you with Gavin before a basketball game….staring at each image causes a series of fresh memories to flash through your mind. You shake your head briefly, feeling dizzy.
“Gracie?” Holly asks. “Are you okay? You, like, look kinda pale.” Turning, you notice she looks nervous. You shake your head again and some of the dizziness goes away. “I’m ok! Like, totally good!” You chirp. “My head just still hurts a little from bumping it yesterday.” You smile as you look at your pictures again. Such good memories, you can’t wait to get copies of the pictures from the camp to add to your collection.
You decide to change out of your cheerleading uniform for now and into some of the clothes from home. Holly heads outside to wait for you to get ready. You grab a really cute sky blue top and a pair of jean shorts. Exiting the cabin, you meet up with Holly and get ready to head to your next activity……..