“There is no way I could pull off hot, or sexy.” Dani went back to her bunk.

“Are you kidding me?” Samantha tried to get the blonde’s attention. “You are beautiful.”

“Cute, sweet, adorable, even cuddly, but never hot, or beautiful.” Dani countered.

“You never know what a guy finds attractive, Dani.” Samantha continued.

Phoenix led them down the lake to a place where some wild grasses gave way to hard packed sand. A large fir tree had fallen a long time ago. With its branches long gone, it provided a perfect place to sit and hang out. The girls gathered around Phoenix in various positions, some on the log, others sitting back in the grass.

Phoenix made eye contact with the girls of her cabin before starting. “I know this is stupid and boring, but according to the Director, Robin Hobbs, I have to go over it anyway.” She went on to explain the boundaries of the camp as well as the shower schedule. The boys are to stay on their side of camp, the girls on theirs, with the exception of the few ‘co-ed’ lanes where one side needed to get to the other for activities. i.e. the boys crossing through the girl’s side to get to the lake. The sexual harassment rules and regulations were stern and to the point. Any abusers of the regulations would be sent home and if serious enough, arrested and charged.

“Now comes the somewhat fun part. Each cabin will be awarded points daily. Points will be awarded for how clean the cabin is kept. How many challenges, competitions, or games we win and for various other reasons, as they happen. At the end of every week, the Cabin with the most points will be able to do something special. I have it on good authority that Ice-cream parties, movie nights, and white-water rafting trips are among the prizes. Each week the cabins will start over, but at the end of the summer, all of the points over the 10 weeks will be totaled. The Cabin that has the most points will receive the grand prize. Which is kept secret until it is awarded.”

At the mention of contests and competitions, Rachel’s eyes sparkled with excitement.

“Last year’s grand prize was a day at the spa.”

This got some of the other girls to perk up.

“Our cabin, last year, missed out on it by three points.” Rachel scowled. “I really want to win this summer.”

“Alright, Columbine, let’s get familiar with the camp.” Phoenix got up and led them back along the lake. The then toured the camp complex. They first went to the Director, Robin Hobbs office. Robin Hobbs was the woman with the whistle, who was greeting everyone as they came off the bus next they went to mess hall, first aide station, boat launch, swimming area, amphitheater, and showers.

Erika breathed a huge sigh of relief when she saw that the showers were in fact individual stalls. If it had been an open showering area as in gym class, she’d may as well go by the director’s office and confess.

The tour ended up back at their cabin where Phoenix rummaged around in her box and passed out tentative schedules for the summer. “These are subject to change on the whim of the weather or Director Hobbs.” Phoenix looked at her watch. “It’s now three o’clock. You have until five thirty to do what you want. I’d suggest unpacking your clothes. At five thirty however, you need to be in the mess hall at our table ready to eat. Anyone coming in late will get points taken away from the cabin. Which better not happen, ‘cuz I want a head start on that spa day.”

“I thought it was a secret.” Victoria voiced.

“I’m just saying if that is what it is, I want us to win too.” Phoenix backpedaled. “I’ve got a counselor meeting to go to, I’ll meet you in the mess hall.” She skipped down the steps.

Erika opened her suitcase, pushed all of her boy clothes off to one side and slid her lap-top out from beneath the lining. She quickly placed it in the back of the top drawer, removed her toiletry bag and dropped it to one side before quickly closing up the case. She opened the duffle that Samantha had packed for her and started to arrange the clothes in the drawers.

“Anyone bring extra hangers?” Victoria called.

“No, didn’t think to.” Katie shrugged.

“I couldn’t reach them if I did.” Dani smirked.

“What do you need hangers for?” Rachel asked.

“For my dress.” Victoria explained holding up a summer floral dress.

Rachel wrinkled her nose. “I’m not a dress person.” She held up her warm-up pants, before folding them and putting them in to a drawer.

“You could hang it up over mine.” Samantha said holding up her dress too.

“Really? Thanks,” Victoria handed her dress to Samantha who draped it over hers and hung it in the closet.

“We’ll have to put that on the list for when we go into town.” Katie suggested.

“When do we get to go into town?” Rachel asked.

Victoria pulled her schedule our and scanned through it. “It looks like we get to be one of the first cabins to go.”

“Should we make a list?” Dani asked.

“I don’t have anything to write with or paper. I thought I would be too busy to write.” Victoria frowned. “I’ll have to add that to the list too.”

“Show them, Erika.” Samantha prompted.

“Show us what?” Rachel looked up from her unpacking.

Erika looked doubtful at Samantha.

“Come on, we’re all in the same cabin, they should know.”

“You’ll have too, now.” Victoria stated. “Now that we all know you are hiding something.”

That last statement caused Erika’s pulse to quicken, and she was sure that her face had turned bright red. If they only knew how much she was keeping secret. The other girls began to gather around Erika’s bed in anticipation, wanting in on the secret.

“Go on, Erika.” Samantha urged.

Erika reached into the back of her top drawer and pulled out her lap-top.

“Oooh, contraband.” Victoria squealed quietly.

“We can start the list on it.” Samantha suggested.

“They said that electronics weren’t allowed. Why did you risk bringing it?” Katie asked.

“She does her comic strips on it and uploads them to the internet.”

“But we don’t have service out here.” Victoria pointed out.

“But we will in town.” Erika smiled.

“Well…… Start a shopping list then.” Rachel ordered.

Erika opened the laptop and brought up a word program and started typing.

Rachel went on, “Hangers for their foo-foo clothes, paper and pens for the novelist….” She looked around at the others. “What about you, Dani? Do you want a stepstool?”

“Rachel!” Victoria, Samantha, and Katie all admonished together.

“Come on, guys, it was meant as a joke.” Rachel defended. “We should probably also get some ‘low overhead’ tape so Katie doesn’t hit her head….. “

“Put down some duct tape for Rachel’s mouth.” Samantha spoke over the crass brunette.

“Actually duct-tape isn’t a bad idea.” Dani added. “It could come in handy for when the pranks start up.”

“Pranks?” Erika looked surprised. A chill ran down her spine. Duct tape and pranks used in the same sentence made her queasy. She shivered at the memory.

“Come on, have you guys ever been to a camp that didn’t have its share of pranks?” Dani looked up at each of them. Rachel smiled and nodded her head.

“Put it down.” Samantha agreed. “I’m sure there are many other uses we can get out of it.”

“Do you have any music on that?” Dani’s eyes lit up.

“Some. But I doubt you’ll like it.”

“Did you bring speakers?” Dani pressed.

“I was lucky, I didn’t get caught with this.” Although sitting on the bed Erika was looking Dani eye to eye.

“Add speakers to the list.” Katie encouraged. “It might be nice to have some music that we didn’t have to sing.

“Will these help?” Rachel held some headphones up. “I brought my I-pod. I can’t go to sleep without music.”

“Only one person will be able to listen at a time, and we’ll have to use them very sparingly. I only have so much battery power, unless we can find a place to hide it when charging.” Erika sighed.

“Anything else?” The room was silent. Erika closed out of the program and put away the lap-top.

“Now we have to start getting ready for dinner. We’ve got to make ourselves look really hot.” Rachel started back to her bunk.

“What do you mean?” Victoria asked.

“It’s an unwritten, unrecognized rule that the guys at dinner all vote on the hottest looking cabin.” Rachel explained. “Up to twenty points are awarded to that cabin. The only catch is, that everyone has to wear these camp T-shirts.”

“That’s gotta be a hoax.” Victoria argued. “Why would the boy cabins give a girls cabin points if they weren’t expecting some in return?”

“Because they feel they can overpower us and win them all back in the sports competitions.” Rachel sneered.

“How in the world are we going to look hot wearing lavender camp T-shirts?” Katie inquired.

“We are girls, we know how to sew and accessorize.” Rachel pulled a pair of tiny scissors from an emergency sewing kit she had stashed in her bag.”

“Better count me out.” Dani sighed heavily.

“Why? Everyone in the cabin has to do it.” Rachel looked surprised.

“There is no way I could pull off hot, or sexy.” Dani went back to her bunk.

“Are you kidding me?” Samantha tried to get the blonde’s attention. “You are beautiful.”

“Cute, sweet, adorable, even cuddly, but never hot, or beautiful.” Dani countered. “I know who and what I am. Its kind of hard to hide and I’m okay with that.”

“You never know what a guy finds attractive, Dani.” Samantha continued. “Some guys like breasts, others, butts. Some like long hair, others short. Some prefer blondes, others brunettes, some like tall and skinny others like short and chunky.” Samantha took a breath, “Besides, it will be a lot of fun.”

“If you’ve brought them, you should wear your short, denim skirts. If not, jean shorts should work.” Rachel suggested. She started to work, cutting the neck opening of her T-shirt.

Forty-five minutes later, Erika took her augmented shirt, denim skirt and went into the bathroom. She looked into the mirror above the sink and took a deep breath. I’m a girl. She told herself. I am a girl and I can do this…… what am I saying? As soon as I walk in there, the guys are all going to start laughing, and pointing! Her heart jumped around as she thought about what she was about to do.

She slipped off her Keds, and jeans. The cool air on her shaved legs felt very strange. She reached down and felt their smoothness, all except for the one nick on her knee. But it was so small, she didn’t think anyone would notice. She stepped into the skirt that Samantha had packed for her and pulled it up around her hips then struggled with the button and zipper, still not used to them being opposite from guys clothes. Damn this is short! How am I going to keep from anyone looking up and seeing that I don’t belong?

She then pulled the re-worked T-shirt on. Rachel had cut her shirt similar to her own. She cut down the seam from the neck most of the way down the sleeve on each side, then gathered a small part of it and tied it back together. Rachel then knotted the back bottom of the shirt, so that it was snug, ‘To show off your curves, girl’. Rachel stated. When Erika put it on, it was an off the shoulder sleeve look. The gathered and tied off shirt made her breasts more pronounced, making her even more self-conscious. Her bra strap was there for everyone to see. She wasn’t sure if that was okay or not, but decided to go along with it, since Rachel and the others seemed to know what they were doing. They should, after all they have been girls a lot longer than she had.

Erika was carefully re-applying her mascara, Samantha was right, it really did bring out her blue eyes. Samantha came in the bathroom, slipped her skirt and panties around her ankles and sat on the toilet to pee. Erika stopped applying the mascara and looked over at the blonde cheerleader. She is going pee right if front of me! What was she doing? Didn’t she realize that I am here? Of course she did... Erika cleared her throat.

Samantha looked up. “Oh, sorry Erika, I hope this doesn’t make you too uncomfortable, but I had to really go.” She lowered her voice to a whisper. “Besides you’re one of us now.”

“Am I?” Erika turned towards her friend. “I feel and look like a drag queen.”

“Actually you look very good.” Samantha smiled. She wiped herself. Erika turned away uncomfortably. “Of course we need to do something with your hair, but you have great legs, and the T-shirt looks very feminine on you.”

“But my bra straps are showing.” Erika groaned, “I can’t believe that I just said that out loud.”

“They’re supposed to. Think back to when you were a guy.” Samantha whispered in her ear. Her soft voice and sweet scent, filled Erika’s head with masculine thoughts. She felt a tightening in her panties. Not now. Please, not now. When she opened her eyes and saw Erika looking back at her, knowing that in a just a little bit, guys from the other side of the camp were going to be staring and laughing at her, the tightness in her skirt quickly faded.

“Right now, We need your help with Dani.” Samantha kept her voice low. “She is having issues with being comfortable with her body in a sexy way.”

“She is having issues. She isn’t the only one having issues with being comfortable with her body.” Erika hissed at Samantha. “How the hell am I to help? I’m having the same issue.”

“Come on, Erika, we need your help with this.” Samantha pleaded. “She really has a problem.”

Erika glared at Samantha. “Okay, I know, you are having some problems yourself, but look at yourself, Erika.” Samantha pressed. “Look at yourself in the mirror and tell me that you wouldn’t look twice at a girl looking like you do.”

Erika stared at herself. Large blue eyes, hair as dark as night, and fair complexion, of someone who doesn’t see much sun. With the make-up, and earrings, Erika did make a striking figure. With different clothes and make-up, she would fit right into the goth crowd at school. Summer’s crowd. The thought of her dead friend made her heart ache. She let out a deep sigh, that she didn’t know she was holding. “Alright.” She relented.

The two girls joined the others in the cabin, all in various stages of dress. Dani sat looking miserable on her bed. Rachel had cut into Dani’s T-shirt the same way as Erika’s. Instead of being knotted in the back however, Dani’s had three horizontal slashes cut in it allowing some cleavage to peek through.

“What should I do?” Erika whispered to Samantha.

“Go talk with her. We have all tried.” Samantha nudged.

Erika slowly walked over to Dani, who was lost in her own miserable world. She sat down next to her on the bed.

“You come to talk me into this too?” Dani mumbled.

“No. I’m trying to figure out how to get out of it myself.” Erika told her honestly. The other girls made themselves busy on the other side of the cabin.

“I’m a midget.” Dani muttered. “Midgets get laughed at and made fun of. They aren’t sexy, or hot.”

“I’m a computer nerd.” Erika answered. “Nerds sit in front of computer screens and have their noses buried in Sci-fi.” She looked over at Dani. “I have pasty white skin and no figure. I’ll probably blind everyone in there with my white legs.”

Dani snorted with disbelief. “Then why do it?”

“I’m not sure yet myself.” Erika stated. “Maybe to prove to myself that I don’t have to care what they think. Didn’t Phoenix tell us today that we were to be re-born today at camp, that what we were before getting here doesn’t matter?” Erika had no idea where she was going with this, or if she even believed a word of it herself. She just knew she had to help this ‘lost soul’ to get back on the path of the maze with her. Who knows, maybe they could help each other to find the end of this maze called camp, together?

“Let me guess, before coming here, you were ‘Dani the midget’.” Erika guessed.

“Actually I was ‘Dinki Dani’.” Dani admitted miserably.

“You mean they actually had an imagination at your school? I was called ‘The plague’ at my school.” Erika confessed. “Anything I touched or did caused catastrophes. No one here knows Dinki Dani, or The Plague, so we can be whomever we want. So let’s be ‘Dani the Debutant’, and “Endearing Erika’.”

“Dani the Debutante?” Dani smiled incredulously. “That’s the best you could come up with?”

“I’m sorry. It was short notice. Besides I’m an artist, not a writer.” Erika smiled back. The two smiled and giggled.

I’m giggling with a girl, I just met…… giggling. I’m never going to live this down!

“Alright I’ll do it.” Dani avowed.

“You will?” Erika watched in amazement as ‘Dinki Dani’ stood up from the bed, threw her blonde curls over her shoulder and looked to the others in the cabin. “I’ll do it.”