Not Just Another Cliché

"Rise and shine seniors!" A voice bellows from outside our tent and I rub my eyes before sitting up and allowing my eyes to adjust to the bright sun bursting it's way through the fabric of our pink tent which was chosen by Holly of course since I have a perfectly good blue tent sitting under my bed which I used to use every year when I went camping with my family and Caseys.

I wake Holly and Katie and we all crawl out of the tent to join everyone else who are clearly not happy with the early wakening.

Everyone is still in their pjs including me. Just my typical shorts, tank top and a messy bun. What else?

"What time is it?" Some girl asks as she leans against a tree with her eyes closed asking the question everyone was thinking.

"7am." Ms Elliot smiles and everyone groans.

"You all have 1 hour to get ready before breakfast and then we will continue with our activities for today." She says but nobody moves.

"That means one hour to get showered, dressed and for some of you who think it's a good idea even though we are out at a lake about to do water sports, make up. So chop chop." She continues and everyone quickly rushes to their tents.

I walk casually and gather my shampoo and condition and body lotion plus my clothes for the day then head to the shower with Holly beside me.

We both get into our individual cubicles which we only have for 15 minutes.

I turn on the shower and fidget with the knob until warm water escapes the shower head.

I quickly shower and then change into a purple bikini and black and white adidas running shorts and a white halter neck crop top.

I towel dry my wet hair and throw it into my signature messy bun then place my sunglasses on top of my head.

We all walk out of the shower rooms and back to the lake where I sit on Caseys lap and he rubs my back.

"Okay go crazy." Ms Elliot says pointing towards the table set up with breakfast.

There's cereals and toast and orange juice and coffee and scrambled eggs and bacon.

I stand up off Caseys lap and grab 2 slices of toast and OJ and then sit on the grass legs crossed in Indian style.

"So what's the plan for today Mrs El?" A footballer hollers out as he shoves a piece of toast in his mouth and then burps.

"Charming." I mutter and Holly chuckles beside me.

"Well Mr Bills," everyone chuckles at her nickname for Oscar Billingsley.

"It's a surprise. But eat up because what I have planned is very tiring."

*****
"Pier jumping?" Everyone screams.

"Come on guys it'll be fun." Ms Elliot encourages as she throws her clipboard on the ground and begins removing her shoes.

"Isn't it dangerous?" I question.

"Not if you're careful." She smirks as I hold my hands up in defence.

She starts removing her floral top to leave her in a pair of jogging shirts and a black bikini top.

Several wolf whistles erupt from all of the guys.

Ms Elliot was on in her late twenties early thirties. She wasn't necessarily old. She was beautiful though with a gorgeous figure.

She is by far my favourite teacher in Oceanview High. Well it's either her or Mr Jocker who is a cranky 70 year old man with a unibrow who taught my mother and hated her so it travelled onto me. I mean, there's really no competition.

"Okay, who's first?" Ms Elliot asks as she looks around the crowd.

I sigh and raise my hand.

"Emily, good job."

I start removing my crop top, shorts and flip flops leaving me in just my purple bikini where the bottoms come up to my waist. I hand Holls my sunglasses and then I'm set to go.

A wolf whistle comes from somewhere which I just ignore but I hear a soft hit coming from beside me and Casey starts talking.

"Dude, that's my girlfriend. Have some respect." He says and I chuckle.

I take a deep breath and then sigh as I begin running and everybody starts chanting my name and clapping.

I jump off the edge as I hold my nose and I close my eyes tightly.

I'm in the air for a couple seconds and then there's a huge splash and I rise back to the top pushing my hair that was once in a messy bun away from my face.

Ms Elliot walks towards me wearing a huge smile as am I.

"So Emily, how was it?" She questions.

I sigh and shrug as everyone awaits my response.

"I hate to admit it but, it was amazing." I say laughing.

"Told you! Now, who's next?" Ms Elliot yells with a smile plastered over her face.

Everyone shot their hands up and I chuckle as everyone gets into their bathing suits and jump in joining me in the surprisingly clean lake.

******
"Ready. Set." Holly begins and the rest of us finish by screaming GO!

We all run with each other's hands in ours and we jump with screams and laughter mixing.

When we afloat from underwater, I smile as I brush the hair away from my face.

I look up back at the pier and see Ms Elliot taking a picture of us and I smile even more. These pictures I will cherish forever.

*******
"Grubs up." Ms Elliot shouts and everyone runs over and gets stuff off the barbecue like burgers and hotdogs.

After pier jumping, everyone went and got cleaned up. That was at about 6:30 and it's now 8 and it's getting dark as we are all sitting on logs eating.

The barbecue is finished and Casey and Seth are trying to start a fire to roast marshmallows but are failing miserably.

"Here, let me." I say bending down and working my magic and a couple minutes instantly, a spark ignites and I smirk.

I stand up and brush the invisible dirt of my thighs and then sit down on the empty log beside Hollys.

Ms Elliot throws several bags of marshmallows on the ground beside us and we all grab a few marshmallows each and begin roasting them.

Seth cracks a joke and we all laugh as I throw my head into Caseys shoulder.

"How about a song?" Casey suggests as he picks a guitar up from behind the log we are sitting on.

"You brought your guitar?" I question.

"You still play?" Holly questions as everyone looks at Casey with confusion written all over their faces.

"It's been a while plus it's not my guitar. I found it under the bus and ms Elliot said I can use it." He explains as he starts tuning the instrument he used to play when we were little.

"So, what song?" Jamie asks.

"I know." Casey smirks.

He starts strumming a song that sounds familiar and when it finally clicks, I throw my head in my hands and cringe.

"Sing along everyone. Come on." Casey says hitting his knee off mine while I shake my head.

He begins to get to the start of the song as he played out the opening with an expectation of me singing.

The song he is playing is the song our old teacher sang to us the last he had us before he retired. He was an amazing teacher! He always shipped me and Casey! Mr Pepper.

Me and him started singing this song when someone yelled in the room 'you will be okay' and then a whole sing song erupted with Casey grabbing hold of his guitar since he was a music teacher. I only knew the song because it was the first proper song Casey learned on guitar and he kept playing it around the house and I learned the lyrics and then it began.

Everyone that was in our middle school class which was most people starts laughing at the memory.

"Fresh cut grass, one cold beer.
Thank the Lord I am here and now, here and now.
Summer dress, favorite park.
Bless your soul, we are here and now, here and now.

I'm wide awake, so what's the point of dreaming when your life is great?
Celebrate the feeling, celebrate the feeling.

Can't complain about much these days, I believe we'll be okay.
Oh oh oh oh, oh oh oh oh.
Can't complain about much these days, I believe we'll be okay.
Oh oh oh oh, oh oh oh oh.
We're screaming out, I believe we'll be okay.

Sun kissed skin on my lips.
Thank the Lord I am here and now, here and now.
Fireflies after dark.
Bless your soul, we are here and now, here and now.

I'm wide awake, so what's the point of dreaming when your life is great?
Celebrate the feeling, celebrate the feeling.

Can't complain about much these days, I believe we'll be okay.
Oh oh oh oh, oh oh oh oh.
Can't complain about much these days, I believe we'll be okay.
Oh oh oh oh, oh oh oh oh.
We're screaming out, I believe we'll be okay.

We'll be okay.
We'll be okay.

Can't complain about much these days, I believe we'll be okay.
Oh oh oh oh, oh oh oh oh.

Can't complain about much these days, I believe we'll be okay.
Oh oh oh oh, oh oh oh oh.
Can't complain about much these days, I believe we'll be okay.
Oh oh oh oh, oh oh oh oh.
We're screaming out, I believe we'll be okay." 

Everyone starts screaming with laughter.

I look over at Holly and see her wearing a frown on her face with her eyes full of tears.

"What's wrong Holls?" I question putting my hand on her shoulder.

"I completely forgot about that song."

"That's okay Holls. Most people didn't remember either." I smile looking around at everyone.

"That's not the point." She yells jumping up off the log with tears rolling down her cheeks.

"In a couple years, I'll forget all of this. I won't remember sitting down with all of you singing that song. Or the volleyball on senior lock in."

I stand up joining her as I hold her hand.

"Things happen as quickly as they're forgotten Holly. That's life. Yeah you may forget things, but your life has barely started. You have several things to remember and forget. As long as you don't forget me, I think we are fine." I joke and she chuckle and envelopes me in a hug.

"I think I might hit the sack." She says pointing to our tent and I smile.

"I'll be in in a minute."

Seth guides her over to the tent as everyone starts scattering off to bed.

I walk towards Casey and look at the ground as I speak.

"She's right." I whisper.

"Who? Holly? Em you know how dramatic she can be." I look at him.

"Tell me you'll remember us dancing at Junior Prom in 10 years when you are playing football on Monday night."

"Things are going to change after we graduate. We are going to forget things. The sooner we accept that, the sooner this will all become a distant memory." I say looking around at everything that happened today.

The pier. The marshmallows that were amazing. The song. The jokes. The laughter we all shared.

"I'll see you tomorrow." I say standing on my tippy-toes and kissing his cheek.

"I love you." I say.

"I love you too." I hear Casey whisper as he looks ahead while I walk towards my tent.

************
I think there's only one more camp chapter. Senior camp didn't turn out the way I wanted it to be so I'm sorry if I made it sound way more fun haha.

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-Madison🤘🏻