Foster Camp

[Jakerz]

It was a hot summer day, as a school bus full of kids made it's way down a bumpy road. On that bus sat Brad, a six year old boy who was currently looking out the window with a scowl on his face, mouth in a pout, and arms crossed.

He had - as was kind of usual for him being a bit of a rambunctious, difficult kid - had an argument with one of the chaperones from the adoption agency. Brad did not have parents...they had left him and his teenage brothers who he had lived with until the state found out about the situation. Now he, like the other kids from the "adoption place" as he knew it, was on his way to a summer camp. To give the kids a good experience, all the kids at the agency were going to attend the camp - a normal summer camp that had agreed to team up with the adoption agency and allow spots for all the kids from the adoption agency as well as the normal campers. But this bus was specifically for kids from the agency.

The reason Brad was so angry was evident from the fact that his shirt wasn't pulled down quite enough, making the waistband of his pull-up show over his pants - though he'd be mortified if he knew it was showing. Brad had never really been potty trained officially and though the agency tried to work with him, Brad tended to have trouble. In an effort to ensure a dry seat on the long bus ride the chaperone from the agency had insisted he wear one of his pull-ups. Brad had struggled and resisted, but she had won, and there he sat, frowning out the window.

He hoped they would get there soon so he could get off the bus....at the same time he was a little bit nervous. He didn't know anything about summer camp. He hoped it wouldn't be scary.

[PeculiarChangeling]

Rebecca was sitting across from Brad, next to the other window. She resented having to go to this camp, being only a month too young to go to the next age up. Thirteen years eleven months old. She didn't feel that young, though. Her life before foster homes hadn't been the most pleasant or normal, and she felt like she was more mature than most other kids her age.
And, come on. There were babies on the camping trip! She could smell a wet diaper nearby. At least it wasn't crying... Unable to see where the baby was, but hating the assault on her senses, she spoke to the nearest counselor. "Hey, the baby needs a change. Would you mind?" She asked.
The counselor, a mid twenties woman sitting next to Brad, pretended to ignore her for Brad's sake. Sarah scowled behind her dark sunglasses, and would have rolled her eyes if she could.

[Jakerz]

Brad continued to sit staring at the window, not making eye contact with the counselor, though occasionally shifting in his seat every few minutes. Though he hit it well, Brad was currently sitting in a very damp pull-up. It had happened thirty minute before. Brad had felt the need to go, but still angry at the counselor he had said nothing for a while. There was indeed a bathroom in the back of the bus...though it was kind of a hassle to get to. Finally Brad had told her he had to go potty, and while she had taken his hand to bring him, a big bump had come, and then suddenly Brad's pull-up was wet. Very wet. He had suddenly withdrawn his hand and said with an indignant pout that he did not have to go anymore, and sat back down, thinking that he would never tell her what happened. Though she knew, she had just let it go as they would be there eventually and it was not worth embarrassing Brad further - he was very very sensitive to such embarrassments.

So when Brad hears the words 'the baby needs a change' he snaps his head to the right like lightning away from the window. What had she just said?? Did she mean him?? He was NOT a baby....his face turned into a large scowl as inside his ego was crushed...as he became ever conscious of the damp protection around his crotch, and he slowly reached down to touch the front of his pants. His first reaction to the comment was attitude and anger. He wanted to yell at the girl. Say there WAS no baby on the whole bus.....especially not him. To tell her to shut up. To call her a name. He looked from the counselor to the girl as if expecting some comment from the former to tell off the latter. The counselor however was still hoping that Brad maybe did not hear, or would not realize the comment was directed at him. Honestly, it was probably the best move she could make, as by not reacting it made it easier for Brad as well to ignore the comment and think it might have been meant at someone else...and normally that would work (And probably did work a little bit) but Brad was so secretly upset about his pull-ups and self-conscious that the first mention of the word "baby" instantly made him think about himself...after all he had been deep down thinking that of himself all trip.

As Brad opened his mouth to say an angry comment, to say anything...he suddenly felt himself choked up....his vision blurred a little, and the little boy realized that he was about to cry. He instantly turned his head back to the left, wiping furiously at his eyes, trying to stop the tears before they came. He hated crying. He was a big boy. Not a baby. Big boys didn't cry. (But they also didn't go pee in their diapers....and that's what pull-ups were right? Not big boy pants like the liar counselor said.....) And so Brad scowled again at the window, trying his best to erase his memory and pretend he never heard the girl's comment, and act as if it had been directed at someone else (though his embarrassment would make it impossible for him to really think so even if it really was.)

When Brad was definitely looking away, the counselor, a very kind woman really, turned a sympathetic glance to the boy. She knew that Brad was very abrasive at times, but she also knew why. She knew how embarassed he was and how tough a life he had had - raised by teenage brothers who did not have the ability to give him the love and attention he needed. She knew how the boy wanted to be big but how easily embarrassed and hurt and sensitive he was deep down underneath his rough surface. He was really such a little boy...and so cute in his own way. She resisted the urge to put a sympathetic hand on his shoulder. She didn't want to acknowledge the comment because she knew that Brad's only way of dealing with it was to convince himself it had never happened or was not meant for him. The boy had a knack for denial.

[PeculiarChangeling]

(Wasn't I going to play the counselor?)
Rebecca just stared blankly into space, listening to the ambience noise and trying not to smell the air. She could tell they were getting close, the smell had gone from smog and city to summer trees, leaves, running water. Camp. She hated camp. But, she didn't have a choice unless she was adopted, she had to go.
The bus slowed to a halt, and she could hear tires screeching on old gravel, and the exhaust as it turned off filled the air, covering the pungent odor of urine.
"Come on, Brad," she heard the counselor say. "We can go get you in some swim trunks and try out the lake!" The subtext Rebecca didn't hear was 'and out if your pullups.'

[Jakerz]

(sorry! Yeah you got her from now on. My fault. I wasnt sure if it was going to be the permanent counselor. I thought it was going to be that she is just from the adoption agency taking them there and leaving them with the real counselors. But it's easier this way as we don't need more characters. So yeah you're her now!)

Brad looked up at the counselor. His eyes were visibly red though like most egocentric six year old boys, he believed that because the tears were now gone nobody would be able to tell he had cried. "I dont wanna go in th' lake..." he said, being difficult mostly because well - he was upset and he had to take it out in some way...he also didn't quite realize the subtext was to get out of the wet pullups as he was ironically so preoccupied thinking about them that he didnt even want to listen to any suggestion.

He looked back at the window at the new surroundings nervously. It sure was weird-looking. (Though he'd think that in just about any new situation right now...it just looked like a regular old camp.) He bet the people were gonna be mean. Like that dumb stupid girl over there...the one who said...who said the thing before...

[PeculiarChangeling]

(To your question: I'd rather keep it one on one. Also, I can't post with length to match yours, it takes too damned long and I don't have time to write twenty minute responses. So... Would you mind if I shortened all future posts?)

[Jakerz]

(I dunno the first two you posted were fine and they werent so long)

[PeculiarChangeling]

(I know. And I'm saying those are really over doing it with me, I can't keep that up.)

[Jakerz]

(well i guess like show me what you mean and then Ill tell you :P )

[PeculiarChangeling]

The counselor just took Brad's hand as well as the hand of another young boy, saying, "It's time to go get our things and get unpacked. Rebecca, you're in our cabin," she reminded, and Rebecca picked up her walking stick to follow. The counselor moved slowly so everyone could keep up, leading them down the stairs and to ghe side of the bus to get their thongs.