seanna.tees@g*******m

Badminton

"Ariana." Railey gazed at her. "Yes ma'am?" She answered. "You're next." Ariana looked helplessly at the fairly simple obstacle course before her. Well simple for me but if you've never rode a horse before I could see how it would seem impossible.

"Okay." Railey started. "You will do a trot in and out between the flags, jump the foot high pole and circle back in a gallop finishing back here." Ariana nodded at the instructions trying to seem as if she knew exactly how to do that. "Whenever you're ready." Railey said flatly. Ariana sat there for a few seconds too long before she started. Not to be rude but I figured she would knock down every flag but she was actually doing well. She weaved in and out clearly beginning to gain a little confidence she finished the first obstacle triumphantly and her face beamed with accomplishment. Which vanished pretty quickly once she started trotting towards the pole jump. "Oh gawd oh gawd" I could hear her panic as her horse jumped and her grip slipped.

"Ariana!" I yelled running to her side. Railey was quicker as she was already next to her making sure she wasn't injured. Luckily she was fine. My relief quickly turned into irritation as I could see Elise's haughty face framed with her bleach blonde hair nudge Madeline to turn her attention the Ariana on the ground. Once Madeline recognized what happened, the corners of her mouth turned up. " Oh look everybody." She said grabbing the attention of her friends and a few others. "The poor girl decided to pay a home visit! Does the dirt remind you of your bed?" Madeline sneered, some chuckled at her joke. Others just stared.

Railey turned around quickly. "Madeline! We will not insult Corinne's guest. Her parents are favored by the Abbot family and if you want to be rude then you can return to your cabin and stay there for the rest of the day." Railey's eyes stared daggers into the souls of anyone who held even a second of eye contact with her. Madeline's eyes were forced to look at the ground. She muttered a reluctant "Yes ma'am." And hid herself within her friend group. The Head counselor kneeled back next to Ariana again.

"I asked if everyone understood what to do." Railey scolded Ariana. "If you didn't know how to do something why didn't you tell me?" She questioned my best friend. Ariana spoke quietly. "I didn't want to be the only one to ask a question...I didn't want to be made fun of." Railey's face softened just a little. "I understand but because you didn't ask now you've fallen and was made fun of anyway, next time ask me if you're unsure with something okay?" Ariana nodded. Railey helped her up and her phone chimed.

"Okay everyone, time to switch activities. You're next station is Badminton, go back inside the building and follow the main hall, you should see the Badminton court through the sliding glass door on your right." Railey instructed. Everyone filed back inside and followed the directions our camp counselor gave us. Ariana's green eyes grew wide. "Sliding glass door? More like sliding glass wall! This thing is huge!" She stretched her arms wide adding to her point. I giggled at her amazement. "Dude you came here 3 years in a row? You're so lucky, it's beautiful." She pointed out. "I know right." I smirked. "Wait until lunch time, you'll love the buffet." "BUFFET?!" I felt her grab my shoulders. "Why didn't you inform me about this earlier?!" She said. I rolled my eyes. "You had breakfast here right?" "But that was a breakfast bar which is still cool but not a buffet." Ariana's obsession with the buffet seemed to disappear suddenly when she went silent. I looked up wondering how the ever talking Ariana fell silent when I realized she was drooling over Henry.

The disappointment was deafening. "Oh come on!" I complained. She snapped her attention to me. "Oh sorry. Hehe." I face palmed. "Yea. He he. Just grab a racket." The sun shined on the colorful assortment of Badminton rackets. There were 10 separate nets that were incredibly clean, the green of the pavement was almost blinding but it couldn't compare to the evergreen fake looking grass. It was mowed to perfection as always. Each blade looking as if it were placed there on purpose. I was pulled from my admiration when Ariana tapped me and smiled. "What do you want." I ask. She rocked on her heels. "Soooooo, you know how I fell off a horse?" My half lidded eyes bore into her. "Oh that? I almost forgot it was so long ago." I said sarcastically. "Well I got dirt on my jeans and I don't want to look like a pig in front of Henry." Oh god. "Ariana, Henry doesn't care." "I do!" She insisted. I rolled my eyes once again. "Fine, I'll tell him you had an accident-" "NO!" She screamed, her hands flying up in front of her. "Just say.... I had to take care of something." She settled with her reason. "Okay fine, but hurry and don't get lost." I say as she already started to go to our cabin. "I'll try!" She yelled back smiling. I huff and grin.

I turn around to find an unoccupied court when I accidently bump into Henry's beaming face. "Hi Corinne!" He smiled. "Hey Henry." I start to feel my face heat up. What? Why? It's Ariana's fault I know it is, she is somehow rubbing off on me. "Where is Ariana going?" He asks. "To our cabin, she told me she had to take care of something." As I say the excuse I realize that I don't remember giving him Ariana's name which is actually pretty rude of me. Maybe she told him, she is my guest it wouldn't be weird for him to know her name anyway he's a counselor. I realize i've spaced out while he was talking. "So how was 10th grade?" He asks me. "O-oh it was great." I cut my answer short, His face flashes with worry for a second then returns to its cheery mood. "You okay?" He asks. "Yes." I answer a little too quickly. "It's just people have been rude to Ariana just because she isn't wealthy and it's not fair." My eyebrows furrow and I cross my arms. Henry uncrosses my arms and holds my hands, I know he's just doing it to be nice but I can't help but wonder if I'm lying to myself when I say I don't like him because the butterflies in my stomach says differently. "I'm sorry that's happening." He says with a soft smile. "It's not your fault." I say. "But I can do something about it, I'll make sure nobody messes with her for you okay? He says his teeth showing again. 'For you' I replay his words in my mind. "Thanks." I say before retracting my hands and grabbing a racket. "Hey wanna play against me?" He asks. My face can't help but smile. "You're on!" We start our game and half way through Ariana finally returns in short blue jeans, white sneakers and shirt that hangs off her shoulders showing her neon orange sports bra. She waves her racket in the air. " 'Sup gal and gent." She says joining me on my side of the court.

Henry waves at her. She beams. I for some reason feel a tug in my chest, ew Corinne. I scold myself. He's overage. "Two against one? That's not fair!" Henry proclaims. "Can't take two ladies?" Ariana jokes putting an arm around me. "Yea Henry, are you intimidated by my too pro moves?" I run a finger down my racket. "Puh-lease, I can beat both of you any day!" He says getting ready to serve. I feel a bubble of happiness in my chest when I see Madeline's beady eyes staring at Ariana and I play against Henry. She could only wish to be Ariana. I see her strut over to the blonde counselor. "Hey Henry, can you help me serve it's kinda hard." He looks over at us and puts a finger up telling us to wait a moment. We watch as Madeline continuously throws smirks at us as Henry fixes her posture, she pretends to trip and he grabs her before she hits the ground. I wish he didn't. I see Ariana's bored expression as she watches Madeline's desperate attempts to get closer to Henry. "Whatever." Ariana says. "He'll be back. Meanwhile..." Ariana strolls to the other side of the court. "Fight me!" I smile as I grab a birdie and start a new game with Ariana. Out of the corner of my eye I see Madeline upset that she lost our interest. I suppress a laugh. It feels good to win.