CROCODILE AND LIPGLOSS
745 Words
JASMINE
The camp was smaller than I expected. A clearing in the woods with tents already set up in neat rows, a common area with benches and a fire pit, and enough trees around us to make me feel like we'd driven into a nature documentary.
"This is cute actually" Erika said looking around
"If you like trees" I replied dryly
A camp counselor with a clipboard directed us to our tent, number seven, second row. We shared it with three other girls who introduced themselves with the kind of enthusiasm I personally didn't have the energy for at that hour.
I claimed the sleeping spot closest to the exit immediately.
"Already planning your escape?" Erika dropped her bag on the spot next to mine
" Just being security conscious”
I sounded like my Dad just there, damn is this what it meant to look like your dad
we unrolled our sleeping bags before crawling in
“so what do you think we're going to do tomorrow" Erika turns to look at me
Sitting up, I pull out the Notebook that I had mapped out what we were going to do throughout the campout from under my sleeping bag
“ so first we have hiking on day one, then a team building sport a grill fest at the end of day two, day three—”
Soft snores made me turn to see Erika had fallen asleep already
“Wow. Riveting audience.” I mutter dryly and shaked my head before pushing my notebook back under my sleeping bag and looks out our tent.
why does life have to be so boring
The next morning, a camp instructor came to each tent to wake them up. I was already awake and dressed with a half awake Erika trying to get dressed
“did you even sleep last night" she grumbled as she tugged a t-shirt over her head
“i did and i didn't"
“what does that mean"
“i started to fall asleep but wasn't comfortable enough”
“do you even sleep at all"
“of course I do"
she narrowed her eyes at me without a word as we walked out the tent.
I paused to reapply my lipgloss and almost shoved it up my nose when noticed this guy standing a bit far from us, dressed in a lemon green sweater and grey sweatpants, not because he was loud or particularly interesting but because something about his face made me stop and look twice. I couldn't place it immediately.
Then it hit me.
I leaned toward Erika slowly without looking away
"Does that guy look like—"
"A crocodile" she finished
We didn't say anything else for a full minute
and then came the laughter, so hard I stopped breathing properly
“ he looks like a baby crocodile" she said still laughing hard
“ a crocky?" I laughed too
“i doubt they're called that"
we turned back to the hiking trail snickering to ourselves
and that was how we came up with a code name for the poor guy
We kept laughing whenever we see him after that day, I'm pretty sure he knew it was him.
By the end of the camping trip where they asked us what made us enjoy it, Erika and I had written a page full of crocky's funny moments. from the time time we met him, to the time he accidentally burnt the meat while trying to flirt with a girl who was paying him zero attention during the grill fest,down to the time he had gotten stuck on a tree, still not sure how he got up there.
“how was the camping trip Angel?" mom asked beside me
she had come to pick us up since James had something to do
I wish it was him though, at least I won't have to answer every single one of his questions of I didn't want to
“it was great mom"
“ nothing interesting happened"
with that Erika and I burst into laughter again at the memory of crocky
“ I'll take that as a yes"
“we saw someone that looked like a baby crocodile"
“ Jasmine Marie Zachary that is not nice, I taught you better than that"
Mom continue to scold me throughout the drive only stopping when we dropped Erika off and continued again soon after
Note to self: Never tell Mom somththing like this again
- Writer
