Cascadia's Fault

Games and Too Many Teeth

Her eyelashes hurt.

How was it possible for eyelashes to hurt?

It seemed like each individual lash had gained several pounds, making it impossible for her to open her eyes. However, with the room mother going through the cabin as the morning wake-up call, Caz figured she was going to have to find a way to Weight Watchers those things and roll out of bed. Nils said they would be grateful for the extra sleep, but she wasn't convinced the sun was even up yet, so Caz wasn't sure this counted as "extra."

Peeling her eyes open and blinking blearily at the other girls making the round to the communal shower, she rolled herself up and fought the sense of vertigo. Resigned, Caz slid her blanket into place since camp rules insisted that all beds were to be made in the morning.

She bet CJ just loved that.

She took a quick glance out the window, but with the trees creeping in close, it was impossible to tell if dawn had actually broken. It was still awfully dark out there. Was this summer camp or boot camp?

Ugh.

She snagged her towel and toiletries before shuffling toward the bathroom. Jem was already coming out of the shower, as was the girl who had been sitting with Johnny and CJ yesterday. Why was it that some girls could look like they stepped off a magazine cover when all they had done was come out of the bathroom. Caz shook her head at the uncharitable thought before stripping down.

The trickle of lukewarm water was not nearly enough to help her pretend to be awake. It did nothing to pound away the soreness in her neck and shoulders, which had loosened up during her kata yesterday. She had let herself open as her father had taught, feeling everything, and had even managed to forget that Johnny had been there at all.

Caz pressed her hands into the tiled wall and let the water pour over her. Her body sighed into the warm, so she finally felt like she could reach for her shampoo. The water cooled much too soon, so she quickly finished.

That's what she got for being the last one in and the last one out.

Flipping off the spray, she wrung out her hair, scrubbing at it and her body with the towel. When she flicked the curtain open, she found what she had come to think of as "lunch girl" leaning over the vanity counter applying make-up. She looked at Caz reflected in the mirror.

"Hi! Can you believe how early they get us up? It seems inhumane," Lunch girl beamed that same smile, "We met yesterday, but I don't know if I ever caught your name. I'm Noa."

Tucking her towel in tight, she answered, "Caz. Um, yeah, not a morning person. I hope there's coffee," making the effort to try to be polite even as she dripped on the floor.

"Oh, they do. I think it might be considered cruel and unusual punishment to get us up at this hour without the benefit of coffee."

"You've been here before?"

Noa went back to applying lip gloss, "Me and my four older sisters, but now we're down to just my one older sister and me. Everyone else has graduated. This is actually Lulu's last year since she'll be a senior."

Caz wasn't sure how to respond to that so just mutter a little huh. She was starting to shiver while Noa chattered on, "So this you and your brother's first time?"

"Yeah."

"He's super cute. I hope you won't take this wrong, but does he have a girlfriend?"

Caz jerked back, her eyes shot over to meet Noa's in the mirror. "Don't you think he's a little young for you?" Noa had to be at least the same age as her, and Caz felt like she might be older, but she was definitely not thirteen!

"Oh, I'm only sixteen. I'll be a junior this year. How old are you? He mentioned you were twins."

"You're thinking of Jem and Johnny. I have no idea if he has a girlfriend," Caz's eyes narrowed when she saw Noa's smile sharpen, "I also don't know how old they are. You might want to ask him."

The look was gone so fast, Caz began to doubt she'd even seen it, especially when Noa looked appropriately surprised, saying, "Oh, wow, I'm sorry! You're related to the other boy, the younger one, no wonder you'd be shocked. Awkward! And here I am talking away while you're still in a towel. I'll see you at breakfast!"

Caz stood in the now empty bathroom after watching Noa breeze out with her bag of cosmetics. She could hear some of the other girls in the main room still getting ready, but despite the freezing floor, she didn't feel like going back in there where Noa might be pumping Jem for information.

No, she'd apologized. She wouldn't do the same thing in the same two minutes.

Caz caught her reflection in the mirror. The green was creeping higher with the very tips of her hair beginning to streak toward red.

Her eyes were so deep they were almost violet. Closing her eyes, she took deep, calming breaths. This was new. New wasn't always good, so she wanted to get back into her normal.

Giving up since dwelling on it wasn't warming up the concrete, Caz stepped into the noise still running rampant in a cabin full of teenage girls getting ready for the day. She found Jem sitting on the lower bunk lacing up worn hiking books. She looked well layered up with cargo pants and thermal shirt that she covered with a wool sweater. It looked like she took the advice they'd gotten during dinner to dress in layers and be ready to get cold, wet, and work.

Caz began pulling out similar clothes but snapped on the leather cuffs she was never without unless she was in the shower. It felt strange and exposed to dress in front of a room full of people, even if everyone was of the same gender persuasion. She quickly braided her hair down her back, then wrapped most of it tightly with an oiled leather cord to keep the bulk of it dry. It was a trick her mother had taught her years ago and, while it was useful in keeping strays from escaping, it was even better in camouflaging the color.

Hand to hand, then weapons assessment began right after breakfast.

This camp might not be as horrible as she assumed.

Caz shrugged on her vest then looked around the room. Only she and Jem remained, which allowed her to take her first easy breath.

She had heard the door opening and closing while she dressed, had been fairly sure they were gone, but it was a relief to know they really were.

Jem, however, had stayed.

"So, the lunchroom cheerleader has her sights on your brother."

Jem had been leaning against the doorjamb, obviously waiting, "Lunchroom cheerleader?"

Caz yanked down her watch cap, "You know, the girl with too many teeth when we were at lunch yesterday?"

Jem frowned as she pushed away from the door, "Noa? That was her name, wasn't it?"

They stepped out into the misty rain to head toward the mess hall. "Yeah, she reintroduced herself when I got out of the shower. She acted like she thought Johnny and I were the twins, but it was pretty obvious she was feeling me out to see if we were a thing."

Jem made a humming sound. It had been hard for Caz to keep the disgust out of her own voice, so she couldn't be sure what Jem was reacting to until she replied, "Well, cheerleader types can be like that: too many teeth and far too fond of games."

Appreciating the pun, Caz grinned.