1 Day 1- here we go.

"Mom, I'm going to be late for the bus!" I swear she does this on purpose. It's just a five day camp, but she makes it seem like I'm off to university. "Mooooooooom!" "I'M COMING ,I'm coming. I just had to pack my purse. Did you put all your bags in the car?" uhmm... "Nope, I was waiting for you to help me, you know I can't do it on my own." Here it comes. I see the red come up from her neck to her beautiful caramel skin face, eyes popping out like she's about to explode. If she was a cartoon, steam would be coming out of her ears. "SO YOU YELL AT ME LIKE I AM YOUR CHAUFFEUR, TELLING ME YOU ARE GOING TO BE LATE, BUT YOU HAVEN'T EVEN PACKED YOUR BAGS IN THE CAR?" Every word coming out of her mouth is like fire burning me and making me shrink. "I'm sorry..." I feel like a child that was caught stealing sweets from the cupboard. "I'm sowwy, GET YOUR BEHIND IN THAT CAR THIS INSTANT , WITH YOUR BAGS!" In that moment, I had never ran out of the house that fast in my life.

On our way to my school, we make a stop at KFC to buy food ' for the road '. Mom insisted I get some food, because I might get hungry along the way. It's barely an hour drive to the camp site, and I ate before I left the house. I know I have an appetite, but even I doubted I was going to get hungry again that quickly. We get to school and I take my bags out of the car. So far, Lucas was the only other person here. He's always the first one for these things. Lucas is in grade eleven, I'm in grade ten. My mom gets out of the car too, and she helps me with the rest of my Bags. I already see the tears in her eyes. OMG. There is barely anyone here and we are still thirty minutes away from leaving, but the woman already has tears in her eyes. She can be so extra sometimes. "Mom, come on, it's just a five day camp, as always. You have to have been used to this by now. I've been going to this camp for three years now.... mom don't cry please." "I can't help it. I'll never get used to this, because next thing you know, you are off to university and the next time I see you will be in five months." She starts sobbing. I honestly can't believe this. I hug her so that she can stop crying and we quietly wait for the others to arrive.

Thirty minutes later, everyone is finally here. My mom knows it's time for me to go now so I hug her for the last time, I know she wanted it. The problem with that was, she she didn't want to let go of me. "Mom, you have to let go. Mom, I can't breathe.....mamma!" "Just , sshh, let me enjoy this please." Her

voice was barely a whisper. I sigh. She finally let's go of me, gets in the car and drives away. I take my Bags and walk to where everyone else is and I put my bags next to the bus. We are already fifteen minutes late, we never arrive on time for camps. It's become a thing now. I round all the juniors that I'm in charge of and I take in their forms, making sure everything is signed. We allocate everyone to their seats, making sure to have at least three seniors sit with the juniors in front. Before we leave, I say a prayer for the journey. You just never know what could happen on the road. We are off. Sitting in that bus, I thought this camp was going to be like all the other camps the previous years, but boy oh boy was I wrong.

Before I forget , my name is Amira and I'm sixteen years old. I'm short, I have light brown eyes with specks of blue around the irises. I have beautiful caramel skin and a petite figure. I am a member of the land service club in my school and I'm also part of the management team, been one for three years now. I have two best friends, Chris and Paballo. Chris is also a member of the club, but Paballo isn't because she attends a different school and they don't have land service. We've all been friends for seven years now. My other friends are Lionel, Damien, Pearl and Omphile, but you guys will meet them all as the story continues.