Summer's a Bummer, as Dull as Can Be... or is it?

As soon as they were out of the counselor’s sight, Olivia’s face lit up and she grinned quite cheekily at Rodina, gripping the other girl’s hand tightly and keeping right on up with her as they headed back towards the cabin. It was a bit regretful, missing the festivities that would be going on around the fire, but Olivia couldn’t have cared less at the moment. Rodina was her friend, the only one she had aside from the stuffed rabbit dangling from her other hand, and she was going to do her damndest to make sure the other girl didn’t have to be afraid. They had only known each other for part of the day, but they had become knit together in the simple, classic way most children did when they met someone they got along with. Olivia was very glad to have been paired with Rodina, and she wouldn’t change it for the world, despite having to miss the fire. It was worth every bit of missing it just to hold the other girl’s hand.

Olivia tugged her own pajamas out of the drawer, just a plain t-shirt that had belonged to one of the older boys at the home she lived in. She shucked off the rest of her clothes and pulled it on, gazing down at guitar print on the front of it. Ah, that was right. This one had been that one boy’s… Kaiden. The one who was constantly getting in trouble when he was around but went to some odd secondary school she didn’t know the name of. However, he was quite good on the guitar and sometimes Olivia would hide herself away nearby when he played, even if he was otherwise a jerk. Well, at least the shirt was comfortable, reaching down to her knees and slipping slightly to one side on her shoulders. She liked them best big, the easier to hide in and despite most of her clothes being worn, it just made them all the softer.

As she turned back around, folding her clothes and shoving them into the drawer, Olivia’s eyes fell on Rodina. The older girl had flopped down on Olivia’s bed and she looked much paler than she had out by the fire now that they were in the well lit cabin. Her face was sweaty, like she had been running, but there was no way that was the case. Olivia wasn’t sure as to exactly why Rodina looked like that except for it definitely being related to having been exposed to the bonfire for too long. Right. Next time they had to be around a fire, Olivia would act quicker in getting Rodina away from it. There would probably be smaller fires throughout their time at camp, and definitely another bonfire at the end, but they could avoid those if they worked at it. Olivia was actually quite good at getting out of things if she tried hard enough. Usually if she threw a fit, screaming inconsolably, adults would give in just to get her to stop. Her resolve was steadfast once she decided to start having a tantrum, even if she was too big to do so. Most chalked it up to her supposed inability to speak and that she was overly frustrated by not being able to properly communicate otherwise. Well, neither was actually the case. Olivia was perfectly good at communicating so long as people paid her enough attention for her to express things with her face or hands, much like Rodina had caught onto without any trouble. She also could have spoken if she had wanted to, easy. She didn’t lack a voice, she just chose not to use it. Words were overrated unless they were written down in her opinion, though, she didn’t mind Rodina’s talking. She rather liked how bold the older girl was and sometimes speaking just suited a person.

Olivia sat down on the bed, hugging her bunny to her chest and gazing down at Rodina worriedly. Even now that they were away from the fire, the other girl seemed to be in a state of not feeling well. Olivia supposed it must have been the exposure and it might take some time for the blonde to be feeling better, though she did hope it would be soon. It was odd, seeing the older girl out of commission for the time being, though perhaps some sleep would help. Olivia raised one hand, about to suggest it by pointing up at Rodina’s bed when the older girl hugged her and then moved away, up off the bed and towards the ladder. Olivia watched as Rodina attempted to climb it, but her body must have been feeling pretty weak, as she fell before she made it up more than the one rung. The younger girl winced as Rodina hit the floor, though, it wasn’t very hard. Had she been taller or up higher it might have been a bit worse, but thankfully, that wasn’t the case.

Staring down at her friend, Olivia sighed and shook her head. No. There was absolutely no way, under any circumstance, she was going to let Rodina sleep on the cold, hard floor of the cabin. Setting her bunny down on her pillows, Olivia slid off the bed and reached down, grabbing Rodina by the elbows and hoisting her up to her feet. She tugged, the other girl weighing too much for Olivia to hold up for very long, but she did manage to get her aimed for the bottom bunk before she lost her grip. Olivia shifted Rodina, pushing her legs up onto the bed as well before tugging the covers up over her. There. That was better.

Olivia looked down at Rodina and then up at the other bunk. She really did not want to sleep up top… She would be exposed to all sorts of things. Any possible bullies in their cabin would be able to get to her easily and she wouldn’t have a single escape route. Hmmm. Right, there was only one other option.

Hoping Rodina wouldn’t mind, Olivia climbed over her and into the bottom bunk as well, shimmying herself under the covers. The bed was small, but so were the two girls, just able to fit. Olivia reach, grabbing old of her bunny and hugging him as she snuggled up, burying her face against Rodina’s arm and nuzzling against it until she was quite comfortable. She smiled, reaching out her free arm and wrapping it tightly around her friend. There. Now she wouldn’t have to be afraid of bullies, and Rodina wouldn’t have to be alone as she recovered from being around the fire. And her bunny was rather pleased with the arrangement as well, if Olivia thought so herself, which she did because her bunny always thought whatever she wanted him to.

Olivia was having an impossibly pleasant dream. She was curled up in a nice little nest of brown bunnies, surrounded by tall grass and brightly colored dandelions that swayed in the slight summer breeze. It smells fantastic, although, it was more like soap than a safe patch of meadow. Normally a olivia disliked meadows, not because they were ugly or anything like that, no, they were just too out in the open for her. She preferred small spaces where she could hide with ease, her small stature making it quite simple to do so. She always hoped to never grow too tall, fearing that if she did so she wouldn't be able to hide away so well when she needed to. That would be awful, not being able to slink into some small space whenever the rest of the world got too large for her to handle. It also made keeping away from bullies so much more simple.

Stirring slightly, Olivia snuggled closer to the nearest bunny, her eyes fluttering a bit as she fought her brain's desire to wake and her own to stay asleep. She and Rodina had actually gone to be quite early though, so, in the end, her brain won out, body having gotten enough sleep at this point. One arm tucked tightly around her rabbit, her other one up by her face as her thumb hung halfway out of her mouth, an old habit she had yet to grow out of completely, Olivia's eyes opened. She blinked, taken slightly aback by the amount of, well, stuff in front of her, not quite sure what she was looking at at first. There was fabric and hair and skin and... Oh!

Recognition filled Olivia's mind as a wide grin split her face and she nuzzled at Rodina, letting out a small, happy chirrup that was half little girl, half bird. Her arm released her bunny, but only to wrap around Rodina and squish the poor stuffed animal between the two girls. By the smell of her, Rodina had obviously already been up and showered, but... She had come back to cuddle with Olivia instead of opting for her own bed or going off on some grand early morning adventure. It made the ten year old's heart feel light that she was actually wanted for once as opposed to thought of as a burden. She shimmied, curling herself up as small as she possibly could and getting herself as physically close to the other girl as she could, tucking her head up under her chin and burying her face against The front of Rodina's neck while her shins found the other girl's thighs and tucked against them. Oh how comfy she was now... So warm and safe feeling. It was an odd thing, feeling safe in a strange bed she'd never really slept in before so very far away from the home. Perhaps, if she were lucky, Rodina would sleep with her again. Olivia found she rather enjoyed it, though, she also liked the fact that she was squished up so tight, the little just big enough to hold the pair of girls.

Olivia’s cheeks went pink and she squirmed a bit, feeling both a wave of joy and a slight one of embarrassment that Rodina thought she sounded pretty. Olivia was not used to such things, most of the noises she made were either so minute that no one heard them, and when they weren’t, well, she was screaming at the top of her lungs until she got her way. She squished closer to Rodina as the counselor came to check on them. She glanced upwards, staring quite expressionless up at the counselor before Rodina answered for her instead. Olivia appreciated that, not having to try and speak for herself, especially when she was still a bit sleepy, though not enough to need to return to slumber land. No, she’d be fine once she got up and moving. At the mention of crafts and hiking, Olivia perked right up, pushing free of the blanket and latching her bunny close to her chest with one arm. She climbed right on out, watching for a moment as Rodina headed up to the top bunk and then turned to open their dresser.

Shucking off her t-shirt, Olivia folded it up the best she could and stuck in back in her portion of the drawers, leaving herself in just a tank top and pair of underwear. She was not the least bit shy about changing in front of people, having down so pretty much her entire life. Olivia was used to sharing a dorm and bathroom with about twenty other girls above the age of four. The cabin group was smaller and not the least bit intimidating at the moment, especially as everyone else was still asleep. So long as she didn’t have to interact too much with the other girls, Olivia would be fine. She got along well enough with Rodina and she would not mind if it stayed that way the whole entire month they would be there. Now… what to wear? She’d already had her skirt on yesterday and it did have those great big pockets that were impossibly convenient for carrying juice boxes and snacks, but then again… if they were hiking…

Olivia grabbed out her denim shorts and tugged them on over her thin legs, having to tilt herself in order to see the button enough to do it up. She could never quite manage it unless she could see it. Olivia grabbed one of her other t-shirts and pulled it on over her head, flipping her hair out of the neck hole as it fell, covering her shorts and reaching almost to her knees like a dress might have. The entire time though, she managed to hold onto her bunny like it was a piece of her body that was attached and if she let go, she would die.

Olivia shoved on some socks and then sighed as she wiggled her feet into the old worn out sneakers she’d been forced to pack. Then again, she supposed they would come in handy. One couldn’t possibly go for a hike longer than the one she and Rodina had taken yesterday wearing her Mary-Janes. It would be like asking for a blister to come visit and be the worst house-guest ever. The back of Olivia’s left foot was already borderline due to the padding on her preferred shoes being worn through. She’d need new ones before the next school year started, or rather, hopefully one of the older girls would have outgrown their’s and could pass them down. Otherwise she’d be stuck with the sneakers as there was a good bit of walking involved during the school year and she already got picked on for them when they had P.E. Oh gosh, she hoped no one at camp would start that up. It was always the worst because there was literally nothing she could do about her clothing aside from be grateful she had anything on her at all. And that they let her pick from the teen boy clothes for her shirts.

Dressed and ready to go, Olivia smiled at Rodina, not bothering to run a brush and admiring the skill with which the other girl had managed to get down from the bunk. Olivia would not have been able to do that, at least, not without landing flat on her face and breaking her nose or something along those lines. She was not nearly that athletic, but maybe someday when she was a bit older… Hmmm. Shaking her head clear, Olivia grabbed hold of Rodina’s hand and skipped after her out of the cabin and along the path to the mess hall. It was still a bit chilly outside, fog lingering out over the lake, but the sun was up and it was boding to be a really nice day. The rabbit swung from Olivia’s free hand as she gazed about, eyes shining like the dew sprinkled on the grass and leaves. She was actually quite looking forward to making crafts and going hiking.

When they got to the mess hall, the doors were just being opened, the smell of food wafting out from them. Olivia gave an extra long skip and dashed forward, tugging at Rodina. There was no line and they would have to pick of everything, which, when you were used to being last in line and watching the last apple taken by the person before you, was kind of a big deal. Olivia released Rodina’s hand, bouncing as she grabbed a tray and went along, picking out a bowl of oatmeal, more of those purple grapes she adored, and a carton of milk. She turned, grinning back at Rodina excitedly

Olivia grinned, leaning slightly as she dropped her grapes into her oatmeal and nuzzled her head against Rodina’s shoulder before she started eating. She rather liked oatmeal, but found it usually tasted better with fruit in it, so, of course, she added the grapes she was partial to. She wasn’t exactly sure as to why she liked grapes so much aside from the fact that they had a nice crunch to them, but only the small purple ones. God forbid she have to ever eat the squishy green ones that tasted like snot in her opinion. She giggled a bit, as Rodina dropped a strawberry on her shirt, finding it quite silly as the other girl didn’t seem embarrassed by it. The slice of banana Rodina placed under Olivia’s bowl ended up sitting on the younger girl’s eye, pinched there by her muscles as she held it the best she could, sticking her tongue out at the blonde before the bit of banana slid off her face. She caught it and popped it into her mouth, swaying back and forth a little in her happy state. She’d never eaten breakfast with a friend before… actually, she’d never really done much with anyone before, not like this. It was quite a fabulous thing, having a mate as opposed to sitting quietly all by her lonesome.

As the rest of the lilac crew joined them though, Olivia’s silliness disappeared, her face going quite blank as she stared forward, just eating at this point. There were too many other people around now for her to feel comfortable goofing around, though, this too, she was quite used to. She finished eating and then placed her hands in her lap, clutching both tightly around her rabbit as she waited for everyone else to be down as well. She scooted a little closer to Rodina, away from the girl who had sat on her other side, much preferring the presence of her friend to that of the rest of their group. She was sure most of the purple girls were perfectly nice, but… well, she was being a little bit clingy at the moment. She’d finally started to just barely accept that Rodina wasn’t going to judge her over her rabbit or not speaking, however, that might not be the same for the rest of the girls and Olivia did not want to take that risk. Not yet anyway. Then finally, it was time to go do some crafts.

Olivia’s eyes went wide when they got to the picnic tables and the paint came out. She sat, placing her rabbit gently down in her lap and eyeing her rock carefully. It was quite flat, though not completely smooth, however, that wouldn’t be a problem. She turned it the way she wanted and then glanced up at Rodina. A lady bug? That did sound quite tempting… Yes. Olivia thought perhaps she’d do a lady bug as well. They were quite cute. Reaching out, Olivia grabbed the bottle of red paint, quite glad they were old enough to be trusted with acrylic as opposed to something like the paint they would probably be using to finger paint in a bit… not that she was against finger painting. She did enjoy the squishiness of it and the freeing ability to just slather it wherever you wanted without worrying about making a mess of yourself. However, Olivia was, admittedly, a little bit of a paint snob. She much preferred acrylic or water colors, finding them the easiest to work with when used properly.

After pouring a little bit of red paint onto her paper plate, Olivia set to work with one of the smallest brushes she could find. Her tongue stuck out, clenched slightly between her teeth as she worked meticulously on her rock, completely missing whatever it was Rodina had said. She didn’t even look up, taking her time with mixing colors and getting them just to where she wanted them. She was still working by the time the rest of the group had finished their rocks and moved onto the slightly more fun and much messier portion of their craft time. Olivia ignored them, holding onto her rock as she continued painting, eyes fixed on it almost unblinkingly to the point where some of the other girls directly across from her and Rodina seemed to be getting a little creeped out.

Finally, Olivia looked up, stretching her neck and blinking as she turned to look at Rodina, completely caught off guard by her presence. She had forgotten there were others around, so used to being by her lonesome, especially if she was painting. She smiled, admiring Rodina’s rock and nodding her approval before holding up her finished one, cheeks going a bit red at the intricately done lady bug sitting upon a leaf. It had come out quite realistic while still retaining that charm of fantasy. She set it back down, swirling a bit of purple paint in the corner with her initials before rotating it. She hovered her brush over the blank pointed portion of the rock, making a few strokes and then sliding the thing across the table at her friend without looking at her. The purple paint shone in the sun ‘4 Ro’ love ‘livi’. She looked down, fiddling at her bunny’s ears for a moment before reaching out and grabbing up a sheet of paper to start finger painting on.