My name is Alexandra Lavinson, Lex for short. I'm a sixteen year old girl who was brought into the Church of Jesus Christ. I just call it the Church. Having been in the Church for a couple months now, summer having started, I was going to spend my first year up at camp which was six days long. This year is different from all the other years though. Normally the guys and the girls go separately but this year, we're co ed. When we were told this, the girls were yelling in excitement. Even my only friend, Melissa Fokker, aka Mea, was overjoyed. This meant that the two most popular guys, Chase Wilder and David Jaeson, were going to spend the whole week stuck with the fan girls. My new headache.
When I came to the Church, my parents had just recently divorced. My dad, Jack Lavinson, went to North Carolina. I went with my mom, Maria Lavinson, to Salt Lake City, Utah. She has a government job and they stationed her there for some unknown reason, but do to her job, I hardly see her. So in respect for my mom's wishes, I went to the classes, the meetings, and woke up at four every morning to make it in time for Seminary where I sat and was taught nothing. All we did was sing songs. The other thing I had to deal with was Chelsea Wikker. Chelsea was an average cheerleader with a group that went along with her because she's popular and her dad had a very influential job.
She didn't like me the day I came in my dark clothes and black hair that came with the fact that my beliefs were completely different from anyone's there. On my father's side, we came from a Native American tribe and his father had taught him, which he taught me, to worship either the Sun or the Moon. My father had chosen the Sun, following my mother. I had chosen the Moon, finding it more peaceful than the painfully bright Sun. When I had chosen, I noticed that those around me had glows to them. Of the few that didn't was Mea. She claims to like the Twilight more than anything.

-Day 1-
We had finally arrived after a long drive up mountains. We were put into groups. My group, Cabin 3, consisted of Mea, me, Chase and David. Mea was so happy for that, since she 'loves' David. We were in cabins and the cabins were widespread in the area. The eating area where we could build a fire was the meeting area as well.
I was the first to our cabin, having already settled and claimed one of the bottom bunks, I nearly crashed into Chase upon exiting.
“Hey, I'm Chase. You must be Alexandra, right?” Chase smiled, offering his hand in greeting. I merely stared. His smile faltered a tiny bit.
“Everyone knows who you are, Chase,” I got to say before Mea came around the bend and found us talking.
“Hey Lex!” she hugged me then turned to Chase. “Don't mind Lex. She's a bit cold to everyone because she's always the rational one. What's up, Chase?”
His smiled revived with a hint of discomfort. “No prob. Sorry, I'm guessing you like being called Lex.”
“Just Lex,” I whispered, feeling distant already. David joined us, who gave both of us girls an annoyingly bright, fake smile that made Mea swoon. I stared coldly at him, making him stop. He and Chase stared at me, baffled by my reaction. Ignoring their looks, I walked past them to get a close seat to the fire. This was going to be a long week.

I sighed. I could've gone with my mom to Europe. At dinner, Chelsea had 'tripped' and 'accidentally' spilled her spaghetti on my leg. I ignored her completely, making her mad. Once I had finished, I tossed a flower I found on my bed into the fire. I could careless who gave it to me. I hated little notes of affection, preferring whoever to say it to my face.
I left the eating area, walking on into a meadow. The Moon hung high, full and bright. Ignoring the rustling of the bushes behind me, I danced in the meadow barefoot. This I did every night in appreciation to the Moon. Many nights I had came outside, utterly depressed. The depression was always overwhelmed by the beauty of the Moon. My dance came to an end. My hands cupped to lips then raised in offering to the Moon, I relaxed then went to find my shoes. I froze at the sight of Chase, staring at me. I stared at him, feeling a weird burning in my chest that I had never felt before. I guess this was embarrassment. Though his glow was absent, he was still obviously a child of the Sun. Tan skin, brown hair, and green eyes that were nothing compared to the pine trees, he watched me like I was a rare creature that he had never seen before. A wonder. I grabbed my shoes seemingly calm and gracefully walked past him, barefoot all the way to the cabin.

-Day 2-
Being the first one up wasn't abnormal for me. My body would awaken at five every morning, unless I was exhausted the night before. I sang Get Up by Superchick as I prepared for the day. Today was a hike. I dreaded the long hours of sunlight I had to deal with after the distraction of the hike was over with. I looked up at the Moon, fading in the sky as the Sun prepared to take over. I had noticed that David was gone before I had woken. I wondered where he went off to but blew it off.
“What are you doing up so early?” Chase asked, still groggy from sleep. I ignored him as I continued singing. It was odd for him to hear me sing. No one has heard me sing since before my parents divorced. I just didn't like singing in front of people. “Lex.”
I finished my song but didn't answer. I didn't want to talk to him. He kept bringing forth that dang burning feeling of embarrassment and I hardly knew him. He sighed, not pressing further till he noticed David gone. I woke Mea up as a trumpet was sounding off in the distance. If that was their attempt to wake us up, it was a failure.
“Where's David?” Mea asked, rubbing sleep out of her eyes. I shrugged my shoulders and got my backpack together.
“He was gone before I got up.”
“Wow, he must have woken up at four or something,” Mea said, getting out of bed and did her morning stretches. Her blonde hair with streaks of brown fell over her shoulders as she reached to her toes. I shrugged again. It didn't really bother me. My mom always beat me at waking up, always up with a breakfast for me.
Chase went into the only other room in the cabin, the bathroom. Having being ready already, I left the cabin for a walk. I found David in the meadow I danced in the night before, watching the stars fade into the bright blue sky the Sun brought.
“So you were here, huh? They're freaking out since you were up before me,” I said casually, staring at the Sun. Even if it was annoyingly bright, sunrises were always beautiful.
“You mean Mea, right?” David asked, not looking at me.
“I'm amazed that Chase Wilder didn't show any worry for his friend,” I responded.
“That's because I can take care of myself.”
“I'm sure but still...”
David turned to me but I didn't meet his gaze.
“Your aura isn't like Chase's. Why's that?”
“What's so different about our auras?”
“His glows as proof that he's a child of the Sun. Yours is like Mea's: uncertain.”
I met his gaze, realizing he was trying to see if I was joking. I sighed. I was still alone in my beliefs and not even a simple guy could understand.
“Come on. We have to get ready for the hike. I want this day to be over.”
“Why?”
“I hate daylight. It's too bright for my sensitive eyes.”

Mea had attacked me as we made our lunches for the hike, going into details on how Chase thought my singing voice was beautiful. Chase glanced at us and looked away with a maddening blush.
“Don't worry. This hike will take most of the day,” Mea reassured me. I had my doubts still but in the end she was right. I enjoyed the hike, noting the natural beauty and when we finally finished the hike, the Sun was low in the sky and we were preparing for dinner. During that time, Mea tried hooking me up with Chase. Tonight the camp leaders had planned a dance around a bonfire and it was the guys that asked. Chase had attempted asking me. I rejected him, not wanting anything to do with a child of the Sun nor to deal with the dance. Mea blew up on me.
“Drop your beliefs for once and give him a chance!” she yelled at me. Her words stung but I didn't let it show. I stared at her, feeling a bit betrayed.
“No,” was all I said and I turned away from her, skipping dinner and danced to the moon like before but sorrow filled my movements. I didn't stop dancing until it was way past midnight and a sat under a tree, tears falling freely and I finally fell asleep there, feeling peaceful once again.

-Day 3-
When I woke, I found that it was noon. David and Chase were trying to calm down the crying Mea. She had taken on a slight glow since yesterday. I sat up, trying to get out of bed to get away from the drama. They didn't' realize I was trying to leave. Mea tackled me in a hug, saying sorry. Unsure what to say, I merely returned the hug.
“Your skin is freezing cold,” she said as she pulled away and wiped away her tears. I stared at my hands, not really believing her.
“Really?” I said. “I feel fine though.”
“You should thank David for finding you. You could have froze to death!”
I didn't point out to her that I wouldn't' have froze to death and she was just exaggerating but thought better of it and turned to David and Chase.
“Thank you...?” I said with utmost uncertainty. A knock at the door bought everyone's attention.
“Is Alexandra all right?” I recognized Chelsea's annoying voice. Chase broke into a smile.
“Yeah, she's fine.”
“Could you tell her that I need to talk to her?”
“Su-----”
“Chelsea, I wouldn't talk to you even if my life was threatened. If you have something to say, say it now,” I said, clear enough for her thick, blonde mind.
“A warning. Keep away from them, or you're dead.”
“That's a threat retard. I can't help it if 'them' are my cabin-mates. Now run along since there's nothing else for you here.”
With a muttered 'witch', Chelsea's stomps faded and I finally pulled myself out of bed and got ready for what was left of the day.

Chelsea left me alone for the rest of the day until dinner. She stormed up to me and dumped her cup of water and ice on me. It didn't feel cold at all. In return, I put my still cold fingers to her neck, making her jump away in shock. I picked up my cup of orange juice and tossed the contents at her, turning her white shirt orange and wetting her pink mini skirt. What kind of idiot wears a mini skirt in the mountains?
Within a few seconds, she began to feel freezing cold and stormed away. I did a dance of appreciation for the Moon before going to bed for a much needed rest.

-Day 4-
I had woken in a cheery moor, singing They by Jem. Today we were going repelling. There were three cliffs. One being only eight feet, the next twelve and the last twenty. I had plenty of experience of repelling and waited as the others of my group did the first one. Eight feet wasn't much fun but I willingly did the twelve footer. I let everyone go before me on the twenty foot one, excited at the height. Chelsea came up to me.
“Really, just stay away from Chase and David,” she said. I sighed.
“You say that as if I like them.”
“Don't you?”
“Not the way you do.”
“Lex! Your turn!” David called up.
“Coming!” I yelled back. Without giving Chelsea a second glance, I hooked myself up to the rope and began my way down. About ten feet from the ground, the rope slackened and I began to fall. Only the tree branches saved me, breaking my fall little by little but cutting up my back. I landed on the ground with a painful oof!, knocking the wind out of my lungs.
“Lex!” Mea ran over to me, worry written all over. I tried to speak but when I took in a breathe to try, it was too painful. Chelsea was so dead.

-Day 5-
Yesterday, I was taken to the infirmary for the cuts on my back. I was forced to stay over night. When I woke this morning, I relished the thought that tomorrow was the day we began to pack and leave. When I was carried past Chelsea, my legs not holding me up, she smirked but that smirk died and she had a fearful shiver as I gave her a ice-cold stoney look. I was in no mood for her stupidity. She was going to pay.
Mea gathered facts, the obvious truth that Chelsea was the culprit but no one would speak against her. Even if she almost killed a person, her father's influence was too powerful to them. David was the only one that stayed with me in the infirmary, dead worried about me as Mea tried to start something, anything, against Chelsea.
Once I was out of the infirmary, I gathered things for my slight revenge. It was nothing compared to Chelsea cutting the rope and trying to kill me but it would suffice in humility. When night fell, I snuck into the cabin that Chelsea had to herself and set up a trap system then left for my solace in the meadow, dancing beneath the waning Moon. When I had finished, it was David watching me and I noticed he had an aura I've never seen before, the aura of a child of the Moon. It didn't bug me that he saw me dancing. We walked in a comfortable silence back to the cabin and finally went to bed.

-Day 6-
I danced under the Moon, having waken up a couple hours before sunrise, before packing my things. By the time every other camper got up, my things were packed and I was drawing while listening to music. Mea's aura had turned to the complete glow of a child of the Sun. I felt I had lost my only friend. She flirted with Chase as she finished packing her stuff. For the moment she went to the showers to freshen up, Chase turned to me and pulled out one of my headphones.
“What?” I asked calmly. I was in a good mood today.
“Would you believe me if I said I like you?” I stared at him. This was sudden.
“I guess so but I don't like you back in the way you might like me. As a friend, maybe, but nothing else.”
He sighed, looking a bit heart broken.
“You don't seem happy today.”
I froze at his statement. I was in a good mood but I felt he meant something else. My actions around Mea must be utterly obvious.
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“What happened between you and Mea?”
“Nothing,” I said truthfully. “It seems we're going separate ways and both of us are fine with it.”
“Chase, leave her alone. We need to finish up,” David spoke up. Irritation flashed in Chase's eyes.
“Are you saying that as truth or because you like her too? Dude, you're acting strange as well,” Chase countered. David had a slight blush. I sighed.
“And you're acting immature, Chase. Knock it off,” I said. Mea came back and stared at Chase and David then turned to me.
“What's going on?” she asked.
“Something I don't want to be apart of.”
She put her hands on her hips, not taking that as an explanation. She was seriously turning into the kind of girls we normally hate.
“Uh-huh.”
I sighed, getting up and putting my art supplies away in my messenger bag then turned to her.
“Don't know how to explain it to you.”
“Really? You use to be able to explain everything with ease.”
“Yeah, before you somehow changed. I don't know what changed but you don't seem like the same person.”
“Let me guess, it deals with your stupid belief.”
That hit home and I turned icy cold.
“Do me a favor and don't you dare come near me. Next time, I won't be so forgiving for mocking my belief. My belief is my life. You can stick to your god but never mock my belief.”
I grabbed my things and got them into the trailer they used to bring all our stuff up in. I didn't talk to Mea. Didn't even look at her and sat in one of the cars, in the back with David sitting next to me. Mea had tried to drag him with her but he told her off. I didn't hear the words but by the hurt expression I saw, he said something that broke her heart. I could hardly care anymore though.
David held me close when I fell asleep with my music blaring in my ears. I had woke in the same position when we arrived at the church. My mom standing by her black Volvo with a heart warming smile. I ran into her arms in a great embrace, trying not to cry. She could sense something was wrong.
David brought over my bags and put them in the open trunk for me. When I disengaged from my mom, I gave him a great squeeze before getting into the car. My mom talked to him for a moment then joined me.
“Lex, honey, what's wrong?” she asked, handing me the cord that allowed me to hook my iPod to the stereo of the car.
“Can I not go back to church?” I asked in response. She nodded as I spilled what happened at camp. She then told me that she gave David our address. He guessed I wouldn't be returning.
I didn't return to the Church after that. My mom noticed the change immediately and said I didn't have to go. I didn't have a reason to go. She hired a tutor and I was home schooled at night, spending the daylight hours asleep as I recovered. Mea had attempted to get me for 'stealing' David. David had been there for me and made things better. With my back turned completely from the sun, I made sure my mom didn't worry. David had asked me out and I accepted, feeling the need to.
Never again did I see Melissa Fokker but all I really needed was David.

Impressum

Texte: All original idea, picture used for the cover not mine.
Tag der Veröffentlichung: 16.06.2011

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