Chapter Text
Mary sighed, looking out at the rolling countryside “Are we there yet Ma?” she grumbled.
Allison sighed “No sweetie, it’s about another twenty minutes”. Mary sighed even more theatrically.
Allison rolled her eyes at Mary “You think this is bad? When I was your age it was a twenty minute drive to the nearest cinema, twenty minutes is nothing kid”
Mary looked out the front window, staring silently at the road. Allison lated a few minutes before breaking the silence “What’s wrong kiddo?”
Mary shifted uncomfortably and mumbled something under her breath.
Allison sighed “c’mon squirt, make this easy for me”
Mary looked down and twiddled her thumbs and said slightly more loudly “I don’t wanna go to camp”
Allison blinked, surprised “But you’ve been excited about this for weeks, this morning you where ecstatic” she looked over at her daughter “Where’s this come from?”
Marry sniffed softly “What if no one there likes me? What if I hate it?”
Allison smiled affectionately at her daughter “Oh, sweet heart, I get it. I was scared the first time I went to camp to”
Mary raised an eyebrow suspiciously at her mom “Yeah? I thought you said you’d been basically an honorary camper for years before you started”
Allison laughed “Yes, that’s true” she paused remembering her first time as a real camper “But my first actual year was very different”
-Bonnefeta-
Eight year old Allison stood quietly behind her mother’s leg as the campers poured in. it wasn’t her first drop off day, in fact Allison had seen so many drop off days she couldn’t imagine her summer starting any other way. But this year would be different, this year she wouldn’t get to spend the summer with her Mom in the mess making tater tots and stealing cookies, getting to go back to her and her Mom’s own cabin and being able to crawl into her Mom’s bed when she had nightmares. This year Allison was going to be in a cabin with other girls her age. She’d have to do all the activities, and she wouldn’t have her Mom around to look after her, sure her Mom was at the camp but they wouldn’t see each other much.
She looked down at her sneakers, what if the other girls didn’t like her? What if she did something embarrassing? In previous years she had been like an adorable little sister to the campers, but now she would be one of them.
She wrapped her hands around her mom’s leg. Melisa Henry looked down at her little girl, smiling at her as she nervously clung to her leg.
Melisa stroked Allison’s hair “What’s wrong baby?” she asked, her strong southern accent soothing her daughter.
Allison shuffled, kicking the dirt “Nuthin”
Melisa chuckled “Don’t look like nothing to me” she crouched down to her daughters level “C’mon baby, What’s wrong?”
Allison sighed “What if no one likes me? What if I hate it?”
Melisa smiled at the little girl “Now baby, what’s not to love about you?” Allison chuckled “Listen, I think you’re going to love camp, and make some great friends” Allison shrugged, Melisa continued “And if you don’t like it? Well you can always come see me and we can go back to cooking tots, ok?” Allison looked up a her mom nodded. Melisa grinned “Now, get out from behind my leg and go make some new friends”
-Bonnefeta-
Allison stood nervously in the door of her cabin, looking into the room at the bunks and bags of people already there. She took a deep breath and stepped into the room and was immediately confronted by an excited redhead.
“Hey, I’m Maxine, you must be one of our bunk mates. This is so exciting, we’re gonna be best friends I just know it!” Allison was stunned by the girl’s energetic reaction. “This summer is going to be the best ever. Oh” she said pointing to a thin sandy blonde haired girl sitting on one of the bunks “This is Elise, we’ve already me, obviously. But hey, what’s your name?”
Allison fumbled for a second, shocked at having been given a chance to speak “Um… I’m Allison”
“Well it’s great to meet you Allison! C’mon let’s get you unpacked”
-Bonnefeta-
“Wow, you met Aunt Max and Aunt Elise on your first day of camp?” Mary asked, shocked
Allison smiled at the happy memory “Yep, and you know what?”
“What?” Mary asked, keen to hear more.
Allison grinned at her daughter “I never ran to the mess to ask Grandma to take me out of camp”
Mary smiled at her Mom and Allison asked “So, you ready to get this show on the road?”
Mary nodded and Allison smiled as the drove the last few miles to Takota.