Young Writers Society

Chapter Seven: A Different Way of Saying Things

Silvia smiled at me and vaulted onto the bunk above my own and landed gracefully onto her knees.

“So,” she said, sounding completely relaxed now, “Have you guys been here before?”

“It’s my first time,” I replied.

Rowan nodded. “And mine third.”

Silvia laid down with her hands behind her head. “Is it fun?”

Rowan nodded again. “Definitely. There’s acting and scripts writing and prop building. As well as more, but you will need to see.” She gathered up her books and glided over to her bunk. “So much fun. I will not ruin the surprise. So much more than just us doing acting. We hang out with the music and art kids too. They are ok.” She climbed up onto her bunk and sat there, her legs dangling off the side.

“Do you know what is going to happen in the morning?” Silvia questioned.

“Different every’s year,” Rowan replied. “Getting met with everyone, mostly. Games. Not sure what else. Always different.”

I looked at Rowan questioningly. Was English not her first language? Even when I was talking to her about books, I noticed that her speech was a bit off, occasionally mixing up where words were supposed to go or using them in completely different ways. But she sometimes didn’t talk like that and she also didn’t have an accent. So was I uneducated or did Rowan have a kind of ‘glitch’ when she spoke?

I though about asking her, but just in case English was her mother tongue, I didn’t for fear of accidental offense.

I looked up at the ceiling. “Light on or light off?”

“Doesn’t matter,” Rowan replied.

“Whichever works best,” Silvia said.

Because I liked to sleep with the light off, I got up and turned it off, then scurried back to bed.

“’Night,” Rowan murmured.

I heard her shifting a little, doing what I assumed was getting under the blankets. As I did the same, I started to hear quiet snoring from above me. Great. My bunkmate’s a snorer. I thought about moving to the bed under Rowan, but I was still slightly uneasy about being that close to her at such a vulnerable state. That and I didn’t want to make Silvia think that I hated her or anything.

As it turned out, Silvia’s gentle snoring was somewhat relaxing, reminding me of whale sounds or the melodies of birds. It wasn’t loud or inconsistent and I soon found myself liking the noise. As a result, I was soon asleep.

~

My eyes were forced open by harsh sunlight which seeped through the twin windows on either side of the door. The cabin had been turned to gold by the sun. Everything sparkled and was outlined by the light. I could even feel the warmth dance along my skin.

“Awake?” I heard Rowan ask.

That was when I noticed her leaning against the door. She was dressed in a long-sleeved sky blue shirt and black sneakers. Her hair was as fluffy as ever, spreading out behind her head like a brown cloud.

“Yeah,” I said, still a little drowsy, as I slid out of bed. “What’s the time?”

“Six-thirty,” she said.

I nodded, opened my other suitcase (which we forgot to unpack last night) and pulled out some clothes for today.

“Where can I change?” I asked.

“You can either do it under the blankets or go to the bathroom to do it.”

“Where would that be?”

“Same building as the mess. The closest to parking lot.”

I glanced back at my bed. Going all the way there wouldn’t be worth it if we were just going to come back. Besides, we would end up abandoning Silvia and she probably wouldn’t know what to do next or where we were.

Suddenly, I heard some movement coming from the top bunk: Silvia was stirring.

“Wha? Morning already?” she asked. Her voice was deep, cloaked in drowsiness.

“Yes,” I said.

Rowan pulled a phone with blue casing from her pocket. “Almost time to be in the mess. Get dressed in the blankets. I will not look.” She turned away, putting her forehead on the door.

I quickly got changed under my covers, getting dressed as quickly as possible without accidentally uncovering myself. At last, I managed to finish just as Silvia jumped down from her bunk wearing her fresh, new clothes.

“Ready?” Rowan asked.

Silvia and I both nodded and we exited the cabin and into the bright sunshine.