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[center][color=52BF7C]Piper McAllister[/color][color=023020]...[/color][/center]
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[COLOR=52BF7C]"An ambulance? No, not yet, at least."[/COLOR] 

Piper glanced back toward the crafts cabin as though half expecting another camper to come stumbling out covered in blood.

[COLOR=52BF7C]"It hasn't been that bad here in, like, twenty years or something. Something about... things in the woods."[/COLOR]

She shrugged casually before looking back at Matt.

[COLOR=52BF7C]"Don't worry. There's nothing scary in the woods. It's just a story the counselors make up so you don't wander off and get lost."[/COLOR]

At least, Piper was pretty sure that was all it was. She'd heard enough stories about Camp Wyaconda over the years to know that every camper had their own version. Strange noises after dark. Shadows between the trees. Campers who swore they'd seen something moving beyond the cabins. Piper had never believed any of it. Woods made noises. Animals lived in them. People's imaginations got considerably more creative after sunset. That was all.

Probably.

Matt seemed okay to her. Nice enough, anyway. He had even apologized for the baseball, despite it barely touching her. Then, almost immediately, he'd started asking about what he was supposed to do next. That made her smile. Being the new kid had to be strange. Everyone else seemed to move around camp as though they already knew exactly where they belonged.

[COLOR=52BF7C]"Each cabin has a schedule for the day. It's mostly so we don't overcrowd the activity areas. Safety first and all that."[/COLOR] She nodded toward the lake.

[COLOR=52BF7C]"Most of the summer campers are together right now. See? Some are swimming, and everyone else is fighting over the canoes."[/COLOR]

From where they stood, campers were already gathering along the shoreline. A group had rushed toward the swimming area while others crowded around the racks of paddles and life jackets. Piper watched them for a moment.

[COLOR=52BF7C]"You just do what you feel like doing. No one's going to force you into anything."[/COLOR]

She shrugged before looking back at him. At least, that was how camp was supposed to work. Piper paused. She wasn't entirely sure what came next. Normally, this was the part where she would smile, wave, and find somewhere quiet to sit with her sketchbook. Small talk had never been something she was particularly good at. Silence was easier. You couldn't accidentally say something stupid if you weren't talking. But she had promised her dad one thing before coming to camp. Try to make a friend or two. Piper shifted her weight from one foot to the other.

[COLOR=52BF7C]"So... uh..."[/COLOR]

Great start, she thought. She tucked a loose strand of red hair behind her ear and glanced at the baseball still in Matt's hand.

[COLOR=52BF7C]"Baseball."[/COLOR] Another excellent contribution to the conversation. Piper almost laughed at herself.

[COLOR=52BF7C]"My dad likes the Braves. He says they're going all the way this year."[/COLOR] She paused, her brow furrowing slightly. [COLOR=52BF7C]"Whatever that means."[/COLOR]

She knew what it meant, technically. Her dad had explained it enough times. She simply couldn't understand how anyone could become so invested in watching people stand around waiting for someone to hit a ball.

[COLOR=52BF7C]"I like soccer, though. Maybe because there's more running."[/COLOR] A small smile appeared. [COLOR=52BF7C]"I like running. A lot."[/COLOR]

That was probably an understatement. Running was easy. There was always somewhere ahead of you to go. A trail to follow. Another turn to reach. When she ran, she didn't have to think about what to say or whether she was supposed to be talking. She could just move. Piper glanced toward Matt again, hoping she hadn't completely ruined her attempt at conversation.

[COLOR=52BF7C]"So, I'm guessing the baseball means you actually play?"[/COLOR] 
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