Chapter 2

The next morning the newbies awoke to the hustle and bustle of camp life, the noise seemingly right outside of their door.

When I opened the door, they each looked up at me. I walked in with the tray of food, placing it gently on the ground in the middle of them. Jake followed closely behind with a pitcher of water. I turned and shut the door, blocking out the noises from the rest of camp.

"Eat up," I instructed and sighed when nobody moved. "The bread won't be as good as you're used to, but it's the best we can do." I looked down at the brown slices of bread. "The jam will make it taste better. It's made from the berries from our garden."

I waited until they had each taken some food, before speaking out.

"My name is Cass, and I am in charge here," I began, pausing when the oldest boy opened his mouth to speak.

"What makes you the leader?" he asked, watching with narrowed eyes. I almost rolled my eyes.

"I was one of the first ones outcast. I started up this place, and I have run it since. You better get used to listening to a girl, because if you have an issue you can get out." I waited, my arms crossed as he reacted.

"I-I didn't mean it like that. I was just curious." He blushed and looked down.

Jake laughed. "Rule number one: don't mess with Cass."

I shoved him lightly.

"This, here, is Jake." I pointed at the boy next to me. "He's a scouter, meaning that he goes out to explore. Every few days he heads up to the city to check for newbies. That's how he found you."

I looked at each of their faces.

"Now, I need you to answer some questions for me. First, what are your names? And how old are you?" I looked at the young girl.

"My name is Courtney and I am seven," she replied with a toothy grin. I smiled at her charm.

"I'm Jack, and this is Josh." One of the boys said. "We are both twelve."

I nodded at them. I had suspected they were brothers, but Josh's darker hair and slightly older look had made me think that they couldn't be twins.

"Benji, nineteen," was all I got from the oldest boy. How polite. Jake smirked at me.

I looked at the other girl.

"Mia, and I'm sixteen. And this is Evie." She pointed at the baby in her lap.

"Okay," I said. "And were you all siblings? Is that why you were outcast?"

Courtney ad Benji both nodded.

"Yep," Jack said. "Our sister got to stay home."

I looked at Josh. So far he hadn't said anything. He was looking down at the floor, deeply studying the slightly cracked ground.

"That's not my story," Mia said, watching Evie asleep in her arms. "I was an only child. But I hid my pregnancy, and I planned to hide the baby too. My boyfriend wouldn't stay with me, so Evie was born against the law. When they found her they wanted to take her away. They gave me the choice. I could live with the rest of the siblings, or I could give up my baby."

"And you chose Evie," I finished for her. She wiped away the tears that had fallen from her eyes.

There was a tense silence for a moment before Jake spoke. "You will have to do chores here."

"That's right," I said. "Courtney, you will go to school until you are ten. Josh and Jack, you'll help with the gardening. Mia, you'll help with the younger children." She smiled gratefully at me. "And Benji, you have a choice. You can help with the gardening, you can help with protection, you can hunt, or you can be a scouter." I told him. Jake scowled as I said scouter, shaking his head at me. I subtly shrugged my shoulders.

"Scouter," he replied, his voice stony and emotionless. I stared at him for a moment.

"Very well," I said, standing up. "We'll give you a tour."

The jobs given were based on their ages. Up until the age of ten, they wouldn't work, and from the ages ten to fifteen they would help in the garden or with maintenance. After that, it was their decision.

It had been a good system so far, with the newbies able to fit right in.

The tour was short, as there wasn't much to see. The newbies looked uncomfortable at the stares they were receiving, but I told them to shrug them off. No one would stare once they were settled.

The gardens seemed to amaze them the most, the awe covering Courtney's face was enough to fill our head gardener with pride. Having grown up in the city, it was unlikely for them to have seen much nature. Even the bright plants were a new phenomenon, greatly contrasting with both the city and the plains of nothing they had travelled through on their way to camp.

New experiences were something they would have to get used to if they were to settle in well. Just an example would be the lack of running water in all buildings except one.

I took them to the main building. "This where everything important happens. We have running water here, but it is limited. Showers are down to two minutes, and they will be cold." I looked at the discomfort on Mia's face.

"Don't worry, you will get used to it. We have to be careful with our resources." I led them in further, taking them to the storage area. "This is where we keep the food. You might be asked to collect something from here, but you are not allowed anything without permission. We don't have the same luxuries as the metropolis."

I hated this talk. The repetitiveness was irritating, and I didn't like sounding strict. But it was all a part of being a leader, and it was a chore that couldn't be avoided.

At the end of the tour, I took them to their new dorms. I pulled Mia aside.

"Mia, you are going to have to stay with me," I informed her. "We've never had a baby at camp, and I think it's best if you are in a fairly quiet dorm. I don't want Evie to wake up the whole camp."

Mia nodded her head and I led her away to my dorm. Being in charge had always meant that I had a dorm to myself. It could be lonely at times, but having my own space was something that I loved. But I didn't mind giving that up for Mia.

***

I think Cass deserves a vote before you leave? :)