Set in 2003 =)

Serenity

"This is so not cool," Krista, my best friend, said while trying to get her dark hair out of her face. It was like, a thousand degrees out and we were stuck on a freaky school bus, handcuffed to the seat in front of us.

So what if we had successfully robbed half the stores in the mall? Jeez, everything we took was crap, anyway. What the hell was the big damn deal? I guess so I won't confuse you, I'll start from the beginning.

My name is Serenity Thompson. My parents, Natalie and Harry, didn't really give a crap about what I did. Krista is an orphan and my parents offered for her to stay with me. Krista and I are really different, but also the same.

We're both big flirts, and really sarcastic. Krista has severe anger issues, I have severe ADHD. Krista is way more girly, while I am laidback and athletic. We live in North Carolina, where we attend Walter M. Williams High School in Burlington.

We both get passing grades, which is good, but we both get into a fair amount of trouble. Of course, with our charming attitude and rich parents, we get out of it simply. Doesn't being in grade eleven freaking rock? So, school life is pretty easy when you're us. We both have southern accents; Krista's a bit stronger than mine.

Krista is really pretty with her long, dark black hair and blue eyes. Her skin wasn't a deathly pale, but pale nonetheless. I on the other hand hate how I look. My light green eyes and regular brown hair with a few natural blonde highlights isn't as long as Krista's as it goes down a couple inches past my shoulders.

Krista was taller at five feet, six inches and had incredible curves. Her thin figure was always covered in the latest of fashion trends and jewellery. I was standing two inches shorter and I don't have big curves. Just tiny ones that allowed me to run at a superb speed and gave me better capabilities to play sports.

Anyway, because of the crime, we've been sent to a filthy all-boys (and now with two girls) detention centre, Camp Green Lake.

"I know, Krissy, I know," I said with a sigh. Looking out the window, I saw the desert landscape and many holes. They all looks rather deep and large and I swear I saw a dark skinned man pass by with a wheelbarrow filled with onions.

As I looked back to see if it was real, the bus halted. I turned back and watched as the guard undid mine, then Krista's handcuffs. I rubbed my wrists, my best friend mimicking. It didn't seem right and my gut knotted as I heard calls of 'fresh meat'. Was that supposed to me something?

I grabbed my beloved guitar signed by Miles Holmwood and grabbed my suitcase with clothes along with my duffel bag of other things, such as feminine products, bathroom supplies and my awesome bouncy ball and iPod Touch.

I gestured for Krista to get off the bus first. She gladly accepted. We were told what to expect, and Krista, being her attention loving self, she was happy to take the lead in coming off the bus where we would meet the insane boys who hadn't seen a girl in months.

Whistles, cat calls and corny pick-up lines filled my ears as Krista got off the bus. She didn't blush like I would, but she did send a wink to all of them. I hesitated before climbing down the three steps, until the guard pushed me off.

I came to the dirt ground with a quiet thud, dust surrounding me. I coughed and Krista grabbed my hand, yanking me up. I fanned the dirt away with my hand and coughed some more, grabbing the things I had dropped.

The hot weather gave me a headache. It was a thousand degrees out and sweat was probably already falling down my forehead. I could already tell the next year and a half would be a long, long time, which was pretty sad considering I've been at Camp Green Lake for about two minutes.

I inspected my bag to make sure everything was there, but didn't see my bouncy ball. "Who took my bouncy ball?" I whispered as the guard came off the bus and it rolled away.

"Right there," Krista said, pointing to a spot about two metres away from where we stood. I ignored the whistles that followed my looking up and hid my blush. I walked awkwardly to my camouflage toy and picked it up, brushing the dirt off of it.

I coughed again and followed the guard to wherever he was going. Krista linked arms with me and pulled me along. "Oh, jeez," Krista murmured, looking down. I followed her eyes and saw my bleeding knee.

"I'm bleeding, no duh. Nothing new," I said with a smile. I was used to the smell, the feel, the icky feeling of the blood dripping down my leg with my sports and such. It was almost scary how I didn't react how most girls my and Krista's age of sixteen would react.

"Your life sucks, Serenity. I mean, you're sixteen when you're supposed to be seventeen 'cause you just had to be born in the middle of freaking December, you probably have lost a gallon of blood in one year and you think bugs are cool,"

It was true. I was born December 13th, 1986, and it was mid-June right now. Krista got all the luck and was born March 24th, 1986. I was the youngest in my class all my life, and I was teased for it a lot. So, my life kind of does suck.

"Well, you're the one who thinks shopping is fun," I shot back. "Seriously! Shopping is freaking hell!"

Krista was about to comment when we arrived in an air conditioned office with a desk, an old man spitting sunflower seeds into a cup and several storage places for files, I guess.

"Krista and Serenity Thompson?" the man said. "I'm Mr. Sir. You will call me by my name, and only my name. Got it?"

Mr. Sir? I burst out laughing and held my stomach. "S, shut up!" Krista smacked my arm. She used my first initial for my nickname, by the way.

"That's is the g—"

"Greatest name!" Krista put in. I thought 'gayest' would be a better word.

"Smart girl," Mr. Sir said. "Now let me explain the rules. You are going to dig a hole, five feet in diameter and height. You'll be treated like any other boy here. Just 'cause your girls doesn't mean you'll be treated like one,"

Krista face of horror didn't mirror mine. I was happy that I wouldn't be treated like a helpless girly-girl. "Come with me," Mr. Sir said.

He took us to a little shack like building and he gave us two orange jumpsuits, one for relaxation, the other for working. We also got big, bulky steel toed boots that were too big for both of us. Our work clothes would be washed every three days, then our relaxation clothes would become our work clothes.

"Mr. Pendanski will show you to your cabin," As if it were on cue, a short man with tanned skin and black hair and too much sun block on his nose with a big, straw sunhat on came walking in with a huge smile on his face.

"Serenity and Krista, welcome to Camp Green Lake! You may have done some bad things in your life, but that does not make you two bad girls!" he said. "You're in 'D' tent, D stands for diligence. There is the washrooms, cabins and cafeteria, any questions?"

I didn't even see anything...oh, well. Krista shook her head and I followed her actions. "The boys will be on their best behaviour...let's go meet your tent mates,"

Damn. I was hoping I wouldn't have to. I bit my lip but followed Krista and Mr. P anyway. We passed three tents before Mr. P stopped and climbed up some steps. He held his hand out as if to tell us to stop where we were. "Boys, you better be decent!"

He opened the flap and stepped in, twitching his finger to us. We went in and their mouths fell open. I shifted my weight uncomfortably as they looked Krista up and down then did the same to me. After Mr. P giving the boys a speech about respect to the boys, he introduced us.

"This is Krista," Mr. P said.

"Hey, baby," One of them said. He had dark hair and eyes to match, a toothpick hanging out of his mouth. He had an accent like ours.

"And this is—"

"A person," I said. "A girl, in specific. You don't need to know my name,"

"Now, I think they do,"

"No, they don't,"

"Fine." Mr. P rolled his eyes. "This is Alan," He pointed to the boy who hit on Krista already.

"Mom," Alan groaned. "It's Squid, not Alan,"

I rolled my eyes. Squid? What the hell? "Yes, sure it is, Alan," Mr. P said.

We learned that there was a tall boy named Ricky with blonde hair and electric blue eyes. He looked at me and Krista with strong suspicion and a keen eye like something was wrong. He was also known as Zigzag.

And he was damn cute.

There were two black boys, X-Ray and Armpit. X-ray had thick glasses with dirt clouded them and Armpit was a heavy set boy with a playful smile. A pale curly haired boy with a kind smile was known as Caveman waved at me and grinned. He stood next to a short caramel skinned boy with the puffiest hair ever. He was Zero. There was a Hispanic boy with a buzz cut who was called Magnet.

"What's with the nicknames?" Krista spoke.

"Means you're part of the family," X-Ray said. "You can get one too—but you gotta earn it,"