I packed my toiletries into my camping bag, the last belongings of mine that I would be taking on the trip. Our year level was going camping in the mountains and woods just outside of Derry and everyone was excited. Apparently this was the only actual camp that you went on for school in Derry High School, so it was a bit of a big deal.

I walked downstairs and was about to leave the house when I realised I hadn't told my mum about my going away. I hastily wrote a note which told her I wouldn't be home for the next few nights before going over to Bill's house. He said he could give me a ride to school instead of me walking to with a heavy bag on my back, which I was grateful for.

"Hey Billy! Are you packed?" I asked when he opened the front door, greeting me with a smile.

"Y-yeah, come in." he beckoned for me to enter. I walked into his living room and plopped onto one of the couches.

"So, are you excited for the next few days? I heard we're going to be hiking, canoeing and rock climbing." I said as he sat down on the couch across from me.

"Yeah, it s-sounds so fun. I don't think I'm v-very good at canoeing, though." he replied.

"Well I hope I'm not sharing one with you then." I joked. "I think I'll struggle with the rock climbing most, to be honest. It's not the actual climbing that scares me, it's the abseiling that seems absolutely terrifying."

"Abseiling is s-so fun!" he exclaimed, shaking his head.

"Maybe for you." I chuckled in reply. We sat in an awkward silence for a couple of moments.

"W-w-what did Henry mean when he said about you and P-patrick the other day?" he asked suddenly. I froze, my mind going into overdrive. If I told him, he'd hate me forever. If I didn't tell him and he found out later, then he'd hate me for longer than forever.

I was spared from answering when Bill's dad walked into the room. "Alright kids, let's get going." he said, beckoning for us to get up. We followed him out of the house and into the car.

"Jesus Eddie, what do you have in there?" Richie poked Eddie's camping bag that was so full of stuff, it was bursting at the seams.

"Just some stuff that my mum wanted me to bring, okay? Now could you please get your hands off me?" Eddie brushed Richie's hands away.

"Hey, looks like the bus is here." Stan pointed as the bright yellow school bus drove down the road towards the school. We all scrambled to get in line. The Bower's gang was first, unsurprisingly, which meant that they would have no trouble taking over the back seats.

I was standing behind the others and it wasn't until they had all taken their seats that I realised I'd have to sit on my own.

"Shit, sorry Lara. Sucks to have odd numbers." Richie said, sitting next to an apologetic looking Stan.

"It's all good." I replied and looked around the bus for an empty seat. The only ones available were a couple in front of Henry and his friends, or a seat next to a girl with red hair. I decided to take my chances with the girl and approached her, spying Greta who was sitting a couple of rows behind us.

"Is this seat taken?" I asked and she shook her head. I sat down, turning to look at her. Her eyes were a startling light blue, freckles scattered all over her pretty face and her long hair was tied in a low ponytail that cascaded over her shoulder, her bangs partially parted at her forehead.

"I'm Lara." I introduced myself.

"Beverly." she smiled in reply, her fingers tapping on her leg.

"Would you look at that, the sluts have found each other." we both turned to see Greta staring at us, a mean smirk on her face.

I rolled my eyes and turn back to Beverly, but Greta didn't give up.

"How many guys have you slept with this week, Beaverly? Probably more than your dumb brain can count." The girls behind us laughed.

Beverly tensed up and stared out the window, so I turned and looked at Greta with an annoyed look on my face. "Honestly, do you have nothing better to do?"

Greta sneered. "Don't waste your breath, whore. Save that mouth of yours for Bowers' dick."

I rolled my eyes and turned away. That girl was not going to give up.

"See that girls? She didn't even deny it." Greta and her friends laughed. I felt Beverly stand up next to me.

"I think it's funny that you have to bring other girls down to feel good about yourself." Beverly said, surprising everyone.

"How am I bringing you down, if you're already way beneath me?" Greta asked with a smirk. I pulled Beverly back down, her cheeks flushed.

"Fuck off Bowie." I said, flipping her the middle finger. Everyone on the bus start 'oo'-ing.

"Why don't you just shut the fuck up, slut? We all know you give head to any guy willing to pay, so stop trying to act all innocent. You're just like your a mum, a filthy prostitute. The lowest of the low." Greta retorted.

Something inside of me snapped; I was so fed up of people using my mum against me wherever I went. I got out of my seat and stormed up the bus aisle towards her.

"Miss Lewis, back in your seat now!" I heard a teacher yell. I ignored them and pushed Greta hard, her head smacking against the back of her seat. Greta screeched and lunged at me, knocking us both to the floor of the bus as we wrestled and pulled at each other's hair.

The students on the bus started chanting 'fight, fight, fight!". Greta smacked my mouth and I felt the metallic taste of blood on my tongue. With a growl, I pushed Greta so that I was on top of her and I dug my knee into her chest, pinning her down.

"Mess with me again and I'll do more than just hurt you." I spat, hatred burning in my arms. She clawed at my leg, doing less damage than a goldfish. I was suddenly pulled off of her by strong arms.

"Get back in your seat now, Lewis. I'll deal with you later." The teacher glared at me, his grip on my arm painful. I scowled as Greta scrambled back into to her seat and was passed an ice-pack and some bandages. Nobody bothered to hand me any first-aid supplies as I sat back down.

"You've got a bit of, uh." Beverly pointed to my mouth and I wiped my hand across it, coming back with blood.

"Oh, thanks." I muttered, my legs stinging from where Greta had scratched them.

Beverly stared at me for a few moments with curious eyes. "You're crazy, you know. Insanely crazy."

"Yeah, I probably shouldn't have done that." I mumbled. I wasn't the type of person that got into or started fights, but something about what Greta had said hit a nerve.

"No, I'm glad you did it. Greta deserved it for sure. But to do it on a bus in front of everyone, including the teachers, now that's crazy."

"Do you think I'm going to be sent home?" I asked, the possible repercussions of my acts suddenly dawning on me.

"I'd like to say no, but it's possible." Beverly looked at me apologetically.

"And we haven't even got there yet." I looked at the teachers regretfully, dreading the talk they'd most definitely have with me after we get off the bus.

"Hey, it's okay. At least we've both found someone who Greta spreads rumours about that aren't true. We aren't alone anymore." Beverly said with a kind smile.

I smiled and nodded in reply. Unfortunately for me, I felt as if the rumours weren't that much of a lie at all.

- - -

We piled off the bus and I was taken aside by a teacher who was looking at me very sternly.

"I didn't expect this of you, Lara. Why would you attack a girl in the middle of a bus?" he asked.

"I don't know, I was angry because she said some stuff about me. I'm sorry, sir, it won't happen again." I said, trying my best to look innocent despite my bruised lip.

"It better not, or we'll have no choice but to send you back home. This type of behaviour isn't tolerated at this school, Lara, and there will be consequences."

I bit the inside of my cheek. "I understand."

"If you maintain good behaviour for the remainder of the trip, your punishment will be having to help prepare the meals for everyone each morning and night. This includes cleaning up." he said, noticing the relieved look on my face.

"You'll have some help from some other students whose behaviour also hasn't been appropriate." he looked towards Henry and his friends who were being talked to by another teacher. "We caught them trying to steal gasoline from the bus." he shook his head and I almost laughed. Typical.

"Well, I suggest you try and find someone to share a tent with. We're setting up over there." he pointed towards a clearing in the forest and I nodded before hurrying off.

Hopefully the rest of this trip was better than it had been so far.