1 - Bye Bye Kingdom 10

~Trixie’s Point of View~

I awoke with my whole body nearly thrown off the seat, and I lurched forward. The bus was stopped at a large gate with a sign overhead that simply read “Camp New Moon.”

The camp was founded by the first Drexel to hold the throne and each Queen has made it her life’s work to ensure all shifter pups have an equal and fair start in life. They need to know survival skills and how to be upstanding members of society. Or something like that.

I quickly sat up straight and tried to collect myself. I took a hair tie off my wrist and did my best to tame my long thick hair that had gotten messed up during my nap. I made a simple braid and tossed it over my shoulder. This was it!

After nearly ten minutes of the bus driver waiting for a guard and then the guard trying to give directions, we were moving again. My eyes were all over the place, wanting to see all I could. There were little cabins scattered all over the property with big numbers on the front. I wondered who I would be living with this month, I hoped they were nice. At Miss Sally’s house everyone was only out for themselves, they stole everyone’s things. It was just a nightmare. All I owned was in the raggedy bookbag between my feet, and it wasn’t much.

Certainly none of it was new, all discards from other people and a few things I had stolen. I didn’t feel guilty about it, especially with all I’d had taken from me. I used to sleep in my shoes because I was afraid they’d be taken, and it didn’t make a difference. Shoes were one of the biggest things thieves sought.

“All right pups, file off the bus and go in the front of this main building. They’ll give you information from there and tell you what to do, remember to have fun,” the bus driver said, with a creepy smile.

After waiting at the check in line for at least half an hour I was finally on my way to finding my bunk. I walked with a group of a dozen female pups toward a row of cabins. 

I was anxious to go through the packet they had provided and to look over the phone as well. I’d never had my own phone, and I wondered if I would make a friend that I could call. They made it a point to say that the phones only worked in a two mile radius so there was no point in trying to take them home. The phone’s main purpose was so you could call for help if you were being attacked by a bear or something crazy, but I was already overhearing girls talk about calling males on it. You couldn’t use them for texting or internet, strictly calling only. Not that I knew how to use any of that stuff.

“Cabin 42.”

This was me! A smile spread across my face as I clutched the packet to my chest. I walked into the small building to find a set of bunk beds on the left, on the right and on the far back center wall. Yikes, six females in one small room?! This was going to be a long month. At Miss Sally’s I shared a room with two others and that was super crowded. I had also shared a bed so now … I was getting my own! Even if only for a short while, I would treasure it.

All of the bunks had a stack of sheets and one pillow, but I quickly noticed three of the bunks had other things on them. I selected a top bunk that was empty and threw my bag onto it, then hoisted myself up as well. I scooted against the wall and flipped open the folder. The first thing on the schedule was just right outside so I didn’t have far to go. 

Crap! I didn’t have a watch or any sense of time. Oh duh! The phone! I quickly turned it on and the time popped right up. That was nice! I ran my fingers over the screen and felt so important. 

I forced myself to go back to the schedule. Meet and greet at 4pm followed by dinner in the main hall at 6pm. There was one counselor for every cabin and there was a list of their names and photos. My counselor’s name was Meghan. I looked back at the phone and I had 45 minutes until I had to go meet her. I laid down and rested my head on the new pillow. 

For the first time in my life I felt calm and hopeful. Even though the chances of finding my mate were very low, I hoped I could at least make a friend. Someone who would care, someone who might have connections to take me to a better Kingdom. I closed my eyes, surrounded by that hope, clutching my fancy new phone.

I’m not sure I really fell asleep, but I sure awoke with a start, to the sound of the door slamming. 

“That was my bed, bitch,” a voice said.

I sat up abruptly and my eyes locked with a tall, paper thin blonde. I was used to this. Someone always accused me of something, supposedly I was in their way, I was too slow, etc. Everything is my fault, never someone else’s. This was a female who’d probably never been told “no” by anyone a day in her life.

“I’m so sorry, I can move,” I said, swinging my feet over the edge of the bed.

I was immediately self conscious of my worn shoes and clothes.

“Like I’d want to sleep there now! You probably have bugs in your hair! Nasty,” she said, slamming her large suitcase down on another bunk. 

I swallowed hard, unsure what to do.

“Mallory my goddess, they can hear you on Mars. You’re such a bitch,” another female said, coming into the cabin with her own large suitcase.

Mallory looked away and I snickered to myself.

“She needs to know her place,” Mallory said, stiffening her back and turning to glare at me. 

“Her place is here, just the same as you. Now shut up and get ready we have like three minutes since you wasted so much time chatting up that male,” girl number two said. 

She was equally as beautiful. Long blonde hair, clear blue eyes and tanned skin. I’d seen gorgeous looking females like that at some of the wealthier houses I’d worked. She looked straight out of a magazine.

“Don’t mind her hun, she’s just a crotchety bitch with a cucumber permanently up her ass,” girl number two said, snickering.

“You! I will … I will-” Mallory stammered, pointing her finger.

“You’ll what exactly,” girl number two said, putting her hands on her hips.

Mallory grunted, threw her hands up and stormed out. 

Girl two made a shooing motion with her hands as if she was sweeping the floor.

“Anyhoo, hey girl I’m Jeanette, Kingdom 3,” girl number two said. 

I jumped off the bunk and adjusted my t-shirt that was a wrinkled mess.

“I’m Trixie, thank you for… for…” I said, not sure what to say.

Thank you for standing up for me? No one ever defended me like that before and I almost thought I was dreaming. I didn’t feel the need to tell her what Kingdom I was from, certainly she could tell by looking at me as the other girl had. I was the lowest of the low.

“You don’t have to thank me! Don’t let her run over you. She’s the niece of a Sheriff so she thinks she’s special but whatevs. Her personality more than makes her less in my eyes. She’s my neighbor back home though, I’ve had to deal with her annoying ass all my life. She thinks the sun shines out of her butt or something,” Jeanette said, dumping out all the stuff from her packet.

She then quickly opened her suitcase and threw a few things around.

I suppressed a laugh. I reached onto my bunk and grabbed my phone, putting it into my pants pocket. I turned back to see Jeanette quickly brushing her hair then changing her shoes.

“All right sugar let’s see what kind of trouble we can find, I didn’t come here to behave,” Jeanette said, suddenly hooking her arm in mine.