Camp Sissy Curls (Second Summer)--part1
Author's note: There seems to be an encouraging increase in activity here on the storyboard. And that's great! Encouraging enough for me, despite my trepidations, to do the second and final summer at Camp Sissy Curls. And I have to admit that I do miss my friends, Stephie and Penny. For those of you who might groan at the continuation of this "saga", fine---no problem, just don't read it. For those of you who are glad about the story carrying on, great---I hope you enjoy it. For anyone who might be reading here for the first time about Camp Sissy Curls, sorry---to get up to speed with the story, you have to read Camp Sissy Curls--parts 1-64 and Camp Sissy Curls (After Camp)--parts 1-64 first. It'll take a lot of time to read it all. But it sure took me a whole lot more time to write it all! This part picks up exactly where Camp Sissy Curls (After Camp)--part64 ended. Please be patient. I have to lay a little ground work before the story can really get rolling.
Part1
I raced, hysterically, to my bedroom and slammed the door behind me and pounced on my bed in tears sreaming, "No!!! No!!! I won't go back there! I can't go back there!!! How could they do this to me???"
I just couldn't believe that my Father and stepmother were sending me back to camp for the summer. I was incredulous. I really didn't see it coming. Cuddling one of my dolls on my bedspread, I bawled my eyes out like a frantic little girl for probably about half an hour, until I heard a gentle knock on my door.
"Steph honey," Grandma said,as she peeked inside my room, "can I please come in?"
"No! Go away! Leave me alone!"
"Please sweetheart. I know you're upset. And I can't say that I blame you." She said, as she stepped inside and sat down on the edge of my bed and stroked the back of my neck.
"I won't go Grandma! I won't go back to that awful place. How can you let my Father and stepmother do this to me again?" I sobbed.
"C'mon, sit up sweetheart." And she coaxed me up with her arm around my shoulders and took a few tissues from my nightstand to dry my very tear stained red face. "It's not up to me Steph. If it was, I'd keep you here for the summer. But it's your parents who have the final say so regarding you. I'm sorry. Truly!"
"But it's not fair Grandma!" I blubbered.
"I know, you're right Steph." Grandma agreed. "And I certainly will miss you this summer. But after camp, at summer's end, you'll be back HERE and you'll be a teenaged BOY starting your Freshman year at Truman High. Just as planned. That won't change. I PROMISE!"
"Really Grandma?"
"Yes sweetheart. Really! I promise." And Grandma kissed me on my forehead. "And I promise you that is definitely the intention of your parents."
"But I still gotta suffer through two months of sissy hell at camp!!!" I wailed.
"Yeah, but you're strong. You can do it." She tried to console. "It won't be as bad as last summer. And there's a light at the end of the tunnel in the Fall."
I was still unconsolable and continued sobbing and arguing and shouting. At one point, I threw my doll against the wall and bolted for my bedroom door shouting "I'm getting the hell out of her. I'm running away!"
And Grandma, wise old lady that she was, didn't try to stop me. And I ran outside. And I ran away, for a grand total of about half an hour. Time enough to settle down a bit and realize that I had nowhere really to run to.
I sheepishly, but still very angrily, walked back into my bedroom. And Grandma was still sitting there on my bed waiting for me. She smiled and said nothing and got up and walked over to my vanity and picked up a hairbrush and sat back down on my bed and said. "C'mon over here please Stephie."
"Oh my God!" I shouted. "No way I'll let you spank me!"
Grandma laughed, though in a loving way. "Oh sweetheart, I'd never spank you!!! C'mon, don't you know that by now? Trust me. Come sit down next to me."
I did and she removed the scrunchie securing my ponytail and said. "Let me brush your hair. I know it's a very girlie thing. But I also know that you enjoy it Steph. Right?"
"Yeah, I do." I sniffled.
She brushed away and it was very soothing. And it did calm me down a little. And eventually I said. "Grandma, Penny is spending the summer at Camp Sunnyvale."
"Yes, I know dear." She replied.
"Well I don't want her to know I'm at Camp Sissy Curls again."
"Okay Steph."
"Well, you gotta help me Grandma."
"What do you mean Steph?" She asked.
"I know Penny will call me a lot over the summer. And that's no problem. I'll have my cell phone at camp. But she'll write to me and I promised to write her back."
"Yeah, so what do you want me to do sweetheart?"
"When a letter comes, please put it in a new envelope and mail it to me at camp immediately. And I'll write her back." I said. "But of course, I'll make the return address here at home."
"Sure Steph, I can do that."
When I finally settled down to a reasonable state of panic, Grandma and I spent a couple of hours packing up all my "girlie gear" to take to camp. She set aside my pink gingham dress outfit and extra petticoat. "I know your stepmother wants you to wear this to camp tomorrow." She said. And I just groaned.
I slept very little that night, dreading my return to camp. In the morning, Father and stepmother arrived and I said virtually nothing to them. I mostly just scowled and glared at them in anger. Stepmother insisted on helping me dress for the trip back to camp. At least, she spared me the indignity of diapers underneath my well poufed pink gingham ensemble. Anklets, Maryjanes, rhumba panties, makeup, nailpolish, perfume, braid loops and matching ribbons---the whole "pretty little girl" nine yards.
I cried as Grandma hugged me good bye and whispered. "Be strong. You can do this. There's a light at the end of the tunnel in two months."
It seemed little consolation to me.
The ride was a short one to camp, as Grandma lived fairly nearby. And at least they hadn't brought Laura along. I said absolutely nothing to Father and stepmother, despite their best efforts to try to engage me in conversation.
Just before noon, Father, stepmother and I stood before Ms Roberts in her office. She exchanged pleasantries with my parents and I could see that my Father felt very uneasy about being there. Memories from his past, I'm sure. Then she turned her attention to me and gushed all over about how glad she was that I was back at camp and what a pretty little girl I still was.
Standing in front of me, she fondled one of my braid loops and said. "I love the braids Stephanie. They're perfect. No perm for you this summer. You're to keep your hair just like that."
When I offered nothing back in response, Ms Roberts chided me. "Reply back properly Stephanie."
I knew the routine and grit my teeth and curtsied. "Thank you Ms Roberts."
My parents each gave me a hug that I coldly declined to return and they were ready to leave. Ms Roberts told me to wait there in her office while she escorted Father and stepmother out to their car.
When she returned, she said nothing to me and sat down at her desk and picked up the phone. "Hello Lisa? Stephanie Crandall's here and you can come and get her and help her with her things."
I wanted to scream.