The campground was alive with anticipation. At the center stood Billy, a blue whistle around his neck. Bridget had her fiery hair in a high fme ponytail, determined for victory. Penny locked sharp hazel eyes in challenge at her opponent. This match was the beginning of a summer long war. Lo was surprised by the intensity in energy of all the girls. Billy led the girls out into the open field where a line was drawn, and dodgeballs were set at the line.

  “Alright, rules are simple!” Billy began. “There will be two captains to pick teams. Grab a ball and throw it at your opponants. Hit her with the ball,” Billy demonstrated with the blow of his whistle. “And she’s out. Catch the ball and the one who threw it is out. Last one standing wins and decres your team with the first badge.” Bill showed the comet enamel pin that was a dodgeball with a fiery tail. Lo’s eyes enrged with excitement.

  “We get badges?” She whispered to her new friend.

  “Yeah, they’re new each year.”

  “I want one!”

  Bridget smiled at the younger girl; happy she found a reason to be more eager for the game.

  “Alright, first team captain is Bridget.” Billy waited for her to take her stance beside him. “Next team captain is Penny.”

  “Why is Bridget introduced first?” Penny growled, stepping up with more anger than the previous day.

  Billy made the executive decision to ignore Penny. “Alright, Bridget, pick your first teammate. Keep in mind, who you pick now will be on your team for the whole summer.”

  Penny was about to insert her opinion again but Bridget loudly interrupted.

  “LOLA!” She squealed excitedly and flung her arms up, supporting imaginary pompoms. She cocked her hips toward Billy in a seductive manor, hoping to catch his eye. She proudly wore Lo’s bck skirt. Lo grinned and happily trotted over to Bridget’s side.

  Penny rolled her eyes and countered, scanning the lineup like a seasoned general choosing her soldiers. “Kat.”

  Kaitlyn, a tall brunette with an intimidating stance, cracked her knuckles. “Good call.”

  Bridget pointed decisively. “Becky.”

  Becky, a big girl with braids of dark hair and an innocent smile, stepped up—her deceptive speed and ruthless aim well-known.

  Penny called out next. “Tiffany.”

  Tiffany tightened her bck hair into a bun, showing vicious muscles ready to throw a tree across the river. She was more than ready. “I got you.”

  Bridget was quick. "Summer."

  Summer; reddish blonde, sun-kissed and deceptively rexed, sauntered forward. "If I can dodge my little brother’s Nerf attacks, I can dodge anything."

  Penny smirked at her opponents. “Heather.”

  Heather, another powerhouse, next to Tiffany, with an arm like a cannon, flexed dramatically. “Let’s make this quick.”

  Bridget barely hesitated. “Missy.”

  Missy, with her blue-bck bob and sharp blue eyes, took off her gsses. "They won’t know what hit ‘em."

  Penny gnced at the remaining choices. “Megan.”

  Megan, ever the strategist, tied her strawberry hair into a low pony. “Let’s do this.”

  Bridget’s final pick was Amanda, whose energy was contagious. "Let's blow this popsicle stand!" she cheered.

  That left Kimberly, who automatically joined Penny’s team, flipping her pink-streaked hair. "Guess I’m with you guys. Let’s wreck ‘em."

  “Alright, now that teams are set. It’s time for team names. These will be the names you go by all summer, so pick a good one.”

  “We should go first since Bridget picked first!” Penny argued.

  Billy closed his eyes briefly to hide an eye roll. “Alright. What’s the name?”

  “Grizzlies!”

  Bridget looked to Lo first. “What should our name be? We need something stronger than me ol’ grizzlies.”

  The smallest girl hummed in thought, thinking of a plush white bear like the stuffed animal her daddy got her one valentine's day. “Por bears?”

  Bridget didn’t take a second to think it over before shouting their name to be heard by the neighboring boys’ camp. “POLAR BEARS!”

  Billy grinned, his eyes softly examining Lo in her red shorts. “That’s set then. First match up between the Por Bears and the Grizzlies.” He blew his whistle to align the game.

  With the teams set, the girls spread out, hearts racing, the red dodgeballs resting ominously at the center of the line. Billy blew the whistle longer—

  And the war began.

  Chaos erupted as soon as the match began. Bridget and Penny lunged forward like warriors charging into battle, snatching up dodgeballs and whipping them across the court with ruthless precision. Red rubber missiles sailed through the air with deadly force from both sides.

  Summer was the first to strike an out, hurling a ball that smacked against Tiffany’s shoulder before she could react.

  "Out!" Billy called.

  Tiffany stomped to the sideline with an annoyed groan. She couldn't believe she was the first one out. "Ugh. Whatever."

  The Grizzlies retaliated quickly. Heather, a human cannon, rocketed a ball straight at Becky, who barely had time to squeak before it smmed into her knee.

  Becky gaped. “You monster.”

  Heather grinned. "No mercy, babe."

  The battle raged on. Amanda ducked and weaved, flinging a ball that knocked Kimberly square in the stomach. Kimberly dramatically staggered backward like she’d been shot. "Tell my mom I love her," she gasped before flopping to the ground.

  Megan, strategic as ever, waited until Missy was mid-throw before unching a curveball at her ribs. Missy barely had time to blink before she was out.

  Missy sighed. "Alright, that was kind of impressive."

  The numbers dwindled. Lo hopped and ducked like a swift rabbit avoiding fming foxes trying to nip her thighs. Summer fell victim to a sneak attack from Kat, who had been lying in wait like a cobra. Heather went down seconds ter, nailed in the shin by a ruthless Amanda.

  Then Megan and Amanda took each other out in a rapid-fire exchange that left them both standing on the sidelines, ughing.

  Now it was down to Bridget, Lo, Penny, and Kat.

  Bridget clutched a dodgeball, eyes narrowing at Penny, who stood across the court, mirroring her stance.

  Penny smirked. “One shot, one kill?”

  Bridget grinned. “Try me.”

  At the exact same moment, they unched their dodgeballs.

  The crowd held its breath.

  SMACK.

  Both dodgeballs hit their targets at the same time. Penny’s ball struck Bridget’s leg just as Bridget’s ball collided with Penny’s side. They froze for a moment, wide-eyed, before simultaneously looking to Billy to see if he caught it all.

  “Oh, I call foul!!” Penny yelled.

  “The game is still going,” Billy smirked. “You’re out Penny. You too, Bridget.”

  “You got this Lo!!” Bridget cpped loudly and continued to cheer her friend on.

  “LET’S GO!!” Penny screamed at Kat. “Knock her ass out so we can do anything else!!”

  Bridget and Penny continued having a cheerleader battle, screaming for their team.

  Kat rolled her eyes and looked at Lo. “They’re too into this...”

  Lo giggled, making Kat smile.

  “THROW!!!” Penny shouted. Kat gred at her, swiftly chucking the ball at her.

  Penny gasped. “Not at me, you fool! Poach the por bear!”

  Lo took the opportunity to hit Kat in the shoulder, immediately following was the whistle by Billy. “That’s game!”

  “WHAT?!” Penny yelled. “Hold on that can’t count. We need to redo this!”

  “We’re ending the game so you can do anything else.”

  Penny gred and angrily rocketed the ball at Billy.

  Billy caught the dodgeball and shortly blew his whistle. “You’re out.”

  Penny huffed before storming off back to her cabin. The rest of the girls all looked at each other before bursting into smiles and ughter. “Good game!” Kat fist bumped Lo to congratute her victory. Lo giggled happily. She enjoyed that game far more than she excepted. She also liked Kat and the other girls. They all seemed so nice; all except Penny.

  Billy passed out the pins to all the Por Bears, intentionally ending with Lo. “Very good job on winning your first badge.”

  “There are more badges?!”

  Billy ughed. “There sure are.” He gave a sly wink as he walked on. Lo clutched the pin to her chest, smiling gleefully as her blush warmed her whole body.