gamewebmin

Istaredaroundatthejostlingseaofunfamiliarfaces,mystomachcurdledwithnervousness.
Thegymwascrammedwithpeoplewhoweresoongoingtobemynewclassmates.
Theirchatteringvoicesroseintotheairaskidsrushedforwardtogreeteachotherwithhugsandsmiles.
IsearchedthecrowdforanyfacesthatIrecognized,andfeltapangofreliefwhenIsawseveralofmyoldclassmates.
ButthemajorityoftheotherkidswerepeoplefromotherschoolswhomIdidn'tknow.
Agnawingsensationofdreadtwistedmystomach,andalthoughIhadjustarrivedatthecamp,IwasalreadynotlookingforwardtoCampCallejon.
CampCallejonwasacampthatalltheformerfifthgradersfromalldifferentschoolscametobeforeschoolstartedsoeverybodycouldgettoknoweachother.
ThecampwashostedinthegymofDonCallejonSchool(DCS),anditwasoverstuffedwithkidsfromallsortsofpastelementaryschoolswhowouldbegoingtosixthgradeatDonCallejon.
DonCallejonwasakindergartenthrougheighthgradeschool,meaningthatitwasamiddleschoolandanelementaryschool,soIhadbeengoingtoDCSsincekindergarten,andwasnowcomingbackformiddleschool.
ScanningthejostlingcrowdofcheerfulfacesIhadneverseenbefore,Ispottedmybestfriend,Jenniferandshovedmywaythroughtheotherkidstoher.
"Hi,"Igreetedherbreathlessly.
Sheturnedtome.
"Hi.
There'salotofpeoplehere,aren'tthere"sheresponded,glancingaroundtheroomwithaglintofanxiousnessinhereyes.
"Iknow,"Isighed.
"I'msonervous.
Whatiftheothersixthgradersaremean""That'swhatI'mworriedabouttoo,"Jenniferfretted.
"Idon'tknowanyofthekidsfromothersschools,andthere'shardlyanyoneIknowwhousedtogotoDonCallejonforelementaryschool.
"MostofthechildrenwhousedtogotoDCforkindergartentofifthgradehadleftDonCallejontogotoothermiddleschoolsforsixthgrade.
Intheirplace,formerfifthgradersfromotherelementaryschoolshadcometoDC'smiddleschool.
"Alright,everybody,listenup!
"Thecampdirector,Mr.
Johnson,stoodinthecenterofthejostlingcrowdofkids.
"Welcome!
"Hestaredattheseaoffacestwistedtofacehim.
"Ibetwe'reallveryexcitedandlookingforwardtoanawesomedayatCampCallejon!
"JenniferandIexchangedanuncertainglance.
"Notreally,"Iwhispered.
"Meneither,"Jenniferresponded,flashingadoubtfulglanceatthecrowdofunfamiliarpeoplesurroundingus.
"Whydon'twestartthedaywithagamecalledTheNameGame"Mr.
Johnsonsuggestedbrightly.
"Everybodygetinabigcirclearoundme.
"IshuffledawkwardlyintoapositionnexttoJennifer,feelinguncomfortableasunknownpeoplestoodnexttome.
Intheend,weformedabig,deformedoval.
"Now,holdhandswiththepeoplenextyou,"Mr.
Johnsoninstructed.
IgrabbedJennifer'shandandstareduncertainlyattheotherpersonnexttome:aburlygirlwiththebeginningsofsomefacialhairwhoIhadneverseenbefore.
Igraspedoneofherstubbyfingersinmyhand,forcingmyselfnottoflinchawayatthesensationofthesweatyfleshpressedagainstmine.
Holdinghands,allofusspreadoutasfaraswecouldgoandcreatedarounder,biggercircle.
"Alright,"Mr.
Johnsonannouncedexcitedly.
"Eachpersonwillsaytheirnameandsomethinginterestingaboutthemselves.
"Hegrinnedatthekidnexttohimwhoheheldhandswith.
"Whydon'tyoustart"ThekidintroducedhimselfasNick,andstammeredoutseveralextremelyboringfactsabouthimself.
Then,thegirlnexttohimsaidhername,whichwasAndrea.
Slowly,eachunfamiliarpersonintroducedthemselves,untilitwasmyturn.
MytonguefeltdryandlimpinmymouthasIswallowedpainfullyandstuttered,"MynameisEmily.
"Ihesitated,mymindracingrapidlyasItriedtothinkofaninterestingfactaboutmyself.
"I.
.
.
IwenttoDonCallejonforelementaryschool.
"Ibreathedasighofrelief,thankfulthatmyturnwasover.
Afterthatgame,weproceededtoplayanothergame.
Thankfully,thisgamewasabitmoreexciting.
Mr.
Johnsonsplitthemassofkidsintotwoequalgroupsandinstructedustoformacircleholdinghands.
Heplacedahulahooponthearmofoneofthekidsineachgroup.
Theobjectofthegamewastopassthehulahooparoundtheentirecircle,whilststillholdinghands.
Whichevergroupmanagedtogetthehulahooparoundtheentirecirclefirstwouldwin.
Whenagrouphadcompletedthegame,theyweretositdownontheground.
Mr.
Johnsonblewintohiswhistleandtheshrill,sharpsoundrangthroughtheair.
Thegamebegan!
Ibouncedupanddownasthefirstkidmanagedtosqueezeintothehulahoopandgetittothenextpersonwithoutlettinggooftheotherkids'hands.
Everybodyinourcirclewasscreamingandencouragingthem.
"Comeon,hurry!
"Isquealedasakidnexttomewriggledthroughthehoop.
Nowitwasmyturn.
Isteppedthroughthehulahoopandthrashedmyarms,managingtogetthehooptothenextperson.
Thehoopwasalmostcompletelyaroundthecircleandnoneoftheothergroupsweresittingdownyet.
Therewasachanceourgroupwouldwin.
Ijumpedupanddown,unabletocontainmyexcitement.
Thiswasactuallyquitefun!
Finally,itwaslastpersoninourcircle'sturn.
Sheslippedthroughthehulahoopeasilyandweweredone!
"Sitdown!
"ourgroupshrieked,pullingeachothertotheground.
IfeltaflickerofsatisfactionwhenIrealizedwewerethefirstonesittingdown.
Wehadwon!
Ourgroupslappedhigh-fivestoeachotherasMr.
Johnsontoldusaboutthenextactivitywewoulddo.
WealllinedupandMr.
Johnsonledusoutofthegymfora"touroftheschoolgrounds.
"SinceIhadalreadygonetothisschoolforelementarylastyear,Iwasalreadyfamiliarwithmysurroundings,butitwasstillfuntolookatallthenewthingsaboutmiddleschool.
TheonlythingthatIwasdisappointedtoseewasthetinylockers.
Eachlockerwasatmaximumtwofeettallandonefootwide.
IwonderedhowIwasgoingtofitmybackpackinside,letalonethetonsoftextbooksandnotebookswewouldget.
Thehoursflewby,andwhenwegotbacktothegym,Ifeltatwingeofdisappointmentthatitwasalmosttimetoleavethecamp.
Mr.
Johnsonhadussitdownonthegymfloorandgaveusabriefsummaryofthethingsthatweshouldexpectwhenwestartedmiddleschoolhere.
Then,hegaveeverybodyachancetosharesomethingthatwehadenjoyedaboutCampCallejon.
Severalpeopleraisedtheirhand,andimmediatelymyarmshotupintotheair.
"Yes,Emily"Mr.
Johnsoncalledonme.
Iswallowed,suddenlyfeelingaburstofconfidence.
"Ireallyenjoyedthiscamp.
Iwasafraidtheothersixth-graderswouldbemean,butIwaswrong.
TheyareallreallyniceandIamlookingforwardtomiddleschool!
""That'sgreattohear,Emily,"Mr.
Johnsonremarked.
Soon,itwastimetoleave.
MymothercametopickmeupfromcampandIbabbledallaboutthefantasticdayI'dhad.
Amixtureofemotionschurnedinmystomachaswewalkedawayfromtheschool.
IfeltsadtoleaveallthegreatnewfriendsIhadmadethatday,andexcitedtocomebackformiddleschoolinafewdays.
Iwasreallylookingforwardtoagreatyearofsixthgrade!