"Go ahead. We need to start packing too."
Skylar waved it off.
What was there to mind?
Having an outsider in the dorm was a bit awkward, but Zara was clearly used to this
lifestyle.
Plus, Connie seemed kind and lacked any of that arrogant attitude usually associated with wealthy households.
"Connie, hurry up and fold those shirts, and make sure you pack my favorite sneakers..."
"Zara, those sneakers probably won't work for training camp. You need something comfortable with good support," Claire couldn't help but point out.
Connie paused her packing. "Zara, Claire is right. These shoes aren't practical for camp."
Zara sighed dramatically. "Fine. Just pack two pairs of running shoes, and I'll call my mom to buy two more and drop them off. I don't want to run out."
"Do you really need that many?" Skylar asked in disbelief.
If her eyes weren't deceiving her, Zara had already made Connie pack five pairs of shoes.
Two of them were brand new from their shopping trip yesterday.
New shoes always caused blisters. It was much better to stick to a broken-in pair of running shoes.
Skylar had specifically bought a new pair at the start of summer and had worn them in so they wouldn't hurt her feet.
She was only bringing two pairs, which was more than enough to rotate.
Claire had also picked out two pairs of her most comfortable everyday sneakers.
"What do you mean? I have to change my shoes every day. This won't even last me a week!" Zara couldn't stand the thought of wearing dirty shoes.
"But you just wash them when they get dirty. Once they dry, you wear them again. You don't need a fresh pair for every single day of the week."
Skylar figured that if everyone packed like Zara, they'd each need four suitcases just for footwear.
"But I don't know how to wash shoes!" Zara gasped in horror. "Can't I just bring them home to wash?"
She looked at her housekeeper desperately. "Connie, can you come out to Camp Blackwood once a week to help me?"
Before Connie could even respond, Claire and Skylar exchanged a look.
Finally, Claire broke the news.
"That's probably not going to happen Outsiders aren't allowed inside the base, and they definitely won't let parents come in to do laundry."
Connie nodded in agreement. "Zara, you might just have to tough it out and wash them all when you get back."
Zara looked completely shell-shocked. "No way! I'm going to reek!"
The mere thought of walking around in filthy shoes made her nauseous.
Claire patted Zara's shoulder in mock sympathy. "Time to learn some independence, girl!"
Zara whined miserably.
What was she going to do?
"If only I could just pay someone to wash them for me."
Skylar laughed at her. "Keep dreaming. Who's going to want to scrub your smelly shoes?"
"Besides,
work dining camp is going to
work us to the bone. People will barely have the energy to wash their own stuff
"No! I'd pay top dollar! Ugh!" Zara was on the verge of tears.
The words were spoken casually, but someone was listening intently.
A spark lit up in Lex's eyes. She glanced at Zara, then quickly lowered her head.
The dorm descended into a flurry of packing as everyone tried to minimize their loads.
Just like Room 301, the rest of the dorms were buzzing with the same chaotic energy.
When night fell, everyone crashed quickly.
night
en Skylar, a notorious
, put her phone away
fell fast asleep.
The assembly time for the next morning was eight o'clock. Claire had set her alarm for seven, but Lex was up even earlier. Claire had realized that Lex was always the first one awake. The girls had asked her to grab breakfast from the dining hall. Not long after Claire got out of bed, Lex returned with the food.