I shot up with my eyes wide open and hair tangled in different directions, as the static version of Katy Perry’s “Fireworks” boomed through the loudspeakers. I then laid my head back down on the pillow. It was the middle of the summer and I was forced to wake up at 7:30 in the morning. Three weeks had passed since camp began, and I was still reluctant to wake up early.

An hour later I finally got up and tamed my long dark hair. I changed my clothes and brushed my teeth while my eyes were half open and dry, fighting the urge to close. My backpack was hanging loosely on a chair so in a swift motion, I whisked it onto my back and headed out the door. Walking only three steps to my neighbors room I lifted my knuckles and loudly banged on her door. My friend, Tiffany, opened the door wearing a blue t-shirt, ripped shorts, and flip flops with her hair brushed straight. She had a huge smile on her face as she turned around and skipped back inside.

I rubbed my eyes, yawned, asked, “Are you ready?”

“Yeah,” she uttered while still putting on her socks, grey shoes lying next to her feet. She put her left shoe on, then the right one, hopped off the stairs, and swung her backpack on to her back. “Let’s go!”

Tiffany hopped down the two flights of stairs; landing and trying to balance on one foot while the other one waited to hop onto the next step vivaciously. Her keys and ID card jingled as they were tossed around hitting each other, hanging around her neck by a blue lanyard. Hair was jumping around as she went from one stair to the other. I trailed along behind her, descending the stair slowly, trying to catch up, putting one foot in front of the other and trying not to fall down.

As we made our way to the lobby, Tiffany wanted to say “Hi” to everyone. She stood there for a second all her weight on one foot as she put her index finger on her chin and propelled her neck left to right. She was contemplating what she was going to do next. With a jump she leaped and started to walk rapidly to the front desk.

“Why are you playing this song again?” Tiffany asked abruptedly, exaggerating the “again”, pointing out they have not changed the music since it came on. “You should change it. I’ve heard it a million times just this morning,” Tiffany rambled on enthusiastically. She folded her arms onto the counter and plastered a large smile on her face.

Irene, a counselor, turned around, looked at Tiffany, and replied, “I don’t know. What do you suggest?” Her voice was soft and gentle, and she gave Tiffany a small grin.

Tiffany rubbed her eyes and stretched out her hands behind her back. “I don’t know I’m too tired to think,” she yawned with her mouth wide open it made a circle and she went back to her original posture. “Do we have to wake up at 7:30 every day?” she asked, shrugging her shoulders and creating small creases in her forehead.
“Sorry, we can’t change it,” Irene answered while chuckling soundlessly, “but maybe you can go to sleep earlier. You wouldn't be so tired.”

“I can’t do that. It’s summer and I’ve got to stay up as late as possible,” Tiffany countered as she put her hands on her hips and stuck her chin out.

Irene stared back with a skeptical look on her face, not sure what to reply back.
“I’m kidding. I’ll try to go to sleep earlier, but I won’t promise anything.” She then turned to me. “We have to get going. Come on,” she demanded as she grabbed my hand and dragged me towards the door.

When we got outside there was the choice of five steps down a stairway, or walking down a wheelchair ramp. She chose to run down the ramp. She let go of my hand and turned to her right. She lifted up both of her arms and put them on the railings holding on loosely. Tiffany proceeds and ran down rapidly with her hair flowing through the wind. Running in a circle to come back, she met me in front of the stairs. We walked straight towards our classroom building and talked as we went.

  “Hey, we should go out and get some of those giant inflatable hammers!” Tiffany exclaimed with laughter. She had seen some people coming back to camp with them, and she really wanted to get one. They were large and sort of useless, but really cool looking. “I bet I could win one. I’m really good at those games,” she continued to talk as she turned to me waiting for a response.

“That’s a great idea.”
She laughed and screamed, “Yay. We can go out tonight during free time!”
“Yeah, I really want one too, but I couldn’t win that game if my life depended on it,” I said laughing. “I don’t want to take a chance losing.”

She chuckled at my statements. “It’s okay. We can lose together and just buy them.”
“Okay.”

We continued on the cold hard pavement and into the large white building ahead. We started skipping and trying to pass one another as we made our way up the stairs and into the doors building. She did a small jump, and leaped a step ahead of me while I would fasten pace from a walk, to a fast walk, to a jog, to a run. We stopped our small game when we reached the door and she got there first. She politely opened the door for me and told me to go in first.

I rushed in and pushed down on the elevator button forcefully. As Tiffany walked up behind me she poked me in the back. I let out a small yelp and looked at her. I’ll never forget what she told me when I turned around.
“It’s much more fun when you’re loud and having fun. Don’t go back to being quiet. That girl was boring,” she casually said. We went onto the elevator and talked all the way up to our classroom, laughing between each floor.

We arrived at our classroom as the last ones to show up only seconds before class started. We walked over to our desks and sat down eager and ready to learn. Tiffany unzipped her backpack, took out her books, and neatly placed them in a pile on top of her desk. She took out a pen and laid it parallel to her materials and folded her hands together putting them on top of her desk. Class started and the teacher tried to get everyone to quiet down. We were as rowdy as small children. When she finally got us focused Tiffany grabbed her pencil and began writing.

Today I wouldn’t be the same person if I had not met Tiffany. She has taught me to put my guards down, which will make things much more fun. I am a shy person so having someone like Tiffany brought out the real me. We hung out, talked, and I yelled as loud as I wanted to. We still keep in touch and talk online, and I try to be not as shy, but I think I need more Tiffanys in my life.