Perfect storm

Sam's Adventures: Chain Reactions
Chapter Four, Part One

Two weeks had gone by since the sudden storm had done a number on the sailing camp. Ava had still been a bit shaken up when Tamara and cops had yanked her and Liz from the water by the hoods of their Life Jackets. Everyone had made it back ok tho it had been a close call for Andrew. He had taken on a lot of water and the situation that could easily have turned for the worst. A number of the boats had been badly damaged and as a result the camp had been closed the last two weeks until they could be repaired, as a result this was the first day the camp was running since the storm.

They were in the car on their way to pick up her best friend Sam who had been trapped under the boat with her and Liz while they waited for Tamara to rush to their rescue. Sam and Liz had kept their cool much more effectively than Ava had, a fact that Ava was more than happy to admit, Sam was always the bold risk taker while Ava was more than happy in her role as slightly timid follower.

Ava was wearing a white tank top and red patterned shorts. Sam was waiting in her driveway when they pulled in, she was wearing a pair of white shorts and a baggy T Shirt with some kind of band on it.

The drive to the camp went by quickly, Sam and Ava chatted about this and that.

Upon arriving at the camp things went more or less like normal, there was surprisingly little discussion about the storm other than to say that the camp would be extended two weeks to make up for the missed classes. As always after the on land lesson Tamara went over to the shed to start handing out life jackets.

Ava followed Tamara over to the shed immediately, she wasn't about to get stuck with the kiddy jacket again, Sam was close at her heels suggesting they go help get the boats ready first and then go get jackets, another girl by the name of Katrina ended up just in front of Ava, Sam was third in line behind her. Tamara went into the shed and returned a moment later with an armload of lifejackets. Ava squinted, the lifejackets they normally used were an assortment of all kinds of things collected over the years, but these were all matching. Tamara dropped them in a pile, it was hard to make out any detail other than that they were all the same shade of orange. Tamara picked one up giving Ava a good view of it.

It was eerily similar to the ones she and Sam had ended up wearing a few weeks ago when the storm had hit. The jacket was all orange and had a large collar and single black strap around the middle, it was much bulkier than the jackets she and Sam had worn tho. The other major similarity was that it appeared to have the same strap between the legs as the last ones, tho this jacket had what looked like two instead of one.

“Ok Katrine would you mind slipping your arms though here for me?” Tamara was holding the jacket open for her. Katrine looked a bit baffled.

“Ahhh, are these new?”

“Yes we decided to replace the old jackets after the close call we had a few weeks ago, these are very popular with sailing clubs in Europe, but they are a bit complicated and I want to make sure everyone gets them on right, at least for the first couple weeks”

Katrine seemed a bit unsure of it but turned around to slid her arms into the jacket but Tamara pulled it away.

“Hold on I need you to step into these loops first” Tamara held the jacket closer to the ground and held it open so that the two straps hanging below the jacket sat wide open for Katrina to step into. The younger girl hesitated slightly and frowned at the loops momentarily before turning around and stepping gingerly into the loops one foot at a time. Tamara raised the jacket up to shoulder height and Katrina slipped one arm and then the other through the jacket before turning to face Tamara and pulling her hair out of the back of the bright orange vest.

Ava noted how the two loops had been pulled up tightly against her when Tamara raised the jacket up for her to slip her arms though, she felt awkwardly aware of her place next in line. Seeing the jacket on Katrina Ava realised her initial impression had been correct, the vest was much bulkier than the ones she and Sam had worn before. Tamara finished up with Katrina zipping the jacket up, securing the waist belt, tying the string at the base of the vest, and checking to make sure everything was snug.

“Ok looks good, Ava you're up next”

Katrina walked off a short distance but did not head over to the boats were a few kids were getting things ready, likely preferring to wait until she was not the only one wearing the new and improved extra bulky lifejacket.

Tamara was holding the next jacket open for her, Ava approached and looked down at the waiting loops.

“Ok just step right into those for me Ava”

Tamara was holding the jacket low to the ground so that the bottom on the loops was just off the ground and waving around ever so slightly, Ava slowly turned and lifted her arm looking behind her to see where she was stepping it was surprisingly a bit difficult to get her first foot through the loop due to the height Tamara was holding it at. She got it on her second try and felt the fabric strap resting against her lower leg as her foot came down back onto the dirt. Looking over her other shoulder her got her second foot through on her first try. Immediately upon getting her second foot through the loop she felt Tamara raise the jacket up and around her shoulders, Tamara had pulled it right up over her arms. Ava hadn't been expecting that and was surprised that her left arm was in the perfect position to pass through the hole in the jacket, her right arm went through elbow first and got caught slightly but Tamara pulled on the arm gently and corrected the issue. As the jacket was wrapped around and over her shoulders Ava felt the two loops come up snugly between her legs. Tamara turned her around by the shoulders and Ava made a few awkward half trip steps to keep up with her. The jacket closed tightly around her as Tamara zipped it up and snugged down further when she clipped and tightened the strap around her waist. Finally Tamara tied off the drawstring at the base of the jacket and checked the crotch straps to make sure they were snug.

Tamara send Ava off with a gentle shove and she went to stand next to Katrina, who’s face mirrored Ava’s slight off put expression. Ava shifted in the bulky tight fitting jacket. Tamara had pulled the straps between her legs quite tight and they were giving her a bit of a wedgie, she pulled at them unconsciously and shifted her shoulders around. Tamara was finished up on Sam’s lifejacket, giving the straps a final tug. Sam seemed to be daydreaming, Tamara had to give her a shove off to get her clear of the line of waiting students. Liz was by the boat calling to Ava to come help. She hesitated a moment wanting not to be the first to walk over in her new outfit but Liz clearly needed help with the boom so she hurried over to help.

Ava scrambled up into the boat and helped Liz slide the boom into position and get it fastened on.

“New lifejacket?” Liz was looking at Ava with curiosity, her tone was friendly teasing.

“Sure is… just wait she has one for you as well.” Ava jestured over toward Tamara and the growing crowd of orange clad students around here. Sam was walking over to join them from the crowd.

Liz’s facial expression changed from teasing to genuine curiosity, with a touch of nervousness.

“Ahh- well I guess that isn’t that surprising. Still tho, feels a bit extreme?”

“You could say that” Ava was pulling at the straps between her legs again. Did Tamara really have to have done them up quite so tight?

“Nice jacket” Liz called to Sam as she approached.

“Don’t worry you’ll get one too” Sam smiled back. Sam still seemed a bit out of it to Ava.

“Ok let’s get this in the water” Liz jumped down to the sand and Ava followed. The three of them had the boat floating in the shallow water in short order. Ava was having a hard time ignoring the straps between her legs, somewhat fed up she decided to loosen them off a bit, tho she wasn't quite sure how to work the d-ring fasteners. Pulling up on the ring with one hand she pulled at the strap with the other, managing to get some slack to work through the rings.

“Hey! Ava, seriously none of that!” Tamara had walked over a few of the orange life jackets in hand. “This camp was nearly shut down last month, Andrews parents were on the verge of a lawsuit, we aren't going to have any more lazefair attitudes toward safety” Tamara dropped the lifejackets she was carrying and walked straight up to Ava.

“I wasn’t-” Ava’s hands dropped to her sides.

“What? Messing with your jacket?” Tamara grabbed the chest strap and gave it a solid tug making sure it was snug, she checked the ties at the top and bottom of the jacket and then grapped the ends of teh straps between Ava’s legs and pulled them both firmly before tying the loose ends together. “I’m serious Ava, one warning only. I’ve had about enough complaining about the new jackets for one day. Get over here Liz.” Liz was taken aback and took only one small step forward. Tamara let out a sign and walked over to her grabbing a lifejacket from the ground and holding it open. “Legs though let's go” obediently Liz turned around and stepped backwards into the waiting loops. Tamara wasted no time in pulling the jacket up around Liz’s shoulders, passing the girls arms through the holes and spinning her around to face her. With a quick movement the zipper was done up and the chest strap buckled and pulled tight. Poor Liz was jostled around as Tamara yanked on the strap. Finally Tamara took the ends of the crotch straps and quickly pulled them tight, tying off the end as she had Ava’s. Tamara grabbed her jacket by the shoulders and gave a solid few yanks to make sure it wouldn't ride up at all. “Ok all set, sorry I’m so cross guys, i've been fighting tooth and nail all month to keep this place alive, I figured you guys if anyone would understand the new jackets. I’m sorry if you don't like them but they are here to keep you safe and that is the new normal around here.

“I don't mind them” Sam piped up. They feel even better than the old ones we had in the storm and we were glad to have those at the time.

Tamara smiled “thanks sam, sorry I’ve just gotten a lot of push back this morning that I really wasn't expecting” Seems like even the students here are against me trying to keep it alive.

“We’re with you” That was Liz, “We just weren't expecting this is all”

“Ok thanks guys, I have to go wrestle some more people into jackets, be safe out there”

Ava pulled at jacket, “Well she seems stressed…”

Liz looked sympathetic “I didn’t have any idea it got so bad last month” tho she too was pulling at the strap between her legs and squirming in the jacket.

Sam was the only one who didn’t seem at all put off by the new developments. She suggested they get out into the water and the others agreed scrambling up onto the boat and getting under way.