Board Thread:General Discussion/@comment-30810278-20190314054532/@comment-30810278-20190314215718

Okay, I'll just post that compilation:

[Why do I always do that? Why do I always get nervous and start off on the wrong foot with people? Now I've got to try really hard to make them my friends, I decided.] [Why did I say that? I asked myself. Why do I keep putting my foot in my mouth?] Sarah recognises that she's made a bad start and berates herself for it.

["Hey—thanks for trading bunks, Briana," I said. "That was really nice of you."] ["Sorry," I murmured weakly.] ["Sorry," I said again. "Really."] Sarah genuinely tries to make amends for her mistakes.

["Meg and I were bunk mates last year," Briana told Richard. "And we kind of wanted to be together."] Was it annoying for Sarah to force Briana to give up her bunk? Yes, but Meg and Briana were still in the same cabin and could've interacted with each other. Who cares where they sleep? It's not like Sarah forbid them for interacting with each other for the entirety of the summer.

["I grew about a foot this year," I chimed in. "I'm the tallest girl in my school. Everyone stares at me when I walk through the halls." "Boo hoo," Meg said sarcastically. "You've really got it tough. Would you rather be a shrimp like me?"] Sarah was just trying to insert herself into the conversation and maybe relate to Meg about their troubles with their height, only for Meg to rudely snap at her for no reason.

["You're such a bad sport," he said softly. "Why can't you ever let things slide off you? It was just a joke. Why go nuts over a dumb joke?"] Her brother was actually being pretty insensitive here. Who could just laugh off being humiliated in front of everyone on their first day at a new place? Sure, her telling him to take a hike wasn't nice, but he wasn't a saint to her either.

[Briana put a hand on my shoulder. "We got off to a bad start," she said. "Let's start all over again. Okay, Sarah?" "Yeah. Let's start fresh," Meg agreed. A smile spread over my face. "Great," I said. "Excellent." "Excellent!" Briana repeated, smiling too. She slapped me on the back. "A fresh start!"] Sarah is happy to make a fresh start, even though they just embarrassed her in front of everyone on her first day of camp.

["Well, try to calm down," Aaron repeated. "Look at you, Sarah. You're shaking all over." "You'd shake too if you had a disgusting snake crawling up and down your skin!" I replied. "And I really don't need your advice, Aaron. I really don't—"] I think Sarah was more mad at Meg and Briana than her brother, and Aaron just happened to catch her misdirected anger. She had just been through a shock with them putting a snake down her back, and now her little brother is trying to parent her. She shouldn't have treated him like that, but who wouldn't get frustrated in a situation like that?

[And then I had an idea. I mean, why shouldn't I pay Briana and Meg back for what they did to me? They embarrassed me in front of the whole camp. And I hardly did anything to them.] They're the ones who started it. Sarah should be allowed to fight back. If they give snakes, they give spiders. Plus, she's right, she barely did anything to them and they seriously overreacted to her minor and inconsequential mistakes.

["I'm okay!" I cried. "Thank you, Liz. You—you saved my life!" I hugged Liz. Then I turned and hugged Aaron. Briana and Meg were standing nearby. I startled them by hugging them too. I was so happy to be alive! So happy to be away from that gray, gray winter. Away from that frightening ghost girl in the empty camp. "Sarah—what happened?" Liz asked, placing a hand on my still-wet shoulder. She gently brushed back my hair. "I'm not sure," I told her. "I'm really not sure." Liz shuddered. "When you stopped breathing, I... I got so scared." "I'm fine now," I told her with a smile. "Thanks to you."] Sarah is ecstatic to still be alive, thanks Liz and hugs everyone.

["Mom and Dad won't want to make more than one trip up here. So if you call them, they'll make me come home too," Aaron protested. "And I don't want to leave. I'm having a great time!"] Aaron wants Sarah to not run away for selfish reasons. Not because he's worried about her safety, that she'll get hurt while running away through the woods, but because their parents will make him come home and ruin his fun. It's true that Sarah isn't very nice to him, but it isn't completely one-sided either.

["We decided we've been really unfair," Meg interrupted. "We're sorry, Sarah." "I—I'm sorry too," I stammered. I was so stunned by their apologies, I could barely speak.] Sarah doesn't even say "I forgive you", she just keeps apologising and putting all the blame on herself.

["Let's start all over," Briana suggested. She grabbed my hand. "Nice to meet you, Sarah. My name is Briana." "Excellent. A fresh start!" Jan declared. "Thanks. I'm really glad," I told them. And I meant it.] Is Sarah naive for being so forgiving when last time they apologised, it was a trick to put a snake down her back...or is she just really a nice person who can't help being a little awkward?

[Later, I lay in my bunk, drifting off to sleep. I had a smile on my face, thinking about my three bunk mates. My three friends. They had really cheered me up.] The reason some people like Della more than Sarah is because deep down, past her mistakes, she's really just a lonely girl who wants a friend. How is Sarah any different?

["I'll be your buddy," Jan said. "I'll swim with you, Sarah." Our frightening canoe adventure flashed into my mind. Once again, I pictured that horrible moment when Jan jumped from the canoe. Tipping it over. Leaving me there. But things were different now. We were friends. All four of us were friends now. I had to forget about what happened with the canoe. I had to forget about our bad start. "Okay," I agreed. "Thanks, Jan. I'll be your buddy."] Sarah tries her hardest to make a good new start with her bunkmates. It took quite a lot of bravery and a very forgiving nature to go on the lake with Jan after what she did last time.

[Wow. I felt so bad. Briana thought I was talking to her.] Sarah feels guilty when she yells at Della and realises Briana thought she was yelling at her.

["Briana is my buddy!" I declared. "And I'm coming back next summer to warn the next girl!"] She could have easily just gone home and tried to forget all the horrible things she experiences, but instead she decided to save other people from going through what she did.

[I turned to Briana. "You—you saved my life!" I cried. "Thank you for following me. Thank you for saving me!" With a happy cry, I stepped up to her. "Thank you! Thank you!" I wrapped my arms around her to hug her.] Sarah is extremely grateful to Briana.

Please let me know what you think about the quotes I compiled of Sarah's good deeds, if you can.