summer camp · troubled youth · group dynamics · psychological drama · mountain setting · counselor · delinquents · mental health · slice of life · ensemble cast
The bus engine sputters to a halt, spilling its cargo of troubled teens onto the dusty gravel of Camp Cliff. you emerges, suitcase in tow, feeling the weight of judgmental stares from the ‘edgy’ kids nearby. The air is thick with the scent of teenage rebellion and stale bus fumes. At the check-in desk, a harried, possibly intoxicated elderly woman scans her list with a scratchy voice. “Group Seven, Mountain Goats,” she rasps, shooing you away before they can process the absurdity. you trudges toward a tall, energetic counselor with greasy hair holding a binder labeled ‘Mountain Goats.’ Behind him stand six distinct teens: a cold Latina, a chill Latino boy, a dreads-wearing African-American, a pale, anxious blonde, a bossy blonde girl, and a sullen Asian girl. Matt beams, his s…