She had arrived early last night but saw no one she knew in particular so she decided to leave and return back the next morning. She had just parked her car in a parking lot nearby then got out and sniffed the air that surrounded Camp Liberty. It was a great feeling to be back here and she knew that this summer was going to be another to remember. While grabbing her luggage out of the trunk of her car, she'd wonder if her best friend for life, Leah, had made to the camp grounds yet. She took out her phone and saw that it was ten minutes till eight so she is probably in her cabin unpacking or something but Stacey was definitely going to hit her up whenever she reached her cabin and dropped off her bags.

Stacey tucked her phone into her back pocket then rolled her luggage through the camp grounds, seeing some new faces and thinking to herself that each person should totally join team red this year, since she has been promoted to their team leader. That still made her smile when it was announced at the last bonfire who was taking over which team for this year. Although, Casper taking over team blue totally stunned her as she wondered why Richard didn't become team leader for blue. Maybe Casper got someone to pay off the camp counselors. She shrugged her shoulders at the thought as she finally made it to the red cabin, seeing no one in there but herself.

She sighed as she threw her bags on one of the individual beds then walked outside, standing just in the doorway. All the campers seemed to have walked by red's cabin as she raised a brow. 'No one is pledging red this year? Is it only me?!' The last thought absolutely terrified her as she grabbed her cell phone from her back pocket then immediately started texting Leah and walking towards the parking lot.



She sent the message then bumped into someone. A cute someone as she looked up at him and chuckled nervously. "Uh, sorry about that." The guy turned around with a charming smile and shrugged his shoulders. "Ah, no worries. I'm new here and totally lost, can you help me?" The guy said as Stacey nodded her head with a smile. "I'm Stacey. You are?" She said while extending her hand, in which the guy grabbed and shook then released it as they both dropped their hands by their sides. "Christian, here. Nice to meet you." Christian smiled charmingly at her, which caused her to blush but snap back to reality.

"Uhm, you're in the green cabin which right there." She pointed her index finger towards the cabin. "Thanks." Christian said as he walked off but Stacey grabbed his arm, which caused him to stop in his tracks and turn to face her. "How about you walk with me to the dining hall?" She flashed a smile towards him as he nodded his head then shrugged his shoulders. "Sure, I don't see why not." Christian walked side by side with Stacey onward to the dining hall as she conversed about what to expect at Camp Liberty, along with all of the activities and such. But this guy was not for her, maybe if he met Leah, they'd be perfect together, at least she thought.

Upon entering the dining hall, she saw that it was little packed but then again, it was the first day back so everyone was catching up while eating breakfast, getting things sorted out and planning out the nightly events. She turned towards Christian then waved her arms out. "Welcome to Camp Liberty!" She then linked her arm with his, basically dragging him to the service line as she waved at Mitchell and Mia. They waved back with smiles then went back to fixing people a plate for breakfast.

A familiar voice spoke delicately behind her. "Don't forget about the team leader meeting later this afternoon, Ma'am." It was their head camp counselor, Rashad. She gave him a thumbs up then looked up at Christian, who had his plate prepared and hers as well as they walked to a nearby table and sat down. "I think you'd like it here, honestly. Everyone is pretty nice." She said while sitting one of her napkins in her lap then grabbing a fork. "Yeah, a lot of fine females here to choose from. Or maybe I'll chose them all." Christian responded as Stacey looked at him and scoffed with a face.

'Oh, no. He's one of those player type of guys.' She thought to herself, wondering where the hell Lea was right about now. She pulled out her phone to see if she'd texted her back yet then turned around, stretching her neck out a little to see if she can see her from afar. "Expecting someone?" Christian offered the question as Stacey turned to face him. "Kind of, my BBFL. Sorry." She bit her bottom lip then proceeded on eating her breakfast as Christian shrugged his shoulders and did the same.

---

---

Ah, Camp Liberty. A place where he actually felt included and where he belonged. This was his last year at the camp and he was devastated already as he parking his Tahoe in the parking lot. He'd come by last night to get dibs on one of the individual beds and leave his luggage on that particular bed, just in case someone else wanted an individual bed as he was not getting bottom bunk of the bunk beds this year. Sebastian placed his sunglasses on the top of his head the strolled around the perimeter for a minute, waving at familiar faces and taking a few selfies and posting them immediately on Instagram and Twitter with the hashtag being: #SummerCamp #Firstday #LastYear #Sad.

Within minutes, he'd got five likes already and even got retweeted. He loved his Social Media popularity more than his popular self in reality. Was that a bad thing? With the shrug of his shoulders, he saw some game heads make their way to the media room already. 'A bit early for video games but eh, what the hey?' He thought as he proceeded his trek over towards the media room and examined it upon his entrance. Nothing has changed about with the exception that everything was turned around. Sebastian chuckled as they did try to change it up somewhat but failed miserably.

He walked over to the pool table then stood in perfect position while taking another selfie, this time with a thumbs up but only posting it on Instagram, with another hashtag: #Rack'emup! He submitted the pic then stuck his phone in his back pocket then walked over to where the gamers were hogging the controllers from other people. Shaking his head, Sebastian walked away before things escalated before his eyes.

He'd wonder to himself where the hell most of his friends were right about now as he knew they'd probably be stuffing their faces at the dining hall with a magnificent breakfast prepared by Mia and Mitchell. He walked back into the gaming room as a guy was looking for someone to play with. "I'll play you." With those words spoken, he hopped over the couch then plopped down, grabbing a controller. "Hope you're ready." Sebastian smirked after speaking those words and the game began.

While playing the game for a few minutes, he eyed the kid and mocked cried. "Aw. I can see you wasn't ready. Want to play again?" The kid threw down his controller and stormed off. "Yo! You mad, bro?!" Sebastian hollered out towards the kid as he turned back towards the game, waiting to see who was the next willing victim, or participant to play him in NBA 2k16. He'd wait a few minutes to see if anyone was going to challenge him as video gaming was sort of his level of expertise, kind of.

This was going to be an interesting summer.

A red Cavalier announced her entrance, the engine fair and healthy. She'd saved up so much money to get this. Her care for her very first car showed. There were traces of dirt from the roads on her way here, but the inside tidy and scented of teakwood and pear. She parked politely, not needing to poke over the steering wheel to see. Nervous, tired, she sat there a moment and let the engine run, fingers gently tracing the wheel. She looked to the rearview, studying herself a moment. Low had almost caved in and used, right before her time at Camp Liberty. The syringe was still on the floor of her bathroom, broken by her own boot. How many times she'd grilled herself on the drive was insurmountable. Reckless, the recovering addict almost ruined every last inch of progress she'd made over a 'bad day'.

Elowen turned her car off and opened the door, stuffing the key in pants pocket. She popped the trunk and locked the door, shutting that as she made her way to retrieve her things. A duffle, ratty, with a few stains and sewn rips was hauled out. It was the bag she brought yearly. It was just as safe as she felt here. Though there were unsavory people she'd spied walking around the grounds, each had their unique little life. And with that, the recovering girl was just fine. She pulled out her phone, cased to look like a black cat with sweet yellow eyes. There hadn't been any messages from Ollie, but they would start soon.

With one more bag hoisted over shoulder, she shut the trunk with a over-swing of long leg, regaining her balance before she walked to the cabin she'd been in nearly every year: Green. It looks like they'd done a bit more work around the buildings. A few more flowers, shrubs and a sapling off near the back. It would be beautiful after years went by. For now, it was as tall as she, its leaves would glimmer in the sun through the nearest window so that she might admire it. Watch me grow, she narrated with a quirk of lip.

She rubbed underneath her nose with a long, worn sleeve of an obviously adored plaid button up. She opened the door, wormed her way over to a comfortable looking bed and rested her things on top of it. The drive had been long, all the way from Troy, MI to California. It was a wonderful experience. The view was gorgeous – she couldn't wait to drive back. Gathering what she wanted to bring to the dining hall, she kept her phone, a chapstick, hand sanitizer in a cute, bat case and a small notepad with pen.

Low was four months free of addiction. In that time she had been able to save whatever money came her way. A long trip back and forth would absorb some of it, but she preferred it to flying. Being stuck next to a potentially sick stranger was not on her list of 'things I'd like to do'. Thoughts broke into fragments when she opened the door to the hall, greeted by the sight of faces both new and old and the traditional savory scent of breakfast.

The counselors took notice of her of course. The blonde thought that they had a list somewhere of 'high risk' campers. She knew that they were looking out for her which brought some relief. It was easier here. With no family at home, no friends... it was all up to her to keep above the waves. Here, it was a blessing to know that they had rules and restrictions. The world could have followed their example, but instead, much like a stubborn child it turned a blind eye to kids like her.

Breakfast was dished up and she sat down, flipping open the notepad to write down what she ate, who she was with (which was no one, currently), and how she felt. Her psychologist at home gave her a project to find out what made her most happy here. But she already knew the answer. It was her friend, Ollie.

---

---

It was another Summer for Leah at Camp Liberty; the brunette just wanted to forget her family troubles...and relationship issues with her boyfriend Tristan. But it seemed like she couldn't escape either just yet; she had gotten off the phone with her mother who was back in Surrey. The two had a long winded argument, which caused Leah to tear up. Camp barely started and yet she was already upset; Leah needed her friends preferably Stacey, Jessica or Sebastian who knew her better than anyone. They were the 3 closest people that knew about her family troubles and that could help her feel better. Closing her eyes, she tried to take a few deep breaths to calm herself down. Walking over to the Cabin bathroom; Leah turned on the cold water and splashed her face. The cold water felt refreshing and didn't make her look so flustered after the upsetting and heated conversation with her mother.

She glanced at herself for a few moments after she dried off her face and pulled her brown locks into a bun. The hair style was slightly messy but casual just how she liked it, with a few loose strands that fell around the curves of her face for effect. That's when she felt her phone buzzing inside of her Jean Pocket. Pulling out her phone, Leah flipped it open seeing a text message from Stacey. The text made her smile softly and she began to text her back.



After the message was sent, Leah picked up her dark blue with white stripes trainers by the door, slipping them on and doing them up tightly. With her blue jeans and her black tank top, she tied her jumper around her waist before she headed out of the Cabin. Leah took a deep breath of fresh air as she walked over to the Cafeteria. As soon as she stepped inside of the familiar Cafeteria; the fresh smell of coffee, tea and cooked breakfast, toast and butter and cereals hit her nose. The familiar scents made her feel awesome. "Hey Lea. Good to see you." Leah could hear the familiar voice of her Team Counselor Mitchell. Leah waved over to him and Mia giving them both a smile. "Hey Mitch...Hi Mia. It's nice seeing you both too." she greeted them with a soft smile. Both Mia and Mitchell smiled waving back at Leah.

Her brown eyes scanned the dining hall and she saw Stacey sitting on one of the tables, going behind her she tapped her shoulder. "Boo! she smiled, as she gave her best friend a hug from behind "It's good to see you. I missed you Stace. Who's your friend?" Leah asked smiling softly as she noticed Christian sitting on the table; but the smile barely reached her eyes- Clearly the earlier events to her morning were written in her dark hues. Her British accent was very noticeable and posh, but unlike some Posh People her speech was easy to understand. As she glanced over at the new guy; Leah bit her bottom lip slightly. He was tall...dark and handsome. His dark eyes were rather dreamy and it made it hard for her not to stare at his handsome features. "Umm Hi...I am Leah..." she introduced herself after a few seconds.

Leah grabbed a cup of coffee, putting in some milk before she grabbed a plate with some toast, butter and bacon and joined Stacey and Christian at the table, sitting beside her best friend. "So...when did you guys get here?" she asked softly wondering how long it had been since their arrival. Leah pulled out her phone as she scrolled down to Sebastian's name and texted him.

As she sent Sebastian a text, she hoped that he had arrived and was probably just goofing off somewhere. Leah took a few sips off her coffee before she started to eat her breakfast. She was rather hungry so she enjoyed her breakfast.

Casper hurried through the camp grounds, his feet scuffing the ground as he hurried towards the Blue cabin in some sort of quick-shuffle-that's-not-quite-a-run. Over his shoulder was a cream leather manbag, bursting with what Casper deemed to be his 'essentials'. These essentials included a variety of cheesy, happy-ending romance novels, his macbook (he thinks he looks 'good' using it), one or two recipe books for cakes and cupcakes, and of course, his hair gel and aftershave. In each hand he held the handle of a moderately sized navy suitcase, both filled with neatly-folded clothing and a selection of brogues, ensuring he never runs out of outfits to fulfill his very questionable (and certainly unpractical) dress sense. On his person was a black, chequered jacket on top of a red-brown knitted sweater, with the collar of a white shirt barely visible underneath. His trousers, in perhaps the most controversial aspect of the 'outfit', were an exact pattern-match of his jacket. Some, upon seeing him for the first time, may wager that he simply threw on whatever he could find in a last-minute rush to make it to Camp, but this was in fact, one of his proudest outfits.

Finally reaching the Blue Cabin, Casper pushed the door open with his shoulder, tugging at the handles of his suitcases that inevitably got caught at the door before eventually succeeding in his, rather ungraceful, entrance to the cabin. He allowed himself to release a loud sigh of relief - he'd made it, albeit certainly not with the grace and style he had hoped to mark the beginning of his term as the leader of Team Blue. In his head, he had envisioned almost floating to the cabin, attracting the envy and awe of those lucky enough to catch a glimpse of him on his way to the 'Royal Blue' cabin. It's fair to say it didn't turn out quite that way.
"..thank heavens that rush is over."
He muttered to himself, turning to look over the cabin. It was strange, really. He found himself standing by the door, simply observing the cabin. Was it his cabin, now? His kingdom? He was responsible for all those inside it, after all. Suffice to say, he didn't take any relish in that thought. People relying on him, that is. What if he let them down? Would they be forgiving? They sure didn't have any reason to be. Team Blue had been on top for seven years... seven whole years. It was a number that had not escaped his mind. The thought of being the first leader of Team Blue in seven years to lead them to defeat was simply not something he could afford.

"Aha! Our fabled leader finally arrives, huh?"
Snapping himself out of his little daydream, Casper flicked his head to the voice, which belonged to the Head of Team Blue, Mitchell. He froze for a moment, not entirely sure for how long the counselor had been observing him,
"..oh, oh! Hello, sir."
"Mitchell, Casper. Mitchell. Anyway - I was just checking in on the cabin briefly. Gotta' head back to the cafeteria. Mouths to feed, an' all! Mia'll get all grumpy with me again if I don't pull my weight. Get settled in, and then pop around for breakfast! A leader needs his breakfast, Casper!"

Casper returned a few nods toward Mitchell before he set about returning to the cafeteria, leaving him alone in the cabin once more. With another huff, he pulled up the strap of his manbag before it slipped down his arm, and dragged the suitcases toward the bunk-bed. Groaning with relief as he found the bunk-bed, he couldn't help but smile when he noticed a suitcase already laying on his bed, no doubt left by Alex to 'save his spot' on the bottom, while she took the top bunk. Setting his manbag down on the mattress beside her suitcase, he rested his own two against the bed itself before hauling her suitcase up to rest it on the top bunk.

Before going any further, he dug into his pocket to pull out his phone and send a text to Luca, who just had to know about his current situation. In Casper's mind, almost everything that could go wrong on the first day had, and he sure as heck needed somebody to vent to.



Sticking his phone back into his trouser pocket, he took a moment to process the situation, deciding whether he should organize his things now and sacrifice some much needed time for eating, or head out to the cafeteria and worry about his things later. Ultimately, the decision wasn't too hard, for he couldn't risk his stomach grumbling at the leaders meeting later that day. No, it had to go perfectly. Turning to leave the cabin, he paused just before the door. His hair. He hadn't checked his hair, or his general appearance for that matter, for a good few hours. Setting his priorities straight, he turned on his heel and walked into the restroom, finding the nearest mirror he could.
"Good god."
He almost wanted to faint. Deep bags hung under his eyes, no doubt a consequence of his sacrifice of sleep in order to ensure the clothes in his suitcase were folded to perfection, and his hair was an absolute mess, with strands of hair falling down his forehead, or sticking out at entirely unnatural angles. In fairness, most people would consider their hair to look relatively good in the state Casper currently found his in, but for Casper? No - goodness, no. It was anything but good. Letting out a sigh of defeat, he wagered there was little he could do to improve the situation for now, at least. His stomach grumbled in protest, begging him not to fuss over his hair now, and he was obliged to listen.

Unhappily turning to leave the restroom, he pulled open the door to the cabin before flinching backward at the sight that awaited him. Alex, as far as Casper was concerned, had used her powers of conjuration to appear at the opposite door, leading to the women's bathroom, opening it at near exactly the same time as Casper opened his own. He swears she actually is magic, for she has an uncanny ability to appear when Casper needs her most. His temporary fright soon turned to unfiltered joy, a broad grin spreading across his face,

---

---

Blaring rock music and California sunlight filled King’s Mercedes, a usual scene that played out whenever he drove up towards his home away from home. The road that curved through the tall, dappled forest, the rocks and shrubs that scattered across the land in front of him, and the ever warm feeling of excitement, all these things were familiar to Richard King. He had traced them with his finger ever since he was just a mere Freshman, and even now, four years later, he knew which turn was coming up and which tree would be hanging eerily close to the road. The usual scene that had filled him with such nostalgia and cheer, however, was stained with another feeling. Anger? Dread? Sadness? These emotions all spurred from a single thought.

the last year

His hands tightened against the steering wheel, knuckles whitening as his flesh tensed. That was right, it was his last year at the camp. HIs parents, the O So Wise and Powerful people they were to him, had already decided that he would be shipped off to England come fall for college. All four years, spent in the rainy lands where his mother grew up. There was no summer in London, he was often told, nothing to do but study, study drink, and study. He couldn’t say no to their decision, he didn’t have the guts nor a good enough reason to use against them. King sighed softly as the forest began to thin out, the sunlight now pouring down across the road. As his eyes collapsed on the gathering of buildings before him, another thorn dug itself deep into his side. It was his last year, and he wasn’t going to be Blue Team’s leader. Casper Fawn, fucking Casper Fawn. King wasn’t exactly sure how or why Fawn got the spot, but he did know something.

He was still fucking pissed about it. The whites of his knuckles brightened, and he felt his teeth dig into his bottom lip as he tried to calm the storm in his head. Already nothing was going right. It wasn’t fair. It wasn’t fair. King parked lousily, not even minding that he had gone over and set his car on the white line between two spots, and escaped from the dark-colored vehicle. Many other cars and people seemed to have gather already, but then again Richard was always the type to be “fashionably late”, and with a click he locked his Mercedes and sauntered towards the main hall, hands dug deeply into his jean pockets and eyes turned downward to trace the gravel that fell in and out of his sandals. He became entranced with the movement of himself and the varying earth below him, so much so that he failed to stop himself from bumping into someone else. King jumped back slightly, grumbling,

“Oi, watch where you’re go-” before stopping mid-sentence to grin at the familiar face before him.

“King! Fancy running into you here!” Malcolm readjusted his glasses, knocked slightly askew by the impact. He twisted a lock of hair around his finger – it had definitely grown out since last summer’s camp. Then, slightly quieter and a touch more nervously, he said, “Not that I was waiting or anything.” King grinned at the small, new details he saw on his friend, pulling a hand from his pocket to rub the back of his head, a playful grin replacing his once much more annoyed expression.

”Why would a pretty thing like you be waiting for someone like me, Mally~?” He leaned forward in an effort to meet Malcolm’s face straight on, forcing forth an especially sensual smile. The skin around his eyes tightened, proof that his smile was nearly genuine, and then he stuck his tongue out and sniggered.

”Don’t stick that tongue out unless you intend to use it,” Malcolm warned, clearly light-hearted, though he did look away more swiftly than he had in the past. There was something in his smile that was different, or perhaps it was a little smaller. King felt his own expression falter slightly at the sight, his tongue quickly retreating back into his mouth before Malcolm continued on, ”I just wanted to make sure you actually came this year. It’d be a drag otherwise, you know – unbearable, and all that. Oh, and, nice car.” It came out rather quickly, given that he was one of those fast-talking New Yorkers. Malcolm peered over King’s shoulder – then, when that failed, around him – standing on tip-toes to catch a glimpse of the Mercedes. Richard fell back on his heels, shoving his hand back into his pocket before shrugging and smiling lightly,

”The old man got it for me for my birthday. Not much else to say about it.” Just another gift to tighten his chains or whatever, right? King shook the thought from his head and gave Malcolm a playful shove with his elbow, ”besides that! Who’s here already? Anyone new or worth mentioning yet?” He bounced up and down slightly, feigning extreme excitement with a cocky grin and playful eyes.

Malcolm raised an eyebrow as if in disbelief but was clearly never one to back down from a bit of gossip. ”Well,” he said, pausing for breath and beckoning King to follow him as he started drifting towards the Main Hall. ”There was a newbie talking to Hampton in the hall – no idea what his name is but not my type – and Chase is out of the closet with her choice in attire, but if you want more than that, you’ll have to give it another day. I did just spend the whole morning waiting on the arrival of ‘the King’, after all.” He shrugged as if it was no big deal. King tapped his chin thoughtfully, half-chuckling at Malcolm’s comment towards Chase before reaching forward and throwing an arm around Mal’s shoulder, leaning into the smaller boy lazily. The two walked in a comfortable silence for a moment, King savoring the thought of a new “cutie” as Malcolm put it before shrugging,

”there is no way this new cutie is as cute as you.” King mumbled mostly to himself, obviously meaning for the comment to be a mental note, but after a second of looking back on what he had just said OUT LOUD he felt his face heat up. Only slightly. His pale skin turned slightly pink, and he left out a soft cough before saying weakly, “j-just kidding~!”

“You give a compliment then you take it away,” Malcolm said with a dramatic sigh. He didn’t seem to have noticed the admission, or at least accepted it in the same way he accepted all of Richard’s flirts. Even so, a dark red flush could be seen from his cheeks to the tips of his ears. “Talk about destroying a boy’s confidence.” Seeing Malcolm’s expression seemed to just wash all of his previous worries and woes from his mind, and as the Main Hall doors drew closer and the friend wrapped in his arm turned a bright red he grinned a genuine, happy grin. His hand rose and squeezed Malcolm’s shoulder reassuringly, finding himself at a loss of words for his friend, and then he turned and practically kicked the doors of the Main Hall open, letting out a stupidly cheerful laugh and semi-loud shout,

”Guess who’s back bitches~!”

---

---

---

---

Nature. Life. Camp Liberty. Oliver had arrived extremely early in the morning, so early that the stars had still hung in the sky and the moon was just barely vanishing behind the tree tops. Her old truck had sputtered to a stop within the parking lot, and she glided silently across the camp grounds with her bags in tow. It had been a warm morning, crisp and silent, and after dropping her things off haphazardly on the floor of the Gray cabin she went for a silent stroll through the woods. Nothing had changed since her last visit, it seemed, save for a few fallen oaks gathering near the lake, and Ollie silently opened her journal and made a few changes to her hand-drawn map of the area before finding a nice, quiet place to rest.

She remained, hidden within the tall trees and underbrush for most of the morning, reading through her journal entries from last year as the sky above teetered and changed from early morning to around ten or eleven. She watched it all with lazy eyes, and then after a second more of silence her stomach growled furiously. She was starving. Obviously, she would be, she had skimped out on dinner last night while driving down to Cali. Oliver rose gracefully, dusting off any stray leaves and dirt from her faded shorts before stepping gingerly through the woods. The iridescent glasses that hung on the collar of her striped shirt rose gently against her breast as she shambled through the thick underbrush, and she eventually lifted them up to gently rest on her small nose. The world appeared in varying, darkened colors, the forest’s shadows and dappled sunlight faded out by the lenses of Ollie’s favorite glasses, and she walked and walked until her feet touched down at the familiar campsite.

More cars had gathered at the parking lot, some familiar and some not, and she drifted passed them carefully on her way towards the Main Hall. The smell of food could already be sensed, and her stomach grumbled again at the familiar scents that filled the air. Behind her, another car screeched into the lot, and as she shrugged and ignored whatever asshole was pulling up so loudly a familiar figure passed by her line of sight. Malcolm. He was staring intently at the cars behind Ollie, perhaps waiting for someone, and not wishing to strike up a conversation she drifted onward.

The usual hustle and bustle of the hall could be heard from just outside the two doors, and as Ollie sucked in a deep breath and pushed them open her phone buzzed in her pocket. She blinked once, glanced around the hall, and then stepped aside to check her battered Galaxy. Light gleamed through the shattered screen, and a familiar name made her smile lightly.



She tapped back a reply quickly, unable to hide her excited smile:



Ollie shoved the phone back into her pocket and scanned the various tables before her, wandering quietly forward until the familiar sight of wild, blonde hair seemed to fill her gaze. She quickened her step until she could clearly see Elowen’s beautiful, familiar face, and a wide, rare smile broke out across Ollie’s.

”Hey, Low, long time no see, huh? She seemingly whispered, Ollie’s soft voice filled to the brim with excitement to see her long-time friend.

Alex had arrived to Camp Liberty yesterday sometime around late afternoon and evening. The first thing she felt was annoyance. It wasn't anything new and it wasn't because it had anything to do with the camp that it couldn't help. She had just stepped out of the nicely air conditioned cab to having to do manual labor -- grabbing her own two stuffed suitcases. The driver didn't even attempt to help and she had already gave him his tip. God damn it. Grunting, she lugged out her two suitcases from the trunk. And with an exasperated huff and slamming of the trunk, she watched as the cab zoomed off away quicker than possible. Well, that was a little insulting. She's so sorry that she wasn't really in the mood for conversation and actually just asked the driver to stop talking to her.

The next thing she felt was the freaking blistering heat and the humidity. Glaring down the long path that lead to the main camp where check in and the cabins were, she cursed out the cab driver once more. He couldn't even drop her off closer. Beginning the horrendous trek through hell (it legitimately was with how hot it was) with two gigantic weights pulling against her arms, Alex envisioned herself as some kind of warrior going through a war. In her mind, that wasn't too far from the truth. Twenty minutes, dehydration, a cup of sweat, and one mosquito bite later, she had arrived at the check in stand... looking like a hot mess. Fuck me. This is why I should be allowed to sit indoors all day during the summer.

Going through the whole check in process with a quite permanent scowl on her little mouth, she didn't even attempt to lower her exasperated, "Finally!" after they had handed her the key to her cabin. However, not even the promise of a nice, cool room and no further activities until tomorrow could appease the brunette. She was curious to how many of her cabin mates had already arrived and who they were. She wanted to be the only one so she could lay claim to whatever she wanted first. She knew Caspy wasn't going to be here until tomorrow through their texts so there wasn't much of a positive outlook. And she didn't feel like going out again to go look for someone she knew and liked to start some dry conversation with.

Wiping some of the sweat that was beginning to build on her face with the back of her hand, she opened the door to her cabin. Someone was already here... and it was Leah. Great way to start this three long month torture. Making her way into the room, she grumbled a hello at the other girl, getting a greeting back in the same reluctant, indifference tone. The one good thing about Leah was that despite the fact that the two of them didn't get along she was upfront with her disinterest and didn't force Alex to endure false concerns and conversations. Looking around the room, Alex noticed the lack of use of anything aside from the bed Leah was sitting on and one of the bathrooms. With that in mind, Alex didn't bother to ask Leah if anyone else was bunking with them. No point in starting a conversation that could potentially end up an argument (which was any talk between the two).

Instead, she brought her two luggages over to the bunkbed. Placing one on the bottom bunk to hold Caspy's spot, she recalled the set up from last year. Caspy had wanted to please everyone in the cabin to get them to accept him easier and allowed the rest of the members to choose their beds first. Naturally, everyone picked an individual bed, leaving him with the bunk. Then Alex had joined camp a few weeks later and it was the only spot left. At first she hated it but as her and Caspy began to naturally get closer, she figured it wasn't that bad and actually began to prefer it. She loved the dynamic and feeling of closeness it brought. Pulling out her toiletries so she could go claim a bathroom, Alex also remembered what had happened with that last year.

"Alex! Get out of the bathroom! You've been in there forever! We need to get ready too." One of her roommates was banging on the door and rattling the doorknob in an attempt to break it and manage to get in somehow. "Um, I'm not finished!" Alex shouted back at the locked door, rolling her eyes and going back to applying her makeup. She would not leave until she looked exactly the way she wanted: perfect. She had already invested an hour and a half to get to this point, she wasn't going to just give up like that due to some banging and screaming.

Deciding to not go through that again, she quickly set up everything she had in one of the powder rooms, taking up every possible inch of the sink. Was it wrong that she felt a certain satisfaction from it? After fixing her hair and making sure everything else looked good, she exited the restroom and began to start moving her clothes into her closet. For the rest of the day, she only left to go get dinner, sitting two seats away from Leah by herself. Looking around she noticed not many people had arrived yet and no new faces.

Waking up early the next morning with a groan, she got out of bed to get ready for the day. Leah was still asleep so she quietly gathered her clothes and entered her bathroom. After a shower and drying off, she wore a simple outfit. Seeing that the weather was going to be more sweltering than usual today, Alex decided not to place too much effort in her outfit only for it to be ruined. Plus she wasn't used to waking up so early yet. Donning a pair of cream shorts with fringed trimming and a long navy blue tank top with a flowing end tucked in. She had just perfected her makeup and giving her hair that effortless, clean messy look when she checked the time. She would have to leave soon if she wanted to get breakfast and have time to eat it. Digging into her container of rings, she picked out a simple silver band, a crown, and arrow ring before putting them on her fingers.

Checking herself out shamelessly in the mirror one last time, Alex was pleased with her appearance and turned to leave the restroom. Turning off the light and closing the door behind her, she jerked her head up at the cry of a familiar voice calling out her name. Widening her eyes in surprise for a split second, she subconsciously smiled the first time since she got to camp and exhaled lightly a breath of disbelief. "Caspy!" she cried out as she ran toward the precious boy, locking her arms around his neck in a powerful hug. With the force and speed she had barreled into the boy with, she ended up spinning them once before lightly pushing Caspy's back into the wall, pressing against him. However, none of that registered as she tightened her hold on the vanilla scented boy. Her favorite person was right here in front of her after not seeing him for a whole year. "Oh my god, hi. Hi, hi, hi!" she giggled excitedly into the crook of his neck.

Kat’s antiqued 1980 Lada VAZ-2101 came sauntering down the road towards Camp Liberty it utilitarian frame and mustard yellow paint job a stark contrast to the flashy sports cars that seemed to populate this neck of the woods. A product of the now defunct Soviet Union the Lada is as bad as the Cold War propaganda depicted it, for examples some of the car’s more stellar features included outdated technology (even by eighties ‘ standards), poor gas mileage, and it literally handled like a tank; however, Kat admired the car as failure as it tried so hard to be a Fiat and it spectacularly missed the mark…even failures can be beautiful. As the fruit of the communist automotive industry barely managed to navigate the curvy road Kat could not help reflecting on her long journey getting here from the worst city in America (colloquially known as Pittsburg) and realized that she only got lost a total of seventy-seven times.

“Drat, I have to try and do better next time as I am nowhere near beating my record. Ugh, and to make matters worse I only crossed over the Canadian border two times in the span of this trip. Oh, the humanity! Am I losing my touch?”

Kat briefly ceases prattling to herself in order to check her knockoff iPhone 6’s built-in clock as surprise the Lada does not possess a digital clock of its own.

“I am this close to arriving on time…this is truly is a tragedy of unprecedented proportions, so don’t cry for me Argentina as the truth is I never left you or something like that; I am not really a fan of Madonna movies as despite her looks acting never has really fallen under her particular oeuvre, but I digress. Speaking of beautiful things I wonder if Jessie will be here…umm…no wait, what I meant to say was that I hope that registration was just a fluke and the princess could not attend Camp Liberty this summer because dealing with someone who is pretty… stuck up will be so unbearable my poor heart will explode in ecstasy...disappointed ecstasy that is. I am totally not crushing because contrary to popular belief this is just how a rivalry is supposed to feel. Yup it is perfectly naturally to want to your rival to whisper sweet nothings your ear…err…moving right along would take a look at this forest it sure is natural. Just a big dumb forest nothing scenic or romantic about it whatsoever."

Was it getting hot in here all of a sudden, had the Lada caught fire again or was it just the heat of the moment overtaking her frail form? There were so many questions and what seemed like a deliberate shortage of answers. Kat was overjoyed to finally find the parking lot, so she could finally leave these conflicting feelings far behind. She breathed an audible sigh of relief as she exited the vehicle and took in the grandiosity of Main Hall. A perfectly sensible person in the situation would probably use this time to find their team’s particular cabin, unpack, then get accumulated to the area before grabbing a bite to eat; however, Kat was far from being a sensible person choosing instead to follow whatever happened to grab her fancy at the moment and at this particular moment that would be blueberry pancakes coated in a thick layer of maple syrup. For a brief second Kat pondered if the dining hall would be serving one of her favorite meals at this hour, but she shrugged it off as any food was better than no food at all. Anyways the dining hall would give her the perfect opportunity to inflict herself upon others in order to challenge their preconceived ideologies; so many of her fellow campers were in dire need of her expertise on subjects she knew next to nothing about and it was glorious. It was like they were crying out to her, crying out for her to save them from the tedium of what could loosely be labeled as society or perhaps they were crying out for Kat to move as she suddenly realized that she had silently been regarding the Main Hall for a good minute now.

Hark, in her peripheral vison Kat observed an angelic figure tenderly approaching the Main Hall and it was obvious by the graceful way she moved it was Jessie. Oh how she was blessed…with bad luck because Kat would be seeing her this self-centered bimbo almost every day…she would be seeing her every day and it would be absolutely dreadful if on some of those days Jessie would be clad in clothes that perfectly complemented her beautiful figure. Egad nothing would be more self-centered then the aforementioned, yet then again nothing would be more right. Kat subconsciously bit her bottom lip thoroughly enjoying the mental images she conjured up and once again becoming unaware of the world around her.

Stacey and Christian had continue eating their breakfast and chatting among themselves while she waited for Leah to come and sit with them. She felt her phone vibrate in her pocket then jumped slightly as she reached for it and pulled it out of her pocket then read the response from Leah. She clicked her phone off as Leah was probably in the parking lot or something and she didn't want to seem like she was actually waiting for her - But then again, she truly was. Her eyes flashed over towards Christian, who was staring at her with a smile. "What?" Stacey asked with a raised brow. Christian shook his head then leaned back in his seat. "Nothing. Just sitting here. Want to be doing something else or something." Stacey rolled her eyes then eyed him. "Wait, I want you to meet my friend, Leah. She should be here any minute." Stacey smiled as someone tapped her shoulder.

Her eyes flashed up towards Leah, who was sitting down now as she squealed with her hands over her mouth and hugged her best friend close to her then breaking the hug. "I've missed you, too." She responded towards Leah as she looked over at Christian then waved her hand dismissively towards him. "Oh, this is Christian. He's a newbie here." She smirked as if that meant something at Camp Liberty, to some people it did, honestly. She looked back towards Leah with a smile as she leaned in. "So, how have you been, honey?" She leaned in a bit more. "Do not leave out the juicy details." She poked her arm a bit then looked at Christian as Leah introduced herself towards him. "Hey there, Leah. I am Christian. Nice to meet you." Christian muttered, watching the girls communicate.

Stacey and Christian both heard Leah's question and was about to answer simultaneously but Stacey insisted that Christian go first. "Well, as mentioned, I am new here but I've registered and everything last week and now..." He waved his hands over himself before continuing. "Here I am! You should smile about that." He chuckled while looking at Leah with a raised brow then looked away. Stacey then responded, as well. "I've been here since last night. Well, left but came back this morning." She said with a smile. "What about you, Lea?" She asked then heard a familiar voice shouting out. It had to be Richard. She squealed again then rose up from her seat. "I'm going to go and say hey to Richard. You two talk among yourselves." She poked Leah before fully leaving and meeting Richard at the entrance.

Stacey ran up to Richard and hugged him, tightly then eventually breaking it as she giggled then eyed Malcolm and offered him a small wave before turning back towards Richard. "Oh, my goodness. How have you been, darling?" She'd ask while lurking her gaze over to Leah and Christian, to see if they were getting along, which she hoped they were. She smiled while turning her gaze back towards Richard and Malcolm. "Sorry, how have you been, as well, Malcolm?" She asked him as well, completely forgetting that he was standing there, honestly. Her eyes bounced from Richard to Malcolm, waiting to see which one of them were going to answer her first.

Christian looked at Leah and chuckled nervously. He reached his hand behind his head then rubbed it. "So, Leah, how long have you been here at Camp Liberty? I assume that you're not new like me." He said while looking into her eyes with his and admiring her.

---

---

Sebastian had beat a few more punks already. On the first day of camp and he was laughing. He should've placed bets, honestly cause he'd probably be a millionaire right about now. Sebastian raised a brow as his phone chimed from his pocket, which he reached and grabbed, seeing a text from Leah about breakfast and him being a lazy bum. He paused his current game to send her a message back.



He sent the message then stood up with a sigh, grabbing the controller and making the final shot of the game then looked at his victims. "Sorry, guys but I am being summoned. But don't worry there it always tomorrow." He winked then clicked his tongue at them then all then walked out of the media room then made his trek towards the main hall, which lead to the dining hall. Upon his entry, he saw Stacey, Richard and Malcolm. "Hey, guys." He said in passing as he didn't want to interrupt their conversation.

Sebastian walked past them then squinted his eyes while using both of his hands as binoculars to scope out Leah. His eyes looked over at her talking to some boy as he raised a brow. He walked through the service line first and grabbed himself a plate while offering a wave towards Mia and Mitchell. Sebastian then grabbed himself some utensils then walked over towards Leah and slammed his plate down on the table. "I don't believe what I see here? Lea, cheating on me, already?! For shame." Sebastian was joking but was sounding so serious. His eyes danced over towards the male then widened his eyes. "Oh, Christian?"

Christian looked up at Sebastian and widened his eyes as well. "Sebastian?" Christian stood up as they simultaneously said. "Hug me, brother!" From the Drake and Josh show, of course. They hugged and patted each other on the back then went to talking back and forth about what they did before Camp Liberty, completely forgetting that Leah was sitting with them, as well.

"Oh, Lea, my apologies, did I interrupt something?" Sebastian raised a brow then looked between her and Christian. Christian and Sebastian were in the same dance class and immediately hit it off and kept in touch ever since. Sebastian ate two spoonfuls of his breakfast then took a sip of his orange juice while waiting to see which one of them was going to respond first.

---

---

Hearing Stacey's squeal; Leah embraced her one of her best friends giving her a squeeze. Leah closed her eyes briefly. It felt like ages since she and Stacey had seen each other and spoken even if the girls saw and kept in touch with each other outside of the Camp. "Oh, well welcome to Camp Liberty, Christian. It's nice to meet you too." Leah smiled softly, as Stacey somewhat introduced them/told her that he was new this year. Looking at her one of her closest friends, Leah sighed a bit. "Still trying to cope with all the mess, you know? It's not easy...but I am just hoping this Summer, will make me forget all of the crap going on in my life." Leah breathed out, confiding in her Best Friend. Stacey had known about Leah's Issues for a while now...and Leah was grateful for her friend trying to keep her together from falling apart. Feeling her poke, she smiled a bit. "I'll tell you everything...I just don't want to talk about it, with everyone present. Don't need the whole camp gossiping about everything." she told her with a slight sigh. It would be better if the two girls could discuss it in 'Private', although Leah appreciated her concern.

"Anything new with you?" Leah asked smiling softly; before she heard them answering her question about their arrival. As she heard Christian's answer, she couldn't help but giggle slightly. For some reason, that made her feel a bit better. Shaking her head; she spoke "Well you might be new, but at least you know how to make a girl laugh." she spoke before turned her attention to Stacey "I got here 3-4 days ago, I had the cabin to myself until now." she spoke, as Casper and Alex didn't arrive until today or so it would seem. Taking a few sips off her coffee, she felt her phone buzz and read the text from Sebastian. Figures he would be down in the Game room. She thought to herself.

As Leah enjoyed her breakfast; that's when she heard the familiar and annoying sound of King's Arrival. He always had to arrive in style. Leah internally groaned, but just nodded as Stacey run off to greet King. Leah still didn't get how King and Stacey got on. The guy was an ass...his behavior bugged her more often than not. They didn't get on...even if they were on the same Team. But at the same time, Leah didn't want to judge just because Stacey got on with him. Leah did her best to tolerate King, when Stacey was around.

Turning her attention to Christian, Leah looked at him with gentle eyes as she heard him speak. She smiled lightly at his question "No, I am not new. I've been going here for 7 years. Pretty much most of us, have been going here for a long time. There's the occasional newbie, or someone that's been going here for a year or two." she explained. "So, what Team did you get put in?" Seeing the look in his eyes; made Leah bit her bottom lip slightly as she felt her cheeks turn slightly pink. It was hard to look away from those deep brown eyes, feeling her heart beat a bit faster she did her best not to look like she was staring. That's when someone slammed their plate next to her, causing her to jump slightly.

"Sheesh, what did the poor plate do to you?" she asked, looking up at Sebastian. She was half expecting his plate to be in pieces but it had survived the semi-violent slam on the desk. Hearing his playful accusation, she gasped pretending to look hurt. "Me cheat? On you?....Never!! she pouted slightly, as she playfully slapped his arm giving him a cheeky smile "You know, I love you." Leah and Sebastian always teased each other when it was possible, having known each other for Years through her older brother Gregory. Sebastian was her best friend...like a brother to her in many ways. He was family and always there for her, just like Stacey he kept her from falling apart when it came to her 'family' issues.
Watching the Conversation unfold between Christian and Sebastian; Leah watched them slightly confused glancing between them both. "Who's cheating on, who now? Huh?" she teased Sebastian as she looked at them both drinking her coffee. "How long have you two known each other, then?" she asked with a soft smile.

Hearing Sebastian's apology, she just smiled but she blushed at his question. Biting into her bacon toast, there was a slight awkward silence for a few moments. Biting her lip slightly, Leah was debating with herself wondering how to answer that question. It wasn't like he interrupted something extremely important. They were just talking...and she had started to blush. Leah just glanced into her almost empty coffee cup for a few moments.

Each and every person she held some level of adoration for entered the room. If she'd been a dog the sound of a tail thumping against the ground would draw their attention. Instead, she took the time to send a text to each and every one of them. She pressed palm into cheek, thinking carefully about if she'd send words or a simple smile...



Low watched a smile bloom on her best friend's face between passing clouds of people. She was a sun of a particular type. Mint-colored and astral. Psychedelic, almost, but without the horrid snag of drugs. She was a dragonfly in an everglade born below to rise above. She might've taken off in a UFO today, but the recovering girl knew she'd ask the aliens to swing by and pick up her pal. She rubbed beneath a dark eye, seeing black on the bend of knuckle. Her lips pursed to a thin line, staring at it rather than her approaching bestie. That all made sense, right? She'd held a strange adoration for life, comparing it. Maybe it was the latent drugs which still crawled around her spine.

Those were fun...

Not. She nudged out of the bench. One leg swung over 'til the tall, leggy thing stood. If anyone had been watching, they might have expected Low to give a light pat to the shoulder. Instead, she moved forward and gave the alien-oriented girl a hug. It lasted a few seconds before a swell of nausea, anxiety and discomfort came upon her. She backed away and tucked a long strand of bleached hair behind her ear. Finally, though it seemed like her voice was dry and rarely used, Low spoke:

”Hi Ollie...” I missed you, you're everything to me. Do you know that? And she giggled, covering her smile with the back of a long, worn sleeve. She thought to sit down again but realized her friend hadn't gotten breakfast yet. She reached out and brushed her fingers along Ollie's palm, linking a pinky timidly to guide her to the line. Her own food could wait. It was still warm and her things were beside it. She felt strange, reaching out and trying to hold onto her friend (even if it was just one finger out of ten), maybe it was because she'd almost used. Hopefully she didn't start crying. It wasn't the time to make a scene and feel sorry for herself. No, rather, mad at herself. Very, very mad. She let go of Ollie and moved to the end of the line, prompting the other to meet her there once she'd grabbed her tray of breakfast delights. Then back to the table they went, one leg swung over the booth, the other straddling as she stuffed a forkful of egg in her own face.

Breakfast had to be her least favorite meal of the day. Most times she'd gone without it and had a healthy sized lunch. This time she didn't have that luxury. The counselors made sure that she participated in every meal. Even if it was a muffin. This time, after a long drive with plenty of calorie burning focus, she needed the energy. Low shivered as she chewed and stifled a yawn. Yeah, she wouldn't be up and about the entire day. She'd look for a comfortable patch of grass to snooze on with Ollie right after the morning announcements. Y'know. The 'Welcome to Camp Liberty, familiar faces... rules and yadablah'.

Cutting at her hashbrowns, she wrote in her journal that she'd made contact with four people, and the one beside her made her the happiest of all. "Was your trip nice? I drove here from home." Which home was a one bedroom apartment in a seedy part of town. Her psychologist and the police that toured it kept telling her to find someplace else, but it was affordable, she was able to save money there and she felt that was what mattered. Low was in a dangerous area full of addicts much like herself. It was all too easy to give in again when they'd knock on your door...

Still, she refrained. "I'm four months free today..." She admitted with the small, bubbling sense of pride. It was important to feel good about recovery. She'd try and focus on that instead of the fact she nearly used.

Sable couldn't not admit that she was excited. Her mother had drove her up to camp last night, allowing her to get settled into the Grey cabin. She had taken a top bunk, opened all of her suitcases and claimed a closet for herself. Shorts, t-shirts, tank tops... all the things that could be found back at home were now right here at what had become one of her most favorite places. The cabin had yet to show it's familiar faces, a few new members of Team Gray slinking in, but of course the girl knew she would have to wait until at least this morning in order to make sure who she did and did not know for this year.

Waking up this morning, she would perform her usual routine for hygiene and dressing. A simple black spaghetti strapped tank top, her usual boots, short denim shorts and a black flat billed hat with the words "Linkin Park" across the front, she would take a quick glance in the mirror before checking her phone for the time. With a sigh, she would realize that there was no extra time in order to work on her drawing. Oh well. Walking out of the cabin, the light breeze blowing random strands of her hair into her face, she would notice that it was considerably warm outside while sticking in her earbuds and turning on the song Astronaut by Simple Plan. This summer was going to be great.

Finishing her walk to the dining hall she would notice that there were plenty of people there already. Giving a slight wave to a few people that she knew from last year, more precisely Leah, Stacey and Sebastian, she would go to get her food before coming back and sitting down a little ways from them, still drowning out the world in her music. Taking a closer look at the group, she would notice that there was a new kid amongst them that she did not know. Oh well, perhaps she would get the chance to speak to them all later.

.

---

---

The hug was unexpected. Elowen wasn’t one for touching and being touch, Ollie was well aware of that, but here she was, being squeezed by the lithe frame of her best friend for the first time in what probably was forever. It only lasted for a moment, but in her head Oliver felt it go on for a millennium. The rough feeling of the sweater and the smell of her friend’s shampoo lingered on her skin and mind, and Ollie reciprocated the gesture cautiously before Low pulled away to smile at her.

Ollie read her friend’s face like a book, already seeing the shadow of discomfort from the extended physical contact the two shared, and merely let her own face calm and appear much more gentle as Low greeted her with actual words for the first time this year. Her voice, God, she missed Low’s voice so much. It was like hearing your favorite song after a year of deafness, refreshing and just so damn relaxing.

Before she could move to sit down or say something in response, Low reached forward and traced her fingers over her palm before allowing her pinky to intertwine with Ollie’s. It was a small connection, the usual for her friend, and Ollie tilted her head as a small tug guided her towards the line for food. She then smiled softly, realizing her friend’s plan to get her settled and comfortable before they actually started catching up. Eventually, the wiry pink slipped from her grasp and Ollie glanced up to silently plan their next move before Elowen vanished to the back of the line. She was, once again, alone. Well, not in a literal sense, as many other bodies surrounded her, but she felt as lonely as she had been in the forest a mere moment again. She walked gently through the line, turning up a nose to most of the food until she came across the eggs a pancakes. Yum.

After filling her eyes and shoveling quite a few things onto the plate she wandered quietly back over to Elowen and they proceeded back to the table in a silent storm. Though Low never said anything out loud, Ollie couldn’t help but feel her friend was turning something over mentally. Like she was upset or something. But… Prying was never healthy unless it was needed, and Oliver was never good at knowing when something was needed or not. And so she followed after her friend with only a soft sigh and took a seat beside her. She watched Low eat for a moment, and then turned to dig into her own food, eating the syrup-drenched pancakes delicately.

"Was your trip nice? I drove here from home."

Ollie blinked, nearly choking on her most recent bite of breakfast food, ”you drove all the way down here? From Michigan?” A half smile half concerned frown overtook her face, and she leaned her head into her hand as she turned to look at Low over her glasses, ”I had a fine trip, but how was yours?” She questioned quietly, smiling as they gently found their happy places within the walls of their small conversations.

Soon enough, Elowen shared some news on her recovery, and Ollie couldn’t fight the proud smile that beamed across her face. She wanted to just get up right there and squeeze the girl, but instead she outstretched a hand. THis was an invitation; if Elowen wished to she could place her hand within Ollie’s and receive a small, reassuring squeeze, and if not they could simply continue on as if nothing happened. And still Oliver would smile, and say calmly,

”You’ve been doing well, then, I am so proud of you, Low!”

Casper barely had time to react after calling her name, suddenly finding himself thrust around before being pushed against the wall. Then again, what was he to expect, the two had been parted for an entire year, after all. It almost felt surreal to him, stumbling across her so suddenly, and it took him a few moments to properly register the situation before finally throwing his arms around her in a warm embrace. A larger-than-life smile was plastered on his face as he rested his head against her own, still coming to terms with the fact that she was here. The two had finally been reunited, and they could look forward to an entire summer together, yet only two minutes prior, Casper had been fussing and fretting over the upcoming leaders meeting and his late arrival. That stress now seemed to be a world away. One of the most important people in his life was in his arms, and there was nothing that could ruin that moment.

Now completely calm, having all but forgotten of his earlier troubles, Casper spoke softly while maintaining the tight embrace, "..fancy seeing you here!" He allowed a gentle giggle to escape his lips at his own joke, before continuing on, "Thanks for saving my bunk. I owe you a few midnight snacks for it, I guess, huh!"

Alex pulled back slightly, yet kept her arms locked around Caspy's neck, to look at him, her smile not faltering one bit. Cocking her head a little to the side and humming lightly in a teasing manner, she replied with a cryptic, "Maybe." Chuckling, she straightened herself before running one of her hands through the boy's hair slowly, soothingly. In contrast, she began to talk to him animatedly about anything that came to her mind. "Oh my god, I've missed you so much! How are you? Did you get here okay? How long have you been here? You look tired. Are you okay? Are you okay? Have you eaten?" Alex's ramble was only interrupted for a short moment when she gasped. "Oh my god I almost forgot. Congratulations on being team leader." Exhaling with a languid smile, the girl began to calm down. Cupping her best friend's face in her hands, she looked him directly in the eye. "You're going to do so great. I know you are. Because you're so amazing and I'll be with you through it, I promise," she assured him, knowing this was what he needed to hear. Smiling a little more, she leaned in to kiss his cheek before tightening her hold on him once more, resting her chin on his shoulder. Sometimes it felt like they fit so perfectly. Gently, she whispered, "I really missed you."

Casper met her eyes with his own as she worked through her questions in quick succession. He knew better than to try and actually answer them there and then, and so simply maintained a soft, reassuring grin with the occasional nod. Only upon the mention of his leadership did his smile falter somewhat, his anxiety evident, though before he even had time to descend into his earlier panic she was reassuring him. She was amazing that way. She always knew exactly what to say, as if she had each conversation somehow already planned out in her head, and without her, Casper would've no doubt caved in to his fears long ago.

After planting a kiss on his cheek, and resting her head on his shoulder, Casper found his eyes closing naturally. Delving into his thoughts, he couldn't help but wish as though he could freeze time, and simply stay in this moment forever. Yet even more than that, he wished he could tell her how he really felt, and encounters such as this brought him excruciatingly close to doing so. He'd run through similar scenarios in his head countless times, as a matter of fact, though every time he couldn't help but envision a rejection, followed by a break down in their friendship, and that was something he wasn't prepared to face. Bringing himself back to the situation at hand, he slowly opened his eyes and gave her a slight squeeze before speaking softly, almost whispering into her ear, "I missed you too."

"Knock knock...?"

A voice broke Alex and Casper out of their moment. When they looked at the doorway, they saw Luca leaning at the door with a sheepish expression on his face. His eyes were purposefully averted away from the two as his pointer finger was absently scratching his cheek. Of all the things that Luca expected to walk into... This was definitely not it. Casper never told him that he had a girlfriend or whatever! If he had known, Luca would've never came over.

"Uh, sorry. Am I interrupting something?" Luca asked awkwardly, "Um, I can leave if you're busy Casp..."

As Casper heard the familiar voice at the door, his head jolted upward and his eyes fixed on Luca. It wasn't the fact that Luca had caught the two in a rather intimate-yet-platonic moment, so much as it was how he reacted to the sight. Casper's mind ran ahead, desperately trying to figure out how to properly address the situation, though he only found himself stumbling over his words in his attempts to explain what was going on. No doubt, if he didn't actually have feelings for the girl in his arms, explaining the situation would be effortless, but unfortunately for Casper at this moment in time, he did, and to make matters even worse, Luca knew he did. "What if he 'congratulates' us on finally dating, or something?! He doesn't think we're dating, right? Right?! ..damnit, Casper! Just speak!" His thoughts continued to run on, while his incoherent stammering likewise continued.

Opting instead to shut his mouth for the moment and 'compose' himself as much as was possible, he dropped one of his arms from Alex and angled his body to face Luca. Taking a deep breath, as Alex would no doubt remind him to do if his stammering continued, he finally managed to squeak out "..not interrupting anything, no, no! We only just ran into each other, is all! This, uh...this is Alex! Alex - Luca, Luca - Alex!"

Alex slightly started in surprise at the sudden voice of another person. Pulling away from Caspy to look at the stranger that had addressed them, she was momentarily confused. She didn't recognize the tall boy at all. Was he new? But he had called out Caspy's name which meant he knew him right? Maybe he was a new member... Alex didn't get much time to dwell on it when she was pulled from her inner musings by Caspy's slight stuttering. Man, Caspy must be really embarrassed if he's rambling. I mean I know he doesn't like to be publicly affectionate but it'll be okay, we'll clear it up.

Concerned, the girl shifted her green eyes upward to look at her best friend with worry and placed her hands on his arm, one on his wrist and the other rubbing his upper arm, hoping it would calm him down. After a few moments, Caspy finally calmed down enough to utter out a small reply. Smiling in relief, Alex continued to rub his arm just a little bit longer knowing that he was still a little frazzled even after he had answered. He smiled at her which was the sign that he was okay now and that he appreciated her help. Giving a reassuring one back, Alex removed her hands and turned to address this Luca person.

Walking up to him, she faintly smiled in greeting before holding out her hand. "Nice to meet you. And don't worry, you weren't interrupting anything. Caspy and I are best friends and we hadn't seen each other for a while, that's all. Do you two know each other?" As Alex waited for Luca's response, she took a moment to look at him. He was a lot taller than she had originally thought and was cute now that she could see him up close. Also, she noticed he had a British accent when he spoke before. What was a guy like him doing here?

An aha! moment went through Luca's mind when he recognized the name "Alex". After all, Casper and Luca have only been best friends for years now, and all year Casper had been gushing about a girl named Alex. And now, Luca had accidentally walked into Casper hugging an "Alex" very tightly and intimately. Coincidence? Luca didn't think so. But from the way Casper had panicked slightly, Luca perceived that as of now, there was nothing going on between them... Yet. And of course, Luca would've been the first to know if they were an item.

Luca would have to ask Casper to elaborate upon this later.

As for now, he directed his attention to Alex. This was the first time that Luca was able to put a face to the name.

"Oh! What a coincidence. Well, excuse me ma'am, there must be some sort of mistake. You see, I'm Casper's best friend so you couldn't possibly be." Luca teased with a warm smile as he grasped Alex's hand in both of his own. Perhaps it was a bit too presumptuous to tease someone he just met, but it was Luca's subtle attempt to diffuse the awkward air. "I suppose that we must come to a compromise of sorts about this. And no Miss Alex... The pleasure is all mine."

Shooting a sly grin at Casper, he asked "Shall I embrace you too, Caspy? After all, I'm also a best friend that you haven't seen in quite a while. If this is how you greet all of your close friends, I'm afraid that we must've been doing it a bit wrong!" Luca couldn't resist the urge to tease Casper as well.

Breathing a sigh of relief after hearing the two speak, Casper shifted his weight against the doorframe to the bathroom, looking on. Of course, Luca handled the situation perfectly, and Casper's worrying proved unjustified. He almost felt somewhat guilty for even worrying about Luca 'dropping him in it', or letting him down in any sort of way. He never had before, and he certainly didn't now.

He couldn't help but laugh as he overheard Luca addressing Alex, and he gradually made his way toward the duo, "Heck--..or, more appropriately for our British compadre, 'Golly Gosh!' Try not to fight over me when you reach the compromise." Positively beaming at the sight of quite literally his closest friends in the entire world finally being together, he turned his attention to Luca, mocking a laugh, "Ha ha ha. So very funny." Returning a sly grin, he promptly continued on, "..in the Blue cabin, Luca? I ought to report you. Sneaking around like this! ..but, thanks for coming along, honestly."

It was when he uttered those last words that he suddenly remembered why Luca had turned up in the first place. The leadership meeting. His hair was a mess. Richard. The few, precious minutes of bliss were well and truly over, and he couldn't help but voice his concerns. "Crud! Bugger! ..breakfast, the leadership meeting! ..and I still haven't even unpacked my things! Ugh!" Casper let out a huff of annoyance, turning his back to the two for a moment to cast his gaze over to his suitcases, untouched since he lay them against the bunkbed. Spinning on his heel to face the two once more, he declared "Okay. Okay. We need to get breakfast! ..and then I need to sort out my things..or, will I even have time to do that and fix my hai-" Casper cut himself off with another huff of exasperation, throwing his hands up somewhat, as if he were surrendering to the fates. "Breakfast! Can we go get breakfast?"

The first thing Alex noticed was how big Luca's hands were. They felt nice wrapped around her own small, delicate hand. Oh geez, he's so cute and funny and... wait, did he just say he was Caspy's best friend? Being pulled out of her brief daze, the shorter girl furrowed her brows in confusion. However, before she could question why she hadn't met him before if they shared a mutual best friend, the English boy had stilled her heart once more.

Alex was granted a brief moment to collect her thoughts as Luca addressed Caspy. What was that suppose to mean? Was he just being polite like the English stereotype or actually flirty? A part of her wished it was the latter. Subconsciously, she placed a hand over her chest. But wait, what was up with Caspy not telling her that he had another 'best friend?' For a second, worry washed over her. Was Luca a better friend than her? Did Caspy withhold this information from her for some reason? Pushing those thoughts away, she turned to the two boys teasing each other. Well they certainty seemed to get along really well.

"Caspy!" she exclaimed before taking his hands into hers. "It's fine. We have plenty of time. Come on, let's go get breakfast and when we have the time, I'll help you unpack because I'm your best friend and we're in the same cabin which means we're meant to be together." Toward the end, she turned to face Luca with a mock smirk before dragging her best friend toward the dining hall. She'd ask him about Luca later.

"Well, I did sneak into the Blue Cabin to help you unpack Casp," Luca sighed, jamming his hands into his pockets. "But if you're meant to be together, by all means. I don't want to sit by and watch you two lovebirds fuss about how you're going to decorate your home."

With a wry smile, he trailed behind the two at a slower pace. Casp and Alex seemed to be in their own world, and Luca wasn't really fond of being a third wheel. Being the nice guy that he was, his friends back in England would often drag him to dates that they didn't really want to go on and he had more than enough of THAT experience.

It seems that things were going to be interesting this year. Very interesting indeed.

It didn't take long for the group of three to make it to the dining hall. As they walked, Alex wondered how many people had already arrived at the hall. She wasn't worried about finding someone to sit with like she had last night because she had Caspy with her. Hopefully Luca would want to sit with them too. She wouldn't mind getting to know him a little better. Having her thoughts wander to the tall Englishman, she recalled something that he and Caspy had mentioned a few times while they were back in the room. They had implied that Luca wasn't in the blue team and it didn't seem like he was new (which she thought was odd because she had literally never seen him before). What team was he in then? Would he sit with them instead? How many new campers were there this summer? Secretly, she hoped there weren't any.

"I don't think I should eat too much in case we have to do a lot today. I mean, it's already this hot this early in the morning so I'm thinking that it'll be--" Alex stopped short as they got close to the dining room's entrance. She would recognize that tall stature and blonde hair anywhere. Smiling, she unlinked her arm with Caspy's and ran up to Richard whose back was facing her, talking to somebody. Apparently it was Stacey who she knew wouldn't be too happy about having their conversation interrupted. Looking up in contemplation for a short moment, she shrugged before ramming into the tall boy's back. "Hey, watch it, asshole!" she yelled at him, crossing her arms and waiting for him to turn around. Smirking, she quirked an eyebrow once she came face to face with "the King."

Excitement welled up in Lil's belly as she pulled up to the check in station at Camp Liberty. She was so ready to be at camp, she had been all year. Still she was nervous. She could tell because she had rattled on to the cab driver the entire ride. He look very annoyed at this point. Quickly, anxious to get all her stuff into her cabin, Lil tossed him some money and shoved open the door to the cab. Standing up, her head slammed into the roof of the car. A loud thump resounded through the car, causing the driver to look back at her in concern. Knowing she just made herself look like an idiot, she giggled, trying to forget the pain and hurried to grab her bags.

Lil rushed through the paperwork in registration as fast as she could, forgetting to sign twice. She had made the mistake of sticking her identification at the bottom of her bag, and had to pull out almost every article of clothing to find it. When she finally did, she flashed it to the registrators, she had no idea if that was a real word, but it's what she called them, and bounced out of the room on the way to her cabin.

The weather was astoundingly hot, much to Lil's disappointment. She had hoped that maybe for some reason it would be cold this summer. Heavens knows she packed for the cold. She always did. What was she going to use her giant hoodie for now? The only thing people would think of her if she wore it, would be that she was insane.

Finally she stepped up to the front door of the cabin and kicked it open with her foot. Her arms were so covered in items that there was no way she could have open them with her hands. Making her way to the nearest bunk, she tossed everything on top of it. She could worry about putting stuff away later. For now it would just have to lay in a cluttered heap. Besides, it wasn't like greens were known for their cleanliness. Speaking of greens, with a disappointed look she saw her room was nearly empty. Only one other bed had clothes on it. Well at least she would have someone to bond with. Better than having the cabin to herself.

With a start, Lil jumped as her phone went off in her pocket.



Lil's face lit up like a christmas tree while reading the text. She was so glad that there was someone else at this camp that was just as excited as her. Quickly, with a wide smile plastered across her face, she tapped out a reply.



She stopped and thought for a moment, before deciding who she wanted to meet up with the most. There was only one person that she could think of.

”Yeah, driving through the changes in the weather was inspiring.” The thunderstorms, the dry heat, everything and nothing in between. And late at night on an empty stretch of highway, she'd roll down her window and listen to the crickets and hoppers chirp their summer heat tune. It was a great drive. It took a week of constant driving, it drained a bit of her savings, but it was worth it, she told herself adamantly. It was worth it because she wasn't buying drugs.

Unsurprisingly, breakfast was devoured in silence. Low had never been a chatty girl and unless something mystical happened this year things would stay the same. There was a comfort in the idea of slow change, fast and furious was not her style. Even though she'd led a life of tell-tale drugs and had essentially become the camps 'creature feature', the recovering girl was not a party animal, she did not scope the scene for attractive boys and girls. Rather, simply, she got her high and laid somewhere alone, shivering and sweating the self-concocted misery of man-made drug away.

To hear that Ollie was proud of her made a tiny bird in her heart swell and sing. It was a tiny tune that danced in her blue eyes, a smile passed, covered only for the fact she might have had food on her teeth. They messaged frequently, but they rarely Skype'd or called over the phone. Neither had the time or capacity to keep a piece of technology pressed against their ears besides music. Speaking of, she turned the volume down on her phone, tapped the standard music app and loaded a song she'd freshly discovered the other day.

”You might like it,” I mean... I do. Low offered bashfully, the last thought hinted on the edge of her sentence, picking apart the English muffin on her plate. They liked a lot of things together. It was surprising they hadn't put Low on Gray, or Ollie on Green. Of course, their friendship wasn't as petty as that. After the song ran through she closed the app entirely and tucked her cat-cased phone away, missing her own at home. Her psychologist had offered to take care of her smush-faced baby for her, even going as far as to take her into their own home for the summer.

'A pet helps', they said. If only they allowed her to take her precious cat to camp. It would have been less traumatizing to lose her cat to the forest than to someone busting into her home looking for drugs. She'd saved Pagan a few times from disaster, tucking into the water closet while people ransacked her home. They never took anything, as she kept everything simple. There was no tv, no computer. Just her phone which she always kept close to her person.

Blue eyes met her friends shaded own with a joyous crinkle. A piece of english muffin passed glossed lips. She hadn't put anything dark on them just yet. That was for the afternoons and nights. At least, that's what she read on a make-up blog.