A/N: Hello everyone! Here is my contribution to the Trinity fandom. I would like to take the space here to thank my beta reader from the Tumblr realm awkward-like-grace. I will also be posting this to my Tumblr at werewolf13bites under the tags of #Camp Takota #Camp Takota fanfiction #fanfic #fanfiction #allison henry/OFC if you wanted to follow it there!
A few weeks before summer - Chicago, IL
Allison was just leaving The Gage when she checked her phone. Maxine had called and left a message. Considering it had been almost a year and a half since they really spoke last from Allison spending a majority of her time in culinary school and Maxine was busy with the camp. Elise had been busy with her book tour and helping Eli out with the farm, but would call from time to time.
"Hey Al, it's Maxine, which you should know, unless you deleted my number, which would make you a total ass. Anyway, call me back; I've got some great news!"
Allison scoffed with a smile on her face. Some people never truly change, and Maxine was definitely evidence of that. Allison went to her contacts list and called Maxine.
"HEY, Allison. Nice to see you realize the phone works both ways," Maxine answered in a wry tone.
"Hey Max, sorry, I was busy at work. You see, it's frowned upon when the sous chef decides to take a call during the lunch rush," Allison replied sarcastically.
"All right, well what are your plans during the summer? Do you have any more classes you have to take or have you finally graduated? Can you please come back and work this summer?"
"Nah, I've only got one semester left and this semester I took off to intern at this place called The Gage. Any luck with finding a replacement in the kitchen?" Allison leisurely paced in front of the restaurant. She wasn't going to lie, she was feeling a little homesick. She liked the city just fine, and it had a pretty nice selection of ladies for dates, but Allison was sorely missing her friends and trees. Hell, even a patch of poison ivy would have been a nice sight.
"Oh yeah, the first summer after you were gone was rough. I had to fire him, but I was able to find someone who is top notch. They'll also be working in the kitchen this summer. Is that okay?"
"That's perfectly fine. As long as it's cool with them."
"Oh, trust me Al, you will be a godsend. Charlie likes to get all fancy with cooking, too."
Allison grinned, "Have you talked to Elise at all?"
"She's moved in with Eli, she visits all the time now that her tour is over, unlike someone."
"Oh, come on! I would have if I could have, you know that!"
"Yeah, I know. I'm just glad we can get the gang back together is all. Penny signed up to come back this summer too, so we can definitely count on Elise coming to be a counselor."
"How is our resident author anyway?"
"She's good. She's dyed her hair brown, I think it's because she thinks it will summon you. We both miss you though, so you better start packing and shit when you get home."
"Well, bad luck on her part; I dyed my hair blonde earlier this year. My bag will be ready to go by tomorrow."
"Okay, I'll be sure to keep an eye out for you next week. Unless I don't recognize you."
Allison laughed and hit 'end call' before she slipped her phone in her pocket. She pulled out her car keys and kept walking to the end of the lot where she parked.
Camp Takota - Michiana, Michigan
Maxine hung up the phone and picked it back up to dial Elise.
"Hello?" a male answered.
"Hey Eli, where's Elise?" Maxine asked.
"Right here! I'm right here," the phone shuffled on the other line, "Hey Maxine, what's up?"
"Allison is coming to work this summer," Maxine grinned.
"Oh man, she is going to be so unprepared when Charlie gets there," Elise fought back giggles.
"Oh please, I'm sure Charlie won't know what to do or expect either," Maxine laughed. Her eyes brightened, "Wanna make a bet?"
There was a pause at the other end, "Absolutely, ten bucks and a bottle of vodka: the kitchen will close before the end of the summer."
"Yeah, how about fifteen bucks and a bottle of scotch that it won't even happen in the kitchen. It'll be at the lake."
"Allison hates swimming though," Elise shook her head, "Whatever, it's a deal."
"You better be willing to pay up when it happens."
"We have to let it happen on its own. Don't go sending Allison to the lake or any signs of her to go to the lake. Got it?
"What? I can't play a little matchmaker?" Maxine pouted, "All right, fine. It'll be a fair bet."
"Good because I'm going to win anyway," Elise said, "I'll see you guys next week."
Maxine pursed her lips and hung up the phone before picking it back up, "She didn't say anything about talking to Charlie."
One week later
"Allison!" Maxine yelled when she saw Allison loaded with bags from her car.
"Max!," Allison said and dropped her bags before she was pulled into a hug.
"I see you decided to come in uniform," Maxine regarded the Takota staff tee with the sleeves cut off and the green bandana wrapped around Allison's head, "Nice color, it looks good on you."
"Thanks! Well, I didn't want the new guy to feel too out of place. You said his name was Charlie, right?" Allison crossed her arms.
Oh boy. "Yeah, Charlie." Maxine tried hard not to bust out with laughter and went so far as to bite her lip to keep from it.
"Charlie's here?" Elise asked excitedly as she ran up to Maxine.
"Whoa, you seem more excited to see him than me!" Allison placed her hand over her heart with an expression of mock hurt.
Elise's mouth fell open and she looked to Maxine, who was red in the face and turned away from her friends.
"Of course I'm excited to see you," Elise said, bringing her hand up and punching Allison lightly in the arm before hugging her.
Allison's expression changed to one of puzzlement and she pushed Elise away, "Wait a minute, what's wrong? Why are you guys being weird?"
The sound of a motorcycle approaching set Maxine off and she began to laugh uncontrollably: large, bellyaching laughter that caused her to clutch her stomach and bend over.
"We're always weird," Elise got out before joining in the laughter.
Allison's eyebrows scrunched down and her mouth was pursed in a small 'o' at her friends' behavior. Before she could ask what was going on, the motorcycle pulled up over by Allison's car and the owner gunned the engine before they turned it off, which brought Allison to focus on them. Swinging a leg over the back to dismount, Allison cocked her head to the side before she turned to her friends who leaned on each other for support as they tried to reel back their laughter.
"Am I to guess that this is Charlie?" Allison asked, jabbing a thumb over her shoulder.
Getting a fresh batch of hilarity from the two girls, Allison turned to the apparently hilarious Charlie.
"Hi, I'm Allison, are you this Charlie that these two can't seem to get over?" Allison held a hand out, "I'm going to guess you're either a super-hilarious guy or a super-awesome guy, so which is it?"
With one hand to grab Allison's to shake, the other hand went for the helmet and was removed to show reddish-chestnut hair, spiky and everywhere from the helmet on the left side, but the right side was completely shaven up to eye level. Bright blue/grey eyes set over an average nose wrinkled up because of a huge half-grin that quirked up a full pair of lips. Oh, and Charlie was a girl.
"Oh," was all that Allison got out. Another round of laughter from her friends behind her was the response.
"Guys, come on, leave her be, it wasn't her fault," Charlie said as she tucked her helmet under her arm, "It's not like you actually introduced me by my full name."
Her voice was low for a girl, but Allison could only find 'sultry' to be more fitting.
"Which is?" Allison asked, still shaking her hand.
"Charlotte. I like Charlie though," she smiled again and released Allison's hand. Allison noticed the hoop in her right nostril and the hoop in the left side of her lip.
"Yeah, we all like Charlie," Maxine recovered enough to walk over and sling an arm around Charlie's shoulders, "She's really more like our own little camp witch, so she probably put a spell on us to like her."
Charlie's lips flattened as she gave Maxine a withered look, "Really, Max? You have to say that when I meet one of your old friends?"
"You're a witch?" Allison was incredulous.
"Wiccan," Charlie's shoulders shrugged up, "Maxine introduced me to Sally last year with that line and the woman went from her usual skin tone to me in about three seconds."
"I really should've used the vampire line, huh?" Maxine ruffled Charlie's hair, "I swear, this girl does not see the sun enough. She's paler than you are Al."
Charlie took the sleeve of Maxine's shirt in her thumb and forefinger to pull her arm from her shoulders, "I don't do sunlight, and the sunlight don't do me."
Charlie opened her arms to receive the hug from Elise, "Hey Elise. How excited is Penny? How's Eli?"
"Penny is always excited about camp and Eli is good," Elise nodded, "Well, he's better after you guys set up your little contract."
Charlie grimaced, "Yeah, dude, I'm really sorry about that. I seriously didn't think he'd come that close to the camp side. But it was bound to happen."
Allison rose an eyebrow, "What happened?"
Charlie pursed her lips and turned her head away, the back of her neck was bright red.
"Charlie likes to swim in the lake on some nights," Maxine announced proudly.
Allison's eyes widened at Charlie, "What? Isn't that a little dangerous?"
"Max has her fiber nuts and Elise has her journal," Charlie explained, "and I…swim when there's enough moonlight. I scared Eli pretty badly one night though, so we made a deal that I would have the lake any night that the moon is bright enough, as well as every full moon."
There was a pause until Charlie turned to Maxine, "Did my bags ship in okay?"
"Yeah, I've already got them in your bunk," Maxine said, "Come on, let's get Allison situated and we can chill a bit for the rest of the day."
"Don't we need to set up the mess hall?" Allison picked up her bags, trying extremely hard not to look at Charlie's body. The fact that she totally missed the front of the girl when she had the helmet on was now even more distracting. If Allison were to guess by sight alone, she would say that the girl was a solid B-cup. Allison shook her head to keep her thoughts from going any further.
"We can do that tomorrow, it'll take less time with two people anyway," Maxine said over her shoulder.
"Here," Charlie held a hand out and Allison hesitated before she handed Charlie a bag, "I know you're probably pretty strong for your size, but it's a pretty long walk."
"Thanks," Allison shifted the other bag on her shoulder as they walked behind Max and Elise, "So, I take it you like it here?"
"It's definitely a place I feel home at," Charlie smiled, "It really helps me out spiritually and all that jazz."
"How did you and Max meet?"
"Uh, I was kind of sent in her direction. I, um, came here the first summer and Maxine liked me enough to have me come back."
Allison's eyebrows creased together at Charlie's answer, but she left it alone for the time being.
"I've heard quite a bit about you," Charlie said, and then with a chuckle added, "You left some really big shoes to fill."
Allison grinned, "Yeah, I kinda went a little overboard during my time here. But it seems like you were able to fill them just fine."
Charlie laughed, "Maybe with a few tater tots stuffed in the toes."
"Hey guys, you going to keep up or are you going to go make out?" Maxine yelled at them from farther along the trail, "'Coz we are not going to wait on you if you are going to do the second."
"We're coming," Charlie yelled back. She paused for a moment before she looked at Allison and waggled her eyebrows.
"Oh my god," Maxine laughed, "You did not just do that! Allison, I would watch out for her, she bites."
Allison, although taken aback, laughed, "Wow…looks like I've got competition for dirty talking."
"Yeah you do, considering I didn't even really say anything," Charlie raised her eyebrows and lightly jogged up the trail. Allison followed suit and they both caught up with Max and Elise.
Maxine and Elise made eye contact. Elise nodded slowly and mouthed, "Yeah. You're going down."
Maxine only pursed her lips, shaking her head knowingly. She could see Charlie was super attracted to Allison, and Allison wasn't far off the more she got to know Charlie. Plus, she knew Charlie was a romantic poet type. Charlie would try the lake before anything else. All Allison needed to do was to not try anything first.
Elise was confident Allison would make the first move, but she knew if Allison were to make the move, it would definitely be in the kitchen. Allison never really liked water or swimming for that matter. Plus, Charlie was the type of person to wait, she would wait for Allison to make the first move. At least, Elise knew that Charlie never liked to go first when they played chess.
Elise pursed her lips. Maybe she should have been more specific in her bet.