The mountains were high and everywhere. It was an unusual sight for someone who had only been to the city. There was so much space here! The air was clean, and there were next to no noises that could disturb the peace. The roads were small and uneven, so the bus rumped every now and then. Of course the teenagers in it didn't care, they were too busy throwing paper airplanes at each other, chewing gum, playing guitar, staring out of the window or offending one another.
"If I have to bunk with Rachel I will kill myself."
"Nonsense, we will kill her. Just throw her in a lake, I'm sure she can't swim with those tights that will soak up water and pull her down, together with her nose. She'll probably sink head first."
Laughter from the row behind the Cheerios, which was the last row, where the coolest boys sat. Quinn and Santana turned around to see some peanuts falling out of Puck s mouth.
"Disgusting", Quinn said
"Sexy" Santana said at the same time. Probably meant sarcastic, but you never knew with her.
"I think Finn would save Rachel", Brittany said. "He's in love with her."
"Nonsense. He's in love with me", Quinn said. "He just doesn't know it yet."
"Who would love a gnome like Berry, come on", Santana said.
Several rows before them was were the sensible people sat. Meaning said Rachel, who was busy studying a textbook so she hadn't heard the mocking. She was alone on two seats, in front of her sat Mercedes, her legs up on her neighbor seat. On the other side sat Kurt and Blaine, which Mercedes had observed for a time now. For a gay couple they behaved pretty unaffectionate. And they had to be a couple. Blaine had come to McKinley because of Kurt. That was what Kurt had told everybody so it had to be true.
Their teacher Mr Schue stood up at the very front and asked for attention, telling them they soon would reach their goal. In ten minutes they would be at the camp were they would spend the summer. Intensive vocal training was the official reason they got there but come one. It would be a relaxing and fun adventure. Nobody took the 'intensive vocal lessons' serious, well, except Rachel.
Eventually the bus turned and drove onto camp's muddly grounds. Rachel looked up from her book and sat her eyes on a beautiful blue glistening lake. Oh, how her voice would be able to fly through the air to the other shore, reaching everybody residing in the village at the foot of the mountains and charming them. They would lift theirs head and look in bewilderment at each other, asking "What's that outrageous, strong and magical voice we hear?"
Everybody in the bus gathered their things, and as soon as the bus had stopped they jumped out.
The main house stood there, wooden, dirty and unimpressive. Rachel couldn't see cabins yet but there where trees behind the house, probably hiding them. She went to the trunk of the bus were Mr. Schue and the driver were putting out the luggage.
"Which young gentleman wants to help me carry my bag?" she asked, looking at Finn. He didn't hear her and kept on shoving Puck around.
"Maybe Rory will, he does such things", Sam Evans said. He knocked his Irish friend, who turned around and looked questioningly at them.
Rachel sighed. "Never mind."
"Let me help." Blaine Anderson appeared on her other side and took Rachel's bag out of her hand. Or rather tried, since Rachel didn't let go.
"Dude, what are you doing? It's Rory's thing!" Sam said.
"What?" Rory asked.
"I don't mind."
"I can carry my bag myself, thank you very much!" Rachel tugged on her bag and went away. Boys were so stupid, all of them! Why did she even care?
She met Kurt and Mercedes who were standing apart from the group of Cheerios and their admirers.
"We stick together, right?" she asked.
"Of course" Kurt said.
Their teacher talked to a man with a beard, the owner of the camp. Then he introduced them.
"Okay, guys, split up into groups of four. You know the rules, no gender-mixed houses."
Kurt hid behind Mercedes while Tina Cohen-Chang came to them.
"Mr. Schue, me, Santana and Brittany want to go together in a house, no fifth wheel!" Quinn said.
"Fourth wheel", Brittany corrected her.
M. Schue sighed deeply. A man who've had enough already and the summer hadn't even begun yet.
"Kurt, what about Blaine?" Mercedes turned to the boy behind her.
"What about him?" Kurt moved with her so he could stay behind her.
"Well, don't you want to bunk with him? You can't leave him alone with the other boys."
Rachel looked over to said other boys. Mike pushed Artie's wheelchair through the mud, reaching Rory and Sam who seemed to be playing stones, paper and scissors. Blaine just stood there, paying attention to the teacher.
"He will be fine", Kurt said.
Mr Schue waved Artie and Mike closer and told them since Artie was in a wheelchair he had booked a room in the house. He told the rest of the group to follow the owner, Mr. Kennedy, and led Mike and Artie into the house.
So they followed Mr. Kennedy into the woods. The first cabin was right there. It wasn't what Rachel had expected, a rusty and moldy old house. No, it locked brand new, made from light brown wood, clean windows with closed gardins and even a porch. Sun light was coming through the leaves and put it into a magical light.
Of course the Cheerios immediately stormed up the three steps to the porch. They always took the best, and always first.
Mr Kenndy gave them a key and told them that his wife would come to make their beds soon. The path went on and another equally good house showed up. Mercedes held back Rachel as she wanted to storm on this one's porch.
"Think about it. Do you really want to live next to the Cheerios?"
Rachel pulled back her arm and continued her planned action before anyone else could. She wouldn't let anyone or anything take from her what was hers, at least not this time.
Also, the thought of Finn living next to Quinn made her nervous.
Naturally her friends followed her lead. Mr Kennedy gave Rachel the key but didn't answer any of her questions regarding camp rules and safety.
Rory seemed to be the only one who noticed the hint of a shadow wandering over Blaine's face as Kurt got into the girl's cabine. Mr Kennedy fled from Rachel's babbling so he hadn't even realized what had happened.
A few feet further was another cabine. The man turned to them.
"And the last one", he said.
"With five beds?" Rory asked.
"No, four as usual." Mr Kennedy looked over them and stroke his beard.
"Oh, well, the first cabin should have been filled with four people."
"No problem, no problem." Puck held up his hands. "I volunteer."
"Oh no, you don't", Finn said. "What happened to our bro camp summer?"
"Finn." Puck laud his hand on Finns shoulder. "This sacrifice isn't easy for me, believe me. But someone has to go."
"No mixed cabins", Mr Kennedy said. "You heard your teacher."
"Don't sweat it. I'm totally gay", Puck said.
"Really?"
"Totally! I'm already on my way." Puck waved them and strolled back the path with his backpack thrown over one shoulder.
"Okay then." Mr Kenney gave the key to Finn.
"As with the others, the phone number of the main house is next to the phone and my wife will check on you in a few."
He turned around and left. Finn went up to the porch and the others followed.
When Rory entered the cabin it smelled of cool wood. Finn opened the curtains to let the sun in. A dark red bench stood beneath the windows, with a table. On the left side was a fire place and a couch.
"Where's the TV?" Finn put his bag on the table and scratched his neck while looking around. "And the playstation?"
Rory let them all behind and went down the hall. There were two more rooms, a tiny bathroom and a tiny bedroom with two even tinier bunk beds. Rory put his bag on one of the upper ones and wondered how Finn would ever sleep in one of the beds without falling out.
"Shit! We don't have any room at all here!" Sam said, looking in.
"The bathroom is even tinier", Rory said. "But all in all it's grand!"
"Let me through! I'm sleeping up!" Finn cried, shoving Sam aside.
"Hey!"
Finn jumped up the second upper bed and immediately hit the ceiling with his head which caused him to curse.
"Shouldn't we have a kitchen?" Blaine asked from the hallway.
"We don't have to cook", Rory said.
"Yeah but… drinks and so on."
"We can cool the beer in the shower", Sam said from the bathroom. Blaine went there, while Rory opened the cupboards. Not much space, who would have guessed.
"Well, I wonder how the girls will cope with that."
"Puck will so not stay with the girls", Finn said. He jumped down and left the room. "I'm going to Mr. Schue!"
Finn was right. Puck didn't stay with the girls. He would have been kicked out by Santana if Quinn would have let him in in the first place. But she didn't. So he went to Mr. Schue, told him all about the situation and also that Kurt was trying to get away with living with girls.
Mr. Schue interrupted his own setting in and went to the house lady. She gave him another room for two, to which he sent Puck. Kurt was making more problems, he was refusing to leave the cabin. When Finn arrived, Mr Schue met him at the door.
"Mr. Schue, Mr. Schue! Wait!" A wild Puck appeared behind the teacher. "I have decided that I don't care about Kurt. I'm okay with being alone in my room."
"You have your own room?" Finn asked. "Whaaat?"
"Hehehe."
"Mr. Schue!" Finn ran after his teacher. "Can I live with Puck?"
"I told Kurt no mixed-gender cabins!"
"Oh come on, better than putting him and Blaine together. They will have gay sex."
Mr. Schue stopped and thought.
"Well, true, okay. But that doesn't change anything. You go back to your cabin, I'll put Puck together with Mike and Artie."
Only fair, Finn then thought, living with a handicapped person was just as bad as living with an Irish one.
When he went back he came along the girls' cabins. The Cheerios' door was closed but the second one was left ajar. So Finn went in. In here several people were screaming and he didn't understand a word.
Tina came into the room, saw him and ran back screaming "BOY IN OUR HOUSE!"
This brought out Rachel, Mercedes and Kurt, suddenly all standing there and staring at him.
Finn raised a hand. "Uhm, hello. Just checking in."
A hair brush hit him on the head and fell down clacking.
"Okay."
Finn retreated and closed the door. Everybody in the room congratulated Mercedes for this creative use of a hair brush, then they went on having a naked pajama party.
(In Finn's head.)
And yes, Kurt had breasts, too. (In Finn's head.)
Finn went on the path, birds whistling everywhere, trees waving in the wind. Other than that it was really quiet, way too quiet for Finn's taste. No one was screaming around, no cars or other traffic, what was the meaning of life anyway?
"The girls are having a naked pajama party!" Finn said when he entered the cabin.
"I knew it, I knew it!" Rory screamed from the bedroom. A few seconds later he rushed past Finn and left the house.
"Is that true, my friend?" Sam asked. He was hovering in front of the fire place. Finn sat down on the couch and observed the nonsense actions of his super-blond friend.
"What exactly are you doing?"
"Trying to make a fire."
"It's summer."
"I know."
Finn let his gaze wander. Pretty neat, this cottage. And they were here all summer long. Fantastic. He would get laid, he felt it in his bones.
"Sam, can I ask you something?"
"Mh?"
"Are you…" Finn stopped and looked around. "Where's Blaine?"
"Mh?"
"That guy that Kurt brought with him a few months ago."
"He's unpacking."
Finn got up, closed the door to the hallway and silently walked back to the couch.
"Are you a virgin?" he then whispered.
Sam succeeded in making a fire, even though it was only on his face.
"What?"
"Cause, I know how we can get laid. By girls. From girls." Finn frowned. Which one sounded righter?
"Girls?"
"Haha, if I only think of Puck having to live right under Mr. Schue's nose! Maybe it's good he's actually not here. And Blaine will be over at Kurt's all the time. So we can have straight parties here. Do you get my drift, man?"
"I guess so."
Finn sighed. Yeah, sometimes Sam was slow. It was okay as long as he didn't interfere with Finn's girls anymore. He was sure Quinn and Rachel could lay down their twist for one night so they could have a threesome.
Man. Finn had so great ideas, man!