"This way, we've moved the counselor's cabins this year. The lake flooded in the spring and now most of them are rotting, we use them for storage now. A little rot can't hurt plastic canoes and oars!"

"Well, now at least the counselors are closer to the campers in case of an emergency." Kankri answered, pushing his bangs out of his eyes before adjusting his bag on his shoulder. The hike from the parking lot where his father dropped him hours ago to the camp was longer than he remembered, but he supposed that perhaps he may be a bit more out of shape than last summer. It was highly logical, as annoying conventional as it was, his first two semesters away at college may have added some weight. His shoulder was becoming sore from his luggage, heavy with all the essentials for the next two months.

"It's always refreshing to hear you thinking professionally Vantas. If only it rubbed off on the others."

"Thank you sir, I appreciate that."

The old man turned to grin under his mustache, glasses glinting in the sunlight. "It's Poppop, you know that. That's what the campers call me, so you should as well." Kankri sighed, squinting his eyes against the sun. "I am aware, allow me to become used to it again. It has been a while." He replied. Poppop nodded, smiling widely as he usually did. He gestured with his good hand, brown gloves covering the ailment on his other. "Just down that path, and you're golden. It's nice, shady since it's they're on the forest line. Same cabin number as last year, but you know that." Kankri nodded, shifting his bags for the last stretch of the trip before walking down the rock lined gravel pathway to his home for the summer.

When he arrived he was pleasantly surprised at the state of the cabins, they seemed like they were in the best condition out of all the ones in the camp. They should probably be used by the camp's adult instructors and leaders, but Kankri didn't worry too much about it. Better for he and the rest of the counselors anyway, and he was sure there was a reason for it. The cabins formed a circle around a central fire pit surrounded by seating, a small metal grill standing near for cooking with warm coals, something rarely used by the counselors out of laziness.

"Hey!" Kankri internally groaned at the drawn out drawling vowels.

"Kankri Kiss-ass is back!" "Meenah, I find it highly triggering that you refer to me with such crude names. However it is nice to see that you have returned. How have you been?" He stopped at his cabin, placing his luggage on the small porch before turning to look at the girl lounging on the steps of the farthest cabin. "Living large, as usual." She grinned, swinging herself upright and bouncing towards him across the grass. "Did you take my thoughtful advice and decide to attend college?" "Hell no, I got myself a job and am rolling in dough. School is fucking lame."

"I disagree, but it's nice to know that you've applied yourself in some way." "Fuck, college didn't loosen you up at all." Meenah sighed. Kankri looked at her in annoyance, looking her over briefly. It had been a while since he had last seen her, and she hadn't changed one bit. Cargo pants hung off her hips to her knees, revealing the pink and black striped strings of the bikini she wore underneath. The top of the suit was highly visible under the cropped tank top she wore, wide armholes and plunging neckline leaving nothing unrevealed. Fuchsia chunky sneakers covered her feet, and a matching flat brimmed hat adorned her head. The only things that seemed to have changed about her was her skin was lighter than it had been at the end of the summer last year, which was no surprise, and her once dark hair was now streaked with blonde and bright pink that wove through her long braids.

"Are you allowed to look like that, I would think the leaders would have some disagreement with it." Kankri asked, wincing as her bangles clinked noisily as she shifted. "Please, my momma owns this chunk of land, they wouldn't dare touch me. Only rule is I have to wear the uniform and my hair has to be tied up when I work the lake." Meenah answered. "So, you're our lifeguard again this year?"

"Who else would they hire?"

Biting his tongue to hold in his retort, Kankri picked up his bags and made his way into cabin six. The cabin was much nicer than the ones the counselors stayed in last year. He chose a bed, placing his bag on the bare mattress and pulling open the only slightly stiff drawers to unpack.

The cabin's wood was light and sun bleached, the floor clean and with no gaps between the boarding. Large windows lined with net to keep out pests lined the entire front wall around the doorway and were set into the walls above each desk set at the food of the beds. After he had placed his clothing in their rightful places inside the drawers and made his bed up, he further explored the cabin. He was pleasantly surprised to find it had more than one power outlet unlike the one he stayed in previously, meaning he wouldn't have to fight with his bunk mate in order to plug in his reading lamp. Breaking from unpacking, Kankri returned outside to investigate the voices that had begun to echo from outside the door. Stepping out of the cabin he was immediately greeted.

"Kankri!"

He couldn't keep himself from smiling at the familiar voice, walking towards the small forming group. "Hello Latula. How was school?" Kankri asked, smiling at his old friend. "Good! As it should be, when it cost an arm and a leg." She laughed. "You never contacted me; did you end up going to that school in Long Beach after all?" "Totally! It's so cool dude, you should have applied with me." "We both know that it's best for me to stay close to home." Kankri replied, trying to adjust to her after the long absence of contact between them. Latula seemed like a different person now; he wondered if she had actually changed or if she was adhering to the stereotypes of costal life.

Latula and Kankri had gone to high school together, both of them being in a select few higher level classes together caused them to become friends of sorts through the years. Kankri had always respected Latula's positive outlook and intelligence, going far enough to even begin to feel romantic inclinations towards her on the tail end of their senior year and into the past summer. Now, he wasn't sure how he felt about her.

Her old thick rimmed glasses had been traded for rimless rectangles that were shifting to a dark red in the sunlight, a metallic teal ball set on the side of her nose, and her black hair barely showed through the roots of her now ginger ponytail. She was annoyingly clashing and matching all at once, red shorts and vibrant teal tank top matching perfectly to her sneakers. When she turned towards Meenah, he was shocked to find the wings of an inky dragon spanning across the skin of her shoulders.

"So, what are you haulin' ass all the way across the country to study?" Meenah was asking her. "Nothing right now, the general stuff. I just wanted to go somewhere different, somewhere chill." Latula answered, flopping herself down onto one of the fireside benches. "Mom wants me to study law, but I don't think that's my thing. Can't have stuff like that harsh'n my vibe." "I thought you wanted to go into counseling." Kankri chimed; feeling a bit betrayed that his friend had strayed so far.

"Maybe, I've been looking at special education stuff, you know like helping kids with disabilities and all that. I've got time, no need to rush." Latula smiled. "Dude, you haven't changed a bit. It's kinda tripping me out." "Once a hard ass, always a hard ass." Kankri shifted his eyes to the other people in their presence, sighing to himself. Why did she have to come back?

"Hello Damara." He was short with her, not wanting to wander too far into conversation. He had never gotten along well with her; he could even call her somewhat of a bully. Every button he had she would push, and she had since she had become friends with Meenah when they were in this very camp during the summer of their fourth grade year. Most of them had gone to camp when they were children; some of them knew each other from school or church outside of that, and when they reached the age to become counselors it seemed like an easy monetary opportunity that they all took.

"I'm dying to know what fun Kankri has gotten into while away at college." She grinned, sitting up from her spot lying across the bench to straddle it. Kankri took notice that she was un-lady like as always. "So, has the insufferable one finally gotten someone to suffer through fucking him?" Meenah fell into howling laughter, cackling as she doubled over. Latula and Kankri shared a glance, the prior shaking her head slightly at him in warning. He tried to breathe, he really did, but Damara's crude gesture and lewd grin was too much.

"That is highly inappropriate Damara, and I am offended by such implications about my personal life. For all you know someone here could be triggered by the thought of sexual intercourse or could have a lack of knowledge for such things. It is disrespectful to those around you to force your personal agenda regarding the reproduction practices onto others. My personal life is absolutely none of your business, and I implore you to not make any more remarks about such things as stereotypical college circumstance in my presence." He finally took a sharp breath through his nose, his throat aching at his volume.

"So, you're still a virgin. Not surprised, though it's kind of disappointing. I thought maybe a good cock sucking would shut you up."

"Damara, you a-"

"Whoa! Guys and gals, can we not have a bloodbath on the first day?"

Kankri turned to look at the familiar voice calling down the path, relieved and shocked to see who was walking towards him. This summer was going to be an adventure it seemed, and Kankri wasn't sure if he was ready for it.