Sometimes, you're forced to go to summer camp.
It started out like a normal summer day. Heat was blaring through an open window and down on a cramped body, half hidden under tousled sheets. Karkat hated waking up early in the morning, but he figured he'd fall into a more comfortable sleep cycle once late June rolled around. A thin arm peaked it's way out from the sheets, feeling for something to hold on to as the boy lifted himself into a sitting position. No sixteen year old should have back aches just from sleeping. A new mattress would definitely be a necessity this year.
As rough feet touch the floor, Karkat heard his father, or Crabdad as he affectionately dubbed him, call him from the kitchen downstairs. He let out a loud grown, definitely not in the mood to even be awake, let alone make breakfast for his father, which he knew was exactly what Crabdad wanted. He stood slowly before making his way to the door that lead to his bathroom. He always appreciated being able to have his own bathroom. If there was a list of things Karkat Vantas was good at, sharing would not be one of them.
He gazed at his reflection in the mirror as he ran the water in the sink, scrubbing to get any dirt from under his long, rather claw like, fingernails. His hair was as untamed as ever and he had a bit of dried drool crusted on his chin. He silently questioned why people call it beauty sleep when he never wakes up looking beautiful.
He turned the tab off and went over the the shower, running the water and testing it a few times before deeming the temperature suitable and the tub worthy of his presence. Karkat loved everything about showering. He loved the warm water and the feeling of being clean. He loved the soothing effect it had on him, every trouble and worry dripping from his body and being washed away by the stream of the shower head. Plus, it was a good, clean place to take care of any morning surprises he may wake up with. Yes, the shower was a magical place indeed.
He heard another call of his name over the loud spray of the shower. He twisted the knob until the stream ceased and stepped out of the tub, grumbling about why his father couldn't make his own fucking breakfast as he wrapped a fuzzy red towel around his waist and walked back into his room.
The only thing Karkat hated about summer was that it was too hot for his usual turtleneck sweaters. They were like a haven of warmth and comfort that he could bury himself in during the cooling days of autumn. They were a friendly embrace he could cling to during the spring. They were a lover's heated kiss against his neck in the cold hours of winter. He scoffed at the poetic garbage pouring from his mind and grabbed a black tee shirt along with his usual grey skinny jeans. He hated when he sounded all romantic in his own mind, though he knew it was a side effect of all the romantic comedies he spends most of his free time watching. To most boys his age, those movies seemed girly and boring, but to him they were sacred tellers of love and romance and a hope for his own cheesy romcom ending.
By the time he finally got downstairs, Crabdad was raiding the refrigerator throwing everything that looked appetizing onto the table and shoving everything else into the back of the fridge.
"Fucking damn it; how the everloving fuck did you feed me when I was little?" Karkat commented from the entrance of the kitchen, leaning against the door frame. "Forget it, I don't want to know. What I do want is for you to learn how to fucking feed yourself so you're not dragging your poorly rested spawn out of bed to do it for you." Crabdad stood up from the fridge and turned around to see his son with an exasperated look on his face. He walked slowly to the table with a carton of eggs and sat down before pushing the small container towards his son. "Fucking fine, I'll cook these. But I'm only doing it because I want to eat too, got it?" Crabdad laughed and leaned back in his chair, watching his son prepare the eggs in a bowl.
"So, son, how's your summer been so far?" He asked in his normal, too loud voice. Everything he said always sounded like he was screeching it, as if he just couldn't hear himself.
"Well, it's only been a week and all I've done is hoard away in my room. I'd say pretty fucking good if the rest of summer can be like that." Crabdad cringed. He really wished his son was more open to the idea of socializing.
"So, do you still have that old sax you used to play back in middle school? I was thinking about selling it." He seemed to be testing his words, causing Karkat to look at him suspiciously.
"Yes, you're finally going to selling the thing? Because if you are I expect half the profit from having to the through the embarrassment of lugging that piece of shit around for two years."He began scrambling the eggs in the pan, ripping them apart aggressively.
"Well, actually I'm putting the money towards something else. You see, there's this really great summer camp down in Colorado and I think it'd be a perfect opportunity for you to meet some new people, so I signed you up!" There was a loud clang as the spatula hit the floor. Karkat spun around so fast it would've made anyone else dizzy. The looks in his eyes told Crabdad that he was about to face his son's famous fury.
"Are you fucking kidding me?!" His voice was loud and coarse, anger apparent on every feature of his face. "There's no way in fucking hell I'm wasting my whole summer at some piece of shit summer camp!"
"Karkat, this is a great opportunity! They're accepting kids from every state in the country and there was of course limited time to sign up. Plus, it costs a lot of money, but it's money I'm willing to pay to get you out of the house."
"So you just sold me out like a piece of meat at a butcher shop?! You slaughtered me and kept me in the fridge 'till the most opportune fucking moment."
"That metaphor hardly compares to this at all!"
"I don't give a shit, I'm not fucking going!"
And then the fire alarm went off and they both turned to find the eggs on fire. Just fucking great.
"Fuck fuck FUCK! Where's the fucking fire extinguisher?!" Karkat began to panic before Crabdad came up behind him with the fire extinguisher, spraying the pan full of burnt egg.
"Well this is just great, that was the last of the eggs. What am I going to eat for breakfast now?" Karkat turned to his father and let out an annoyed scream before stomping back to the stairs.
"Karkat wait," His father called when he was half way up. "If you're going back to your room, you ought to start packing. You're leaving for Colorado in three days. Karkat slammed the door to his room and plopped down on his bed. There was no way he was going. Nope. No fucking way.