So here's my second story. I hope you all enjoy it!
She tossed her bags over her shoulder, repositioning the straps so they laid on the center of her shoulder blades. Looking back at the masses of other kids that were flocking off the busses and towards the cabins, Beca pushed her headphones up upon her ears and let the music flood over every inch of her body.
Crossing her arms, she turned against the breeze coming at her through the treetops to avoid a possible chill. She maneuvered her way around the mountains of duffle bags and mobs of parents. Beca looked at the corner of her eyes to see mothers and fathers dabbing their tears as they hugged their child for the last time. Beca scrunched up her nose, remembering how her parents used to do the same thing all those years ago when they were dropping her off at this exact camp.
Now, the last person Beca saw before venturing off into countless weeks many miles from home, was the bus driver who Beca believed to be partially blind on account of the many missed turns and inability to stay in the correct lane. With a nod, the bus driver had speeded away, missing the massive tree up ahead by just an inch or so. So, there, Beca had been left with a an armful of bags and no escape route.
Maybe she was exaggerating; it wasn't so bad. Actually, camp had always been sort of a haven for Beca. The first year she arrived at the camp, Stagedoor Woods, it was her only escape from her parents' fights. At night, she heard the sounds of cicadas and the hushed breaths of her fellow cabinmates and not her father's fists banging against the table or her mother's sobs. Instead of hiding in her bedroom closet all day, trying to block out the screaming and the yelling, at camp Beca was able to sing her heart out and play with computers until it was dark.
Increasing the volume of her phone, Beca drowned out the sounds of happiness and hysteria that was always so equally mixed on the first day. Without a word to anyone she disappeared on the pathway, paved with a bed of wood chips. Walking through the trees, trying not to fall on branches or protruding rocks, Beca's eyes scanned the area until she saw the cabin. Her cabin.
It was further away than any other cabin, but Beca loved not being bothered by the blasting pop music from radios or whispered cabin talks about the cutest guys. It was perfect, not too close and not too far. She pushed the cabin door open with the side of her shoulder, on account of the phone and bags that were occupying her arms. Immediately she was met with the arms of another girl, whom she already could tell the identity.
"Chloe," Beca laughed, "If you hug me any tighter I'm going to choke to death." The other girl returned her comment with a smile as she released her arms from around the petite brunette. The cabin was already clustered with duffle bags and articles of clothing strewn in every open spot. Windows on the sides of the cabin were open, blowing in a slight breeze that pulled Beca's hair away from her face ever so slightly.
Beca tossed her stuff on the side of the bed towards the right of the room. It was an unspoken rule that that bed was always Beca's. It had been that way since the first year she was a camper.
"I've missed you so much," Chloe said, "And you're so bad at answering texts!" Chloe used her arms for emphasis, but Beca knew that she was already forgiven. Grasping Beca's hands in her own, Chloe ushered the young brunette outside towards the mess hall. Campers were already congregating there, forming the cliques that would remain intact for the rest of the summer.
You could already tell which program each camper was part of at first sight. The musical theater students were singing along to Glee, mimicking show choir dance moves. In the corner, the musicians were having a jam session on all their instruments while a percussion player was maintaining a steady beat. The photographers were on the ground, trying to find the perfect angle to capture the scene and over by the food line were the dancers, clad in leotards and pointe shoes. Other groups were just funneling in from outside, after securing their beds and meeting up with their old friends.
Beca grabbed an apple from one of the baskets that were rigged up to the ceiling. Throwing it up and down in the air, catching it with ease, she locked eyes with Him. Drawing in a quick intake of breath, she spun around and walked the other way. Chloe, raising her eyebrows in question, looked over to the group Beca had just seen, realizing the problem and following her friend as they found seats on the opposite side of the mess hall.
Why was he here? Couldn't he have let her have a summer without him, without the smirk always plastered on his face? Him and his stupid posse that followed his every move and conceded to his every whim.
The two of them were the camp's longest attending campers, starting camp all those years ago. Throughout the numerous summers that came and went, campers trickled in and then many of them trickled out, but Beca and Jesse had remained. Even though on the outside it might've looked like nothing had changed, if you looked closer you could see the small differences of young Beca and Jesse and now older Beca and Jesse.
Jesse still slept on the same bed he had slept in all those summers ago, but now his legs almost hung off the ends whereas years ago he hardly took up half of it. Beca's headphone size slowly increased as she got more used to closing off the world. The main thing that grew over the years was their hatred of one another.
It all started at a riff off when Beca and Jesse were about 11 years old. The camp director had come up with the idea, hoping that all the kids would enjoy it, and most of them enjoyed it too much. Beca and Jesse had never really talked until that day of the riff off and afterwards, all they exchanged were death stares and huffed breaths.
Jesse had been trying to impress his fellow campers. He was easily one of the youngest campers that year, except for Beca. Stagedoor Woods was a prestigious summer camp for only the most serious of young artists. Big celebrities had slept in the same cabins they did now and everytime they went to sleep, all campers hoped that someday their name would be plastered to the wall of fame. Jesse, smaller than the other children, but not lacking in talent, had decided to put himself out there. He knew that if he ever wanted to get anywhere in the industry, he had to start by making other people notice him and he was ready to win this thing.
Straightening his t-shirt and practicing his scales, Jesse had been prepared to show everyone that he wasn't just the runt. He had pure talent and he wanted to be recognized for it. He was doing pretty well, hitting all the right notes and making the crowd cheer until She came along.
Beca was angry, actually she was more than angry. Her parents had just called her, explaining to her how they were getting a divorce. Why they couldn't have waited until the end of the summer to drop this bomb on her, she didn't know. All that she knew was that she was angry and she needed to do something about it.
Walking back from the pay phone, fists clenched and tears held back, Beca watched the scene in front of her. In the middle of the campground was a group of campers, singing at each other like a duel, voices blending while some rose above others. Beca, coming up to watch them, realized what everyone was doing and decided to take part in it herself.
She ran up to the boy who was singing, stealing the words that were about to come out of his mouth. Everyone around her gasped as her clear voice rang out through the forest, a silence to fall over the campers. The boy, tousling his brown hair, waited a moment, staring at her in awe, before rebutting her lyrics with his own.
Now there was fire in her eyes, burning away the tears that were threatening to fall. She wasn't weak. She was Beca Mitchell and she could handle anything, even her parents' divorce. She concentrated on the words the boy was singing, racking her brain until she found the perfect song. Making eye contact with him, raising her eyebrows challengingly, she ran up to him, inches away from his face and started to sing.
They went on like that, trying to prove their talent more to themselves than anybody else. Jesse watched as the girl sang, her voice clear and strong as her eyes shot daggers at him. He didn't understand why she was so angry, but all he knew was that he wanted to win. It got to a point where they weren't just singing by themselves, but they were singing on top of each other's voice, entwining the sounds until they became one.
All of a sudden, his voice cracked, issuing the gasps of people around the circle. The spell was broken with an obvious, victorious winner. Beca smiled triumphantly, taking in the applause that almost hid the way her heart was breaking. So what if her parents split up, Beca didn't care.
Jesse, on the other hand, turned beet red, running off to his cabin. The next day, the rivalry had officially begun. The glares began to start between them, holding each other's gaze until one of the gave up. Everything between them became a competition and continued to be for years.
The trumpet sounded, signifying the start of some activity, and also pulling Beca out of her flashback. Tossing out the core of her apple, Beca began to make her way outside, passing by Jesse and the rest of his group. Chloe quickly followed her lead, pushing the door open with one of her hands.
"It's going to be an interesting summer, Swanson," Beca called after him. Jesse's head turned as he took a step towards her.
Jesse's eyes met her own as he responded, "Oh, just you wait, Mitchell." Winking at her, he turned around and made his way outside, Chloe and Beca following a few paces behind.
What'd you think? Leave me a comment below on your thoughts. Thanks again for reading!