So I decided to try my hand at a multi-chapter fic instead of just another one shot. Going to try and force myself to write a little bit every day because I get distracted pretty easily. I haven't planned this much, so I hope it's just going to write itself. J As a disclaimer, I own nothing. Ahhh!
Just a mostly fluffy story about forbidden love at summer camp. Aggressively Sorato.
Chapter 1
Sora could not find one of her purple socks. As she had an aversion to shoes in the summer, she didn't keep a lot of socks in her room. This meant that it was an important mission to find all socks possible and pack them for her teen leadership summer camp.
The camp hadn't been her idea anyways. Her mother had decided that it would look good on applications and resumes, and Sora hadn't bothered to fight her. It wasn't as though she was so popular as to have much to do in the summer months anyways. She mostly played soccer and tennis, and avoided thinking about how much closer school was coming. Going to a summer camp had to be a better alternative.
Sora lay flat on her stomach and reached blindly under her bed. Finding the sock in the corner against the wall, she straightened and flopped onto her bed. Like most teenagers, she had a mild case of chronic procrastination. This might have been the reason she was packing to go when she was supposed to leave in the next half hour.
"Sora!" her mother yelled up the stairs. "Let's get going, we don't want to be late!"
Of course not. Sora's mother was very schedule oriented. She also had to check the front door was locked thrice before going to bed and wake up with the alarm at exactly 6:09. Somehow, this had been determined to be the absolute latest she could wake up without being late to open her flower shop. Sora, on the other hand, was more prone to slapping the snooze button a couple of times before running out to meet her best friend Taichi in his car.
Taichi wouldn't be at the leadership camp, and neither would be anyone Sora actually knew and liked. Jun from school was supposed to go, and had been bragging about her leadership skills. Jun wasn't a bad person, but Sora could hardly be considered her friend.
"Sora!" Her mother's voice came louder now, and Sora looked up from hastily stuffing her hairbrush into one of her suitcase's side pockets. It was four minutes until they were supposed to leave. She better not take too much longer.
After a brief moment of inner conflict, Sora threw in a waterproof mascara. Even though the camp had a strict policy against any sexual activity of any kind, that didn't mean she had to look as though she was avoiding boys. Giving her room a quick once-over to check if there was anything of dire importance that she'd missed, she picked up her pillow in one hand and the suitcase in her other. "I'm coming!" she called, hoping this would prevent her mother from yelling again.
"Good, sweetie, we're going to be late at this rate."
Sora couldn't help herself; she rolled her eyes. Luckily her mother didn't see this, as she also believed very strongly in manners and appropriate behaviour. Without bothering to answer, Sora left to put her suitcase in the trunk of the car. The ride was going to be a couple of hours, and this wasn't something Sora was overly excited about.
She tried to find a comfortable way to position her pillow against the window, but it wasn't easy. Her neck always seemed to end up at an awkward angle, and she kept shifting, trying to find a better way to rest. Despite this, the trip passed more quickly than she'd expected.
Her mother sent her off with a hug and a smile, and Sora sighed. She wasn't afraid of meeting new people per say, but she would rather be with one of her friends laughing off the lectures instead of focusing on them because she had nothing better to do.
One of the counsellors gave her a pseudo-orientation, and eventually led her to a basic bunk where she would sleep. She'd been left with the top bunk, which was just as well as she was a little claustrophobic anyways. The room was long and thin, with four bunks spaced evenly along the walls. She was nearest the door, but it didn't bother her. Most of the bunks were already claimed but currently empty; she guessed most had already moved to the mess hall to meet others. Time for the game face.
Sora hastily fixed her crazy rumpled hair from sleeping in the car. One spot of her red hair refused to lie flat properly, though it was doubtful anyone except Sora would even notice this. She straightened her clothes, and checked to see that she didn't have any crazy mascara dots on her eyelids or cheeks. Absently scratching a mosquito bite on her elbow, she wondered if she would grow to have friends at this camp, or if she'd blunder through and bear it as one bears a new school before they get their bearings. The only comfort was that everyone would be as alone as she was.
The mess hall was already loud and mostly full. She guessed there were probably about two hundred people at the camp, with about an even split between boys and girls. It was a pity about the anti-fraternizing rule, because there were a couple of worthwhile faces in the crowd. She hovered awkwardly in the doorway for a moment, before deciding any place was just as likely to lead to friends as another.
She crossed the room, trying to at least appear as though she had a sense of purpose, and sat directly across from a friendly faced girl with shockingly pink hair. "Hi," said the pink stranger. She really was all pink too, cheeks, hair, clothes, jewellery. "My name is Mimi, what's yours?"
Sora felt a little plain next to the obviously exuberant Mimi, but not inadequate. More like she balanced them out, so the pair fit together well. "I'm Sora," she smiled.
"Thank god someone decided to sit here," Mimi babbled comfortably. "I was worried I was going to turn into a complete loser here, and that would be a shame because there are a few cute boys around. What bunk house are you in?"
"Four, I think," Sora paused, trying to visualize the number that had been above the door of the wooden building.
"That's awesome! I'm in five, so we can be, like, right near each other the whole time too. But I heard they're going to split us into smaller groups for lectures and activities." Mimi wrinkled her small nose in distaste.
"You know, that won't be so bad I don't think. Not like we have time to do anything in lectures anyways. And activities change all the time, so as long as we choose to do the same ones it'll be fine."
Mimi considered this, and flashed a pretty grin. "This is true." Leaning in, she beckoned at Sora to do the same. "Do you know The Teenage Wolves?"
The name was familiar, but Sora wasn't sure why. "I've heard of them, but I can't remember from what."
Mimi giggled. "They're only, like, the hottest student band in the area. I've heard they're working on a record deal," Mimi paused, letting the juicy information sink in. "And… I've also heard that their lead singer is going to be here!"
"It would make sense. He would be the face of the group, and so he has to work with them well," Sora pushed hair back from her face.
Mimi pretended to fan herself with one of her hands. "And what a fine face it is, too."
Sora couldn't help but laugh. "You're shameless! I like the way you think."
Mimi giggled too, but before they could say much else, the leader of the camp got up to speak. Apparently, everyone expected to arrive on time was here.
The woman was tall, with extremely dark hair and eyes. She pretty, though not in a traditional way, as her nose was perhaps a little too long and she had rather thin lips. "Hello, everyone. I am Megumi and I run our esteemed camp. I welcome all of you, our leaders of tomorrow, to Camp Elan. I trust you all will enjoy your stay and focus your potent energies to your studies here, no matter how short your stay. Lectures will begin tomorrow, and there will be eight groups comprised of twenty-four students each. When you return to your room from your meal, you will find what class number you will be in posted to the right of the door. For now, however, I will not waste more of your time with chatter. You may serve yourselves." She sat, and turned to a counsellor sitting to her left.
Sora turned to Mimi. "Here's to praying we end up in the same group, right?" The pink haired girl raised her empty glass in a mock toast, and pretended to drink. "Mimi, I think we should get some food before all the good stuff is gone."
This jolted Mimi upwards, and she beat Sora to the buffet. Sure, all of the food was the kind of stuff bought and produced in bulk by the very, very cheap, but that didn't stop it from being appetizing. Sora had always liked this kind of basic food.
When the pair had finished most of their food, they slowly began to talk again. "Where are you from, anyways?" Sora asked Mimi.
"Odaiba," she responded. The camp wasn't gathered from a very large area, and she seemed to trust that Sora would have some inkling of where this was. It wasn't exactly the most obscure place, after all.
"Seriously? Me too!" Sora squealed, sounding more girly than she usually wanted to.
"No way!" Mimi exclaimed in a voice even higher than Sora's. The people on either side of Mimi gave the pair strange looks, but they went unnoticed. "But that's great, because we can still see each other after this fiasco is over!"
"I didn't even want to come here in the first place," Sora lamented. "My mother seemed to think it would look good when I start applying to universities soon. I can see her point, but will it really make that much of a difference in the long run?"
"Well," Mimi started slowly, "if you want to get as good a scholarship as you can - and who doesn't, really - it might make a difference because schools are always looking for students who are 'leaders of tomorrow' and all that crap."
"Oi, watch yourself," Sora giggled, and Mimi looked confused. "Don't let Megumi hear you mocking her words like that, or you'll be in for a world of pain. Because she is a leader of today," Sora pointed at Mimi with her fork. "She'll stick you in a group with ugly boys who will hit on you the whole time just to spite you."
"My own personal hell," Mimi said dramatically, laying a pale hand across her forehead. Sora dissolved laughing again. She felt more comfortable than she had been expecting to. Mimi pushed some of her hair behind her ears, and made as though to speak again, but Megumi had risen from the counsellor's table.
"There will be a camp fire in half an hour where you all can get to know each other," she smiled fondly at the assorted teens sitting at half a dozen long tables before her. "Before we get started with that," she spoke louder over the whispers of the teenagers. "I'll have to remind you of a few important camp rules. First and foremost, respect those around you and yourselves. You are all here for a reason, and anyone damages the possessions or self-worth of another camper will have to deal with me."
Mimi pulled a strange monster-like face at Sora, who put a hand over her mouth to muffle her giggle. "Also, it is very important that none of you engage in any… promiscuous activity while here. We are held accountable for your actions, and I will not allow any of my staff to be troubled by your misguided actions." Megumi licked her lips and looked around the room. "That is all. Enjoy yourselves."
As soon as they were out of earshot of the mess hall, Mimi moaned, "They honestly expect us not to look at each other while we're here? It's Matt Ishida, Sora. No one in their right mind would deny themselves the chance to stare at his gorgeous face."
Sora pushed Mimi lightly, and the pink haired girl stumbled. "Remember that he's a guy, Mimi. They flirt with whoever won't slap them. He probably snores so loud it's like a motorcycle and yells at the TV during poker tournaments. Maybe he only wears orange socks. I don't know."
"Orange socks? Who owns orange socks?"
"They can't all be pink, darling." Now Mimi turned to try and push Sora, but the redhead leapt out of the way and laughed. "Come on, you can do better than that!"
"So not worth it!" Mimi huffed, but she was grinning.
"And by that you mean you can't catch me, right?" Sora said cheekily.
There was a brief pause. "Maybe," Mimi conceded. Then the strangest expression flashed across her face. "Oh. My. God." She gripped Sora's arm. "It's way too good to be true!"
"You love the theatrics, don't you?"
Mimi didn't bother to answer this. "I just saw him! Over there… didn't you?"
Sora was starting to worry for Mimi's sanity. "No, I didn't. Relax, I'm sure we can see him later. We're going to be here for a couple of weeks anyways."
"I guess you're right," Mimi sighed, but she kept throwing glances where she had been sure that she'd seen Yamato Ishida. "Come on, let's go see what group we're in for the lectures and then get ready for this bonfire thing."
"What are we going to do really? All I brought was mascara so I look like a girl," Sora giggled, imagining Mimi with an arsenal of pink beautification products at her disposal.
"Oh darling, you have no idea," her eyes twinkled mischievously.
Sora's imaginings weren't as far from the truth as she might have hoped. "You dragging all of this out to summer camp for two weeks?" Sora's voice shot up an octave.
"I wish I could've brought more," Mimi said, with a suspiciously straight face. Sora couldn't decide whether she was being truly honest or not. At a loss for words, she sat and let Mimi begin her work.
Well, that was a mistake.