Whoa, I am absolutely overwhelmes by the response this has gotten. And it's only been one chapter! Five reveiws! So many favourites! I want to thank you all, so if we keep getting this many, I'll do this every chapter! :)
Guest: Thank you so much for that kind message! Not many guest readers bother to reveiw, so I really appreciate it! I will keep it up :)
BHMSZero: You are? Awesome! I love to see so many familiar faces from other stories :) I hope you enjoy the rest of the story!
Blue Feather Pegasus: I know, I keep hitting the wrong keys and forgetting to go back and correct stuff. It could improve, it may not. I gave you a small hint in PM form about that, but it'll be cleared up this chapter anyway :)
NightShadeLG: That's nice, I'm glad. Haha, I love cliffhangers. Believe me, there will be worse cliffhangers in future chapters, and I may just wait a teensy bit longer before letting the next chapter out just to make you annoyed. I'm mean like that :) Whoa, already great? In my opinion, that's one of the least interesting chapters I've ever written in my life! Thanks! :)
ReadyWhenYouAre: As always? Yay, people like the sh*t I write! Don't worry, she's fine, she'll be in this chapter. More of less, I did PM you about that. Why? Oh you'll find out! It's important and not just a random love triangle! :)
I have NEVER got that many on a first chapter for this fandom, so if you guys keep it up, I'll reply in the author notes every chapter. Well, enjoy :)
By the way, this contains mild spoilers for the musical Hamilton, so if you don't know, read with caution, and if you don't care, whatever :)
The alarm started to beep and David rolled over, slamming his hand onto it. He was usually awake at this time during the summer, so it seemed like he needed to re-adjust.
David sat up and ran his hand sleepily through his auburn hair. It was sticking up as usual, but he'd comb it down later. David turned to the other side of the cabin room. There were two parts to the councillor's cabin now, a room for the boys and one for the girls. Their room was smaller, so social activities and the TV were in Gwen and Jen's room.
David turned to the bed that occaisionally contained his co-councillor, Daniel. Daniel rarely slept, however, but always seemed as energetic as David himself. Maybe he just drank a lot of coffee? But David rarely saw him eat either.
Daniel wasn't in bed. He was stood by the window, watching the sun rise over the lake, a tiny smile on his pale face. David often wondered about Daniel and Jen. The two of them had turned up out of nowhere last summer, and as the camp was low on staff, he and Gwen had decided to give the two a go. At first, their overly similar demeanour had made the kids unsettled, but everyone had adjusted by now and the two were a close part of the Camp Campbell family.
"Daniel?" David said, and then yawned. Daniel didn't move.
"This year's the year." He muttered.
"What do you mean?"
Daniel was quiet for a few more seconds, then turned to David with a bright smile.
"The year these kids are going to have a barrel full of fun!" His smile seemed a tiny bit strained, but David smiled back.
"Right you are, co councillor! Let's get the girls up!"
"I already checked." Daniel said, coming away from the window. "They're not in there, probably making breakfast. You're late up David!"
"Well let's go help them, shall we. You go on ahead."
Daniel nodded and left. David checked to make sure he was gone, then went over to his chest of drawers. He took out two items, a yellow camp Campbell shirt and a jar of pills.
David quickly swallowed two pills and tied the shirt round his neck. Necktie for sentiment. Pills to stop the tears.
...
Preston had been one of the last in the tree that night, him and Ered. Neither of them had spoken until dawn, when Preston had gone to the tent he had to share with Harrison and ran a comb through his hair and used his deodorant. Harrison had been passed out in his sleeping bag. Preston had done his best to ignore him. It was hard to believe they had once been best friends. Harrison probably thought that they still were.
"Kids! Breakfast!" The usual strained and stressed tone of their camp councillor, Gwen. Harrison started to stir, so Preston gently and quickly tucked the script for Hamilton back in his bag. Phillip would just have to die another day.
Preston entered the mess hall to find a small population of campers in there already; Max, Neil, Space Kid and Dolph. Space Kid was chatting away to Dolph, who looked very bored and sleepy, and Max was scribbling on the table while Neil was reading again. A different book from last night, damn that kid read fast! Preston chose the more peaceful looking side of the room and sat next to Max.
"Hey." Max muttered, not looking up from the table, dishevelled in his hoodie as always.
"Here." Gwen plopped plates in front of them. "Where the hell are the others?"
"I dunno." Neil said, not looking up from his nerd book. "Probably getting dressed."
Gwen sighed.
"The fuck is this?" Max demanded.
"Scrambled egg. Jen made it, I don't know if it's better or worse than Quartermaster's cooking."
"Where is that guy today? Haven't seen him all morning."
"Picking up the new camper."
Preston sighed. Yippee, another bratty kid to mock his plays that he worked hard on. When he'd arrived here last year, he had been excited to get down to some serious drama with kids who appreciated good Broadway musicals. He couldn't wait to star as Fagin or Dodger in Oliver the Musical. But now he was stuck performing alone. Solo. Learning whole Shakespeare monologues by heart and performing them to squirrels. Even when he'd been dating Nerris, she hadn't attended his performances. But now, every magic show Harrison put on...
She'd be there.
Asshole.
"What's serving?" Ered called, rolling into the room on her skateboard. "Urgh, sick, and not in a good way!"
Nurf, who entered behind her, nodded in agreement.
"Just eat it." Jen called from the serving hatch. "Best I've got guys."
"Whatever." Preston instantly started wolfing down the revolting scrambled egg (if it even deserved to be called that) as he recognised Harrison's voice. Nerris was with him, of course she would be. Preston prayed to all his favourite actors from the 90s that they wouldn't come sit with him. Thankfully, they went towards the other side of the room with Ered, Dolph and Space Kid. Nurf sat on their side, but as far away from Preston, Neil and Max as possible.
David stepped forward and cleared his throat.
"Alright guys, as you know, we have our new camper coming today, and I want you all to be nice to her. I'm sure she's a lovely girl."
"Is she hot?" Max muttered and Neil laughed. Preston had to admit that he smiled a little.
"Tone it down Mister." Daniel said sternly.
The kids grinned to each other.
"I heard the bus pull up outside." Jen called. "That means she should be here any moment-"
The door burst open. In the sudden spill of light, was framed a small, turquoise haired girl wearing red dungarees and a band aid on her cheek.
"Would you look at this place?!" She exclaimed. "Whoa, so much NATURE! Oh man, this summer's gonna be AWESOME!"
The campers goggled at the new arrival. Behind her in the doorway appeared the Quartermaster, grumpy and dishevelled as always.
"You been cookin on my stove?" He muttered. Jen looked uncomfortable. "Whatever. You get to scrub then. Goin to my store." The mysterious old an shuffled off, scratching his backside with his hook.
Suddenly, the new girl had appeared on the bench between Preston and Max. Both of them jumped when she started talking and they noticed her for the first time.
"What's being served. Eww, that looks gross! I'd prefer to forage for my food, or hunt! I can hunt all sorts. I like chasing all the squirrels in the park near my apartment, but there's never any proper game there!"
Max and Preston couldn't help but share a look. How could this many words come out of a girl this small?
"Scrambled eggs." Gwen shoved a plate in front of her. "Take it or leave it, kid."
"Don't mind her, she's always grumpy." Neil put his book down for once. "So, didn't catch your name?"
"I didn't throw it." She said. "But I will now. I'm Nikki. Agent of chaos and wolf whisperer."
OK, this girl was weird.
"Neil." Neil said after a while of awkward silence. "And this is Max and Preston."
"Hmm, you three don't look very adventurous." Nikki noted. "What are you doing at adventure camp?"
"Oh yeah, you don't know how this shit hole of a camp works." Max gave a nod. "Basically, a load of different activitis out in a field for all the different 'camps'. You've got nerd camp-"
"Science camp!" Neil corrected, blushing.
"And make a fool of yourself onstage camp-"
"Theatre camp!"
"And a bunch of others. We're all pretty much on our own doing whatever."
"Oh." Nikki seemed a tiny bit disheartened, but then smiled brightly again. "So what's your camp?"
"Drop off your kids at some abandoned spot in the middle of nowhere for some cheap babysitting for three months camp."
"That's a bit of a mouthful."
Max sighed and looked down at his breakfast. This girl was no better than all the other idiots here. Max couldn't wait to get away from here and row out to Spooky Island to see Jasper. This Nikki girl wouldn't make a lot of difference to his summer.
Of course, Max was unaware that Nikki would make all the difference in the world.
This is not Makki, by the way. I don't ship Makki in the slightest.