HI EVERYONE! This is my last summer camp au! I'm really happy with how this turned out. Lots of Lanheed ;)
WARNING: the ending may or may not make you cry so just a heads up.
Please review and tell me how you liked it!
After the long night, the four kids were finally getting some relaxation. The morning sky was still dark with stars. Meghan and Alex had fallen asleep on the grass, and Samheed was the only one awake as far as he knew. He stood up from his position on the floor, not failing to notice a small light in the distance. He squinted at it, the sudden brightness partly blinding his eyes. Although the moon offered enough light to see, it was still very dark despite the small light. He walked closer and realized it was only Lani. She was asleep holding a book and his flashlight in her hands.
Although he wasn't sure where she got the book from, she did look really peaceful when she slept. Much calmer than she'd looked a few hours ago. And also, she was prettier when she wasn't about to snap at him.
He felt his face heat up. What was he saying? Did he just think that?!
No, of course not! Lani was just...a friend. Yes, a friend! A really annoying pretty friend.
Ugh...there it was again!
He leaned down and gently took the book from her hands, setting it on the ground. He had just finished prying the flashlight from her grasp when he heard her mumble something.
He looked up to meet her gaze, only to realize her eyes were still closed. She was talking in her sleep! He leaned closer so he'd be able to hear her, but that all went downhill for him.
She literally bolted straight up from her spot on the ground and yelled, "CREATIVITY WILL WIN!"
Samheed yelped and jumped back. He watched as she fell onto the grass again, asleep once more. What a weird way to sleep-talk, he thought.
A few feet away, Alex stirred in his sleep. "What was that?" he grunted, only half-awake.
Samheed shook his head. "Shh... just the wind. Go back to sleep."
He glanced down at the pamphlet lying on the grass, forgotten until now. Creativity will win, huh? He smiled to himself in the dark. Lani was right.
A week passed by quickly in Camp Artime. The summer seemed to grow endlessly hotter. The days went by fast, too fast. The preparations were being made for the competition against Camp Quill. Everything was going to plan...mostly.
By going to plan, which meant the campers were setting up for failure. After many years of simply always losing the competition, there was little belief they could win. Why would they, anyways, with them being only creative and Quill being strong and intelligent at every aspect. Creativity, they began to realize, wasn't a winner. It didn't win races or study tests. It didn't get high grades.
But, that would all change very soon.
Meghan Ranger wasn't sure how she'd gotten to Mr. Today's office that morning. A strange, stubborn feeling in her gut told her to. She hadn't even gone to breakfast, just walked straight there. It was like her brain wasn't working correctly. She stared helplessly as she climbed the wooden front porch steps.
Well, there was no turning back.
After the 'incident', the guilt refused to stop gnawing on her. Even if it wasn't her idea to steal that pamphlet in the first place. From her and her friends keeping the secret pamphlet- which revealed the true story behind Camp Artime and Camp Quill's rivalry- she felt uncertainty. Even if she, Alex, Lani, and Samheed, had vowed to not open it until they gave it back to Mr. Today.
Not only that, but they were hiding it from Will the best they could. Even Samheed had kept quiet about it, and Alex had made sure he did.
But it was in her nature to do the right thing. She had to tell Mr. Today about this, or one of these days she'd burst! Samheed had said in order to stop Will from sabotaging the competition they had to win. But how? It was nearly impossible, considering Camp Quill had won every year.
She needed to win that competition with her friends to save Camp Artime from destruction. And to do that didn't they need their camp counselor to help? She wanted to tell Mr. Today...yet why was she so nervous? Maybe it was because she didn't have her three closest friends on her side like usual.
Yes, three closest friends. They had let Samheed into the group after the incident, even if he was a little reluctant to do so at first. Meghan liked that he had opened up to them more. He might've been overly sarcastic and still hotheaded at times, but he was much nicer.
A pang of longing hit her, only making her nerves worse. She really should've talked this through with her friends first.
"Here goes nothing," she muttered to herself, entering the large office. The same one they'd taken a pamphlet from only one week before. She felt an unexpected chill go down her spine and crossed her arms.
"Mr. Today?" she called.
She never realized Alex, Lani, and Samheed were walking in after her until she heard a floorboard creak. She whipped around only to find her three closest friends.
"Guys?" she asked in surprise, her eyes widening. "What-how did you know I was here?"
Alex sighed. "We kind of had a feeling. And well...maybe it IS good if we tell Mr. Today about the pamphlet."
Lani glanced at him. "Are you sure? We might still have a chance of winning if we find out!"
"It doesn't matter if we know what happened or not," Meghan pointed out. "We can still win somehow!"
She held up the pamphlet. "And without this!"
"But how?" Samheed asked, finally joining in on the conversation. "We can't just win by telling Mr. Today we stole something! He'll kick us out! And we have to win this... no matter what. We won't be able to stop Will if we aren't here."
The front door swung open, causing the four to almost have a heart attack. Meghan nearly dropped the pamphlet.
Because...standing in the doorway was Mr. Today himself. He looked less surprised then he should've been to see four kids standing in his office.
And with that, he closed his door behind him and stepped inside. "Let's have a chat, shall we?"
Meghan dug into her warm chocolate-chip pancakes, feeling as if she hadn't eaten in years.
"These are amazing!" she told Mr. Today for what felt like the hundredth time. And probably was, too! The others all nodded in agreement.
Samheed, with the help of Alex chiming in every now and then, had just finished explaining the situation to Mr. Today. Of course, they left out a bunch of it. Like Will trying to sabotage the competition. They only said "somebody" was.
Once they were done explaining, Mr. Today stood up from his chair and sighed. "You see...I get you want to win this competition. We all do, but we haven't won for over a decade. It would take a miracle to win!"
Meghan shared a look between her three friends. "But it's to save the camp!" she said. "If we don't win...no one will go here ever again."
Mr. Today took a good look at all of them. "I've almost lost faith throughout the years. But it seems you four haven't. If you can prove creativity can win, it would be a big help all of us and the camp."
Alex smiled. "We have to win. We just need to put everything we have into this."
Mr. Today patted him and Lani on the shoulder and simply walked into a separate room. "Remember, competition tends to bring out the worst in people."
"Or the best," Lani whispered once the camp counselor had shut the door. Samheed quickly shoved a pancake in his mouth without looking up, but everyone knew Lani was referring to him.
"So..." Meghan said once they'd left Mr. Today's office. "How do we win this?"
"Like Mr. Today said," Alex said. "We're going to teach everyone they can use creativity to win the competition."
"And they're all going to listen to you?" Samheed asked. "Sorry to say this Alex, but majority of the campers here are older than us."
Lani nodded. "Which is why all four of us will be helping!"
"And that'll convince them they can win?"
Lani gave him a look. "Seriously? They'll listen if they want to win, which they do!"
Samheed shrugged. "If you say so. But we have to get them to believe...creativity is something that they can use to their advantage. If we find Camp Quill's weakness we can use it to win. "
Lani raised her eyebrows. "Samheed Burkesh, you are full of surprises.
He gave her a wink. "I've still got some tricks up my sleeve."
Meghan grabbed his arm and actually rolled up his sleeve. "You sure about that?"
Everyone laughed.
"Okay guys," Alex said, clapping his hands and standing in front of the group. He waited until they were all looking at him before he continued. "We got a competition to win. Let's do this. All of you, split up to separate groups and explain our situation. We probably should leave out the Will part, though. Once we tell everyone we need to plan out a strategy to take Camp Quill down! But I can't do this alone, so I need all of you helping."
Samheed nodded, looking at Alex with a respect that definitely hadn't been there a month ago. "Sure thing, boss!"
Alex wasn't sure if he'd heard him right. "Wait...what did you call me?"
"If there's anyone who can win this, it's you! Sure, we might be helping but if anyone's going to win this, it's going to be you," Samheed responded.
Lani and Meghan both nodded in agreement, pretty surprised at this new Samheed still, but liking it nonetheless.
Alex felt a new determination rise up in him at his friend's words. He could do this! No-they could do this. He smiled. "Well what are we waiting for then? Let's get these people convinced!"
They all saluted half-jokingly before running off to announce it to every class they could.
The night before
Alex was resting in his cabin; exhausted from the new turn of events he and his friends had enlisted on the entire camp. All month, they had been training everyone so they would win for sure. And if everything went right in three days at the competition, they'd make it. They had to...or Camp Artime wouldn't be standing next summer.
His ways of preparing everyone were unique. Every group was different-depending on how to crack Camp Quill's weakness. For the artists like him, he had them cut out little origami dragons that would fall on the rival campers and distract them from their activity. Not only that, but the singers and dancers would clumsily "mess up" in their activity; which meant scaring the rivals half to death by singing at the top of their lungs, or by dancing straight into the person next to them, sending them falling.
Of course, those weren't the only plans. All the other campers who weren't especially in those classes were each doing their own way of distracting them. Some of them had even set up traps throughout the camp, so if a camper from Quill took a wrong step, a bucket filled to the brim with paint would splatter all over them for a solid two minutes.
There were so many activities they'd be competing against, like row boating, running, test-taking, capture the flag, etc. Alex was beyond nervous, but he knew they at least had a chance. He felt more at home now that he did ever...and everyone was even acting like he was their leader! Him, instead of Mr. Today!
He really hoped he at least wouldn't let his fellow campers down. And he couldn't have done this work without the help of his three best friends: Meghan, Lani, and Samheed. He'd never had such good friends like them before, and he was actually looking forward the competition with them. They'd make it fun.
There was only one thing he wasn't looking forward to. Seeing his brother, Aaron, again. Last time he'd seen him, Aaron had literally slammed a car door in his face! He didn't know what to say to him. He didn't know how to react if they won...or lost. And coming home, living in the same house, having that rivalry spreading them apart.
He shook his tired head, denying it. No, once the competition was done, he'd sort everything out with Aaron. Maybe, just maybe, they'd even come out on good terms. For now though, he had a competition to get ready for.
He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, leaning back into his bed. And so, as he listened to the loud chirps of the crickets outside, he chanted one word over and over again until he fell asleep.
Win.
For the first time, the morning of the competition held excitement. There wasn't a cloud to be seen in the light blue sky. A gentle breeze blew from the lake over the campers, giving them the perfect temperature for a day like this. Everyone buzzed about, finishing the final touches for the competition. The whole camp seemed to glow with even more color than usual, if that was possible. Some campers had even decided to litter every tree and building with posters, which read: "Creativity will win!" or "Down with Quill, Artime will prevail!"
In the center of the camp was a large colorful stage, which would mark who was in the lead and who was behind. Once the competition was over, both Mr. Today and Justine, the camp counselor of Quill, would go on stage and announce who won. Every year before, it had always been Quill.
"I really like what you've done with the place," Sean commented, patting Alex on the shoulder. "I have a feeling we're gonna win for sure this time."
They were walking through the camp, surveying the area to make sure everything was completely set up. Alex was holding a checkboard, checking off every trap they had out. It took nearly a week to lay them all out, and when walking around, everyone had to be extra careful so they wouldn't set off anything. There had only been a few wrong turns, where some unlucky camper would come back to their cabin covered in glitter or paint. By now, everyone was informed of the traps, and knew exactly where to step so they wouldn't make a mess. Once, Alex had even caught Will, of all people, trudging back to their cabin, a scowl on his face as he tried wiping off the super glue on his clothes. When he wasn't around, Alex and Samheed laughed their heads off about this.
Alex smiled, trying to gulp down his nervousness. "Me too. Everyone seems really excited for this!"
Sean glanced at him as they walked by the lake. He stopped in his tracks, his face turning more serious. "Alex, I want to you know-well...all of us...we couldn't have done this without you. For once, our creativity will get us places."
"Thanks Sean, but tell me once we've actually won!" Alex said with a laugh.
Sean laughed too and messed up his hair. "Okay, but don't let it get to that big head of yours!"
He ran off, leaving Alex to himself. He absently combed the brown mess that he called hair back into place. "Big head...?" he muttered, confused. He did not have a big head! Did he...?
"ALEX STOWE!" three voices yelled at once.
Alex jumped and embarrassingly screamed like a girl. He turned to see his three best friends laughing their heads off. "Hey!" he sputtered, his face turning all shades of pink. He couldn't believe they'd heard his girly scream. "This isn't the time and place!"
Lani fell sideways into Samheed, clutching her stomach from her laughter. "Ow, my stomach!"
Samheed was silently choking on his laughter, his face incredibly red. He looked like he was about to say something but started laughing all over again.
Meghan covered her mouth, still giggling. "O-oh my god! That was priceless!"
Alex frowned. It was extremely hard not to laugh.
No, he told himself. Don't-
He took one look at them and burst out laughing, giving up on being mad at them. There was no point. Plus, their faces were too funny to not laugh.
They all regained themselves for a full five seconds, breathing heavily and trying not to look at each other. But that moment ended once Samheed lost his footing and fell backwards into a ditch.
This time, everyone laughed at once.
Ten minutes later, the four best friends sat on the porch of the admissions office, basking in the cool shade before they had to compete. They were all wearing a strip of black war paint on each cheek, along with the same tye-dye shirts as everyone else. Meghan, of all people, had dyed parts of her hair various bright colors so it resembled a rainbow. Alex felt a gush of pride whenever he saw the lengths everyone went for their camp. It was amazing, just thinking that a month before, no one had even thought of winning.
And the most surprising thing was...this was all because of him and his friends. He was really glad they were here with him. They all needed each other for support. Even Samheed, who had used to hate him, was now one of his best friends.
He quickly glanced at each of them in their peaceful states. Samheed was reading a book, Lani was lazily braiding her hair, and Meghan was singing softly to herself. None of them were talking, the feeling that their camp rival would be coming any second bearing over everyone's heads.
Alex was half-hoping Camp Quill would never come and would just hand over the winnings to Artime. That would be so much easier. Even though he and the others had gone through so many lengths to win this, part of him doubted everything. Who was he kidding...Artime hadn't won in years. Just as Mr. Today said, it would be a miracle if they won. And if they didn't win, Camp Artime would be toast. Burnt toast. Unless...unless Camp Quill just ditched the competition. Camp Artime could win that way! It would be so easy if that happened. No competition to deal with.
But of course, that wouldn't ever happen.
Everyone's silent peace was broken when Camp Quill stepped through the entrance. The hundreds of campers walked through, all staring, wide-eyed, at the vivid colors surrounding them. Although Alex had never seen Camp Quill, he'd been told that it was practically the opposite of Camp Artime. All there was, was dull, boring colors. The kind of colors that'd make you bored to death. The many rival campers looked determined and confident.
Alex narrowed his eyes. He wanted to wipe the stupid smug looks on their faces.
"They're here?" Lani asked. She had finished braiding her hair and was sitting upright. Her eyes were wide and her face was almost unreadable.
Meghan gasped, staring at the rival campers as they stood around the entrance. "Here we go..." she muttered.
Samheed frowned and exchanged a look with Alex. They watched as Mr. Today approached the other camp leader, Justine, with a grim expression. They spoke a few words to each other that were too quiet for anyone else to hear. Their conversation went on for more then a few seconds, long enough for everyone to shuffle awkwardly around.
When they were done, Justine strode away from him and shouted, "Camp Quill, to your assigned activities!"
Mr. Today shouted the same order. Everyone, including Alex and his friends, sprang from their spots and ran to their separate activities. And with that, the competition had begun.
Alex nervously watched as campers competed against each other. Just as he hoped, all the diversions they were creating were distracting Camp Quill. Even better, they were at a tie for now!
At the moment, the row-boating competition was going on. Camp Artime cheered as yet another rival camper fell into the water after being splashed by a random splatter of paint.
Alex glanced at his rival campers every now and then, growing even more excited as the expressions on their faces turned from proud to distressed. Their plan was working!
Throughout the next three hours, he watched as each camper battled against the other. Sometimes he was certain they'd win, and other times he wasn't. Many of their diversions were working, which kept giving them just enough points to possibly win. With each win, he was glad to see his camp growing happier.
Often, he had people come up to him and giving him a hug, adding in a "thank you." Usually he'd respond with a "don't thank me yet!"
They just didn't know he was crossing his fingers the whole time.
He wasn't as sure they would win as before. Camp Quill, despite many of the slip-ups, were winning majority of the activities. And what concerned him was whenever this happened, he always saw Will smiling.
Meghan grabbed his hand, dragging him towards the one of the last activities. Next up was the test-taking competition. He wasn't really sure why that was a competition, but he knew it was something Camp Quill never failed at. He spotted Lani as one of the competitors in that activity. He really, really hoped she remembered the plan.
His worries increased as the rival camper, who had only just started his test, was going at rapid speed. He felt Meghan clutch his arm tightly and stared at the large scoreboard behind them.
Camp Quill was fifty points ahead of Camp Artime! Somehow, through all the activities they had gone through, a bunch of their diversions hadn't worked. And there was only one activity left: racing.
He couldn't bear to watch this. He shut his eyes.
"Alex!" Meghan shouted in his ear. "Look!"
He finally opened his eyes and gasped. The camper who Lani was against had now fallen to the floor, screaming "get them off me!" over and over again. He couldn't help but laugh once he saw a stack of origami dragons on top of the kid.
He looked back at the scoreboard, but it wasn't enough. They were hardly close to Camp Quill!
"Stowe!" a voice called. He turned to see Sean reach for his arm. "You go next. This is our last activity and you planned this whole thing out! There's no one better than you to finish!"
He barely got out an "okay" before he was dragged to the racing activity. He let his eyes skim over his fellow competitors until he landed on a very familiar one. He gasped.
It was his brother.
It was Aaron.
Alex stared, open-mouthed, at his brother. This was crazy! He was competing against...his twin brother of all people.
Aaron caught his eye, his determined face turning white. The twins stared at each other in silence.
Then, a loud whistle sounded through the air. The race had begun.
The twins sprung from their positions, racing into the woods alongside the others. Alex tried to take calming breaths as he ran, watching out for the traps he'd set up. He leaped over a fallen tree and continued forward, dodging the traps.
Suddenly, Aaron appeared beside him. "You're going down, Alex!" he shouted.
"Not a chance!" Alex yelled back. They continued running until they were past all the other campers. Annoyingly, every time Alex attempted to send his twin into a trap, Aaron sped out of the way.
"I've already seen all the traps you guys put out!" Aaron said. "You can't make me loose. I'm going to win for my camp!"
"And I'm going to win for mine!" Alex panted angrily. He shoved Aaron to the side, almost succeeding in making him trip, but Aaron quickly recovered.
Together, they jumped over another fallen log. They pushed at each other, but it was almost useless. They knew each others motives too well. Alex almost succeeded in hitting Aaron with a branch, but Aaron ducked out of the way just in time. They continued running side by side, pretending to not notice the pain in their bodies.
"Your camp has never won!" Aaron yelled. "You don't have a chance!"
They exited the forest and were met with a dirt road. Alex noticed they were almost to the finish line. He saw the crowd, waiting, cheering them on. He didn't see Lani, Meghan, or Samheed, but he knew they were in the crowd watching him. He ignored his burning legs and continued on. He had to win. If he didn't, this was the end.
"Yes I do!" he rasped out. "I have every chance!"
Aaron seemed to notice they were closing in on the finish line too. He ran harder than ever. Alex stayed at pace with him. They continued to shove each other with each step, still avoiding the traps that were set up. Behind them, a few more campers emerged, most of them covered with some type of art. Alex turned his head forward and noticed something on the ground. He furrowed his brows in determination and looked back at Aaron.
"Why are you so cruel to me?" Alex growled. "Why does this mean so much to you? Why does this competition mean so much to you?"
"It-" Aaron was about to say, but out of nowhere he tripped on a puddle of paint. He crashed to the ground.
Alex frowned and nearly tried helping him up. He slapped his forehead, quickly reminding himself his plan had worked. No! It didn't matter if Aaron had fallen. This was his chance and his cruel twin brother wasn't going to ruin it for him.
He raced, harder than ever to the bright red finish line. He could barely breathe anymore. His lungs were burning, his legs and arms about to collapse. The deafening loud cheers of his fellow campers blinded him as he passed through the finish line.
He coughed violently and slowed to a stop. From the crowd, Meghan, Lani, and Samheed appeared and grabbed him. "Are you okay?!" Lani shouted.
Alex could barely hear anything. He could hardly see another, only blurry faces. He could hardly even make out the red of Meghan's hair in front of him. All he could see was Aaron lying flat on his back, paint covering his clothes,
"Get him water!" Samheed shouted urgently.
The next thing he knew he was seated on a chair, taking huge gulps of water. He gasped a few times and started coughing again. Meghan patted his back.
"You did great!" she reassured him. "We have to wait until we get our results, but I think we won!"
That brought a smile to his face. He beamed at his friends surrounding him and took a deep breath. "Thanks, guys."
Lani winked. "Don't mention it."
It took a while before both Mr. Today and Justine rallied everyone to the stage. Once every camper was finally gathered, Mr. Today stood and went to the microphone.
"Hello, Camp Artime and Camp Quill. Yet another competition! Let's just say this year has been great fun!"
The buzzing of the crowd instantly stopped. Alex knew it wasn't only him and his friends who were holding their breath.
"It did, in fact, take us a while to tabulate the scores. Thank you for being patient. You're all an outstanding group! It's been a real blast."
Both camps laughed politely. "Now I'll be handing the mic over to Justine," said Mr. Today. He went back over to his seat, passing the microphone to her.
Justine stood up, holding a regal posture and a stiff expression as she went to the front of the stage. She smiled at the crowd. "Thank you for all being here. Let's say this year's competition has been...interesting."
Meghan reached for Alex's hand and clutched it tightly. He drew in a sharp breath.
"Well...without further ado...I bet your all wondering who the winner is..."
Lani slipped her hand in Alex's other hand. He glanced over to see her face paler than ever. He squeezed it gently, trying to ignore how sweaty her hand was.
"I won't keep you waiting any longer," Justine said. She threw one final glance at Mr. Today and turned back to the two camps. She took a slip out of her pocket. "The winner of the Camp Artime and Camp Quill competition is..."
Lani grabbed ahold of Samheed's hand, squeezing the living daylights out of it. His face turned a shade of red and he tried very hard not to stare at her. Alex and Meghan and Lani and Samheed all clung to each other tightly.
"...Camp Quill!"
Alex's heart nearly stopped beating. They lost! Camp Artime was gone! Everything they'd prepared for was all a waste. Then, he realized it was only Meghan who'd whispered that in his ear.
"Very funny!" Alex whispered, his heart beat returning to normal.
"Camp Artime!" Justine shouted, her voice laced with utter shock. The entire crowd gasped.
Alex jumped out of his chair, along with everyone else from his camp. Everyone began shouting and cheering, giving each other hugs. Camp Quill stared at their rival camp in shock before applauding too.
All the sudden, Alex was pummeled by people giving him hugs. Everyone was throwing their arms around him, Lani, Meghan, and Samheed.
Alex laughed, listening to the many "thank you's" every single person gave him. When the crowd was done hugging them, Mr. Today took the microphone from the shell-shocked Justine. Somewhere in the crowd, he noticed Will covering his face with his hands and running away.
Alex pointed this out to Samheed, who laughed. "Serves him right!"
"Will Alex Stowe, Lani Haluki, Meghan Ranger, and Samheed Burkesh please come to the stage?"
Meghan gasped and looked back at the other three. They were just as shocked as her. They navigated through the crowd of people, who were all still clapping. They applauded even harder when they made it onto the stage.
"Thank you for your help," Mr. Today told them. "We haven't won in such a long time. Please give a round of applause for the four young competitors who helped us win!"
Even though the crowd was already clapping wildly, it somehow got even louder than it had been moments ago. People even started whistling!
"Now, for a picture to remember this day," Mr. Today said. He took out a polaroid and pointed it towards them.
Alex noticed Samheed stiffen for a second as they all threw their arms around each other for the camera. Once he noticed his friends smiles, though, he immediately relaxed and brightened.
Mr. Today snapped their picture. "This is going in the newspaper!"
Lani laughed. "Did you hear that?" she shouted above the crowd. "We're gonna be in the newspaper!"
The crowd rose to its feet. Justine took the microphone back from Mr. Today, an actual smile on her face. "Well, there you have it! Big changes are happening. Everyone congratulate the winners and we'll return to camp!"
All the sudden, Mr. Today rushed towards her and whispered something in her ear.
The crowd grew hushed and whispered amongst themselves. This had never happened before! Everyone was even more surprised when Justine sounded excited for once. "Actually, change of plans. We'll be celebrating this victory with Camp Artime! For now on, we won't be rivals anymore. We'll be friends and allies."
Everyone started cheering all over again, this time Camp Quill too. Alex, Lani, Meghan, and Samheed left the stage and joined the others as they cheered. They were suddenly hugged again, and Alex got various pats on the back. He shared a broad smile with his friends and pumped his fist in the air. They did it! He skimmed through the crowd and caught Aaron's eye, thinking he saw the faint wisp of a smile.
Yes, he thought. Everything will be just fine.
At noon, the celebration started. Music blared everywhere. Campers from both Quill and Artime were talking and dancing. Everyone was eating food and playing games. Not only that, but they were in a carnival!
Yes, that kind of carnival. The one with fun games, rides, and Ferris wheels. It was more than anyone from Camp Artime had hoped for.
Alex walked through the crowd, looking for someone in particular. Someone who probably was alone, away from people.
He had taken a shower after the competition and changed into a white short sleeve shirt. Along with that, he was wearing tan shorts that at least looked dressy for an occasion like this. He had even run a comb through his wavy brown hair before it got tousled as usual. Some things, like hair, just couldn't be kept neat.
He reached the water's edge found Aaron sitting there. He let out a quiet sigh of relief and sat next to him. He could tell by the slightest of movement that Aaron had detected his presence.
They sat in silence for a few minutes, staring at the lake as it lapped against the shore. Aaron finally looked at Alex. "Hey...congratulations," he said awkwardly.
"Thanks," Alex replied. "You too. You did well."
"No I didn't do well," his brother said, pulling his knees up and leaning his head against them. "I can't believe I was so selfish. I wanted to win because I was so proud...but of what? Looking at everyone now, Camp Quill was never so great. Camp Artime is just as amazing..."
Alex stared at him in surprise. "What? You actually mean that?"
"Yeah."
"Look, I'm sorry we were torn apart by this stupid rivalry. There was no point," Alex said.
"Me too. I just wish... I wish we were still close like we used to be," Aaron said, his voice getting quieter. He almost looked like it pained him to say anything.
"With mom and dad always acting like that, I kind of turned rude...I wanted to make them proud."
Alex nodded. He knew that feeling. "I get it. But there's always another chance. We can still be friends."
Aaron peered at him quizzically. "After all this? We can't be friends..."
"Look behind you!" Alex said, gesturing to each of their camps talking, having fun, and playing games. "We can be friends! They're all doing it."
Aaron followed his gaze. "But...how do we start?"
Alex stood up and looked around the carnival. His eyes lit up once he found the perfect thing to do. "C'mon," he said, grabbing Aaron's arm and pulling him towards the place. For once, Aaron didn't flinch or pull away. "Let's get some ice cream."
He was sitting on a bench, enjoying the refreshing ice cream with Aaron. It had taken a little bit to get Aaron to try some, but in the end he liked it. Alex was glad they weren't fighting or ignoring each other. For the first time, they were actually bonding.
"Alex!" he heard a voice call his name. He looked up to see Lani. She was wearing a pastel blue dress, a white bow pulling back two strands of her hair. She seemed to have ditched her shoes a long time ago as her feet were caked with grass and leaves. "We're going row-boating! Wanna come?"
Alex stood up and glanced back at his brother, silently asking if it was okay. Aaron nodded and managed to smile, as if to say "go ahead."
"Sure," Alex replied, grinning. He and Lani ran to meet Meghan at the dock. In front of them was a rowboat big enough to fit six people.
"That's the boat we're riding on?" Samheed asked, joining them by the lake. Like everyone else, he'd cleaned up and changed into more suitable clothes. He was wearing a short-sleeve button down shirt along with jeans. His dark hair was brushed neatly to the side, something Alex could never perfect.
He glanced over at Meghan, who was the least dressed up of them all. She was wearing a pink tank top that was covered in rainbow glitter with a microphone in the center. She was also wearing a pair of light blue biker shorts and flip flops. Her hair was back to it's normal color after simply washing out the dye.
"Were you expecting a yacht?" she asked, placing her hands on her hips.
Samheed rolled his eyes and sighed. "Yes, yes I was."
"Ah, that's a shame because I was hoping for a simple boat," Lani said. "But I guess your high expectations are ten times better than everyone else's."
Samheed stepped forward and kicked her in the shin. Lani yelped and kicked him even harder.
Alex and Meghan laughed.
"Oh," Lani said. She looked at Alex. "I have something to give you."
"I have something to give you too!" Alex exclaimed.
"And I have something for all of you!" Meghan said.
"I don't have anything for anyone!" Samheed shouted, earning a laugh from the group.
"Here," Alex said. He handed Lani a tiny package. It resembled a present, with a small pink bow wrapped around it.
Lani immediately opened it and grinned. She pulled out a bright pink origami dragon, with scales, fire, and all. "I can't believe we still have these!" she said. "The majority of them were ruined in the competition."
Alex smiled. "Well...there's at least one left. Now where's my gift, huh?"
Lani jabbed her thumb at Meghan. "It's part of her gift for you."
"And I'm not allowing you to open it until tomorrow!" Meghan said before Alex could grab at it.
"Why not?" Alex pouted.
"Because it's the last day of camp!" Samheed said.
Alex was suddenly brought back to reality. He glanced at the party behind them, the campers all having fun and dancing to music. He'd actually forgot it was their last day tomorrow. They all were slightly disheartened from hearing that reminder.
"Let's quit standing here and go on the boat!" Meghan said, starting towards it. She didn't want them to be sad on their last full day together. This was meant to be fun!
"Is that even durable?" Samheed asked, casting a worried look at the boat. They all turned back to the rowboat, which looked like it would easily fit two more people.
Lani waved her hand. "Of course it is! Everything rides these things all the time."
And with that she waded from the shoreline and hopped onto the boat. The others did the same after leaving their shoes behind.
The boat rocked as they climbed into it, Samheed nearly falling in the water. He steadied himself and carefully slid the rest of the way in the boat. Everyone laughed at his fear-stricken face.
"You almost got wet," Alex pointed out, looking very amused. "You should've seen the look on your face! Priceless."
"I'm so glad you think that," Samheed said.
Part of him wished he'd come up with a better comeback.
Meghan picked up the oars and began rowing. Lani and Samheed clutched the sides of the boat as it began to move, not extremely keen on getting wet. They all looked out onto the sparkling blue lake, peacefulness settling in. Lani closed her eyes, letting the salt water flick at her face and gently blow her hair behind her. Alex caught Samheed watching her and shared a smile with Meghan.
They knew what was up.
"It's so nice and peaceful out here," Meghan noted. She set down the rows once they were far enough out and stretched her arms.
"I know…" Lani said. "And can you actually believe we won the competition? I still can't."
"Me neither," Alex told them. "And also…I might've forgotten to tell you guys this…but thank you for everything. I wouldn't have been able to do this competition without you with me."
Samheed smiled. "Same here. And no, thank you, Alex. You helped save the camp in ways that we couldn't."
"Thanks…" Alex said. He was still genuinely surprised at times like these when Samheed complimented him. It was a feeling everyone was still getting used to.
"What now?" Meghan asked. They all looked at her. "I mean..we're leaving tomorrow. We won't see each other until next summer. I'm gonna miss you guys so much."
Lani sighed. "I'm going to miss you all too. If I'm being completely honest, I don't think I've ever had better friends than you guys..."
Alex nudged Samheed with his elbow. "We all think that. Even Sam, here."
Samheed just scowled. "No...I've met better people than you scumbags."
They all knew he was lying but didn't comment about it.
Alex turned back to the shore and made out the small figure that was Aaron, lying on the grass and staring up at the sky. Without a doubt, he was playing the game they used to play as kids, called "name that cloud." He allowed himself to smile. Deep down, Aaron was really good, after all.
He leaned back into his wooden seat and gazed up at the sky. As did the others, and before he knew it, they were all playing "name that cloud" just as Aaron was. He pointed up at one of the clouds for them all to see and tried to decide which shape it resembled.
"A book?" Lani asked.
Samheed laughed. "It looks like one of those Hollywood slate-boards."
"It looks like a girl dancing!" Meghan called out.
Alex just shook his head and grinned at the irony.
"A paintbrush," he said. "Definitely."
Man, he thought. Am I gonna miss you guys.
"I guess this is it..." Lani said, looking at Alex, Meghan, and Samheed.
They were standing at the entrance to Camp Artime, awaiting the arrivals of their families. It was the morning after the celebration, and the majority of the camp had already left to go home. Today, everyone would leave each other for a year, not returning until the next summer. A bittersweet feeling filled the air, putting each remaining camper into an even sadder mood.
Meghan took a deep, shaking breath and hugged her best friend tightly. Lani hugged her back, her eyes closed.
"I'll miss you sooo much!" Meghan whispered. Lani smiled sadly and sniffled. "I'll miss you too."
When she pulled away, Alex awkwardly held out his arms. "Do I get a hug?" he asked innocently.
"Dolt," Lani muttered. He grinned as she stepped into his arms and hugged him.
"You better be here next summer!" Alex whispered in her ear.
"Only if you stay out of trouble," Lani promised. She pulled away and laughed at the look at his face.
"I can't promise that!" Alex gasped.
Lani patted his arm and pretended to look sympathetic. "I know, I know."
Alex held out his pinkie. "Pinkie sware...if you'll go to camp next summer then I won't get in trouble this whole year?"
Lani snorted. "Either way you're getting in trouble, idiot. No one can promise that. But yes, I guess we can only try."
She extended her pinkie and shook it with his. Alex smiled at her one last time before standing back at Meghan's side. Samheed stepped forward towards her.
"Hey, Haluki?" he asked, a smile on his face as he cocked his head.
"Yes?" Lani questioned, a slow, confused smile spreading over her face. "And don't call me Halu-"
She squeaked in surprise as Samheed suddenly lifted her off her feet, drawing her into a tight embrace that went on for much longer than was considered normal.
She hugged him back hesitantly, completely speechless. She was blushing like crazy. "Sam, let go of me!" she whispered urgently.
He quickly set her down, finally noticing her dad waiting some feet away. He couldn't help but laugh at his bewildered expression.
"Uh oh, looks like your dad's here!" he said.
Lani rolled her eyes and smacked him lightly on the shoulder. His eyes widened as he felt her lips brush against his cheek, so lightly he probably imagined it. When she pulled away, a playful smile was gracing her lips.
"I'll miss you," he said, completely honest. He glanced back at Alex and Meghan. "We all will."
"We'll see each other again. Next summer," Lani responded.
He nodded and walked backwards to his other best friends. He stared after her, her long black hair bouncing behind her as she greeted her father. They all watched her leave wistfully before turning to each other.
"So..." Alex said, his voice trailing off as he stared at his remaining friends.
Meghan suddenly laughed and threw her arms around him. He hugged her back, tears springing in his eyes. She pulled away quickly and said, "Now, hold out your hand and close your eyes."
He did.
"Are your eyes closed?"
"No, they're not," Samheed said, his voice thick with sarcasm.
"Shut up," Alex told him.
Meghan grinned and placed something in his waiting palm. He opened his eyes, only to see a small package in his hand. He looked at Meghan in confusion.
"Something to remember us...and Camp Artime by," Meghan explained. "Open it when you get home."
Alex nodded and smiled warmly. "Thanks."
A car honked in the distance, startling them. They turned to see an impatient Sean in the drivers seat. A brown-haired man, who Alex assumed was Meghan's dad, was seated next to him.
Meghan giggled. She glanced back at the two boys and approached Samheed, who just smiled and hugged her tightly. She pulled away, flashed one last smile to Alex, and raced to the car, her red ponytail flying behind her.
Once she reached the car, she waved a few times, yelling "bye!"
"See ya!" Alex called, waving back.
"Make sure to annoy Sean!" Samheed yelled after her. Alex laughed and kicked him in the shin. Meghan winked at them and slid into her car. They watched her car roll down the long driveway until it was only a spot in the distance.
"Alex?" Alex heard a voice call from behind him. He whirled around. It was Aaron. And his family was standing behind him.
"Oh..." was all Alex said. He turned back to Samheed. "I guess that's my cue."
Samheed nodded, a slight frown on his face. "Look...I...I'm sorry for the way I used to treat you. Meeting you, I gained a great friend. And I hope we can continue being friends next summer."
Alex gave him a smile. "You kidding? Of course we'll be friends!"
Samheed looked relieved. "Okay. Now get outta here, Stowe, before I get sad from having no company."
Alex punched him in the shoulder playfully. "That's too bad for you."
Samheed laughed. "Yeah. Well...see you next summer."
Alex nodded. "See you then."
They shook hands and went their separate ways.
He took one last look at the beautiful Camp Artime, the sky stunningly blue and the grass healthy and green. He felt incredibly sad, yet happy at the same time. And right before he turned around, someone caught his eye.
Mr. Today was standing at the top of the hill, a wide grin on his face. He was waving. That was all Alex needed to see. He waved and turned back to his waiting family, hoisting his heavy bag over his shoulder.
"How was camp?" Alex's dad asked.
Alex shared a look with Aaron, and they both smiled.
"Great."
The whole ride home, Alex was very tempted to open the package Meghan had given him. Curiosity was about to swallow him whole. But her words echoed in his head. Don't open it until you get home.
The minute his plain, gray house pulled into view, he raced out of the car and up to his room. He didn't bother to talk to his parents or Aaron. They'd be hearing a lot of stories later. He placed the package on the floor, took a deep breath, and tore it open.
Various items were inside. First, there was an origami dragon, which he knew was from Lani. He smiled and placed it on his nightstand. He dug through the other items in the box until he came across something familiar. His eyes widened.
It was the pamphlet!
He couldn't believe they still had it! With shaking hands, he started to open it, but something stopped him. Something told him to not open it yet.
He set it on the floor beside him and looked through more of the package. He smiled, as each object resembled a memory. One was Samheed's flashlight. Another was a paintbrush from art class.
When he got to the very bottom of the package, he pulled out something small. He flipped it over and immediately teared up.
It was a polaroid. He'd forgotten about that picture. It was taken of him, Meghan, Lani, and Samheed right after the competition. He knew, without a doubt, they'd meet again. And whenever 'then' was, wherever it was, he knew one thing: it was sure to be sunny and full of color.
He smiled as he stared at the four of them, all beaming proudly, arms thrown around each other.
Then, he looked at the caption written underneath it in black marker, and his breath hitched. Mr. Today's words rang true.
If nothing ever changed, there'd be no such thing as butterflies.