After a while of chatting and staring out onto into the lake, Matthew announced his intentions to unpack. While Alfred was a bit bummed, he was really enjoying sitting there with his new friend and making jokes, he had realised he lost track of time. They'd been sitting there for what felt like both ages and barely any time at all. But Alfred was kinda glad Matthew called it quits when he did, the cold was starting to get to him. There were goosebumps all over him and his shivers were getting a bit harder to brush off and he really didn't want the Canadian to notice. Not that he expected to be judged by a Canadian, with them all being polite and whatnot (should he stop stereotyping people by their nationality?).
Alfred brushed his palms off, raking away small rocks that had indented themselves into his skin as he stood. Crickets and cicadas buzzed as they walked back to the cabin, the low sun casting their tall shadows far ahead of them as the horizon glowed orange.
Shoving his hands into his pockets, he was wondering where everyone else was. He did go through the motions of considering unpacking himself, but every year he did the same thing. Why would he change now?
The same routine that he adhered to each year was leaving his stuff in his bags. At least he'd know where to find his stuff when he needed and it'd all stay in the same area. Sure some might say it's lazy, but it worked for him and ensured all his stuff was pretty much packed when they had to leave.
So yeah, he had no intentions of unpacking like everyone else. But he still told Matthew he had intentions to unpack later, just in case he thought he was a slob.
(He was a slob, but Matthew didn't need to know that.)
Alfred tried to brush off the eerie feeling of quiet that hung over their cabin as they stepped through the door. Besides the soft sounds of water running behind the bathroom door, the room was empty and silent.
"Guess everyone already unpacked," Alfred muttered. The hanging storage and the end of their cabinmate's beds were full and their presumably empty luggage was pushed under the bed. He brushed off the weird feeling that came from the hushed room and moved over to his bed.
"Y'know I miss having the bigger cabins already," he confessed as he shoved his packed luggage under his bed, "we used to be in cabins of eight but since we're all grown up 'n' stuff we get some more space. It just makes it seem a bit empty now."
"So that's where everyone is? At other cabins?" Matthew asked, standing above Alfred by the bed. He struggled to push himself up using the soft mattress and dusted his knees off which were indented by specs tracked in from outside.
"Guess so," he shrugged. He was kinda bummed that the action levels were so dismal on the first day. "Usually everyone would be in the same cabin it'd be really noisy and way more fun cus we'd all be here... but I'm still excited for smaller cabins. Imagine how fun it would be to sneak around and plus we don't need chaperones!"
"Sounds like a recipe for disaster either way," Matthew chuckled.
"Nooo it was great, you really missed out. Well, you won't miss out now. Anyway you should unpack, I'm gonna see who's in breaking in the bathroom on the first day."
Matthew nodded and moved over to his bed while Alfred crossed over to the bathroom. Honestly, who showered on the first day? There was so much to do besides showering! Because there weren't as many people in their cabin this year, Alfred was pretty sure he knew who would be in there.
"So where do I put stuff?" Matthew called from the other side of the room as he unzipped his baggage.
"In the side table and that thing hanging on the end of the bed," he replied, then knocked on the bathroom door.
"Yao?"
"What?" came an irritated shout from inside.
"Nothing!" Alfred called back, mentally fist-pumping that his detective skills had been right.
"You could put stuff in the bathroom," Alfred added, "but I wouldn't do that cus then everyone might touch it. They probably wouldn't if they knew it was yours but if they think it's my stuff it'll definitely get messed with."
"Okay, noted."
Seeing Matthew was distracted with unpacking, Alfred decided that he should probably leave him to it. He could chat on and on, but his new friend seemed tired from the day and not in a very chatty mood. Fine by him, Alfred still remembered his first day. It was chaotic. Of course he loved it and fully thrived but he understood it might take some getting used to for others. Especially when they're newbies joining in so late. He did feel a bit bad for Matthew having missed out for so long but hey, he was here now!
So instead he was gonna go around the cabins and check up on everyone else. Map out the area for future sneaking around in the dark.
"I'm gonna go see what's happening," Alfred explained as he stepped away from the bathroom. The beams of light from the sun shone in almost horizontally, painting the back wall of the cabin causing all the dust particles to be visible. "Do you want me to turn the light on?"
"Oh, on thanks." Matthew pushed up his glasses and gave him a small smile.
"No problem," Alfred flicked the switch and stepped out, "see ya!"
He barely heard Matthew return the sentiment before taking off towards the cabin that everyone was previously loitering around when he first arrived at camp. It was getting close to sunset so they probably didn't have much time before someone would come around to collect their phones. The sun was still above the treeline, casting rays of warm orange over the campgrounds. Despite the natural light, many of the lamp posts were flickering between the buildings and along the paths.
Most of the cabins and buildings had lights emitting from the windows, including his destination. His heavy footsteps thundered up the wooden steps and along the deck. He threw the door open and jumped inside.
It seemed like the place to be, inside was much more lively than in his cabin. If only because it had more people. Emil and Leon were on the floor in one corner. Feliks, Toris, Raivis and Eduard were lounging on either of two beds, clearly debating something vigorously. Carlos and Zach were sitting against the wall on their phone, clearly doing their own thing.
"Where have you been?" Feliks cut through the chatter that wrapped the cabin in a blanket of familiarity.
"Enjoying nature," he said playfully yet vaguely. "Have you guys all unpacked already?"
"Mostly," Toris shrugged while Raivis and Eduard passively agreed.
"I unpacked this morning," Emil said. "When are you unpacking?"
"Uh, never. You know me." Alfred scoffed, ignoring the eyes rolled his way. "What are you guys up to?"
"Not much. I've never had a grapefruit, and Feliks is trying to convince me to try one" Toris confessed.
"And you should totally try one!" Feliks pushed him in the shoulder. "YOLO or whatever you know!"
"But they're disgusting and really bitter!" Raivis piped up.
"That's only if it's pale," Eduard added. "There's pink and orange ones too, I think."
"The coloured ones are nicer, people dip them in sugar to make them sweeter." Leon butted in.
"I think you should try it!" Alfred jumped into the conversation. He had never tried grapefruit before either, though he did have grapefruit flavoured cordial once so he is qualified on the subject. Even if he found it really bitter and spat it out. "Then you can cross it off your bucket list even if you don't like it."
"I suppose," Toris agreed. "If they have any here we should all have one."
"Hell yeah sounds good!" Alfred gave him a thumbs up. "We could make it into a challenge! Whoever spits it out last wins!"
Half thought that was a great idea and the other half groaned and insisted that 'he always makes things into a competition' and 'sucks the enjoyment from it' and 'uuughghg'. Alfred ignored that half. Gotta block out the haters.
He leaned back and rested on his hands, trying to ignore the insecure feeling that was growing as the day went on. As excited as he was for the new year he was worried that it would be different. Of course different didn't mean bad, but he was already missing a few small things from how it used to be.
Like how everyone seemed to be so spread apart. Sure everyone was at camp, who wouldn't come back? But everyone just seemed a bit more spread out. It had taken some time to round everyone up.
And even now, with the cabin packed with more than it would be accommodating it still was a whisper of the former years when everyone would gather in one cabin until bedtime and try to fight the chaperones when they were told they had to break up.
But hey, the camp hasn't really started, so Alfred wasn't going to worry about it.
But still, it did feel a little... empty. Especially when he didn't know where everyone else was and what they were up to. He resolved into trying his best to be the glue that kept everyone together.
No one seemed to notice how the time flew as everyone was surprised when Steve knocked on the door and let himself in.
"Right-i-o, you know what time it is?"
Voices clashed as a few offered up silly answers to the question.
"Time to get a watch-"
"Muffin time-"
"Breakfast?-"
Steve pretended no one replied as he shook the duffle bag hanging off his shoulder.
"It's bed time! Phones go in the bag."
Everyone stifled groans. The one privilege that would never be granted as they grew up. Only the chaperones were allowed to keep their phones past bed time and they always rubbed it in.
It was all good spirited fun though.
"You guys know the drill, phones back at brekkie-that's at seven tomorrow instead of eight. Then we have swimming drills and whatnot. After that we get to the real fun!"
Steve collected the phones belonging to this cabin and wishing a cheeky 'goodnight' before moving on to the next, ushering anyone not rostered to this cabin out with promises 'they'd be next'.
Everyone said their quick goodbyes as they broke apart. Alfred bit back a smile as everyone else raced ahead to their cabins to prepare for bed and surrender their phones. Instead, Alfred kept pace with Steve and tried not to seem too suspicious as he made small talk and assisted him with hunting his peers down.
He had plans tonight, and that started with keeping his contraband.
