Still wandering around the intense heat twenty minutes later, Matthew was starting to get peeved that they hadn't found Alfred's friends. He was hoping they would soon, or at least give up and change their objective. The sun bearing down on his skin seemed to soak right in, leaving him cringing at the imagined leathery feeling. Taking another mouthful of refreshingly cool water, he noted there was only half left.
Alfred continued on, seemingly unaffected by the heat, pointing out the activities of the camp as they passed in search.
Matthew didn't tell him that he'd already been around camp a few times and had a map. Opting instead for listening to what he was sure was just polite conversation, allowing Alfred to feel knowledgeable as he assumed the role of guide.
Though Matthew was more than ready to move on from their search.
"What do you guys usually do on the first day back?" He asked, hopefully prompting Alfred to think about where his friends were instead of roaming around.
"Uh sit and chat somewhere I guess," he paused and briefly glanced around, "usually somewhere secluded. But that could be anywhere!"
Alfred threw his hands on his hips.
"Yeah, I dunno."
Matthew drank some more water and considered what words he'd have to say to convince Alfred to give up and do something different. Gripping the cool plastic, he conceded he could always go off on his own, do his own thing. He could say he wants to explore the camp more and wish Alfred luck. But he already knew he didn't want to do that. Plus, Alfred seemed like he'd just rope him back in or follow him if he tried that excuse.
So for now, it seemed he was content in the position he was in. Resigned, he supposed he should push Alfred more to uncover his friend's whereabouts quicker.
"Have you been friends with them from the first year of camp?"
"Yeah! We've all been coming back every year so we're all pretty close."
"So couldn't you just ask them where they are?" Matthew's hands fiddled with the bottle. He didn't want to sound too judgement when he asked, assuming there was a reason he couldn't text them and put an end to this wandering. But he asked anyway to eliminate the possibility.
"What?" Alfred turned to him, looking genuinely confused, "how can I ask them when I'm looking for them?"
Matthew felt his face flush warm as he quickly thought about how to explain his thought process so he didn't look stupid.
"If you've been friends with them for that long wouldn't you have at least someone's number or something?" he mentally facepalmed when he realised his baseless assumption his original question was riding on. "You have a phone, right? If you're in my cabin that means you're about fifteen and most fifteen-year-olds I know have phones, well at least in cities maybe..."
He forcibly trailed off his awkward rambling, his eyes focused on a rock besides Alfred's converse instead of anywhere near his face. At least he wasn't stumbling over his words.
A snap had his head snapping up.
"Dude," Alfred said with finger guns pointed at him, "Mattie you're a genius!"
Before Matthew could respond Alfred was running off. Slightly baffled, Matthew ran after him anyway. Seeing the cabins up in the distance, he pieced together Alfred's motive. Alfred burst into their cabin and darted straight for his luggage. Finally glad to be in some proper shade, Matthew slumped against the wall and let himself relax.
"Lemme find it," Alfred muttered, likely to himself as he dug through his backpack.
Matthew figured he wasn't expecting a response and drank some water, which did little to satisfy his sudden endless thirst. The plastic bottle had lost its cool and was almost empty, yet he was still hot and thirsty. Wandering into the bathroom, he turned the tap on and splashed his face with water for a second time. Large droplets darkened the front of his shirt as he carelessly transferred the water.
Realising his momentary opportunity, he used the cool water to fill his bottle, confident the water would be safe to drink. Hopefully. Matthew wasn't too concerned at this point if it wasn't.
Leaving the bathroom, he sagged onto the closest bed, minding the luggage as he collapsed. Across the room, Alfred was typing hurriedly on his phone. Confident with whatever he sent, he slipped his phone into his pocket and jumped onto his bed.
"I shoved everyone into a group chat so hopefully one of them will have their phone and tell us where they are!"
Matthew nodded lazily as he lay across the bed. He absentmindedly wondered where his own phone was. Remembering it was in his bags, he tensed to get up before disregarding it. He doubted he'd need it for anything other than taking spontaneous photos or as a social clutch, but he wouldn't make friends like that. Today he would be pushing himself.
"So... how comes you're at camp?" Alfred leaned against the bed frame and kicked his luggage to the end.
"Papa heard about it and thought it'd be good." Matthew's voice came out soft, likely from his face being mushed into his arms. He forced himself to be sociable and raised his head to sit on them instead. "What about you?"
"Uhhh when I was maybe five I saw an ad on tv and thought it'd be cool so I nagged my dad," Alfred shrugged then smirked, "it's a win-win. I get an eight-week holiday and he gets an eight-week holiday."
Matthew let out an obligatory amused huff. He watched as Alfred pulled his phone from his pocket and his face lit up with eagerness, obviously from a response. Alfred pushed himself off the bed with endless energy that Matthew didn't share.
"Okay I know where they are, and we probably would not have found them if I didn't text them so good idea." Alfred sheepishly pointed finger guns in his direction. Matthew didn't comment and rolled off the bed.
This time when they ventured outside, Alfred walked with purpose, leading them behind the cabins and into the cool shade of the trees. It was still too hot for Matthew's liking, but being out of direct sunlight was a blessing.
Alfred moved ahead at a brisk pace, urging Matthew to jog to catch up. The leaves and rocks beneath them were soon traded for a solid path - albeit still covered in leaves. Matthew walked with his gaze focused on the colours and shapes below him, admiring the various foreign leaves before he stepped on them.
The sun shining through the tunnel of leaves brought them to life, highlighting their warm natural colour and veins as they shuffled from a slight breeze. Beside the trail where the mountain climbed, a shoulder-height stone wall weathered and worn from exposure to the elements separated the path from the steep incline. Looking over the wall, Matthew couldn't see how much further they had to go as the rise of the hill obscured his vision. Bushes and wildflowers of an assortment of colours were littered between all types of trees sparsely scattered, their leaves creating a canopy to filter the heat of the sun.
Matthew moved closer and eyed a group of nearby flowers. Small blobs of white, orange and yellow were clustered together. Further from the wall, he could some clumps of captivating dark blue. While he was sure some of them may be considered weeds, he still thought they were quite cute. He made a mental note to collect them later, so he could press them and take them home as a souvenir. Papa liked pretty things and would like to see them too, without being critical if it was a weed or not, instead admiring its beauty.
Up ahead, Alfred was speed walking directly towards his destination, unconcerned about their surroundings as he breezed by. As they neared the top of the hill, Matthew could see a group of people through the trees. Subconsciously positioning himself further behind Alfred, he slowed his pace as they neared. Shoved his hands in his shorts pockets, balling his fingers into his sweaty palms he willed himself to remain casual and not come off as weird or anything.
"We've been looking for you guys for ages," Alfred announced as he stepped into the clearing, capturing the attention of the teenagers sitting around the stone structure.
Positioned in the shade, Matthew peered out from behind the assured boy. Not knowing where to look, he stared forward at the stone arrangement surrounded by nature and overlooking the lake. It was a rest stop on a long walking trail he'd seen on the camp map. Though obscured from the trail, the area had an air of privacy.
Aware of the eyes turned on him, Matthew glanced above eye level in the group's general direction, trying not to seem so stiff. Hopefully, each member assumed he was looking at another instead of ignoring them.
"Is that your brother?" one of them asked apprehensively, eyeing him off.
"Uh no Carlos, this is Matthew and I just met him literally today," Alfred jabbed his thumb in his direction. "I dunno why you'd say he's my brother though."
"Cus he literally looks just like you dummy," a blond stated and crossed his legs to recline casually back on the rock surface.
"Yeah I noticed, but objection! Y'all know I have no siblings so that is a dumb question!"
Matthew refrained from removing his hands and fidgeting as the conversation derailed into what seemed like an animated argument, with everyone speaking at the same time.
"Anyways," Alfred cut in, stepped back and slung an arm over Matthew's shoulders, inadvertently pulling him forward and into the spotlight. "Mattie's new so he's gonna hang with us. And he's in our cabin! Mystery solved!" At that, Alfred pointed a finger gun at a boy that Matthew recognised as being the one who ran out of the cabin earlier.
Matthew realised his staring might come off weird when the boy spoke.
"Nice to meet you," the boy said pleasantly, "I'm Toris."
"You too," Matthew's voice came out softer than he expected, and upward inflection gave away his anxiety. He only just managed to stop himself from adding his name to the sentence, remembering Alfred had just introduced him. He pressed his lips shut and hoped he wouldn't begin his redundant rambling if called on again.
Alfred stepped forward into the confines of the stone bench and withdrew his arm from Matthew. Matthew looked at him, trying not to feel so timid. Though fortunately, it didn't last long. Alfred sat cross-legged on the hard surface and extended his arm outwards, pointing between everyone seated in the gathering.
"So I have plenty more friends, don't worry. But here's Carlos, Toris, Feliks, Raivis, Eduard and Zach," Alfred rattled off their names, swiftly moving from each. "There's some others around somewhere but I'm sure we'll see them later."
Matthew tried to acknowledge each one and memorise the name with the face. Then before anyone could say anything Alfred immediately changed the subject.
"Anyways, where have you been Zach? I was seriously thinking about asking Steve if he forgot you at home again!"
"Just with the horses," Zach shrugged and Matthew noticed his accent was like Steve's and Charlotte's, with a slight variation. He figured the three must be related.
"Were you roped into helping out?" Alfred teased.
"No, I offered."
"Oh, well good onya then." Alfred gave him a bright smile and thumbs up.
Zach just huffed in amusement. Alfred didn't seem to catch that he was the amusement, instead just jumping to the next topic.
"We should start a petition to watch a movie after dinner!" Alfred leaned back and squinted as the sun was cast unfiltered on his face
"They're gonna say no," Toris pointed out flatly.
"We can ask anyways!"
"Didn't you want to play games?" Feliks snorted and gave him a questioning look.
"We agreed not on the first night, but yeah that too!"
A moment later, everyone's attention was consumed by the conversation and Matthew felt less shaky. He slowly sat down on the closest stretch of the bench and leaned back to rest on his hands - a deliberate movement to come across as open and confident.
He didn't know what he was expecting. For everyone to make a big deal about him being new or them looking similar? Maybe he only felt that way because it was him with a doppelgänger. He didn't have anything to expect otherwise. Until now they had just been a faceless group referred to as 'Alfred's friends,' but now that he knows their faces and has been properly introduced, he felt a lot more at ease.
It occurred to him that his earlier goal had been completed. He knew some people his age and everyone in his dorm. With a genuine smile at the group's banter, a little more weight fell off his shoulders.
Hours later, when the sun was just dipping below the treeline but still basking the teens in warmth, the group was still chatting when a dinner announcement was made over the loudspeaker. A moment later the large group were descending the slope eagerly. Matthew politely stuck to the back of the group so as not to get in anyone's way.
Considering the distance from the dining hall, it wasn't too surprising they were the last ones there.
Matthew was the last to file in, taking in the interior of the large cabin while following wherever the group was going. It building seemed bigger inside than on the outside, taller too. Beams ran across the hollow ceiling, decorated with streamers and fairy lights. Hanging fans are stationed in between, whirring as they spun to keep the room cool. Most of the features in the room were unsurprisingly wood, which accentuated the rustic homey aesthetic the camp was going for. There were large, natural-toned carpets with rough textures under the the large round tables all the campers were sitting at.
There were a few tables still empty, yet the group deviated towards one already occupied. Twin brunettes with slightly different shades and quirky hair loopies had strangely differing reactions to being interrupted. The darker one scowled and the aburn one excitedly waved the group down. Matthew couldn't hear what was said in greeting over the loud chatter almost drowning the room, but a moment later everyone was shuffling onto the table with them.
Sliding into place against the wall at the edge of the group, Matthew ignored the conversation restarting in favour of inspecting the area. Window frames jutted out and doubled as shelves, some plants and books were positioned on them. Wooden benches ran around the walls of the room, covered in rugs and cushions. Matthew found them unexpectedly comfortable. He reclined further into the wall, a pillow behind his back propping him up as his head thudded against the hard surface lazily.
Even though he hardly did anything today, he was exhausted. His limbs were limp as his sides and his gaze drifted to the softly illuminated streamers hanging from the overhead beams.
Around him the discussion carried on, though it was easy enough for his tired mind to tune out. Alfred and his friends had been chatting non-stop all day, Matthew wondered how they never ran out of things to talk about. Their shared history probably helped.
Hanging with them wasn't so bad, their conversation was entertaining and occasionally one of them would direct a question toward him. He'd be able to follow along with what they're saying and interject input every now and again, which they'd actually listen to and build off. Sure he wasn't in the group, but it was actually kinda enjoyable.
An elbow brought his attention back to the table.
Alfred had moved next to him and was leaning over as if confiding a secret. "You good?"
"Tired," he responded reflexively and pushed himself to sit up. He rubbed his face and leaned on the table, turning to glance at Alfred.
Yeah, he was good. He was on his way to making friends. A small smile crept onto his face when he realised that Alfred had noticed and asked. It made him think about the groups he sat with at school. Most of them let him sit with them but were content to ignore him. Maybe he'd be able to make some proper friends after all. He promptly tried to keep the conversation going.
"Do you know what's for dinner?"
"Dunno," Alfred shrugged, "We gotta have the traditional welcome to camp and here are the rules and all that speech first."
"Who gives that?" Matthew asked conversationally, even though he knew he'd find out soon enough.
"Lovi and Feli's grandpa, he runs the place." Alfred replied before quickly adding - "you probably don't know who they are, that's Lovino and Feliciano there."
Alfred gestured to the pair who previously were occupying the table, before immediately retracting his hand as is struck by something.
"Mattie," his tone suggesting he was struck with an idea, "com'on Mattie. They didn't notice you, I haven't said who you are yet. We have convince them that you're my secret long-lost twin or something."
Grimacing, Matthew looked away from Alfred and around the table. He wasn't really too sure, but having met everyone here, they weren't just some faceless, intimidating concept...
"Please Mattie! It's only them who don't know so everyone else will be in on it! You won't even have to say much! You just gotta go with it!"
Even if it was a little soon, Matthew knew he'd be getting out of his comfort zone this camp. But being here now, he was sure he could handle it. If he played along, he could have some fun with this. He was pushing himself after all.