CHAPTER FIVE: SETTLING IN
Stolas sat by the window, staring at where the bus had been. He hadn't even said goodbye to his daughter. It wasn't as if this were the first time Octavia would spend time away from him. But she would be gone for two months!
"Stop being so mopey, Stolas."
And his wife was back. His only company for the next two months. He felt a bit of himself die inside. "Am I needed for something? Or do you suddenly care about my emotional state?" he asked coldly.
Stella glowered at him, putting her hands on her hips. "Neither. I just despise seeing you act so melodramatically." She ran her hand through her feathered mane, sighing dismissively. "Honestly, Stolas. It's as if you think you're the main character of one of your soppy romance dramas."
That got under his skin. If there was one thing Stella was good at, it was melting through a cold shoulder with just the right insults, like a hot prodding iron. "Is it a crime to mope about? May I do anything in this household without permission from my queen?" Stolas snarked, unable and unwilling to hold back the bite in his voice.
"I wouldn't mind you sulking about like the pathetic mess you are if you weren't so fucking egotistical about it," Stella growled. "The gall to play the victim and weep in the corner when you've cheated on me a second time!"
"And what do you care if I did? It's not like you ever loved me!" Stolas snapped. Had he been married to anyone with a heart, those words might have hurt, they might have brought the argument to a screeching halt, just like in the family dramas he watched so often.
"Correct," she said without an ounce of denial. "But my status is important, and you've sullied it twice now!"
"Stella, can we please not do this today?"
"But I want to do this today!" Stella whined petulantly, stomping her foot. "Why couldn't you have cheated on me with a famous person? Or another noble? Do you have any idea how you've hurt me?!"
"I surrender!" Stolas shouted, throwing his hands up in exasperation. "I'm an asshole. You win today. Are you happy?"
Stella still wore a scowl but softened slightly as her meager victory massaged her ego. She crossed her arms. "What is this about, Stolas? You always have something pathetic to say; defend yourself!"
Stolas glanced back at his seething wife and simply couldn't be bothered to hold her gaze. His silence only infuriated her more, but that didn't matter to him. "I miss her already. It's only been a few hours, and I miss her." It felt as though he would never see her again, like he had just cast her into the darkness without a single farewell. That girl was just so good at slipping away!
Stolas spun around, his face racked with guilt and shame. "Stella, we didn't even say goodbye to her! What if she thinks I don't love her?"
Stella tilted her beak high. "You're too soft on her," she said snootily as she laid a hand on her chest. "My father barely ever spoke to me, and clearly I turned out just fine." She spun around, smirking victoriously. "If you're so worried about her, perhaps you should have conceded to MY plan. We could have sent her to a five-star hotel! Dare I say, it was better than this dump of a palace."
"What would the point have been?" Stolas snapped, wildly gesturing around. "Send her to a luxury resort where she'll do the same exact thing she does here? Stella, she needs something exciting, something new, to be a kid!" Stolas glared for a moment before sighing and gazing out the window. "Something neither of us had the chance to be."
Behind him, Stella's glare softened slightly. Her wicked scowl returned seconds later, along with her aloof attitude. "Hmph. I'm sure the homeless crackfiends will lend her plenty of excitement." She sidled up next to Stolas, glowering at him from the corners of his eyes. "You're aware Deadwood takes students from nearby public schools, right?"
"Yes, I'm aware," Stolas said without a trace of emotion. He was unsurprised that his wife was only concerned with status. It was in her nature. The thought of his daughter being accosted by public school students had crossed his mind, but he reminded himself that he was simply raised to fear the lower class. His daughter was safe.
"Stella, I suppose it's my turn to say you worry too much," he said dismissively. "It's not as though Octavia is slumming with trailer trash. The campers all consist of royal descent, regardless of their school of origin. I assure you."
"So yeah, I had to get my engine completely replaced, but I was missing some weird screw part. I had to nab one from some abandoned lawnmower," Cameron said, chuckling. He was regaling Octavia on a story about his scrapped-up car or something. She wasn't really listening.
Every time she tried to slow down, he slowed down with her. When she walked faster, he walked faster. Try as she might to lose him, he was determined to stick with her and finish his riveting story about dumpster diving for screws.
The birds chirped a peaceful melody while the midday sun beat down on the campers, smothering them in its heat and light. A cool breeze whistled through the leaves of the crimson and gray trees surrounding Camp Deadwood. It was the last place Octavia wanted to spend her summer, especially with some chatterbox.
She turned to Cameron as he jabbered on and on about his car and raised her hand, silencing him. "I don't mean to be rude, but why are you talking to me?" Octavia said sharply. She gestured to all the other campers with smiles on their faces. "There are plenty of other people cooler than me here."
Cameron shrugged, confusion making its way onto his face. "Well, I try to talk to everyone. Nothing wrong with making a few friends."
Friends. The reason she was forced out of her house by her parents. Octavia scoffed, turning away. "You probably wouldn't like me."
"C'mon…" Cameron prodded with a smirk. "We're cabin buddies; it'll be weird if we don't talk at all."
Octavia raised an eyebrow at him. "We're buddies now?"
"Can we be?" Cameron asked, his voice full of excitement.
"No," Octavia immediately said, turning and walking towards the cabin where she would spend the next two months of her miserable life.
On the front of the log cabin was a small oak porch, surrounded by wooden fencing and decorated with two spruce chairs on either side of the door. Above the door frame hung a lantern and a wooden sign. "Cabin F" it read, painted in white. Rather messily as well, as if the brush was too large.
Cameron stepped up next to Octavia, looking at the cabin. "Damn. We got the rough one," he muttered disappointedly.
Octavia looked at him with a curious side-eye. "What's wrong with it?" She asked suspiciously.
Cameron stepped up the stairs, each step creaking and groaning under his feet. He turned back to Octavia and shrugged. "Nothing's wrong with it per se," he said, looking the building up and down. "It's just really old. The first lettered cabin built at Deadwood, I think."
A mischievous glint crossed Cameron's eyes as he turned to Octavia. "You know, they say it's haunted…by the spirits of Deadwood."
Octavia stepped up the stairs, walking past Cameron. "Cool. Maybe they can kill me in my sleep," She grumbled, grabbing the Polaroid camera from her neck and thrusting it into Cameron's hands. "Can you take a picture of me? My dad wants to make sure I didn't die on my way to camp."
Cameron chuckled and nodded, stepping back to get the cabin in frame with Octavia. "Say cheese!" he said.
Octavia held up her middle finger for the camera, her shoulders sagging, giving the camera the most depressed, dead-inside glare she could. She relaxed a little as she heard the camera click. She took the camera back. "Cool. I'm gonna disappear for two months. See ya."
"I dunno if you can," Cameron said with a chuckle. "We would be disqualified from the Nature Trail tournament if there were any less than three of us, and right now it's just you, me, and whoever 'four eyes' is.."
Octavia turned to look at Cameron. "What?" She asked, narrowing her eyes at him.
"The Nature Trail tournament," Cameron repeated. "It's hosted every year. The winners get the title of Deadwood Champions and a small cash reward." He raised an eyebrow at Octavia, noticing her confused look.
Octavia couldn't understand why she was expected to give a shit. She might have laughed at the absurdity of being included in camp activities if she weren't in such a sour mood. "Yeah, count me out," she said, rolling her eyes. She wasn't good at many things. Surviving in the wild was one of those things that she wasn't good at. She wanted nothing to do with whatever trials awaited her in that tournament.
Cameron grimaced at her reluctance, seeming hesitant to tell her something. "...It's kinda mandatory."
Octavia stopped as her eyes widened in horror. She chuckled, shaking her head. "No, it's not. What are they gonna do? Drag me out of the cabin and force me to compete?"
"I think so," said Cameron, nodding. "Last year, a senior student skipped the first trial to jack off or something. I think they withheld his diploma." He gave her an apologetic grimace.
Octavia sputtered and stammered, unable to even find the words. That couldn't be allowed! It just couldn't be! Would they really hold her diploma for not participating in a stupid camp activity? Were they even allowed to do that? She was an honors student! There were awards she was going to receive!
She tried to imagine what Dad would say if he found out she wouldn't be taking her diploma with her. Or what Mum would say… Octavia shuddered as she envisioned dishes and pots flying through the air alongside various colorful words.
Cameron cleared his throat. "Yeah, don't worry though," he said assuringly. "It gives us something to do! Think of how boring sitting inside all day would be."
Octavia stepped away from the cabin, pacing back and forth in the grass as her heart beat faster. Feeling weak in the knees, she sat on the cabin porch's step and sighed, grinding her palms into her face.
Why was everything bad happening to her? Her chest tightened as she swallowed down a sob. She couldn't let the world hear her cry, despite how much she wanted to. She wanted to scream at her father, her bullies, and the world.
Octavia heard a creak of the wooden stairs as Cameron sat beside her before laying his hand on her shoulder. "Hey, listen," he said softly, patting her back. "Even if you don't enjoy it, you'll be done in two months."
"Two fucking months…" Octavia muttered, her voice cracking.
"It'll be over in no time," Cameron assured her, though she didn't find it very reassuring. She was forced to leave home for a camp, and now she was forced to compete in a "Nature Trail," tournament, which would surely be full of delightful activities such as walking through a forest, running through a forest, and climbing through a forest! Could her day get any worse?
"Oh. Em. Gee."
Octavia and Cameron both looked up, their faces falling with dread. "Oh god…" Cameron muttered disdainfully.
Courtney sashayed towards cabin F with a wicked grin that radiated malicious intentions. One could only imagine what clever insults were being concocted between her three brain cells.
Courtney sidled up before Octavia and Cameron, flanked by two of her hellhound friends. She picked at her fingernail and gave an exaggerated sigh. "I'm, like, soooo unironically not surprised," she drawled, putting a hand on her hip as she looked down at Octavia. She looked between Octavia and Cameron. "Like, are you actually hooking up with the Human?" she asked, giggling. "That's so gross!"
Cameron and Octavia quickly scooted away from each other.
"Wait. Ew," Courtney said, her face scrunching up into a sneer as she saw the bashful look on their faces. "Is this, like, actually your BF or something, Octavia? Like, for real, literally, unironically?" Courtney paused for a moment before tilting her nose up in the air. "I guess you couldn't get anyone better than some lame shitty hobo."
Cameron stared down at his lap, shifting uncomfortably. His hands balled up, grasping the scruff of his pants.
Octavia shook her head in annoyance. "What do you want, Courtney?" she snapped angrily, her tone curt. She rubbed the tears from her eyes. "I'm really not in the mood for this."
Courtney's signature mean-girl grin returned to her face as she mockingly crooned. "But you were sooooo mad earlier on Voxelgram! I'm totally making your comment my Home Screen, bee-tee-dubs."
"I didn't ask. I also don't care. Go away," Octavia growled. Her anger quickly fizzled into bitter defeat as her head sank into her knees. "I'm already having a bad day."
Courtney was unperturbed, brushing aside her bangs with a cruel smirk. "You're always having a bad day. Maybe it's because nobody loves you," she said with a performative pout as her two friends giggled, their tails wagging.
Octavia sighed, knowing Courtney was right. Besides her Father, who gave a shit about her? She was, at best, a nobody and, at worst, pathetic. Her head dipped low as the girls cackled.
Courtney leaned over, putting her hands on her knees, and she looked Octavia in the eyes. "You always say you wanna kill yourself. Maybe you should do everyone a favor and actually do it," Courtney whispered.
"What's your problem?" Cameron said, standing up from the stairs. "You live such a privileged life. Why are you so bitter?"
Octavia raised her head in sudden astonishment, her eyes darting back and forth between Cameron and Courtney. Courtney, with a contorted expression of disgust, took a step back. "Ew. Did you know that literally nobody asked for your take?"
"Nobody asked for yours either, but here you are, yapping," Cameron said, stepping forward. "It's crazy how important you think you are ever since you got that nose job."
Everyone nearby went silent as Courtney's friends gasped. Even Octavia wasn't expecting that. Courtney's foul grin dropped, replaced with a look of incredulity, but Cameron was undeterred. "Yeah, I said it, it's all everyone's been thinking about," he added, pointing at her nose. "Honestly, your snout looks more crooked now than it did before," he said, squinting at her face.
Courtney's eyes went wide. She looked to her friends for validation. "You look fine!" "Girl, no. You're gorgeous," her friends cooed, hugging her and comforting her before all three turned and glared at Cameron.
"Gorgeous?" Cameron said incredulously, pointing at Courtney. "Her left cheekbone is a mildly larger than her right!"
"It is not!" Courtney roared indignantly, shoving her friends aside as she stomped to Cameron.
"It totally is! You look like Angelina Jolie if she was a furry!"
As Octavia continued watching, her shock turned to amusement. She had never seen anyone get under Courtney's skin. Nobody ever even stood up to her! She couldn't believe she had front-row seats watching Courtney get told off by Cameron, of all people.
"Say that again! I'll… I'm-"
"What? You'll break my nose half as bad as yours looks?"
"Mine is better than your ugly human pig snout!"
"Whoa, careful with the pig word! You could offend your pug friend back there! She might get mad and have an asthma attack!"
As the two shouted at each other, Octavia settled back, leaning on her elbows, watching the show unfold as a smile formed on her face. She immediately gained a bit of respect for Cameron. This almost made getting sent to camp worth it! Almost. Well, no. Not at all. Still, it was pretty awesome.
But unfortunately, all good things must come to an end. A big, hulking figure swept up behind Courtney from out of nowhere. A large, meaty hand fell on the puffy hellhound's shoulder, patting it possessively.
"You got a problem with my girl, lil man?" The giant figure bellowed down at Cameron, stepping forward.
Octavia looked up in shock, glancing between Cameron and the giant jock before them. She recognized him. How couldn't she? It was the infamous Brutus! He was a Hellboar, big even for Hellboar standards.
He stood nearly ten feet tall, wide as a wardrobe, and made of pure, solid muscle. His arms were wide as tree trunks, rippling with veins and bulging with raw power, and his tusks were like bony daggers jutting out from his jaw. But worst of all was his eyes. They burned with malice like a blazing inferno, like molten beads of lava.
He looked like what you'd get if a mountain fucked a panzer tank, and the baby grew up with anger issues and started doing cocaine.
The giant Hellboar huffed, and Octavia swore she could see steam blow from his nostrils like an angry bull. "I said, you got a problem with my girl?" Brutus repeated impatiently, leaning over to look Cameron in the eyes.
Initially, only a handful of campers had paused to observe the unfolding events, but soon enough, the size of the gathering had swelled to a crowd of around a dozen. Cameron looked around at the large crowd and gulped before nodding. "Y-yeah. But don't worry, Brutus; I hate you more," he said, trying to keep his cool. Octavia could hear the panic creeping through his voice as he tried to stay calm.
Brutus leaned back, laughing. The shakiness of Cameron's voice wasn't lost on him either. "What's wrong, bro? Getting scared? Gonna piss yourself?" he teased, shoving Cameron's shoulder, effortlessly pushing the smaller boy back. "Wouldn't surprise me if you picked up that habit from Huey."
Cameron stumbled back, recovering his balance and brushing down his shirt. "He's cooler than you'll ever be," he retorted, his voice low and steady. He stood up straight, meeting Brutus's gaze without flinching.
Brutus' toothy grin fell. He seemed to swell up with rage as he stepped forward swiftly. "You better shut it, you twig." He said, his tone becoming more threatening as he stood toe to toe with Cameron.
Cameron looked up at him and scoffed. "Or what, you'll punch me? Is that how you solve all your problems?"
Before Cameron could even blink, let alone dodge, Brutus' fist slammed into his face with a meaty crack. The impact created shockwaves that rippled across Cameron's face. Octavia winced as Cameron fell to the ground, heels over head.
The crowd of onlookers was silent momentarily before erupting into a round of applause, cheering as Brutus took a performative bow. Courtney laughed hysterically, pulling out her phone to take a video of Cameron's prone body. "Worldstarrrrr!" she cried.
Octavia sighed, looking away. 'This is why you don't stand up to bullies,' she thought. 'You'll get your ass handed to you either way. May as well take the easy route and roll with the punches.'
However, much to Octavia's surprise and everyone else's, Cameron started to sit up. "Damn," he spat, wiping the blood from his nose. "Too bad you couldn't punch your way onto the football team."
The crowd gave a collective "oooh…", several campers murmuring amongst themselves. Brutus flared up, his fists clenched in rage as he stomped towards Cameron.
"Wait hold on, that was a joke! I was just kidding!" Cameron cried out. He quickly tried to crawl onto his feet to escape into his cabin, but Brutus dashed forward and grabbed him by the foot, yanking him back. Cameron yelped, clawing at the ground as he tried to kick him, but it was about as helpful as kicking a brick wall.
Brutus grabbed him by the shirt collar as he kneeled over him. Cameron's hands instinctively moved to protect his face as Brutus raised his heavy fist, ready to deliver another blow. He brought his fist back and-
"No, no, no!"
Campers stepped aside, making way for a portly avian counselor with night black feathers. His face resembled that of a raven's or a crow's. He shoved past the crowd of campers, stomping over to Brutus and Cameron. "What do you boys think you're doing?!" He yelled, adjusting the cracked monocle on his face as he sternly scowled at the two.
The counselor's shirt was neatly tucked in, but it couldn't hide the hideous muffin top bulge that spilled over his belt. His khaki pants were rough and heavily worn, and their length was just a little too short, exposing his mismatched socks. Despite these wardrobe imperfections, he carried himself with confidence that he had no right to.
Brutus scoffed and glared at Cameron, baring his teeth before lowering his fist. "He was talking trash about me not making the team, Mr. Walt! He thought it was funny."
"Well?" Walt asked, adjusting the cracked monocle on his face. He gave Brutus an expectant look. "Was it? I love jokes!"
Brutus squinted at Walt with a mix of confusion and contempt. Cameron chuckled on the ground, still held in the Hellboar's grasp. "C'mon, man," he said to Brutus, blood running down his face. "It was a good one."
Brutus grumbled before aggressively shoving Cameron into the dirt. He walked over to Mr. Walt, giving him a pleading expression. "Yo, Walt, let me beat the shit out of this twig just once. He dissed my girl!" he said, gesturing to Courtney.
The Raven craned his head around 180 degrees, looking at the Hellhound diva, before looking back at Brutus with wide eyes and a grin on his beak. "That's a girl? With all that plastic, I thought that was a Barbie doll! Ha! Heehee! Zing!" He said, lifting his leg and slapping his knee. "You mammals and your funny, puffy lips!"
"The fuck did you just say?" Brutus growled.
"Now, now, my boy!" Walt said, reaching up to put a hand on Brutus' shoulder as he walked him away from Cameron. "Save that fire for the wrestling trial! You'll have your chance to fight the Human yet." He raised his hand to his heart. "Scout's honor!"
Brutus grumbled, brushing Walt off of him. He wrapped his hand around Courtney's waist. "C'mon babe, let's go back to my cabin. Fuck this loser," he muttered, glaring at Cameron.
Octavia breathed a sigh of relief as the potential ass-whooping was defused. If the counselor hadn't shown up sooner, Cameron would've likely been a bloody pulp smeared across the ground.
It was her fault. If she'd just made herself a little smaller, if she hadn't gotten so emotional, maybe Courtney never would have noticed her. Octavia felt awful that Cameron had gotten hurt defending her.
Walt raised his hands above his head, gathering everyone's attention. "Alright, everyone, the show's over. Return to your cabins." Walt turned around, facing Cameron with a big goofy grin on his beak. "There's my favorite Human! Welcome back, Cambridge!" he exclaimed, clapping Cameron on the shoulder.
"It's Cameron," the boy mumbled under his breath. "Thanks, though. I appreciate you getting that brute off of me," he said before a worried look came over him. "Hey… uh… You're not actually gonna-"
"See to having you wrestle Brutus for the wrestling trial? Of course I am! I swore it would happen, scout's honor," Walt said, putting his hand to his heart and cawing. "Wow! I really didn't think that through, did I? Ha! Haha! Sorry, Campbell!"
Octavia grimaced. There was no way Cameron's human body would survive against an angry hellboar. He was dead meat. Cameron seemed to understand this too, as eyes went wide as saucers. "Mr. Walt, you can't! He's gonna kill me! Or worse!" Cameron pleaded.
Mr. Walt hummed, tapping his beak thoughtfully. "Don't worry, I have a plan," he said with a sly grin, reaching into his pocket. Octavia and Cameron watched curiously as he rummaged around.
Suddenly and without warning, Walt yanked his hand out of his pocket, thrusting it towards the two, making them jump in surprise. He opened his talons to reveal a handful of round red berries, plump and ripe. They were slightly smaller than marbles and seemed to have smooth, glossy skin with a dark dot where the stem had been.
Walt smiled fondly at the berries in his hand. "I found them in the forest," he said, looking up at Cameron expectantly.
"I…what?" Cameron asked, caught off guard just as much as Octavia was. "What are they?"
…
"I found them in the forest," Mr. Walt repeated.
Cameron looked at Mr. Walt incredulously, looking down at the berries and back up at him. "Are you offering to poison me so I can skip wrestling?" he asked, totally flabbergasted. Clearly, he wasn't keen on poisoning himself to skip a trial.
Octavia, on the other hand, was of a different mind. Worst (best) case scenario, she gets sick, starts vomiting and shitting, and gets to go home early. That was preferable to two months of nature. Octavia took the handful of berries from Mr. Walt's hand, preparing to eat them. Cameron looked horrified. "If you're not gonna take them…" she said, smiling.
Suddenly, a taloned hand snapped forward and snatched the berries back from her hand. Mr. Walt opened his beak and popped them all into his mouth like popcorn, gobbling them up and grunting like a primate.
Cameron and Octavia looked at him slack-jawed as the strange counselor broke out into laughter. "They're not poisonous! They're cranberries I stole from the meal hall!"
He reached into his other pocket and pulled out two badges. "You each get an Honor Badge for not accepting berries from a stranger!" he said, dropping two cheap plastic badges in their hands.
Octavia looked at the star-shaped badge and couldn't help but feel disappointed. "But I was gonna eat them…" she mumbled sadly.
"Haw! Heeheehaw! You get another Honor Badge for your honesty!" Walter said, reaching back into his pocket and dropping another badge in a very befuddled Octavia's hand. He then grimaced and slapped his forehead. "Ah, but unfortunately, I must take one badge from each of you for being unable to differentiate edible berries from poisonous berries."
Before Cameron could even process what had happened, the badge was snatched out of his hand, as was one of Octavia's badges. "Now," Mr. Walt said, putting the badges in his pocket. "I must be on my way. AND DON'T TELL THE PRINCIPAL WE HAD THIS CONVERSATION!" he screamed, grabbing Octavia by the shoulders and pulling her close, his face inches from hers. "I hear she's working for the Kremlin," he whispered, looking side to side conspiratorily before dashing directly into the woods.
"What…the fuck?" Octavia stammered as she watched his retreating form. She looked at Cameron, completely baffled. "What's his deal?"
Cameron heaved his bag over his shoulder, nodding as he watched the raven's fleeting figure. "That's Wild Walter. They say he was never the same after returning from the war. Dunno what happened to him, but…" Cameron swirled his index finger in circles next to his head.
Octavia nodded, a little bit nervous. "He's not our counselor, right?"
Cameron shrugged. "He's a counselor. Only one way to find out who's," he said, gesturing towards the cabin. He twisted the handle, opening the door for Octavia and beckoning her inside. "After you."
As Octavia stepped inside, she was pleasantly surprised. The inside of the cabin was actually not that bad. It exuded a welcoming warmth, even during such a warm, muggy day. Large windows on the roof allowed the red sunlight of the Wrath Ring into the cabin, casting a warm glow on a large braided rug. Honey-colored wooden walls surrounded the space, decorated with woven tapestries and framed photographs.
Octavia looked at the living space. Mismatched sofas, each worn and battered, were positioned around a stone fireplace that crackled with green hellfire that danced behind its dark iron cage. Octavia could see the back of a head just barely poking above the couch's headrest.
The individual glanced up, looking back at Octavia from behind a pair of oversized round glasses. "Oh. You must be my third cabinmate," he said, his voice nasally and high-pitched. He rose from the couch, but his head drooped instead of lifting. As he circled the sofa, Octavia saw why.
"I'm Hubert," he said, reaching up for a handshake. He stood no taller than Octavia's waist, perhaps three feet tall. However, what stood out the most was how young he looked.
"I'm Octavia," she said, shaking his hand tentatively. She looked the little camper up and down, her concern growing. "No offense, dude, but how old are you?"
The piglet returned to his book, adjusting his glasses. "Twelve," he said, his eyes darting across the pages as he returned to the couch, climbing onto its cushion.
"Twelve?" Octavia repeated. Surely, she had misheard. "This is a high schooler event," she thought. "He's practically a child! No, he IS a child! He should be in middle school right now!"
Hubert shook his head as if he could read her thoughts. "The minimum requirement for partaking in summer camp is that you have completed your junior year. I've just completed my senior year." He said it in a matter-of-factly tone rather than a boastful one.
"W-what?" Octavia's eyes went wide. He was five years younger than her and was already ahead of her!
Cameron immediately stopped as he saw the young piglet's face. His face lit up with joy. "Oh shoot! What up, Pip?"
"My name is Hubert Pippins, for the record. But Pip is hardly the worst thing I've been called," he said, standing up from the couch with an exasperated sigh. "It beats 'piglet' by several orders of magnitude."
"This guy's a genius," Cameron said to Octavia. "He helped me a ton with my math homework."
"I did your math homework," Hubert corrected him, closing his book shut and adjusting his glasses. "At great personal risk to my own career, mind."
Octavia shook her head, setting her disbelief to the side. "Okay, just… who is our counselor?"
Hubert shrugged. "I've inquired to head counselor Cole, but they're supposedly still working it out." Seeing the nervous expressions on her face, he added, "I can say with certainty that it isn't Mr. Walt."
Octavia breathed a sigh of relief. At least she didn't have to worry about spending her time at camp with an actual crazy person.
Her relief was short-lived, however. She heard the floorboards outside creak before the cabin's door handle twisted. The door slowly creaked open to reveal an oversized, plump silhouette in the doorframe. The cabin began to fill with dread and the acrid stench of coffee breath.
"Well, well, well. Who doth I spy with mine little eyes?" Mr. Maxson said with a grin, shifting in his counselor uniform.