I submitted the worst paper I've ever written and need some joy. I'm sure we all need something happy now.
Year One: Knock-Offs
Camp SHIELD - 21:47 PM
On the last night of Camp SHIELD, classes ended before the sun went down. Professors deemed that time as preparation for heading back to campus. Everyone needs time to pack their bags, fix up the cabin, and grab a bite to eat. But no. There are hundreds of freshmen in the woods with no legitimate supervision.
And Halloween was soon.
They will take advantage of this perfect timing.
-o-
Some people managed to sneak in costumes amidst their rushed packing. They were mostly casual clothes that can pass off as costumes or can become one. Loads of people remained in their training uniforms while wearing cat ears or whatever headpiece they packed last minute. Or they wore their pyjamas. But, for the most part, everyone is so done with Camp SHIELD that they wanted to party and forget about the past few weeks.
Correction: a lot of the Sci-Tech girls brought costumes. Well, not costume costumes. To them, it was Halloween, but to Emily Stark, it was everyday fashion. Blazers, (knockoff for them) designer tops, business casual pants or jeans, and high heels with sunglasses. And since that Emily Stark was in the public eye more, they had more outfit inspiration. A part of it was because Emily Stark was, as mentioned many times before, their program's goddess. The other is a chance to get laid by a Sci-Tech boy who was in the fascination for the billionaire.
"I want to go home," Daniel says.
He leans against the wall, avoiding eye contact with all the Emily Stark knockoffs. Nobody knows he's the fiancé and he's more uncomfortable now than when he learned that Emily was worshipped here. Daniel would go back to his cabin and pack his bag but he's scared to see someone who looks like his fiancée straddling someone.
"Campus or home home?" Xavier asks. Although he's not engaged to Emily, he's still uncomfortable by all the girls in blazers giving him suggestive looks.
Daniel sighs. "Anywhere. Preferably with my Emily."
Xavier nods, looking at his friend. "I get that."
-o-
"Yes!" James screams over the booming music. "I hate it too!"
James watches Emily laugh in front of him. They're on their sixth drink and ranting about the stupidity of the express Ph.D. requirement of Sci-Tech. Like him, Emily hasn't put much thought into hers. She was leaning towards robotics or completely changing programs. God, he misses Emily. She was always on the same page as him. None of his other Academy friends understand him like her. But did she always have dark blonde hair? And was she always at Camp SHIELD? Whatever. He's drunk. It's fine.
"I was thinking of quantum entanglement," James explains. "You know how much my dad loves that stuff but I will end up getting tangled in it."
And then Emily starts talking. His mind is so hazy from all the drinks that he sees Emily's mouth moving in slow-motion but no noise comes out. It's weird because Emily's voice always has a sound. Was this really her? It had to be.
"I miss you so much," James says.
Emily gives him a strange face before smiling. She misses him too.
-o-
Angela and Merida aren't too far away. They're close enough to see James talking to a girl but far enough so that he doesn't notice them giving him a what an idiot face. They know he's drunk and he'd still be smart enough to not do anything harmful. Angela's there to watch over him and Merida's waiting for the entertainment factor. Drunk James was her favourite James.
"Aren't you going to stop that?" Merida asks, pointing at James's conversation. It would make her night if Angela went over and smacked that girl especially since Merida could picture it as Emily. She loves her friend but would love to end Camp SHIELD with a hearty laugh.
"Nah," Angela says while shaking her head. "He thinks it's Emily so it's not going anywhere."
"But what if she takes the wheel," Merida suggests. All she wants is a fight to break out.
Angela gives Merida a face. She knows what Merida wants and she won't give it. "I'll make sure she doesn't."
Merida groans. She tried.
Angela and Merida continue looking around at all the people here. They didn't dress up, not even in their pyjamas. They only wear whatever they would return to campus in because screw this party. That's a reminder they have to pack soon. But they didn't expect to see so many girls dressed up as Emily. They knew from James and Daniel that their program loved Emily Stark, but they didn't expect the infatuation to be this extreme.
The girls were used to Emily being their best girlfriend. Before they met Britney and Iqadi, they were a trio. Sure, their group chat was called Stark's Angels but Emily was always on par with them. Nobody was more important than the others. Maybe that was because they didn't see her through media headlines and paparazzi photos. They knew her from spontaneous shopping trips, running through the school hallways, and late night drives after curfew.
"I thought you'd be more disturbed," Angela says, referring to all the Emily Stark clones.
Merida shrugs. "I miss Emily so it's cool."
Angela nods. "Yeah, it kind of is."
"But don't tell her or else her ego will explode."
"And we'll never hear the end of it."
-o-
Nobody knew the time but nobody cared. Clothes and items were shoved in suitcases. People had to get others to sit on theirs to help zip it up. Organization was the last priority because all that mattered was that everyone can finally leave Camp SHIELD. Goodbye cabins, hello campus! Hello, cell service! Nothing will be more satisfying than catching up on missed text messages and blocking out the horrific memories of the past week.
And Camp SHIELD ended right in time for Thanksgiving meaning that students got some time to relax on campus. There were no scheduled classes and those who celebrated Thanksgiving got to go home. But everyone got to catch up on sleep and remedy themselves of any illnesses they got in the outdoors.
Little did they know what was coming for them after the break.
I will say this every chance I get: I miss Emily Stark.