𝘗𝘦𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘳 ~ [𝘋𝘢𝘷𝘪𝘥 𝘹 𝘖𝘊]

⇒ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ꜰᴏᴜʀ

"I can't take this heat anymore, my skin is melting!" Nikki drew out the last syllable, tugging at her cheeks. I grimaced, fanning my face with a hand and trying to air out my t-shirt by flapping it back and forth.

"I'm with you on this one..." I muttered, resting my chin on David's shoulder from slightly behind. The redhead's other arm had been raised in the Camp Campbell salute for about ten minutes while we stood in the scorching heat.

"It's called perspiration, and it's unbefitting of a scientist." Neil spoke loudly, tugging at the collar of his jumper.

"This is the worst, it's way too hot to be standing out here." Max complained, wiping sweat from his brow. I snaked my arms around my co-counsellor's waist for support, letting my body droop slightly.

"The only thing I'm hot for is another exciting day at camp!" I couldn't deal with David's optimism in this weather. I truly adored the man, but he wasn't the best at reading situations.

"There's a joke I could make somewhere in there," The black haired boy began, eyeing me surreptitiously, "But I think Avery is so beyond taking bullshit they might throttle me if I make it." I rolled my eyes, knowing exactly the sort of joke he would have made.

"Yeah, fucking good." Was all I could muster, squeezing David in my embrace.

"Oh come on guys, we've got super special guests coming to visit!" My head was unceremoniously thrown off the man's shoulder as he raised his arms in excitement. I could only manage a soft grumble, shifting round for a side hug and forcing my face into the crook of his neck.

"Yeah, and these new campers will be miserable that we don't have room for them because David forgot we signed up for a foreign exchange camp." Gwen muttered lowly, hair plastered to her face.

"Well, I'm not going to let something like being unprepared stop us from giving them a proper American welcome!" I groaned at his phrasing.

"You're making it very hard to like you right now." I mumbled against the base of his neck, lips half brushing his skin as I spoke.

"Avery, didn't you once say I was so cute you couldn't not like-" My head shot up and I hit his arm a few times to get him to shut up.

"Not in front of the campers!" I hissed urgently. "You think I need Max knowing I call you cute? He'll never stop teasing me." I worried somewhat adamantly. Silence fell over our group as the tell-tale hum of the bus rumbled down the road. I looked up a little to see the chipping yellow paintwork drive into view. David beamed down at me, utterly ecstatic. The doors creaked upon opening.

"Foreign kids are here." Quartermaster announced gruffly from the passenger seat.

"Everyone, let's give a patriotic welcome-" David began.

"I hate this country so much."

"To Vera from Russia." A girl with white hair, not dissimilar in colour to my own, stepped out. She was dressed in a classic soviet-esque uniform, down to the furlined hat, even in the sweltering heat. "Dang from Thailand!" A small boy in a Hawaiian shirt. "And from the Esteemed and Glorius Better Than All Others and Benevolently Blessed by the- Um, from North Korea, Hwan! Oh and also Brian." A boy in a militant uniform was followed by one in a white t-shirt. If I was being honest, the latter looked a little like one of the members of Gorillaz.

"Hey." The seemingly American one greeted.

"We're very much excite to be in attendance of the Camp of Cameron Camp-Bell." Vera stated with a perfect poker face.

"He is legend, even in my superior republic!" The Korean exchange camper added.

"Where is he so we can meet him?" Dang asked almost a little too enthusiastically. They seemed suspiciously eager to meet Cameron. Come to think of it, Dang was from Thailand, and if I remembered correctly, wasn't Mr Campbell the old president of there? And didn't he embezzle all of the country's funds?