Summer Daze // Jalex

One: Set With Stars

....Underneath the stars we came alive....

Jack gets out of the car, looking around the dusty parking lot as all of the other campers are moving in. His parents forced him to go here over the summer to make friends. Not that he's introverted because he definitely isn't. He's just... selective and now stuck here for the next few weeks. He lugs his bags over to the information desk and begins checking in.
"We're putting you in.. cabin 24." The lady at the desk speaks. "There's currently two others moved in and one spot left." She explained and hands him a map of the grounds.

Alex, a boy with longer, brown hair is unpacking his bag in cabin 24, just taking out the things that he wants out so that he can stash his suitcase and clothes under his bed.He smiles at his roommate, "Think we'll get another?" He asks.
The blonde guy, Kyle, nods "I mean probably. There's one bed left."
"What if we don't though?"Alex shrugs.
"No idea, another bed to jump on." He laughs.
The door swings open and Jack walks in. "What's up, roomies?" He says and throws his stuff on the empty bed.
Alex looks at Kyle "no jumping bed for us." He smirks and looks at Jack."Unpacking. What's your name?" Alex asks, not that he necessarily cares. He doesn't want to be at this shitty summer camp.
Jack smiles at his comment. "No jumping? Says who?" He gets up and jumps on his bed. "I'm Jack!" He says and looks at alex with a grin. "how about you, sweater-paws?"
Alex raises an eyebrow at Jack's comment."I'm Alex." He says contently, watching the kid jump.
Kyle smiles, "Kyle."
Jack jumps off the bed and goes over to his stuff to start unpacking. "What brings you guys here?"
"I like outdoorsy stuff, and my parents like getting me out of the house." Kyle smiles. "I'm gonna check the place out. I'll be back by lunch." He walks out.
Alex shrugs and looks at Jack, "my parents wanted to get rid of me." He looks at his hands, half tempted to bite at them again. He settles for biting his lip raw instead.
Jack pats the bed to offer Alex to sit with him. "Pretty much same. They said I need to socialize more. What's wrong with being your own best friend? I am pretty fun." He smiled a bit before letting out a sigh.
Alex sits down next to him, pulling his knees up to his chest, hugging his knees."I don't really have any friends either. I don't see a point." He mumbles, looking at Jack again. Damn he's cute.
"Guess we're friends now huh?" Jack smiles and pats Alex's knee. He takes out the map and reads their schedule. "Oh great a stargazing hike tonight."
Alex looks over Jack's shoulder, "I'm not excited about the hike, but I love stars and I love everything about space...God the things I could tell you about nebulas, and the cosmic showers, and the folklore I could tell you about each constellation and what it means...Wow." He sighs with an actual genuine smile on his face, "I love space."
Jack lets out a small laugh. "I don't really know much about it. I guess I have my own personal tour guide then!" he says as the bell starts ringing, signaling for them to meet outside. "and thats our cue come-on, Lexy." He said hopping off the bed and throwing on a hoodie.
Alex raises an eyebrow "Lexy?" He grabs his beanie and pulls it on, hugging himself in the hoodie he's constantly wearing, even when it's hot. He's cold. Always cold.
Jack shrugs "yeah, I like nicknames. It's something special between two people, yano?"
He opens the door, holding it for Alex as he exits.
"alright...Lexy then." Alex shakes his head, amused by him. "Thanks." He walks out the door and looks around.
"You look like it's the dead of winter." Jack adds.
"I'm cold." Alex shrugs.
"Whatever you say."
Jack looks around to see a group of both campers and counselors gathered around a flag post. He starts heading that way, motioning for Alex to follow. The sun is coming down and the stars were finally starting to come out.
"It's funny we don't really have stars like this at home. It's breathtaking to be somewhere with no light pollution." Jack sighs, looking up in awe.
"You're right..." Alex looks down for a moment, then up at the sky.He eases away from the group, staying at the end of the flag post so he doesn't have to be really spoken to or seen."I've got a telescope at home." He nearly whispers awkwardly, kicking his toes into the dirt a bit.
"Really?" Jack's eyes light up. "That's so cool. Ooo have you ever seen a shooting star? I've heard that those are dying stars. Not sure if that's true but I think that adds to their beauty." He smiles, enjoying their wholesome conversation.
One of the counclers comes over to them. "Hey campers! My names Rian, you're going to be in my group for the hike."
Alex sort of scoots himself behind Jack and jumps about a mile in the air when another person joins them.
"Hi I'm Zack!" A slightly buff guy says, "I'm your assistant camp counselor!"
"Holy shit, you're the beefiest guy I've ever seen. But dont think you could take me in a fight." Jack said whilst looking at Zack. "Oh, I'm Jack! This is Alex." He said, pointing behind him, knowing he wouldn't want to speak for himself.
Zack grins at Jack "I could probably snap you like a twig. Not that I would. But I could. Captain Quiet there too."
Alex turns bright red at the nickname and looks at his shoes, "you pr-probably could." He whispers out in a stutter
Jack gasps, pretending to be offended even though he knew he was right. "Despite my chicken legs I am pretty strong. Ask your mom." He winks.
Rian cuts off their conversation "on that note, let's go." He said and begins guiding the group over to the trail in the woods.
Alex trails along behind Jack, picking up a big stick as he goes, dragging it next to him, watching the line it makes.He trips over said stick and falls flat on his face. Idiot he thinks as he shoves himself back up. You don't want attention but get it anyway because you're literally stupid and have two left feet. He looks at Jack "don't make fun of me for that."
Jack looks at Alex and considers making a joke but can see the genuine embarrassment on his face. He pretends to fall and lays down next to him.
"Gotcha!" He laughs, pretending that he tripped them so he could take the blame.
Alex smiles at him, pushing himself back up and helps Jack back up, "thanks for that." He whispers, happy that not many people saw.
"Don't mention it."
"How long is this dumb hike anyway?" Alex asks.
Zack looks back at him. "Since we have to be up early for rowing tomorrow. Only an hour." "Rowing?" Jack whispers to alex. "These guys really wanna see me wet that bad?"
Alex swallows hard "r-rowing? Like....paddle boats or canoes???" He asks, about ready to have a panic attack, "I can't do that dude..."
"Canoes." Rian says. "but don't worry you'll have the rest of your team with you. Life vests too of course." He smiles before returning back to his spiel about constellations.
"Hey, it's okay." Jack whispers and gently rubs Alex's arm. "Can you not swim? We'll have life vests so if all else fails you'll become a little emo buoy." He grins.
Alex scoffs "a life vest won't save me. I trip over my own two feet. I'll find a way to drown." He mutters under his breath. He looks at Jack "I'm actually a good swimmer thank you. You'd think I'd be a good walker, too but you saw what just happened." He sighs, "I really don't want to be here."
"Me neither but I'm trying to make the most of it." Jack shrugs. "I don't think they'd let you drown though. I promise you'll be fine. Enough overthinking tell me about these stars instead, Galileo."
Alex smiles "well." He finds them a place to sit down and points up, "that's Orion's Belt, but alllllll of that, you can't see his feet, is the entire Orion constellation." He says, "and Orion was a hunter in Greek mythology. Born to Euryale and Poseidon. One myth recounts Gaia's rage at Orion, who dared to say that he would kill every animal on Earth. The angry goddess tried to dispatch Orion with a scorpion. This is given as the reason that the constellations of Scorpius and Orion are never in the sky at the same time. However, Ophiuchus, the Serpent Bearer, revived Orion with an antidote. This is said to be the reason that the constellation of Ophiuchus stands midway between the Scorpion and the Hunter in the sky."
Jack intently listens to Alex, "Damn.. you really know your shit. Did you know the word constellation comes from a Latin term meaning set with stars? I took latin in school." He shrugged. "That's all I got."
Alex chuckles "yeah, I do indeed know that, silly." He looks up, "I just really love the idea of being up there....I hope that one day, when I die, I turn to a star. I don't care what happens to my body. I'd like to be a star, part of my own constellation. Maybe a planet."
"You got a way with words, lexy." Jack says. "I think when I die I'll just be reincarnated as an alien. At least I hope so. Oh shit maybe I can live on you. Not in a weird way or maybe in a weird way .... aliens are pretty weird."
"Who says there are aliens anyway?" Alex smirks. "There are always going to be stars, moons, suns, various universes and galaxies...I'd like to find myself there. Lets say you do come back as an alien, you could live on me." He grins, blushing a little
"You don't believe in aliens?! Don't even get me started on that you don't wanna open that can of worms. I appreciate your gesture though I will happily do that i'm sure you'd be a pretty dope planet." He says, it causes Alex to laugh.
"I do believe in aliens. There's just more proof in the stars themselves. I'm sure when I'm a planet, lots of weird creatures will come live on me." He grins, "I'd be an amazing planet, thanks. I'll have about 3 moons and no suns. It's like me. Dark and cold."
Jack rolls his eyes and smiles "dark and cold? I don't think so. I feel like you got a lot of sunshine somewhere in you. Well maybe ... the cold part though." He said, nodding to alex's outfit.
Alex shrugs "maybe. Maybe not, guess you'll find out, since you seem to want to be around me."
"Of course I do. You get me." He says.
"I'm cold." Alex says, hugging himself.
Rian calls them to start heading back to the cabins.
"Thank god," Jack cheers. "Lets go, frosty."
Alex smiles a little, "frosty?" He gets up and stars making his way back to their cabin, hugging himself tightly, rubbing his arms a little to warm up.
"Yep." Jack says proudly, as they make their way back through the woods.
What a weird one." Alex smirks, "Haven't heard frosty before." He grabs onto Jack's arm before he can fall flat on his face, causing Jack to tense up. He stands up right and lets go, "sorry."
"No need to apologize. My noodle arms are here for a reason." Jack winks and they get back to their cabin.
"Make sure you boys are up and ready by 8 tomorrow." Rian calls out.