Camp Paradis || Jean Kirstein

6.01 • I'm Going To Smell Like Mustard For A Week

With everyone stepping into a routine the next day, it felt like summer was in full swing. Guests were congregating in the mess hall, signing up for activities that would be starting soon, and to stay out of the way, my sister and I went to the lake after breakfast, to lay out on the dock. Walking across it was almost as terrifying as it looked yesterday. The boards were creaky, uneven, and wobbly. Dad needed to get it fixed soon before he ended up with another lawsuit. Reiner came down with us, but I think he decided to get in the lake instead of hanging with us. It was early enough for us to be the only ones out here, but Mika and Bertholdt would be here soon.

Since it was earlier in the day, it wasn't that hot yet, and it made the sun more bearable. My towel was surprisingly very comfortable to act as a barrier between me and the wood. I had the straps of my yellow bikini pulled a little off my shoulders to let my chest get more even sun. Historia was laid down with the top of her head facing mine, and I had to tune out her humming of whatever pop song was coming from her headphones. I was actually enjoying the quiet around us before it was interrupted with stomps on the dock, shaking the wood. I heard an angry, "Beckett!" And it made me smile.

Historia sat up in alarm, pulling a bud out of her ear. I pushed my sunglasses up onto my forehead, had to close one eye to keep the sun out, and I saw Jean stand over me when he came to a stop. His jaw was clenched tight, and his eyes were burning with anger, and I felt a sense of pride in knowing that this reaction was all because of me.

"You're blocking my sun." I told him as I pulled my glasses back down. I felt his fingers brush against my forehead as he jerked the glasses off my face, "Hey!" I reached for them, but he pulled them back before I could grasp them. I sat up and moved so that I was on my knees in front of him.

"Did you talk to Levi about me?"

I smirked at him, before standing up, "I brought up a concern about his staff." I answered vaguely.

"You can't do that, I just got in trouble!"

I crossed my arms and stepped closer to him, coming off of my towel, "I didn't like your attitude."

He laughed in disbelief, "My attitude? How about yours?" I admired how he never failed to give my energy right back to me, but he wasn't going to win this one.

I smiled, "I know my attitude sucks," I admitted, "but the difference is, you have to put up with it, and I don't." He opened his mouth to argue, but I held up my finger, "In fact, I believe you were the one who said I was supposed to be treated like any other guest. Right?" He pushed his tongue into his cheek, and remained silent. He didn't want to admit that I was right, and he didn't have to, because I didn't need his validation, "That's what I thought." I snatched my glasses out of his hand, and put them behind my ears, pushing them up into my hairline, "You should go get ready for class now." I waved him away.

"Look, fine." He hadn't calmed down, and only seemed a little more frustrated now that he realized there was nothing that he could do about me. I was proud of him for finding his voice again, "I'll leave you alone, but you stay away from me too. I know that someone like you probably wouldn't understand, but I need this job. Don't fuck it up for me."

I winced, "Ooh, that's some strong language coming from someone wearing that..." I pinched the fabric of his shirt between my pointer finger and thumb, "that staff tee shirt." I flapped the fabric before letting it go, "I might have to talk to Levi again."

He nodded, and his eyes lit up at the challenge, "Maybe." He picked up his foot, and stomped it down onto the unsecured board I was standing on, causing the plank to pop up. I gasped as I lost my footing. My arms swung back in circles as I stumbled to the side, and before I could balance myself, I was falling off the edge of the dock and into the water.