The Damned || t. galpin (on hold)

why couldn't it be mini golf?

Trudging through the woods, Cameron chides herself on being too forthright. She could have snuck into the library at some other time to retrieve the book, but now she was in the woods, ready to go camping with a group of outcasts she barely knew.

Her backpack weighs her steps down as she tries not to think of the scream she had heard when she first arrived at Nevermore months ago. Most of the Nightshades have run off ahead, except for Bianca. The siren looked like she was at a loss for words, as rare as that might seem. Her early shift at the Weathervane had ended and she knew she still smelled like coffee and a brick wall, maybe Bianca was staying behind and trying to find the meanest way to tell her that she stank.

But when the girl finally opened her mouth it was something that Cameron could never have expected. "I want your help." She almost paused in the trek for dramatic effect, but she decided it would be easier to digest if she kept walking.

"Uhhhh," She was unsure what to say to that, "With what?" She turned to the siren sharply, but she just looked at her interlocked hands, rubbing them against each other.

"Xavier, he doesn't trust me. He thinks I'm using my siren song on him." Cameron felt a strange emotion in her chest which she realized was just compassion. She knew what it felt like, never knowing what people actually thought about her, there were times when she would accidentally influence people around her and only realize when it was too late.

"Well, are you?" She asks stupidly.

"No. Not with my amulet on." She clutches her golden necklace like an older lady might clutch her pearls. Cameron nods curtly, not daring to express anything until she found out what Bianca wanted. 

"Well, what do you want me to do?"

"I want you to find out what he actually thinks of me." She whispers.

"Can't you just ask him?" She spreads her hands like it's the most obvious thing in the world.

"Do you think he'll be honest with me?" She shrugs, but the wires still aren't connecting in Cameron's head. Bianca sighs deeply and dramatically. "I know what you are." She says mysteriously.

Cameron's stomach drops and her pulse quickens and she crosses her arms over her chest, trying to seem nonchalant, "What am I?" Bianca looks at her and leans in smiling, it takes all of Cameron's energy not to flinch away and run.

"A manipulative bitch." Cameron sighs quietly, of all the answers she could think of, this one was probably the best. Bianca scowls at her, not used to people reacting that way when she insulted them.

"Fine. Deal." If she was going to be stuck with Bianca for the foreseeable future, she might at least have some fun. 

Bianca grins back, her white teeth bright enough to blind anyone within eyesight, "I'm sure it'll go great, but we better hurry up before they notice we're missing."  Bianca runs off ahead, Cameron takes a deep breath and shoves down her exhaustion to follow.

They reach a small clearing at the top of the hill, Yoko wraps her arm around Cameron, leading her around the space. "Weems lets us do whatever we want as long as we don't cause any waves."

The sun is setting, washing the whole mountain in a warm orangey glow. Cameron watches it with a strange serenity as everyone else sets up the tents.

"Did you get them?" Ajax ruins her reverie.

"Of course," scoffs, pulling a box of beer from her bag, and setting them down next to Yoko's drink-making station, "Jericho's best."

"Great," Bianca rubs her hands together, "Since it's our first trip of the year, let's play some never have I ever."