Raven-black tyres beat along the slightly uneven, muddy terrain. The back wheels bounced slightly and the car shook as it was thrown back and forth. The passenger's didn't care, they were more concerned about the silence inside of the vehicle.
Earlier that day, everything was fine. Earlier that day, Luke Hemmings sat in this very car and went to the closest book store and bought physics and maths textbooks, which he was determined to work through for the next two months. This plan was thrown off by one simple announcement.
So now, he refused to talk to his parents who sat in the front seats of the long, sleek Chevrolet Impala, his mother at the wheel while his father sat in the front passenger seat, occasionally humming a song he had heard on the radio only minutes before. It was extremely off-key and didn't do justice, and Luke cringed every time his dad tried to hum a high note, resulting in a squeal that was slightly muffled by his lips being pressed so tightly together.
Luke was sat in the back seat, gazing out of the window on the right side, watching the trees lag behind and the stones flick up everytime the little pieces of gravel got caught in the tyres. He liked silence. Mostly because that's when he could focus best.
Silence was a luxury for him in a house of four, a mother, a father, his older brothers and himself. The home was usually filled with brotherly bickering and the parents yelling at one another for all of a few minutes, and the next thing you know the two eldest throughout the household are moaning in the master bedroom.
It sure is fun in the Hemmings household.
It isn't all bad though, when his brothers are out with their friends and his parents go out, he's left alone in the house. That can be viewed as a bad thing, but for him, it was bliss. That meant he had around four hours to do whatever the hell he wanted to without anyone to interrupt, and it felt great.
Sometimes, reading would be first on his list. If he couldn't find a book he liked at the local bookstore, he'd sneak one of his mother's books to his room and read through it. Yet he didn't understand why his mother liked these books though, because they were typical stories of a troubled white girl, whose depression and anxiety goes away as soon as she meets a skinny white boy with a weird as fuck last name and captivating eyes... it was getting old reading about the same unrealistic crap over and over again. He was pretty sure he actually threw out a book once... he can't be sure.
"Luke, darling, we honestly think this could be good for you. Maybe you'll make friends and find a girlfriend," His mum prompted.
There were three things wrong with that statement. First, since when did his parents ever want what was best for him? They leave him to his own devices and expect highly since his brothers were the first Hemmings rejects and the family didn't want another one to add to the list. Secondly, "maybe you'll make friends" that sure helped his self esteem. He already has friends that he's more than happy with, he just wishes that his family will leave his relationships alone. And third, both parents and brothers have known he was gay since he was fourteen, and yet they still couldn't come to accept the fact that he would never date girls in this lifetime.
"Mum, you know I'm gay, stop forcing girls on me cause it won't change my sexuality," He replied softly, not wanting to start a heated argument while his mum was controlling what way the car went and if the people inside lived or not.
"It isn't my fault if I want some grandbabies" Liz chuckled, eyes still fixed firmly on the road. Luke just sighed and placed his forehead on the cool glass of the window.
"Your mother is right Luke, don't you want a future family?" Andrew asked.
The teenager felt anger bubble inside him, yet he managed to keep it from overflowing... something he had alot of experience dealing with, since his family were so infuriating.
"I will have a family, and I will have a husband wether you both like it or not" Luke snapped, his words buzzing slightly from the car sending vibrations up the thick window glass.
"We were just trying to make conversation" Andrew defended, trying to calm his son down. Luke just hummed in affirmation and let his blue eyes roam the road ahead.
He thought about how reluctant he was to pack. How quickly he had folded everything and threw it into the light blue duffel bag, it all sitting in one big unorganised mess. The image of Ben and Jack coming up behind him to attempt to cheer their younger brother up.
It made him feel... different.
The teenagers warm breath fogged up the window, yet when he passed the sign indicating the camp wasn't far ahead, he was able to read every word even though the red letters were blurry round the edges.
Suddenly, the hem of his Nirvana shirt became the main focus, and he began playing with the material and rubbing the black fabric between his thumb and forefinger. He didn't even notice when the car had come to a halt and his parents were getting out.
Luke opened the back door and got out himself, his red vans making a crunching noise on the gravel. He sighed as he opened the boot of the Impala and pulled out his duffel, groaning as he hefted the load onto his right shoulder.
He didn't want to be here.
His parents, Liz and Andrew, were walking ahead of him, as he lagged behind making himself as small as he could. He just wanted to get to his dorm as soon as remotely possible.
"Welcome to Georgia Falls, I'm head of camp, just sign your name and some contact numbers below and blah blah I really don't care," The woman at the desk droned. She clearly didn't like being here either, Luke didn't blame her, the place was too cheery.
The Head of Camp is called Jodi Foster, or so it says on her laminated nametag that's pinned to her yellow polo shirt. Her brunette hair hung in ringlets until her jawline, wisps of grey shining through the sea of brown. The bags under her eyes were slightly noticeable and Luke could swear he had smelt alcohol emitting from... all of her.
"Pick up a camp shirt from over there, the sizes are in order. I hope you have an amazing stay" She continued before rolling her eyes and slamming down the sign up sheet and a blue biro pen.
Andrew and Liz were busy filling out the sheet while Luke began speaking to Jodi.
"I seriously don't want to be here" Luke groaned leaning against a small wooden fence and throwing his head back in annoyance. Jodi just flashed a sad smile.
"You'll survive... just don't eat whatever they serve, there's a camp tuck shop not even thirty metres from the edge of camp grounds," She chuckled patting him on the back before going and greeting the other applicants.
He was torn between thinking that he'd survive or being murdered by a group of the younger, and possibly more rabid, campers...
The second option was becoming increasingly more likeable.
