Camp for the Emotionally (Un)Stable || Lams

Chapter One: That John Kid

Hamilton|First Person

"Hey, Alex! Over here!" The French boy who showed me around camp waves at me from across the field that is placed in the center of the main buildings. The mess hall is behind us, the shed that holds outdoor equipment stands to the left, and the administration building is on the right. Ahead of us is a raised wooden platform that most of the other kids face towards, including Lafayette who still looks over at me expectantly. He's seated next to a dark skinned boy in a bandanna who pokes the girl sitting in front of him. 

I walk over, a little reluctant. I don't do well with crowds, I was sort of just hoping I could sit in the back and skip dinner to go back to my cabin. My bunk mate seems pretty nice for the most part, I think I can manage the summer with him. He's not bad on the eyes either, though I'd never admit that out loud. I don't want something as mundane as my sexuality to ruin this experience for me. I've had my fair share of homophobes in the past. "H-hi, Lafayette." I say quietly as I sink to the grass beside him. I scan the crowd, landing on John who sits with a girl that looks a couple years younger than him, her hair pulled into two braids that hang on her back. 

"Alex, this is my bunk mate, Hercules." He gestures to the bandanna kid next to him who turns to us at the mention of his name.

"Are you the poor kid that got stuck with John Laurens this year?" He lowers his voice as he speaks. 

I nod, frowning a little. "W-what's so bad about him," I stutter, cringing as I do so.  

"He's got issues, man. Be careful how you act around him, you don't want to set him off." He says seriously, then turns back to the girl he was poking. She turns around and glares at Hercules. I look to Lafayette for some explanation, but he's laughing as Hercules tugs on the hair of the other girl in front of him. 

"Hey!" She exclaims, turning to glare at the boy along with the other girl. 

"C'mon, lighten up, Lizzie." She pouts and pulls her hair over to one shoulder. Her eyes land on me and light up.

"Ooh! Are you new?" She leans toward me, tugging on the other girl's arm to bring her over as well. I nod, looking her over. She's got a round face and chocolate eyes that keep themselves trained on me as she releases her black hair. Pretty. "I'm Eliza." She grins, tugging at the girl on her left once more before she finally looks at me. "And this is Angelica, my sister."

"Alex," I say simply, taking them in. Angelica looks far from her sister, dark skin and an angled face. "You two are sisters?" I ask in disbelief. They both laugh and look at each other before answering.

"Well, Lizzie and our other sister are adopted. She's somewhere up front, probably with that John kid again." Angelica rolls her eyes. That John kid. The line bounces around my head. 

"Why does everyone hate John?" I ask as Angelica turns back around and leaves Eliza and I to talk. Eliza scoots back on the grass a little, smoothing down her blue tank top as she situates herself beside me. 

"We don't hate him necessarily. He's just...someone to be weary of." She pats my shoulder and offers a sweet smile as a bald man takes the "stage". He still manages to look professional even in cargo shorts and t-shirt that advertises the name of the camp.

"Good evening, campers." He bellows, taking in the crowd of teenagers who quiet at his words. "Welcome to another year of Camp Medowview." His lips twitch slightly, then flatten into a line as he continues to talk. He drones on about rules and activities, reminding everyone that the weekly campfires will begin tomorrow night for those who wish to attend. Eliza nudges me, rolling her eyes at his words.

"The campfires and so dumb," she whispers. She giggles a little at herself, making her sister turn around and shush her. She sticks her tongues out at the back of her head, then pouts as she remains quiet for the rest of the ceremony. 

When the camp director, that I've learned is named Mr. Washington, leaves the stage Lafayette grabs my arm and pulls me away from the two sisters who wave as I'm led to the mess hall with my apparent two new friends. They take me over to the end of a long wooden table and sit across from me. 

"Sorry about Eliza," Lafayette says, hooking his elbows on the table. "She's sort of bipolar, you can see why we keep Angelica around to keep her in check." He and Hercules chuckle. I only nod and leave them to talk between themselves as I take in the rest of the kids in the hall. None of them really stick out, they all look like normal teenagers. I would never guess this was some sort of support camp for messed up kids. I catch sight of a blue tank top, followed by a familiar head of curly hair. Eliza has her arms linked with the girl John was sitting with earlier, Angelica and John himself tagging along. She scans the room, squealing when she lands on the table we're seated at. She tugs the group over and grins widely as she approaches us.

"Alex, I'd like you to meet the third Schuyler sister, Peggy!" Peggy clings to her sister, her eyes wide as she looks at me. She looks like she wants to just go home, but Eliza pushes her forward to sit beside me.

"Hi," she says softly, staring at the table. Angelica comes up behind her and places her hand on her back. She visibly relaxes and looks up at me.

"Nice to meet you." I say, smiling a little at her. I understand how she feels, pressured by her energetic sister and stressed due to the large amount of people around us. She smiles gratefully at me, like she understands that we feel the same. 

"Hey, Alex." I look at John who still remains at the head of the table. "You make friends quickly," he comments. I shrug, noticing that he's got a constellation of freckles dotting his face and warm brown eyes that make it hard to focus. "I'm skipping dinner," he announces. "See you later, Alex." He smiles a little at me and turns on his heel, disappearing into the fading light of the night sky. 

"That was creepy," Lafayette says, lifting his eyebrow at the rest of the group. They all nod in agreement, looking at each other for confirmation. 

"Y'know, Alex if you ever want to sleep at our cabin, you're welcome. Number twenty-six." Hercules looks at me sympathetically. Lafayette nods in agreement, then starts up a conversation with Angelica, leaving me to think over his words. 

"I don't think he's so bad." Peggy murmurs beside me to the table. 

"Neither do I." I say, leaning towards her. She looks at me with wide eyes, like she can't quite believe someone agrees with her. I offer her a half smile and we both go back to sitting quietly, knowing we have someone on our side.

You'll get to know the characters and their disorders a little more as the story goes on, but if you have questions don't hesitate to comment.
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