Camp for the Emotionally (Un)Stable || Lams

Chapter Two: Real Friends

Laurens|First Person

Two friends. From my three years at this damn camp I've made two friends. One of which I just met this week. Kind of pathetic when you look at the other groups of kids around the camp. Peggy and Alexander are the only two out of the near hundred kids who I could be friends with who stick around me voluntarily. And, by voluntarily I mean they sit with me at the edge of the lake while the rest of their friends swim. 

"How do you like camp so far, Alex?" I question as I examine our feet that dig into the mud at the edge of the water. It's recreation time, meaning we have a couple of hours before we have to either go to the campfire or retreat back to our cabins for the night. I personally think it's sort of ridiculous that curfew is nine o' clock, seeing that you're dealing with a bunch of teenagers for Christ's sake.

"It's ok." Alex says, keeping his eyes trained on our toes. Peggy's are painted a bright yellow color that I'd bet Eliza picked out for her. I glance over at her two older sisters, standing knee-deep in the lake and giggling as they splash each other. Hercules and Lafayette are farther out, paddling around and occasionally looking our way. I don't let them bother me, well at least I try not to. 

"What about you, Pegs? How was the campfire last week?" At fifteen it's hard for Peggy to do much about her lack of friends when she only hangs out with her sisters' that are two or three years older than her. I feel for the girl, Angelica and Eliza are constantly pushing her to get out and about. I know it's probably good for her, it's just hard to watch.

"It was fine. I sat with a girl who shared her trail mix." She smiles just a tiny bit, but Alex and I both notice. We look at each other and I nudge Peggy with my shoulder. 

"What's her name?" Peggy blushes and looks at me. 

"Maria."

"That's pretty," Alex says. Peggy smiles at her knees. 

"So is she," she mutters.

"What was that?" I ask her, just to be an asshole. 

"Nothing," she says quickly. Her eyes widen as she looks at Alex and me seated on either side of her, both of us smiling knowingly. "You guys are butts." 

"Right in the heart, Pegs." She rolls her eyes and pushes herself to her feet.

"I have to pee," she announces, picking up her t-shirt she had shed on the sand behind us. She pulls it over her head and slips her feet into her flip-flops before walking back towards the camp.

"That was cute," Alex comments. "I remember my first crush." He smiles fondly, glancing up at the sky that's only dotted with a couple of clouds today. 

"Who was it?" I ask. He looks back down at me, his face turning a little pink. 

"My neighbor," he smiles crookedly. "His name was Robert." 

"Oh, so it was a boy?" His face turns red and his mouth opens a little. 

"Oh, uh, yeah. I mean, I was like nine, and I, uh," he stumbles over his words, looking down at his hands. 

I reach over and touch his shoulder, causing him to flinch and look up at me. "It's ok, Alex." His eyes widen. "My first crush was a boy too." I laugh a little as his face takes on a look of surprise. 

"You're gay?" He hisses, leaning toward me. I chuckle at his surprise. "I mean, I'm not, like- God, that sounded rude." He rubs his eyes, "sorry." 

"It's cool," I say, laying back in the sand. "What about you? Gay? Bi?" 

"Bi," he says, pulling his legs up to his chest and looking back at me. His long hair is pulled back into a ponytail rather than falling in his face today. He's still wearing a shirt, but he's in a pair of shorts rather than jeans today. I've noticed he doesn't dress in too many summer clothes, despite the fact it's probably in the eighties today. I'm in my own shorts today, and without a shirt because I personally think it's too hot for that shit. 

"I'm hungry," I mutter as I close my eyes and tilt my face into the sun. 

"I think the girls brought some chips," he offers. I open my eyes and smile at him. 

"Wow, Alex. Stealing?" His face turns red and he looks down. 

"Well, I mean it's Peggy's food too. I don't see why we can't have any." 

I smirk at him. "My hero," I say in a southern accent. He blushes and stands, brushing the dirt from his shorts. I watch him walk over to the blanket the girls spread out on their section of the beach. He's pretty cute, the way he walks with his hands twitching until he gives in and clasps them to his chest to calm them. He keeps his head down too, usually causing his hair to fall in his face. He bends over to dig through one of the bags sitting on the edge of the blanket. I try not to look at his ass too intently, but still find my eyes drifting back there until he stands and turns back to me, bag of Lays in hand. I look back at the sky, trying to play off the fact I was totally just checking him out. 

"Here's your food, princess," he jokes, causing me to smile as I take the bag from him and sit up. I open the bag and put a chip in my mouth, holding the bag out to him in offering. "I'm good," he says. He leans back on his elbows, soaking up the sun. 

I join him after a while, and we sit like that in silence, enjoying the warm weather. That is, until our silence is disturbed by the high pitched voice of Eliza Schuyler. I peek open my eyes, seeing her face all scrunched up as she marches toward us. 

"John! Did you take our chips?" She stops in front of me, hands on her hips. 

"Actually-" Alexander starts to explain, but I reach over and touch his shoulder to quiet him. 

"So what if I did, Lizzie?" I ask nonchalantly, glancing over her shoulder to see Angelica sitting cross legged on the blanket, looking almost sorry for me. Hercules and Lafayette stand behind her, smirking smugly as the girl screeches at me.

"You don't get to call me that." She squints her eyes at me, pursing her lips. I climb to my feet to stand face to face with her. 

"Why not?" I ask, leaning into her face. 

"Because you're not my friend, John!"

"I'm friends with Alex, and I'm friends with Peggy. Why don't you want to be friends with me? Huh, Lizzie?" Her face turns red as she leans back toward me. 

"Well, maybe they don't like you either. What about that John, ever think of that?" She steps back a little, looking proud of her words. 

"Shut up." I mutter, then louder, "shut up." I stumble away from her. "Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!" My vision goes red and I have a hard time breathing evenly.

Someone next to us gasps. I look down to see Alexander. His face is red and he's breathing heavily with tears leaking through his closed eyelids. His fingers tear at his hair, the hair tie falling out and releasing it to fall in his face once more.

"Alex!" Eliza exclaims, only making me angrier. She's not his friend, I am. Does she even know that he's bi? Shouldn't a friend know that?

"Stop!" I yell at her as she crouches beside him. I drop to my knees and push her hands aside so I can try to pull Alex's from his hair. She glares at me. 

"Go, John. Can't you see you're making it worse?" 

I want to scream. I want to smack her. I want to tell her Alex likes me more, to help him up and take him back to our cabin and make him better. I can't though, my vocal chords have stopped working and it's all I can do to stand and walk away before I cry in front of her.

So...
Peggy is adorable and no one shall hurt my bean. Also I feel bad for writing Eliza as such a bitch, it's just different than what usually happens. Oh well, tell me what you think if you feel like it.
<3