Summer Dream

Chapter 2

(A/N): Really short chapter, but it's just a filler

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At lunchtime, everyone met in the mess hall. "You guys are sitting with us, okay?" Jack said, sitting at a table in the back corner. The boys sat down and looked around.

"I've never been to a summer camp before, but this place looks just like the movies." Luke said, looking at the wooden log walls.

"Where do you think the movies got their inspiration? Real summer camps. This place has been a camp for nearly 150 years." Zack said, pouring himself some juice.

"When did this place open?" Michael asked.

"1882. The Hanson's have had it in their family since then. It's always been family run. They refuse to let outsiders run the camp. The original founder said that he'd haunt his own family if they ever let an outside run the camp." Alex said.

"Has it always been a music camp?" Luke asked.

"No, when they opened in 1882 it was a music camp for the classical stuff. In, like, 1915, it became a medical training camp and housing for wounded soldiers in World War I and stayed as a training camp and housing until after World War II ended. Then it turned into a bluegrass kinda music camp with banjos and shit." Alex said.

"They didn't let women attend the camp until 1971 when they widened their horizons and added more genres. They didn't start having celebrity counselors until 1989. We've been here every summer we've had off from touring since 2014." Jack added.

"This is our favorite way to spend our summers. Oklahoma is truly a beautiful place in the summers here. And, it's really amazing to see the kids at the beginning of camp to the end of the two weeks when they've improved. The kids are all so dedicated to being the best musicians they can be and it warms my heart to see young artists growing into themselves." Alex smiled.

"And, the publicity we get from Karmen's article is great for our career. It really earns us some brownie points with the kids' parents. We've had kids come to our shows with their parents and their parents will tell us that they only let their kids see our shows because they know how important our band is to the kids that have come here." Zack said. "The kids really look up to the counselors here and it pays off."

"Has Karmen ever written a bad article about this camp and what they do?" Michael asked.

"No, she's married to Carter so they have an agreement that she doesn't write anything incriminating." Jack shrugged. "Let's get in line for food, Aspen's at the front and we all know she's gonna take all the jello."

"Aspen's pretty." Michael blurted out. His eyes widened and he looked around to make sure no one heard him.

"Yeah, she is pretty. She's one of the most down to earth artists here. She rarely talks about her career, it's always about the kids and what we can do to help them. She's so humble and she doesn't take a single moment for granted." Alex said. "She's also a professional at Flip Cup and Beer Pong."

"Do the counselors here all get along like you guys do with her?" Ashton asked.

"For the most part, I guess. There's kind of two sides, though. You see, Aspen and Audrey have had this rivalry forever. No one knows how it got started, or why. They don't talk about it, but somehow everyone knows that they hate each other." Rian explained. "Audrey has her little minions that always say shit about Aspen both behind her back and to her face. It's mostly just Audrey, Rena, and Nia on her side, but they're always trying to get more people."

"Well, Rena and Nia are the daughters of Satan, so they love anything that allows them to tear other people down." Calum said.

"I thought you and Nia had a thing?" Alex asked him.

"Fuck, no." Calum gagged. "She steals my clothes on tour and people think we're together. She tries to confirm their rumors, but they are not true." They reached the buffet line and each got their plate of food before going back to the table.

"So, you guys don't have any idea what their rivalry is about?" Calum asked as he started to eat.

"No, no one knows but them. I guess, Aspen's brothers might have some idea, but they aren't saying. It's probably something petty like they both fell for the same guy and he picked one over the other." Jack shrugged and started to eat.