Sparks - Gwenvid

Wake up call

8:00am.  Gwen was late.  Probably because she hadn't figured out the alarm clocks in the cabins didn't function.  This was exactly what the ten year old had been counting on in order for his plan to work.  Max side eyed David from across the room, waiting for the right time to move. For the first ten minutes of breakfast he found himself only thinking about how much better it would be if Neil were here to hear his scheme, and if Nikki were here to help add chaos to it. Nonetheless Max had every intention of making Gwen's life here a living hell just as it had been two years ago.  This time however it would be different.  Subtle even.  For his plan to work he needed to stay out of sight.  Not only that but he needed David to be out of sight.  He needed him oblivious.  God knows the look on David's face would be that much sweeter the longer he could keep him and Gwen in the dark about working together, and that was exactly what he was going to do. 
Max stood up from his bench and strolled across the room.  The red headed camp director was picking away at his bowl of off brand frosted flakes before his company scooted in opposite of him, drawing his attention.  
"So David."
"Yes max?"
David had curiosity framing his tone, along with far more energy than anyone should have a right to at 8 in the morning.
"You haven't met the new girl they hired yet right?" Max continued.
"Oh no. I was busy getting canoes organized yesterday and didn't even get to introduce myself. I hope she got a proper welcome."
Max smirked a little before going back to picking at the less than average quality camp food. 
"I wouldn't worry about it too much.  I mean look around.  She's late for work on her first day.  Doesn't really sound that great."  Max glanced back up at David's pondering look, and added on before the man could offer a rebuttal.  "I know.  Since she's late you could make her take the younger kids today.  I'm sure she'd love to give the other counsellor a break." 
"I don't know, Max. Isn't that a bit hard for a first day?"
Max shook his head in response. 
"It's part of the job David. I'm sure they won't give her tons of trouble."  He told David in false innocence.
Even David should be smart enough to know that the youngest kids are absolute hell.  Trying to take the monsters anywhere would only amount to everyone crying.  Max had learned this when he was forced to help the day the kids arrived.  The seven year olds would break even the strongest men, and now it would be Gwen's problem.  David reluctantly agreed to it since they currently had no one to take the kids canoeing, and with that David had unknowingly put the woman he cared so deeply for, in such deep shit.

8:23am.  Shit.  Gwen hauled herself out of bed.  Did she even set the alarm before crashing? She couldn't remember.  All she knew was that she had over slept and would probably go to breakfast looking like a heron made a nest in her hair.  She did her best to redo her ponytail before putting on a pair of shorts and the camp uniform she was given the previous day.  She pulled the navy blue shirt on and straightened the collar.  It had folded half sleeves and lay tight against her form.  She tucked it into her shorts as she'd seen on the other counselors and headed outside.  Of course the cabin had to be a long walk away from the mess hall. Because she wasn't late enough already.  How morning people managed would forever remain a mystery to her.  She never understood how David could be hyper energetic at 6am when they worked at Camp Campbell.  Most days he would just wake her up and she wouldn't even need an alarm.  She almost missed it.  Almost.

Max could see out the window of the mess hall that his scheme would be cut very short if he didn't move. He got up as he saw Gwen walking across the field to the hall. 
"Hey David, you here that? I think there's a fire at the crafts tent."  He lied. 
"Again?" David falling for it naturally and heading out the back door to make sure that there wasn't one. Max ducked into the kitchen right before the newly hired Gwen walked in the building. 

Gwen sat and ate her dry camp cereal. The only one the kitchen hadn't yet run out of.  It wasn't awful.  All things considered.  She sat with three other camp counselors that she hadn't yet had a full conversation with.  Looking around the hall she saw everyone sitting in their own little groups.  The only person she really knew was sitting with the rest of the counselors in training or CITs. 
8:50am.  One of her new coworkers tapped Gwen on the shoulder, stealing her attention away from her empty bowl. 
"We just got the schedule for today."  The guy told her before showing her a brightly colour coded email.  She looked for her name, but had no luck.  Then she looked for the camp nickname that Don gave her, and sure enough she was right there. Added in at the bottom of the list.  Canoeing.  She'd done that before. She could handle that.

11:49am.  She couldn't handle it.  Gwen currently was standing halfway between the path to the pond and the mess hall.  All she wanted was to get all the kids back for lunch but at the moment that goal seemed unreachable. One kid, a seven year old girl, was clamped like a leach on Gwen's leg, while another kid was in the process of pulling on her shorts and asking so many questions it would put a seventh grade teachers pet to shame.  The rest of the kids.  We'll they were here there and everywhere.  Most of them wet and muddy, including herself.  If nothing else they managed to get back without losing anyone.  She had to do a double take and a head count to confirm that statement, all the while trying to pry two children off her.  Hightlight of the day, lest we forget.  That morning came with not one, not three, but two canoes that got flipped over within half an hour on the water.  After an unsatisfying lunch she was thrown back into the fray. 
"C'mon!"  One of the younger counselors yelled to her.  "We're taking the kids on a jellybean hike!" 
It was clear Gwen would need more than a jellybean to get through this day. 6:30pm.  She couldn't help but ask herself.  Why the fuck did she want to work here.