Top Bunk

DAY 4

⌚ 6:00 AM ON THE DOT

El is no longer surprised to find Grace Upland sprawled on the floor when she wakes up to that blasted horn.

"A little help here?"

"You wish."

⌚ 7:15 AM

It's kind of unsettling to see two decent sausages and fluffy scrambled eggs on El's tray after yesterday's corned beef incident.

Before El has the choice to tuck into her food, though, Grace sets her tray down across from her. And what more but a chocolate croissant with strawberry preserves and a yogurt cup is on it. The previously decent sausages and scrambled eggs seem like two logs of feces and curdled piss to El now.

"So, Elizabeth," Grace says nonchalantly, somehow managing to lick yogurt off her spoon and speak eloquently,"what are your plans for losing today?"

El has always had these moments when she's blinded by her fury so she isn't able to control what she does. This includes what her mouth spews out. Now is one of those moments. "I don't know, Grace. I should ask you."

She's pretty proud that she was able to retort something as clever as that within the time it happened. El just forgot the tiny detail that "I haven't lost yet," Grace scoffs.

"Y-yeah, right," El says but in the recesses of her mind, she knows Grace wouldn't pass up an oportunity to brag about something like not losing.

"You don't believe me?" Grace shrugs, slicing a bit-sized piece from her croissant. "Ask everyone."

Up to this point, the rest of the camp counselors seated around the breakfast table have been silently chewing their sausages and eggs. El raises an eyebrow at them, her eyes begging "please tell me she's lost at least one activity please please."

Luke and Jason smirk at each other (El swears they've been playing footsie under the table this whole time), then shake their heads at El. Will only deepens the wound when he says, "Grace won against them both, El. Sorry."

"Sorry," Grace repeats with a smirk.

"Grace," Louise mumbles through her coffee. "Lay off her."

"You're defending her now?" Grace demands, her eyes widening.

"She's my friend!"

"What am I then?"

It's only for a fleeting second, but the table goes completely quiet. Mari and Sky glance at each other and quickly return to their food. Finn has hints of a smile painted on his face. His gaze bounces between Louise and Grace.

"Well?" Grace clears her throat. (Her cheeks are pinker than their usual rosy complexion; is she blushing?)

Louise sighs. "You're my friend, too. But so is El. Don't you think this whole treat-El- like-a-piece-of-shit thing is going too far?"

El feels a little pitter patter of affection for Louise at her words. She makes sure to send Louise a look of gratitude.

"Oh no," Grace chuckles, all traces of the flush on her cheeks evaporated. "This whole  treat-El- like-a-piece-of-shit thing is just getting started."

Louise looks like she's about to say something again but El cuts her off, "you know, Grace, no matter how many times you win, but I lose, then we all lose. I'm sure you don't want the Woods to win again this year?" She practically spits the scrambled egg in her mouth at Grace's face.

"Well, if you'd win, then maybe I wouldn't have to insult you."

"But you love insulting me."

"Trust me, Elizabeth, I have a lot more things to insult you about than your ability to win. I mean, just look at that - "