Camp Brotherhood

Week 1, Thursday

Hands gently caress each side of my face. The touch feels tentative and ghostly, as do the lips that press themselves to mine.

   “Morning sleeping beauty.” A voice croons above me. Sebastian. Not exactly who I'd been hoping to see. “Blaine asked me to swing by and wake you.” The cabin is bright and clear, void of all my mates. “He said you'd need to sleep in after ‘last night.’” My friend flashes me his signature wicked grin. “What happened last night?” He punctuates the two words with raises of an eyebrow. I ignore him, as I've been doing since he woke me. “Oh my god, you fucked him, didn't you?” Rolling my eyes, I carry my toothbrush with me to the bathroom. My friend follows. “Jesus, you did! Was it long? Blaine strikes me as a big dick kinda guy. Unless, he's just compensating...that would be unfortunate.”

   I spit my minty toothpaste water into the sink. It's the same sink I'd rinsed my face in the night before. “I did not sleep with him.” I inform my friend, even though it's none of his business.

   “Oh.” He shrugs. “Shame.”

   “Wait, something happened last night?” Trent gasps. “Oh my god, do tell.” He claps his hands neatly behind his cereal bowl, smiling expectantly to me.

   Sebastian leans back triumphantly. “Well golly. Now that Trent knows you have to tell us.” Trent nods with him. The duo stare at me, faces hungry for gossip. I honestly wouldn't mind the latest camp brotherhood dish. I just wish they didn't want it for me.

   “Trent wouldn't have know if you had kept your mouth shut.” I snap at my friend. Like a little chastised puppy, Trent pouts. Like the conniving minx that he is, Bas perks up.

   “Well, there'd be nothing to know if you had just kept your legs shut.” His fingers dance across the table like the legs of a promiscuous Rockette.

   Maybe it's because I should've slept in longer. Maybe it's because I want to see that little smirk fall right off of Sebastian's face. But, I let him have it. “Funny, because that is exactly what happened!” I am aware of my voice rising and the attention being drawn to us. “Legs: closed; known: nothing!” Trent zeros in on his cereal, getting so close to the bowl that he might fall in. Sebastian looks a bit bewildered, albeit still smirking.

   “Unsurprised.” Mutters Eli, of all people, just a table away.

   The sound of my chair scraping the ground surprise even me. But, I'm up now. Might as well vent a little. “You know what, Eli-”

   “Morning, campers!” Wes’s false chipper greeting supersedes him hopping onto his table, powering up the infamous megaphone. However, it's obvious to everyone his announcement is a desperate attempt to get me to shut up. I take the cue, slowly lowering into my seat. It's hard to remain proper and dignified now, but I try— face flushed and all eyes drifting back to me. Even Wes and David’s pointed glares. They consult quickly on what Wes should say, now that he's gotten our attention. They nod decidedly. Wes clears his throat. “In a minute, or twenty, but not yet, breakfast will end. That is all. Thank you.”

   “Hey, Kurt!” Blaine calls from behind me. Team blue, in line with the green group, are led by Nick into the woods. It's apparently challenge course day, in which we will be competing against each other, cabin to cabin, to see who completes each challenge first. This seems to create a buzz of competitive excitement. Even Bas and Trent walk ahead of me, trash talking one another’s cabins. I hang back, in front of only Blaine, who is the designated caboose, so no one gets lost. I slow my gait to fall in step with him in response to being addressed. “Uhm, I just wanted to check in with you. Ya know, see how you're feeling.” He’s beating around the bush, clearly, trying to find the sensitive way to ask me if I've gone mad.