Star Fall

Who Needs a Map?

I find the last flyer curled in the hollow of a tree. Instead of bending over to pick it up, I let myself sink down onto a pile of pine needles and lean against the tree. In front of me is the lake, but now that I've stopped moving I realize I have no idea where I am.
I push my back against the scratchy bark. This trip is so not going how I wanted it to. We're not even together, let alone working more as a team.
My face feels hot. The back of my throat tightens. The light glinting off the lake in front of me blurs a little. I can feel the water well in my eyes.
I start rifling through the stack of papers I've collected to distract myself from my sudden pity party.
"And not a single, stupid map." I let out my frustration out in a groan. "How can I be a leader if I don't even know where I'm going?"
"Meh. Maps are totally overrated." A guy's voice breaks the background noise of distant campers. I look up. Great. It's the cute, blonde guy from Ahri's star-studded entourage. I stand quickly and wipe my eyes with the back of my hand.
"But, if you really think you need one, I happen to have this on me." He hands me a slightly wind-crumpled map of the camp. My group's site is clearly circled and numbered in Syndra's perfect handwriting. His grin is a little lopsided. "I have a knack for finding lost things. I'm Ezreal. You can call me Ez."
I nod, trying to control my sniffling. He's still smiling. Is he flirting with me? I look around. He takes a handkerchief from his pocket and hands it to me.
"Thanks," I murmur awkwardly. Even in the shade of the pine trees, his eyes are really blue.
"Maybe you can help me find my team." I gesture to the trees around us. This little corner of camp is empty except for the two of us. "Seems everybody's lost but me and you."
"Sounds perfect." He sweeps a lock of blonde hair away from his eyes with his hand and gestures with a gentlemanly bow back to the trail. "It's Lux, right? Like a light?"
"Yeah," I nod. If he only knew. "My mom had a thing for desk lamps." I feel my bubbly confidence returning, the one that Jinx constantly complains is so annoying. I look over and watch his cocky smile falter for a second. He's not sure if I'm teasing him. It's my turn to smile. Am I smiling too much?
"I'm just kidding," I offer.
"Sure, lamps are cool," he says a little relieved. "But not exactly my favorite kind of light."
"You have a favorite kind of light?"
"C'mon, doesn't everybody?" His cocky grin is back. The small footpath we've been following is about to join up with the larger trail that goes from the lake to the main part of the camp.
"Are you going to tell me or do I have to guess?" It's silly, but I'm totally forgetting how sorry I was feeling for myself a few minutes ago. For the first time since getting to the camp, I'm not worrying about anything, not even tripping over my own feet.
Which is exactly when Jinx shows up, a mischievous grin plastered on her face along with wisps of lake-soaked hair. Her smile tightens as Ezreal steps out of the shadows and onto the path.
"Hey there, Lux buddy. Find a new friend?" Jinx's clap on my back startles me back into reality and I nearly choke on my tongue trying to answer her.
"Jinx, this is Ez," I cough, trying to catch my breath. "Ez, this is Jinx."
Ezreal extends a hand to Jinx. Jinx accepts the challenge and strong arms him, squeezing his fingers and pumping his hand up and down like some kind of backwards arm-wrestling contest. Much to Jinx's surprise, Ez takes the awkward handshake in stride.
Jinx yanks him closer. "What exactly are your intentions towards our Lux, may I ask?" she says in a threatening whisper that all of us can clearly hear.
I feel my face go pinker than my hair.
"We... We..." Ez stammers. "We were just talking about our favorite kind of light. Did... Did you have one?"
Nice save, Ez. If there's one thing that can distract Jinx, it's talking about herself.
"Oh, that's easy," Jinx says. She eases some of the tension in her grip and lets go of Ezreal's hand. Ez opens and closes his fingers, double-checking that they still work.
"Really?" I say, surprised. "You have a favorite kind of light?"
Jinx turns to me. "Well, of course. Doesn't everybody?"
Ezreal shrugs. His cocky grin is back.
"Ezreal, is everything alright?" a cool voice asks. And now it's a party. The tall redhead, the second star in Ahri's constellation of awesome, approaches from farther up the main camp path. She doesn't look too pleased with any of us. Especially Jinx.
"It's alright, Sarah," Ezreal says, attempting to smooth over the redhead's rough contempt.
"Hi. I'm Lux," I dust my hand off on my shorts and offer it to her in greeting. Her eyes narrow and suddenly it feels like I'm under a dissection microscope. And, of course, when I get nervous, I can't stop talking. The words just start to pour out like someone left the faucet on. "It's, uh, nice to meet you, Sarah. Your hair's super cool! I don't think I could ever pull off red, but on you-wow."
"Miss Fortune," she interrupts. "Sarah is for friends." From the look on her face, I do not fall into that category.
"Oh, of course. I'm Lux. Did I say that already? I was just looking to pick up the team snack and got a little lost." I search one of the flyers in my hands for the details I know I saw a few minutes ago. "Yep, team snack, right here at the mess tent. Looks like it's chocolate chip cookies and... and... oranges."
"I hate oranges," Miss Fortune says coldly. She looks at Ezreal. "Ahri wants us to walk the perimeter before dark."
Ezreal gives her a mock salute. "Aye, aye, captain."
Miss Fortune rolls her eyes and begins walking back up to camp. Jinx begins to pull me in the opposite direction.

"I'll catch you later, Lux," Ezreal says and starts to jog after her.
I can't help it. I call after him. "You never said what's your favorite!"
He stops, shakes the hair out of his eyes, and cups his hands together.
"Starlight," he shouts back. Even from this distance I can see his lopsided grin clearly. He turns and catches up to Miss Fortune.
"Huh," Jinx muses thoughtfully. "I totally thought he was gonna say double rainbows."
It's my turn to roll my eyes. I punch her gently in the arm.
"Come on, let's go find those cookies."