Chapter Text
“You were the brightest shade
Of sun I had ever seen” - Like the Dawn, Oh Hellos
The car ride was almost silent. Only noise was the hum of the car, the mutterings of a man in the front seat on the phone. Ted watched as the cars began to string out to be less and less apparent, the city turned into woods and back roads, very out of place for the nice new car his dad was driving. The mutterings stopped as his dad hung up and it was quiet within the car again besides the hum, an occasional bump over the road.
This would be Ted’s first time at a summer camp. He was terrified. He didn’t want to have to be here all summer. His dad didn’t offer it as a choice either, being stuck with strangers who would only pick on him, not knowing how to do anything involving the woods. There was a half-hearted encouraging “you’ll make friends” or “You’ll be fine” but Ted knew his dad was probably just avoiding having to spend time with him if anything, of course he’d pay for something like this to keep Ted out of his hair.
Ted began to list the things he didn’t like. He didn’t like the heat, he didn’t like the mosquitos, he didn’t like the idea of wearing shorts. A scowl formed as he glared out in the car window, glaring down a defenseless tree he picked out from the many others. Ted didn’t bother with the complaints of this being unfair. It wasn’t supposed to be fair.
Pulling up to the camp itself had left Ted unimpressed, but it was pretty large. He stepped out of the car and grabbed his backpack, his dad leaving him to unpack his things himself as the older walked to the building where he assumed the counsellors remained, other parents there as well checking out. Ted shuffled his suitcase and bag away from the car and was going to follow after his dad before he was stopped.
In front of him was a tall man, who smiled warmly as he approached. He was bald, his eyes seemed a little sunken. He was in a green shirt that said “Lake Leavenworth”. Ted didn’t move as he watched the man kneel down to his level.
“Hello, My name is J’onn. I'm the head counsellor here, you must be Theodore, right?”
There was some sort of accent Ted couldn’t quite identify but was too shy to really question it further.
“Ted.”
“Pardon?”
“Call me Ted please.”
“Ah, sorry. Ted. This is your first time here right?”
Ted nodded half-heartedly and glanced to see where his dad went but saw he was already back in his car and on his way to leave, without even a goodbye. Figures. But seeing the car leave made Ted’s stomach flip and he glanced back at J’onn.
“I have never been to a summer camp before.”
J’onn had a new expression, having glanced with Ted seeing the car drive off and Ted pleaded with the universe J’onn wouldn’t question it. And he didn’t as he smiled again at Ted.
“That’s alright. I am happy to show you around the place and tell you how our camp works. We are split into two sites, but you will be staying in this one with other boys your age.”
J’onn stood back up and unquestioningly took Ted’s suitcase, tugging it behind him as Ted followed after, trying to ignore the flipped feeling his stomach was doing.
-
Going through the gated trail, the camp was suddenly a lot more impressive than Ted had expected. It was a wide open space with a few small cabins grouped together, a larger building he assumed held things like bathrooms, and the silver lake past a few more trees. It was more pretty than Ted had thought up. This would be excused from his list of hated things.
J’onn led Ted to one of the cabins, a rusty number of 2 on the door frame. J’onn opened the door and Ted peaked in, seeing 2 other boys. A short, tanned, curly dark haired boy, and a lanky and tall blonde who both spun from whatever conversation they were having.
The head counsellor stepped aside from the door, letting Ted follow in. The cabin itself was decent sized, two bunk beds pressed against the walls, and some space he assumed was meant to place everyone's suitcases or bags.
“Boys, this is Ted, he is new to camp. I want you to make sure he feels welcomed…this goes for Guy when he gets here. Michael, will you help him unpack and you boys could show him around? I have to go check with the other kids.”
The blond, Ted learned to be Michael, nodded and gave a wide grin. Ted felt the flipping cease and turn into a thick dread building up in his chest as the one adult he thought would guide him around, patted his head and left the cabin. Anything could happen, would the insults start? About his weight? His clothes? His name even?
The curly, short haired boy approached Ted first, was he going to push him like the kids at school do? A hand reached out towards him, open.
“My name is Scott Free, nice to meet you!” The boy himself looked shy, as Ted glanced from the open hand to his face.
Scott Free. Ted hesitantly wiped his palm of any sweat off his shorts and shook Scott’s hand and the boy grinned.
Almost immediately after Ted watched as the Michael kid tugged at Ted’s bag to lead him towards the back of the cabin to help him unpack. Scott talked about something on how the cabins worked, and said that for Ted’s sake he’d bunk with the Guy kid that was mentioned earlier. Apparently he was a rowdy kid. Scott then dove out the cabin mentioning he had to go check with a counsellor about something, an allergy or something along those lines.
Ted couldn’t focus, he was observing Michael as he helped place a spot for Ted’s things. Michael hasn’t talked too much himself but after Scott left and they slid Ted’s suitcase under the bottom bunk bed, the lanky boy turned to face him, a very mesmerizing crooked grin. The more Ted took note, he could see this kid was definitely outdoorsy as the best possible term. A band aid or two, a little dirty, messy hair. And he didn’t appear as mean as Ted was stressed about.
“Michael Carter, uh, what's your name again?”
“Ted Kord”
“Ted Kord! Ted! Nice to meet ya!”
Ted blinked, enjoying the pleasant air Michael seemed to fill the cabin with. It felt warm, nearly as sunny as outside. Or maybe it was just hot in the cabin, though he could swear the AC near the window was on. There wasn’t a response Ted could say quick enough as Michael already hooked an arm around his shoulder, pulling his decidedly claimed friend out the cabinet to explore the camp.
“I’ve been coming to this camp for a while so any questions you have you can ask your golden boy here! Or Scott. Or if you’re feeling desperate, Mr. J’onn.” He pointed at himself in the chest with his thumb, another bright grin. Is this what they meant when people refer to happy campers?
“I’ve never been to camp before. I’m from the city, I don’t usually go out this far.” Ted muttered embarrassed.
“Oh don’t worry, I’m a city boy too, I understand, it's a big change right? Suddenly there's bites on your butt, and a rash on your back.” Michael wildly waved his hands as if it proved a point, “But honestly they have stuff for all that, this is a pretty nice camp, it's not like, in tents facing the wild ya know?”
Ted nodded though he didn’t seem to reassured but he stuck close to Michael as he walked him through the camp, seeing the big building the cafeteria, a room with a mini library that had definitely caught Ted’s attention but in fear of looking too much like a nerd he pretended to be uninterested. They went to the dock near the lake, being brushed away by a counsellor who Michael referred to as Mr. Jordan. You couldn’t be too close to the lake without adult supervision.
They met back up with Scott as they walked through the main grounds, a large stoned pitted campfire, ones that looked like the movies Ted had seen and a flagpole, a green flag waving the camp logo he had seen on J’onn’s shirt. Nearby, other kids were interacting, chatting, all seeming to know each other, and another counsellor handing out new t-shirts. Ted was handed some in his respected size, though he was hush hush about it and ripped the tags off immediately.
Michael noticed but said nothing.
-
As night fell, Ted got the idea of who the Guy kid was. And Ted dreaded having to interact with him, or worse left alone with him. Guy was a loud kid. Ted hated it. Michael and Scott seemed to share the exasperation however, but Scott encouraged the idea Guy wasn’t all that bad.
The movie set campfire was lit up as the counsellors called for the other campers to join up and officially begin the first journey Ted would experience. Alone. No parent or kid he knew. Only the ones he just met today. Somehow the realization of all that didn’t hit Ted until he was sitting on the bench next to Michael, listening to the planned activities and get-togethers that were to be planned. How his dad just left the moment he got out, how he was so afraid and going in this blind, with only a survival book he’s read as reference to this new experience. He was almost glad they were in the back, as he could feel the stinging in his eyes as the want of going home overwhelmed him.
There was a sparkling feeling across his arm as he saw a hand brushing against him and he glanced to see Michael’s face. It wasn’t a grin like he had before, or a smirk at Ted’s obvious baby-looking response. His brows were furrowed and he looked worried. Something Ted was rarely shown by kids or his dad.
“What's wrong, Ted?” Michael whispered, making sure not to disturb the counsellors or draw attention.
Ted couldn’t speak, if he did it would be loud. He could only shudder a breath and shake his head and face to look out into the dark towards the tree line, red embarrassment rising to his face. He could feel the shift of the bench, and he heard Michael whisper again.
“You wanna go home huh? It’s okay, promise. It’s scary at first, it always is.”
Ted looked back with blurry eyes. Michael’s smile was there. Not a grin but a smile, and it was full of confidence Ted wished he had. Ted only nodded after some thought and wiped his face with his arm. Michael sat up straight and patted Ted’s arm again, something Ted also wasn’t used to. He didn’t hate it. The meeting ended with a cheer, everyone given something along the lines of what Ted assumed as banana bread. It was very sweet, and Michael seemed to only eat half of his and gave the rest to Ted, much to Ted’s appreciation and much to Guy’s dismay since he was asking for the past four minutes if Michael would finish it.
They went back to the cabin, Scott somehow shushing Guy, allowing the loud boy to take the top bunk. Ted chose the bottom one from Michael feeling he’d struggle getting up and down and the first night began. Ted didn’t cry anymore but he did think about Michael’s words.
It's scary at first.
He closed his eyes with the smallest sigh. At first. He hopes it gets less scary.