#anyway i got this bad boy (foldable with a rack on the back) for ‘only’ $450. eugh

[dihalect]

↖️ bicycle owner

[deafwestnewsies]

Camp Larkin

chp 3 - blink looooves mush

cross-posted to my ao3! 

The main group was focused around the firepit placed in the middle of the square, where a group of boys were each holding a hand of cards. A girl stood outside the group talking to a boy with an eyepatch, rolling her eyes and popping her gum. Every once and while, a large “Oh!” would erupt from the group and it would go back to slightly tense silence. Sarah zeroed in on the girl, walking toward her. Davey dragged his foot slightly before hesitantly following her.

“Hi!” Sarah smiled brightly. “I was wondering if you knew when orientation is going to start?” The girl looked her up and down for a second, before splitting into a warm grin.

“We’ll probably start in about fifteen minutes, we’re still waiting on a couple people,” She looked around at the group of boys, tallying them up in her head. “Two of them, actually.” She peered behind Sarah, and shot Davey a quick smile. “I don’t think I caught your guy’s name?”

Sarah flipped her hair behind her shoulder, and Davey suddenly realized what was happening. He sighed and let his shoulders sag as Sarah said her name and what she would be working as all summer. Of course Sarah had taken a liking to the one other girl at camp who seemed smart, powerful, and everything else Sarah was.

“David?” Sarah asked, nudging his arm and pulling him out of his thoughts.

He shook his head and cleared his throat. “David,” he stuck out his hand. “I’m the newspaper staff and creative writing counselor.” The girl widened her eyes for a second and smiled slowly.

“Kath.” She said, taking his hand and shaking it with the rigor he expected from a girl like her. “Though you should call me Ace in front of the kids. I’m the theatre counselor.” Davey smiled awkwardly.

“Why did you look at me like that when I said I’ll be running the newspaper?” He spat out. Sarah scoffed, elbowing him for being rude.

Kath laughed, trying to seem casual as she touched Sarah’s arm. “It’s nothing bad! It’s just that… the newspaper kids are a small and elite group. Not many campers want to spend their days inside, using our old printing press.”

This caught Davey’s attention. “A printing press? Like, a real one?” Kath nodded her head, and Davey fell back into the daydream he was in before. A real printing press. Davey had been interested in journalism and writing ever since he could remember. There was home film following Davey toddling around the house with a learning pencil and a piece of paper clenched in his fists, blathering on about things only he understood. In the third grade, he had won a creative writing contest that spurred him on to begin his first great novel, which was abandoned for the Harry Potter books four days later. Ten years later, Davey had finished high school with an A in his AP Literature class and an acceptance letter to Columbia University, where he would be surrounded by people just like him. He had never had the opportunity to try a printing press, and he was already fascinated. When he came out of the trance, Kath had pulled Sarah away and they were talking over by the coffee shop.

He sighed, knowing his only option was to go talk to the group of boys playing cards. Davey slowly started to make his way over to them, but the loud blowing of a whistle saved him. His head snapped up to focus on two boys, dressed in matching t-shirts and khaki pants.

“Alright, dipweeds. Head over to the Dove House, where we’re gonna start orientation. Five minutes.” Davey raised his eyebrows at the rude announcement, but looked at the map pasted on the side of the coffee shop. He started walking in the direction it pointed them in, before another voice broke through the quiet chatter.

“Who let the rats be in charge this year?” A boy called out, and chuckles were let out by the other boys. Medda came out of the building next to the coffee shop, and raised her hand, quieting the laughter.

“While I’d appreciate you not calling Oscar and Morris rats, Mr. DeJesus, I’d also love to refrain from calling your fellow counselors ‘dipweeds,’ Mr. Delancy.” She shot the boy who had made the rat comment a look, where he ducked his head in embarrassment. “Now, please head up to the Dove House! We’re still waiting on,” She scanned the crowd and frowned. “Jack and Anthony, but they know everything anyways.” As Davey walked with the crowd of people, he heard bits of conversation.

“They’re always late.”

“Dude, Jack graduated yesterday. He was probably packing when Tony pulled up.”

“Jack graduated? What a feat!”

“The bigger question begs, how did Nico finish high school still single?”

After that comment, someone got pushed over by the boy who had made the ‘rat’ comment. There was some slight roughhousing, but he finally realized they were in front of what could only be described as a cabin meant to hold five hundred people. They all crowded into a small lobby with a foldable table and began to look at the multitude of papers before heading into the main area. Davey was one of the last ones to see everything, alongside the boy with the eyepatch. He looked at up at Davey and smiled quickly before turning back. Davey nodded slightly, but began reading the first clipboard. ‘Cabin Assignments. Cabin A: All boys. Cabin B: All girls.’

He cocked his head slightly, confused. “Did… Did I read this right?” The boy glanced at the form, and chuckled.

“Yep. The boy’s cabin holds almost all of the recreational staff, because it’s huge. Used to be the original meeting hall, then this one is built. The girl’s cabin is normal, but it was built in a weird and secluded area, so it can’t be used for campers.” The kid nodded and looked at Davey again, realizing that he didn’t know him. “Who’re you?”

Davey awkwardly held out his hand, and the kid took it. “David. Jacobs.”

“I’m Blink. Well, my actual name is Andy, but I’m trying to break back into my camp nickname.” Davey widened his eyes incredulously, and Blink laughed again. “And no, it’s not because of my eyepatch. The only one like that is Crutchie. And we’re pretty sure he gave it to himself.”

Davey nodded, clearing his throat. He stood awkwardly for a moment until Blink laughed for the third time, making Davey incredibly self-conscious. “You don’t get around much, do you?”

Rolling his eyes, Davey scoffed. “How can you say-” He stopped once he saw Blink giving him a pointed look, and let his shoulders sag. “Is it that obvious?”

Blink smiled and nodded, clapping Davey on the shoulder. “We’re going to make you some friends, David.”

“Well, I’ve already met some people-” Blink stopped and raised an eyebrow.

“Who?”

“Um… Crutchie, and Kath- Ace, Medda… Mush,” Davey tried to rack his brains for other names before Blink cut him off.  Again.

“Mush?” He asked, brightening a small bit. “I love him!”

Davey laughed slightly but stopped once Blink kept smiling. “Oh. You like, really-?”

The smile suddenly vanished from his face, replaced with a very serious look. “He’s my boyfriend. Got a problem with that?”

Davey started to sputter, taken aback. “W-What? No! I don’t- I wouldn’t- My sister and so many of my friends are- Homophobes are gross!” Blink visibly relaxed, shoulders sagging.

“Good. Because the rats are homophobic, and that about as much hate as we can handle here. We’re all pretty much on the spectrum here.” Blink said casually, turning back to the papers.

“I assumed so,” Davey answered, “When the website said this camp was LGBTQA+ friendly. Which seemed like a strange thing to put on a camp website.”

Blink nodded, not looking up. “Yeah. It’s cause a lot of the kids that come here are kids that Medda helps during the school year, and they get a lot of shit at home.”

“Oh.” Davey spoke quietly. They sat in silence for a second until the cabin door slammed open and two boys walked in.

Davey was pretty sure that his jaw literally dropped when he looked up and laid eyes on the boy with the muscle tee and khaki pants. This boy had a jawline that could cut him into pieces, the most beautiful golden-brown eyes Davey had ever seen, and arms that seemed to have more muscle than what was in his entire body. Overall, this boy could probably get Davey into bed. Which was a major twist in Davey’s summer plans.

i’m calling every1 a dipweed from now on