Anybody have a map? - Chapter 1: Welcome to camp Sunshine
Series Masterlist - Masterlist - General Taglist
Chapter summary - The summer is finally here, and you've arrived at camp, happy to know that your sworn enemy is no where to be seen. Sadly, it doesn't take long before he shows up and bursts your bubble of hope for a happy summer, instead now you are stuck in the middle of no where with the person you hate the most in the world.
Word count - 9.3k
Chapter warnings - Brief mentions of smoking
A/N - thank you guys so much for the support you’ve already shown to this fic, and thank you so so so much to the genuine mastermind behind it @uglypastels i literally wouldnt have been able to do it without you
Day 0 - Sunday, 19 Days before
There was something special about a place like Camp Moonglade.
Barely an hour and a half away from the chaos that was downtown Hawkins, and yet a completely different world. There was no rush of traffic in the morning, no peering eyes from pestering neighbours who would rather be caught up in other people's business than their own, and no pressure to maintain the expectations laid on you by the social society of Hawkins High.
All of that was to be exchanged for the happy smiles (and screams) of children seeking out adventures and stories to be told years down the line. An escape from pesky parents, bullies and teachers and where anyone could be whoever they wanted to be. A place where the trees grew tall and the birds tweeted with glee, helping you forget about the worst of times.
It was a complete and total getaway into a lakeside summer paradise.
That's what this summer was supposed to be. But the reality settled in hard and was far from the idyllic summer escape you had imagined in the months leading up to what should have been long and lazy summer days. You had been looking forward to it for ages, couldn't wait to see the returning campers again and help them create an unforgettable experience. So, it was infuriating to know that your entire plan had been tainted with something so dark, vile and evil that had taken root in them.
Eddie Munson, your (camp) arch nemesis.
Because, even though this was only your second year of counselling at the camp, the one summer of experience had been enough for you to realise two things:
1. You absolutely loved the camp and the job.
2. Eddie Munson was the Devil's spawn.
He was bad news, you could tell it from your very first meeting, and you had all of your first year at Moonglade to prove it… not to mention your shared three years of high school. So, by this time around, there was nothing that could still surprise you. Not that that stopped you from wishing this time would be different.
Eddie Munson wasn’t some bully though, who did things out of malice. He just enjoyed winding you up and seeing your reaction, he was a tease. And ever since last summer you absolutely despised him.
You should have known better, though, than to set up these high expectations for your return to camp. Ever since you had heard that Eddie wasn’t set to graduate, you knew this had been a possibility. He would come back for his third year of Camp Moonglade, just as he would return for his third senior year once the fall semester would start. And in the meantime, in the five weeks of exile, he would make sure to put you through living hell.
Well, he hadn’t directly decided to ruin all of your summer plans, that you knew of, but when Eddie was around one thing was for sure– You would get to spend yet another summer along with a person who hated your guts (not that the feeling wasn’t at least partially mutual). It wouldn’t have even surprised you if he came back solemnly just to spite you. To have yet another summer of wreaking havoc on your cabin and the planned activities ahead.
That is what you knew would happen, but, against all odds, you had really held out hope until the very last second that he wasn’t going to show up. That you would at least get these few weeks of rest away from him.
The first day at Moonglade had not helped your ideals either. In fact, it created a false hope, actually. A glorious 24-hour period had gone by on the camp site and Eddie was nowhere to be seen.
On the second day of preparations, with kids set to arrive just the next day, you and the other counselors were fast at work dusting off the mess hall and the cabins to get ready for the summer ahead. And you were intently working, sweeping out one of the cabins, ridding it of old cobweb and the thin layer of dust that had settled in the past eight months.
The strong afternoon sun was hanging high in the sky, blaring with the early Indiana summer heat when the beat up, rusty, old van pulled up into the staff parking lot. With the windows rolled halfway down you could hear the blaring music before you even laid eyes on the car.
Jumping out of the driver's side was Eddie Munson, truly he must have believed he was a sight for sore eyes. His messy brown curls pushed back with a pair of aviator sunglasses and combat boots halfway laced up. Flashing you a little too much thigh for your liking with a pair of black home made denim shorts he had clearly cut off himself based on the fraying around the hem. And he was wearing last year's camp T-shirt, or a mutilated version of it, the sleeves and side seams cut off, the shirt hanging together with barely an inch of material. You weren’t sure if it could even be called a shirt, barely covering his chest and you could visibly see one of his chest tattoos peeking out from beneath what little fabric was left.
A half smoked cigarette was dangling between his lips as he swung an old and battered duffel bag over his shoulder, stuffed to the brim with everything he might need for the next month and a half. His other hand was carefully wrapped around the handle on his guitar case, the metal of his rings glinting softly in the blaring sun. Making his way over to the mess hall, completely nonchalant to the fact that he was over a day and a half late to when he was supposed to arrive.
Standing on the terrace to one of the campers' cabins your eyes followed him the whole way to the mess hall where he greeted Zoe with his usual infuriating charm and wicked smile that always made it look like he knew something no one else knew.
You watched as they spoke, and even from a distance you could tell Zoe wasn’t particularly pleased with his late coming, her pen tapping against the edge of her clipboard impatiently as she listened to whatever poor excuse he had managed to concoct.
It was almost fascinating watching him try to flirt his way out of it, while being completely oblivious to Zoe’s dead eyed stare that she was returning to him. Or maybe he just believed in his abilities that much?
You could tell the exact moment she had told him, his face dropped and his mouth made a perfect o-shape before he yelled, “WHAT?!” His eyes wide and frantic as he searched around the camp grounds, and when he happened to find you, you were glad that looks couldn’t kill.
Eddie took a moment to compose himself, clenching his jaw ever so slightly, quickly returning to his conversation with Zoe, And you watched them from a distance, your eyes intently following Eddie as he disappeared into the main building and out of your line of sight. It is what you would have to settle for, for now.
You had decided early on that if Eddie was going to make his appearance, you were not going to sit back like you did last summer, this year you were going to be his problem. You were done letting him play elaborate pranks on you and your campers.
And seeing him just reaffirmed this, this summer you were going to hit back.
The rest of the day passed in a blur, tasks that needed to be done piled up quickly as you worked your way through an already tedious list of chores. You were hiking up the crossroad of paths to the dining hall, the promise of dinner hanging softly in the air as you got closer to the main building.
A low two story building, old and with its red paint chipping in the corners desperately trying to hold on another summer, which housed the dining hall (frequently called the mess hall by the campers), the nurses office (the infirmary), and the office (the base).
“And there she is! My favourite counsellor!” Eddie’s voice sounded and he appeared out of the mess hall as you approached, his voice was like nails on a chalkboard which contrasted with the signature flashy grin he gave you. “How is my favourite happy camper?”
"You're late." Was all you said in response, your eyebrows elevated slightly as you took in the sight of him, close up you could see even more of his chest tattoo and the faint shadow of his chest hair. Even with the sun hanging low in the horizon he was adamant about wearing the horrid tank top.
"And yet I'm still here, and the canoes have been cleaned off and are ready for the water, plus my cabin is in tip top shape and ready for inspection." To underline his point Eddie gave you a military salute and stood up just a little bit straighter, forever the main audience for his own antics.
“Cute- did Mark teach you that?” The reference to your fellow camp counselors managed to place a crack in Eddie’s stone cold facade into a smile for just a split second. "And I suppose that'll be the only time this summer that cabin will look presentable?" Both of you cringed slightly at the thought of what had happened last summer, when one of his campers unbeknownst to him had adopted a pet frog they'd found down by the water. The results of which were not pretty.
"Who's got time for grudges and complaints, we have an entire summer in front of us to enjoy." Eddie slung his arm around your shoulders like the two of you were old friends, helping to lead you into the dining hall, and you had to fight the instinct to flinch away. “But first- dinner I am starving after a hard day’s work.”
You and Eddie were the only counselors who attended Hawkins High, everyone else originated from a couple of different high schools in the surrounding areas. And while you and Eddie knew each other from camp, you didn’t speak in your regular day to day lives. You just saw each other in casual passings in the concrete tiled hallways of Hawkins High School.
All of you were upperclassmen in school and about the same age. All of you responsible for your own cabin and campers.
Everyone else was working, setting the head table with disposable paper plates since none of you were particularly interested in doing the dishes before camp had even begun. With Tiny Sal not set to arrive until tomorrow along with the rest of the campers Zoe and Lisa had taken the executive decision to nurture every last opportunity on your last day of freedom and ordered pizza for the whole gang from the nearest town. Which was still over 20 minutes by car.
Eddie’s grip loosened on your shoulder and his arm fell away from you as he walked off to chat with Connie #2 and Richie without saying a word of goodbye to you. All of you knew each other from the previous summer, and after five weeks of working together they had quickly become your home away from home, your own little camp family.
And even though it was unspoken, your seats around the counselors table had remained the same. Walking over you took your old spot between Joan and Connie #1 who were already deep in conversation.
In total there were ten of you who together ran the majority of activities at Camp Moonglade. There was Zoe, the activities leader and head organiser, you wouldn’t dare cross her in a million years. Joan, who was possibly the sweetest soul alive and helped run the arts & crafts activities. Lisa, a complete sweet tooth and the sole supplier of snacks, and is one part of the music team. Connie #1, sometimes referred to as just Con for convenience, the first half of The Connies, and co-leader of the water activities. And of course, yourself.
Then for the guys there was Richie, Eddie’s partner in crime and helps Joan with arts & crafts. Tommy, your wildlife expert and a mean games strategist. Mark; Zoe’s right hand man and sports director, complete hard ass but with a heart of gold. Connie #2, who you believed no one actually knew his real first name, who helped Con with water activities. Then last but not least, Eddie Munson, resident musician and outdoor survival skills leader.
Along with the ten of you there were three "adults", Lenny the camp director, Tiny Sal the camp chef and Maureen the nurse. Meaning in total the thirteen of you ran and operated Camp Moonglade for the summer.
“Ok but Joan we need you to join our team for capture the flag-” it was no surprise to you that Con was already fast focused on game strategies, and it would be no shock to you if the other Connie was chatting Eddie’s ear off about a team up. “With your strategy and with our energy then we’ll win for sure!”
“Well I suppose I could-” Sadly, Joan never got to finish her sentence.
“You know, I thought we had a strong sense of tradition here at Moonglade, canoeing, capture the flag, and yours truly having Cabin 9.”
Great, you could tell this was going to be another Eddie Munson spectacle. If you were a resident student at Hawkins High, you were probably unlucky enough to have caught at least a couple of them.
Eddie’s voice was loud enough to be ringing off the walls, and as you looked up, he was staring directly at you, truly something only second to rage in his dark brown eyes, mixed with some form of enjoyment he was taking out of having everyone's eyes on him.
The other counselors falling quiet around you, they'd been waiting for this. What they expected to be your moment of reckoning with Eddie. Based on his interaction with Zoe earlier, you figured that Eddie had been informed that you had taken Cabin 9 this summer, but he was yet to confront you about it.
"That is my cabin, you know that is my cabin." Eddie swung his leg over the bench directly opposite you. You did know that was Eddie's cabin for the past two years at Moonglade, and maybe that's the exact reason you had picked that to be your camper's cabin this year, but you weren’t one to kiss and tell. Taking a bit too much pride in snatching it right from under his nose due to his late coming.
"Well now I suppose that it was your cabin Eddie, it isn't anymore," you could feel the smirk tugging at the corners of your mouth and you had to resist to not let them show.
Your eyes fast on Eddie's face, thoroughly enjoying his almost frantic wide eyed stare back at you. The fellow counselors around you were intently listening in on your conversation, not soon about to forget the intense rivalry and nuclear fall out that had occured last summer.
"Besides, it's not like you're staying in the cabin anyway." You were enjoying yourself way too much, but what truly made it worth it was Eddie’s reaction to you teasing him back. “So I don’t see how it’s going to be a problem.”
It was clear he had not been expecting you to be teasing him back, there was some semblance of genuine shock on his face, but he was doing his best to hide it with his sly grin. But you could pick up on that little glint in the back of his eyes that was telling you differently.
“I suppose we’ll see whose problem it really is sunshine,” Eddie said, his smug grin fast plastered to his face and you bit the inside of your cheek, and before you could think of anything to quip back at him, he swung his legs over the bench and went back to chatting with Richie.
“Trouble in paradise.” You heard Connie whisper to Connie along with a soft snicker, but after a quick and hard look from Zoe they both fell deadly silent.
You didn’t stay long after, quickly losing your appetite and not too interested in spending the rest of the evening trying to avoid contact with Eddie. Muttering some excuse about being tired and wanting a good night's sleep before tomorrow you retired back to the counsellors cabin.
Laying on your back in your bed, your eyes were glued to the wooden ceiling above you, slowly counting the slats as you attempted to fall asleep. It was a special kind of atmosphere when it was just you at camp, time almost seemed to stand still when there was no disruption of little kids running around weakening havoc, yet you also couldn’t help but be excited for your campers to arrive and for moonglade to once again be filled with screams of joy and laughter.
Somehow this is where you always slept best, in a small cramped cabin with four other people in the middle of nowhere. With the window wide open you could taste the soft summer nightair, hear the soft sounds of the lake as water hit the shore, the creaking sounds of the forest as the breeze travelled through branches and leaves. There was something oddly calming about it all, which brought you a sense of peace you couldn’t get anywhere else.
It didn’t take long before you finally fell asleep.
Day 1 - Monday, 18 days until
The next morning started with a bang, quite literally. Mark banged on the door to your cabin, at what felt like the very crack of dawn, resulting in a synchronised groan from the ones of you still half asleep inside the cabin.
“Breakfast in the mess hall at exactly eight-hundered hours! Campers arriving today!” How anyone could have this much energy at this hour you could not figure out. But you were glad to know that even though a year had passed, Mark was still insistent on using his military terminology.
Yet you didn’t dare disobey Mark's words, quickly slinging your legs over the side of your bed and jumping out from your top bunk, looking around you could see Zoe and Joan’s beds were already empty. But Connie and Lisa seemed to be quickly falling back asleep where they laid in their bunks.
“Good morning sunshine.” Eddie looked up at you as you stepped over the threshold into the mess hall, and you were immediately convinced that he was the spawn of the devil. You yawned and rubbed sleep out of your eyes, doing your best to ignore him where he was sitting with a half empty cup of coffee.
“What? I don’t get my good morning kiss?” Eddie said as you walked past him, you turned around and raised your hand as to blow him a kiss but you finished by flipping him the bird as you walked backward through the swinging doors into the kitchen, which gave away with a soft groan.
After taking a quick glance at you Joan quickly poured and pressed a mug of steaming hot coffee into your hands to which you muttered a quiet thank you as you gladly accepted the offering.
The hot mug between your fingers served as some level of comfort, the dark and bitter liquid sloshing around. You hated black coffee, but it would have to do for now.
Around you everyone else was either deep in their planning, or having some off conversation, and you swore you heard the Connies discussing their capture the flag strategies, or was it boat strategies? You were honestly too tired to fully tune into what they were saying.
Besides, you had already started your own scheming plans for capturing the flag that you weren’t quite ready to disclose to anyone just yet. You were not about to let Eddie Munson’s team beat yours this year and if you wanted that reality you would have to play your cards just right.
Capture the flag at Moonglade was almost a religious experience, and the winner of the tournament won every possible bragging right over the rest. Last year Eddie’s team beat yours after he played dirty, and you would rather be six feet under before you let it happen again.
Sliding into the seat next to Zoe, she didn’t even notice you. Her eyes fixated on the sheet of paper laid out before her, a pen clutched in her hand, the pen cap stuck between her teeth was littered with bite marks.
“What are you working on?” You took a sip from your coffee, sipping at the hot liquid and savouring the taste as caffeine coursed through your veins, slowly waking you up.
“Finishing the week's schedule…” her eyes were completely glued to the papers in front of you, and you were honestly shocked she heard you, given how in the zone she could get. “Wow this late? Don’t tell me that queen Zoe is slipping from her throne,” you said in a playful sarcastic tone.
“Don’t you have things to finish? You know before campers arrive?” She turned towards you and rested her head against her hand, flashing you that slightly evil Zoe smirk that she always had hidden up her sleeve. “It’s good to be back.” You laughed and glanced down at your wrist, the watch strapped to it read just a little past eight, which meant you had at least a couple of hours to get your schedule and finish preparing Cabin 9 for its guests.
You had cut your morning in The Mess short, grabbing a stray piece of unclaimed toast to tidy you over as you hurried over to Cabin 9.
—
The gravel under your shoes crunched softly as you trekked your way up to the campers cabins, ten of them in a circle and in the middle a massive tree. Cabin 9 stood at the corner furthest down towards the lake. It wasn’t much but you couldn’t help but feel some level of satisfaction as you approached the low wooden building. Knowing that this year Cabin 9 belonged to you and your campers, and not Eddie.
The front deck had a couple of chairs and a table standing in front, on the inside the walls were lined with bunk beds along with a couple of drawers. However what made Cabin 9 so special was that the back window was bigger than the rest of the cabins. Meaning that you could see all the way down to the lake with a proper view, the blue shimmering surface peeking through luscious green leaves just added to the idyllic summer paradise that Moonglade was.
Yesterday you had managed to clear out most of the dust and cobwebs that had settled since last year, so luckily there wasn’t much left to be done. Still you found yourself picking at all the little details, quickly losing track of the time.
A loud bang sounded among the cabins, pulling you from your work and you rushed to the window to see what had happened.
Looking through the front window you could see Cabin 10, the unclaimed cabin that had become Eddie’s by default. He was rummaging around trying to get the last of it ready. His curly hair hanging messily around his shoulders, thankfully forgoing the hideous mutilated yellow shirt for a proper one today. The newly minted green counsellor's shirt hugged the curves of his shoulders as he worked.
Eddie ran a hand through his curls, in what from a distance looked like frustration, before he quickly walked away from the cabin in an almost half jog.
But something caught your eye, a sheet of paper stapled to the inside of the widely opened front door, but you couldn’t read it from a distance. You looked around quickly, checking to see if Eddie was coming back before running across the short distance between the cabins, climbing up the steps onto the deck.
Your eyes reading over the list Eddie has stapled up to the door, chuckling quietly to yourself.
“Curiosity killed the cat?” You jumped at his voice, not expecting him to come back so soon. “Just checking out your cabin, what number is it again?” Eddie didn’t answer you, just shot you a dirty look instead. You turned around and started reading off the list out loud.
“Camp constitution… solid name I’ll give you that… respect other people's stuff, obviously… maintain personal hygiene, good one… no summoning demons?” you read off the last one and turned to Eddie who was grinning from ear to ear. “Without permission and adequate supervision-” he leaned past you and tapped at the appended point at the end of the document, “it has to be done with proper care,” he finished.
“I am pretty sure Mark and Zoe aren’t going to be happy if you decide to summon a demon,” you almost wondered out loud as your eyes grazed his face.
But before he could quip back, you both heard the bell ring in the distance, meaning the first campers had probably started arriving, you cursed under your breath knowing you were late and you still had to pick up your check-in list from Zoe.
Both you and Eddie turned your head towards the sound of the bell and you could hear Eddie curse under his breath before quickly checking the time on his watch.
“I’ll have to catch you later sunshine, our queen Zoe cannot be kept waiting.” With a quick flash of a grin and the turn of his heel Eddie was gone, leaving you standing all by yourself once again.
—
When you arrived at the parking lot there was already a sea of campers waiting for you. Buzzing with excitement and some tears, most of them wearing backpacks larger than their bodies and stuffed to the brim, making them slightly unsteady. Like the slightest miss step would cause a domino effect of falling campers.
“Everyone listen up!” Eddie stuck his fingers in his mouth and whistled so loud your ears hurt. Quickly he climbed up on the registration table, his check in sheet in hand.
"Could I have Dustin Henderson, Will Byers, Lucas Sinclair and Mike Wheeler report to me please? Spread the word, thank you, that will be all." He finished off his little charade with a bow to his audience and you swore you could see some of the campers with a sheer look of terror in their eyes, and you couldn't blame them.
You had to at least give him credit for the idea, because as soon as he finished speaking it was clear who his campers were and they quickly shuffled their way over to Eddie’s table to get themselves checked in.
When all campers had finally managed to be situated with their counsellors and parents excitedly drove away to enjoy their few child free weeks, Zoe got up on one of the tables, her trusted megaphone in hand.
“Hellooo happy campers! Could I have everyone's attention for a moment?” When Zoe said it, it wasn’t a question, it was a demand, and everyone there knew it. New and returning campers alike, meaning the crowd fell silent within moments. “Thank you! Now that you all have your cabin counselors and are checked in we’re going to let you head down to your cabins to get settled for a moment, but please could all councillors make sure to have everyone in the dining hall in an hour for camp introduction and rules.”
As it always was, Zoe’s word at camp was law. Even the new campers could feel the presence she had when she picked up that megaphone.
The next couple of hours passed in a blur of trying to get your campers situated in their cabin, answering any and all questions that popped up, and hurrying to make sure that you weren’t late for camp meeting.
The grand circle was finally teeming with life once more, kids running around already enjoying the freedom away from parents, and your poor counsellor friends running after them.
And before you knew it, you had reached the end of the first official day at Camp Moonglade.
Day 3 - Wednesday, 17 days until
Rocks crunched softly beneath your feet as you walked along the shoreline, with the exception of the beach, most of the shore was either covered in big flat rocks or the stretch of grass reached all the way down to the water.
Your sandals dangled from your fingertips as you walked along, letting yourself feel the cool rocks against the rough pads of your feet.
The water gulped softly against the shore with every beat of the waves, and the only light came from the reflected image of the moon. Softly illuminating the night ever so slightly, but you still found yourself needing to squint to make sure you were still placing your feet in front of you.
The overwhelming hot swell of the day had finally faded, letting the cool night air finally seep in and you felt like you could breathe again for the first time. Relishing in every soft breath of night summer air that washed over your exposed skin.
Three full days had somehow already been and gone, passed in a blur of excitement and activities. Which your mind and body ached from, and you already found yourself longing for a break, nothing big but just a little get away.
Which is how you found yourself trekking along the shoreline of the lake, slowing your breathing, and taking in every sound of the lake, of the forest. The creaks and groans of the trees as they shifted with the wind, the rustle of leaves and the soft chirping of cicadas.
Even at night Camp Moonglade was never truly silent. Especially not when you were left with your own thoughts ticking away and churning around in your head.
But your thoughts quickly came to a grinding halt as you came upon the last person you expected, or at least wanted to see tonight. Eddie Munson, sitting by the lakeside.
His shoes were tossed almost carelessly to the side, along with his socks, allowing him to sink his feet down into the cold water. A half smoked lit cigarette dangled from his lips, glowing a soft red in the darkening night with every drag he took.
“Of course, it’s you, you know you’re not supposed to smoke at camp, right? Against camp rules.”
“Ah, my favourite happy camper, come to join me, sunshine?”
You didn’t really think about it, you just kind of sat down next to him, but you made sure to keep a distance between you. Snagging the cigarette from his hand and taking a puff before he could oppose you. The smoke filled your lungs and you immediately gagged, trying to hold back a cough, and failing spectacularly.
“You know smoking is against camp rules, right?” Eddie echoed your words from earlier, and you had to fight the chuckle that threatened to bubble up in your chest.
“So, what’s on your mind this evening, sunshine?”
“Nothing-” your voice was calm into the empty night.Realising you were still holding it, you passed the cigarette back to Eddie. And you stuck your feet in the cold water, kicking your feet ever so slightly.
“Oh, c’mon I know there has got to be a reason if you’re desperate enough to sit down with little old me,” Eddie laughed, taking a drag from his cigarette much more skillfully than you did, letting the thin cigarette smoke hang in the quiet air between you, “so please, enlighten me why are you so desperate to be hanging out with yours truly.”
“Did you pack enough cigarettes to last you the next five weeks?” you asked instead to deflect the question, and pulled your thighs up to your chest, wrapping your arms around yourself, trying to fight off the sudden cold that started seeping in now that you were sitting still.
“Hopefully, as long as I make sure I don’t smoke em’ all, then I’ll be ok,” Eddie laughed, and he could tell you were trying to deflect, but hey, he wasn’t one to push. Knowing he was probably the last person you would ever want to talk to about anything running through that mind of yours. Any semblance of trust you might have had in him was long gone after last summer.
You sat there with him for a moment, almost finding some sense of peace in the comfortable silence you shared between you. It was different to anything you had experienced with Eddie. He was always the loud, fidgeting, bold, bouncing off the walls, walking on the cafeteria tables Eddie Munson.
But sitting there by the lake with you, he was calm. Calmer than you think you’ve ever seen any person. Almost as if there was no worry on his mind, despite actively breaking camp rules by insisting on smoking his cigarette. And that, you thought, might be the most Eddie Munson thing, breaking the rules and not breaking a sweat doing it.
“You know Zoe caught me down here once last summer, I don’t think I’ve ever seen her that pissed,” Eddie said, and you couldn’t help but stare at him with wide eyes, it was almost as if he had been reading your mind just then, “I was sharing a joint with Richie, and we heard her approach, we both panicked and just ran for our lives, not thinking she would still see us the next morning and-”
“So that’s why you and Richie had that unexplained cleaning duty last summer!” you blurted out before you could stop yourself, instinctively clasping your hands over your mouth as you realised you had forgotten your manners and interrupted him. Which Eddie seemed to find immensely entertaining, laughing wildly at the sight in front of him.
“Yes, that is indeed why,” he chuckled at your response, quickly glancing over at you from the corner of his eye. Stumping out the cigarette bud on a nearby rock and throwing the end of it into the lake to be swallowed by the water. “You know- I think the only reason we got away with it is because I’ve known Zoe for so long.”
“Wait you’ve known Zoe since before you were a councilor?” His words puzzled you a little bit, you had no clue they’d known each other before hand, and maybe you found yourself a little bit dumbfounded for judging their interaction on Sunday.
“Yeah- me and Zoe used to be campers here together. My uncle used to send me here for the summers so he could get me out of his hair for a little bit, and so that I wouldn’t get bored and go around getting in trouble.” His eyes were looking anywhere but at you, wandering the scenery in front of them as he spoke, transfixed on the soft slopes of the water that surrounded his feet.
“So… you come here to cause problems instead?” you looked over at him and asked with a rise in your brow.
“And because you’re so much more fun to vex than my uncle,” Eddie finally looked over at you and flashed you his infamous cheeky grin. And there it was again, that same smile he’d flashed you last summer and you were ashamed to say it still elicited the same reaction in you as it had back then, and you hated yourself for it.
“Sooo, what was little Zoe like?” you kicked your feet in the water as you spoke, the water sloshing around gently, adding softly to the sounds of the night.
“Oh- not so different from how she is now. Even when she was little, she had more command than anyone else, even the old councillors back then.” He fished his lighter out of his pocket and fidgeted with the lid, flipping it open and closed rhythmically, lighting the flame every now and then.
“Why does that not surprise me,” you wondered out loud, but it was clear your tone was littered with sarcasm, and you earned a little chuckle out of him.
“Shit, are you cold?” He noticed the soft dusting of goose bumps that had gradually settled on your skin and the way your hands ran up and down your forearms trying to settle into the gentle chill of the night. Eddie shuffled out of the jacket he was wearing and held it out to you, letting the article of clothing dangle between you on the tips of his fingers.
Suddenly, you became aware of just how small the distance between you had grown, and how he offering you his jacket was painfully similar to last summer.
And perhaps, he had felt it too.
“Oh- no thank you I’ll be just fine.”
“You’re shivering like a leaf, c’mon just take it.”
“Eddie seriously I’m not cold-”
“Listen- I know after last year you might not be my biggest fan, and it's pretty clear that you’re still upset-” Eddie started. “Under exaggerating there just a little bit, Munson,” you interjected quickly, making him reconsider his words for a moment before he spoke up again.
A deep crease forming between his eyebrows as he gazed at you from the short distance between you, and you were convinced you could see the tiniest tug at the corner of his lips before he spoke.
“How about I make it up to you? Say if by some incredible, and I mean truly incredible, miracle you manage to win camp championships, I will let you give me a stick and poke tattoo. Whatever design you want, sounds good?” And you absolutely could not deny it, it was a tempting prize he was offering you. Eddie was already covered in tattoos, one more wouldn’t be much of a hassle for him, but one from you?
“And what if I don’t win, what do you get then?” You asked and Eddie bit down his bottom lip and stared at you, simply to drag it out because it was clear he already knew what he wanted. “A kiss,” he finally said and your blood ran cold.
“A kiss?” you raised your eyebrow and fought the urge to bite into your lip in the slight bit of anguish the thought caused you. And in that moment you knew, this is what he had meant when he said you would be regretting taking Cabin 9, but what you didn’t know was that this was only the beginning.
“Y’know it wouldn’t be-” Eddie started, but he never got a chance to finish.
“I know Munson, trust me I know,” you cut him off before he could finish, not wanting to think about what he was insinuating, trying your best to shake off the feeling that had washed over you.
“So what do you say, we got a deal?” Eddie reached out his hand to you, letting it hang in the space between you, and your mind was still running wild with contemplations. Your eyes darting between his hand and his eyes, feeling that little pit of anxiety in your stomach gnawing away at you, telling you not to do it.
“Deal,” you said and grabbed his hand, shaking it quickly. In the end it was too tempting not to take on the challenge. Besides, there was no way that you were going to lose anyway.
“Now will you please just take my jacket? It’s almost painful seeing you this cold.” Oh, right, his jacket. He had placed it in the space between you once the talk of the bet started. And while you had agreed to kiss him, in the slight chance you would lose, his jacket felt way too intimate, way too special for you to take.
“Oh- I’m fine, I really should be going anyway, early morning tomorrow,” you mumbled as you shuffled to get your feet beneath you so you could stand up, grabbing your shoes and quickly, but rather awkwardly, slipping them on. “Thanks for the conversation, and bet, I guess.”
“Good night sunshine!” You heard him call out to you as you were almost out of earshot, and when you looked over your shoulder you saw his jacket was still lying on the ground next to him, but his eyes were fixed on the water in front of him. “And I’ll be looking forward to that kiss!”
Day 5 - Friday, 14 Days until
Finally, Friday night rolled around, another day filled with endless activities in the baking summer sun. While only a couple of days had passed since the beginning of camp, you could already see more than one set of sunburned shoulders, an inevitable case no matter how hard you and your fellow councillors tried, and it didn’t help that some of the councillors weren’t particularly skillful at it either.
Friday nights at Moonglade were always marked by bonfire nights. Late nights around the bonfire, fingers sticky with marshmallows and soft sing alongs being played on guitar. And while most of the campers weren’t particularly vocally inclined, it was still a regular highlight of the week.
The bonfire pit laid down towards the lake side, a big stone pit with wooden benches lined up in two circles around it. The sun had just barely dipped below the line of the horizon, but the evening was illuminated in the soft orange glow of the cackling bonfire and the heavy smell of smoke hung in the air.
Eddie was sitting on one of the inner benches, his guitar in hand and perched across his knee. Picking at the strings to make sure they were in tune.
You knew Eddie liked music, his band played at some run down bar at the edge of town every few weeks, but despite that you had never really heard him play more than at camp.
At camp, the songs he played were far different to the ones you heard him blast from his van at all ungodly hours of the morning in the school parking lot before classes started. His hair was pushed back between his ears, someone had placed a small white flower in the mess of his curls, which you couldn’t help but smile at.
It was such a stark contrast to who he was as a person, a metal head with clothes to fit, now sitting there in cut off denim shorts, an old worn out camp t-shirt and a soft delicate white flower in his hair.
But the irony wasn’t lost on either of you. He knew how silly he looked, but it was part of the fun while being at camp, he could look silly and also have fun with it.
Besides, he was so focused on leading the sing along, his fingers rapping against the guitar with ease as he drew out the melodies. And while his choir wasn’t the most talented, what they lacked in skill, they made up for with volume.
Finishing off the last song with his own personal improvised guitar solo, the need to always be the centre of attention continued to surprise you even though it really shouldn’t at this point. You did attend high school with him, and while you were far from being on speaking terms with each other, Eddie Munson was impossible to miss.
Mostly because he did stick out more than most, with his classic metal head attire, long curly hair and a band of nerds following him. But also because he refused to make himself invisible.
Eddie placed the guitar by his side, scooting down and settling in on the ground, urging the campers closer towards him. “Closer… closer… you too Wheeler-” soon he had them all huddled around him, almost like a herd, every pair of eyes was on him.
Looking across the circle you shot Joan a questioning look, and she simply shrugged in response, having no clue what he was about to do either.
“Everyone’s here? Ok good, then we can begin,” that same evil grin he had was once more plastered to his face, and you immediately feared for what was about to come, absolutely no good could come from a look like that. There was something hidden behind that smile, it was the kind where you could tell he was scheming for something, but you could never quite anticipate exactly what was about to happen.
“What I am about to tell you is the story of a man. A completely ordinary man, who goes by the name of Victor Creel.”
You didn’t have to look, you could practically hear Con rolling her eyes from where she was sitting across from you. Looking around, you couldn’t see Zoe or Mark, which meant Eddie was practically left to his own devices, no one else would be able to stop him.
All the kids were laser focused on Eddie as he spoke, dramatically retelling the story of Victor Creel to the children. The soft glow of the fire illuminating his face perfectly
“And you know what they say, all of this happened not too far from-”
“Ooohkay I believe that is enough for today.” Zoe walked into the circle, up behind Eddie and placing her hands on his shoulders, Eddie’s mouth slid shut immediately and he pressed his lips together.
“I think it’s time for lights, don't you agree Eddie?” Her voice was sweet but heavy with annoyance, and you had to bite your lip to hold back a laugh at the sight in front of you.
“I think that’s a great idea.” You couldn’t tell from the dark night if Eddie was blushing or if it was just the warm light from the campfire.
Half an hour later you were sitting in the mess, after a hassle of getting the campers settled into their cabins and countless questions about Victor Creel you wanted to murder Eddie more than ever.
“Wow, way to go scaring the crap out of the kids just four days into camp," you said as you heard Eddie’s heavy footsteps cross the threshold into the mess, the old wood giving away and squeaking softly as he walked
"What are you talking about! They loved it!" Eddie quickly made his way over to the table where you were all gathered around, and he snatched the deck of cards Mark was shuffling from him.
"I'm pretty sure I saw at least three kids crying…" Con mumbled as she picked at her nails, and next to her Connie gave a soft chuckle.
"I didn't like it either," Joan piped up and put her hand up in the air in consensus.
"And none of you stopped me, so who is really to blame here?" And you all fell silent at that.
"Soo how long do you have cleaning duty for?" Richie elbowed eddie in the side playfully.
"Undecided," Zoe said as she walked into the room, her slightly evil grin just barely tugging at the corners of her lips, but it was clear she was enjoying it, "for now."
Eddie twirled the deck of cards expertly in his hand, shuffling them until he was satisfied enough with his job. He was sitting at the head of the table, the rest of you in a ring around him with a stack of poker chips in the centre of you all.
A more secretive tradition at Moonglade, councillors poker night after bonfires. Where you all repeatedly lost what little money you had to each other, and Connie somehow always ended up winning.
He was just a really good bluff.
With Eddie as the designated dealer you made sure to sit as far away from him as possible. Still not convinced he wasn't rigging the game to make you lose, since you always ended up with the worst possible cards.
Outside rain softly started pattering against the windows, soaking the forest and earth with water. It didn't take long before rain was hailing down while you all exchanged cards and laughs between you continuously.
The rain was still hammering down as you stepped onto the deck, ready to tuck in for the night, eyes heavy with sleep and you longed for the quiet comfort of your camp bed.
Day 6 - Saturday, 13 days until
The rain was hammering down, on every surface it could, creating small echoes which ricocheted around the entirety of camp. Soaking the forest floors and rippling the water of the lake which was now reflecting the dark storm grey of the sky compared to it's normal brilliant blue.
This is what you had all been afraid of last night, but then it had only been soft pitter patters of rain droplets against windows. Now you were struggling to think over all the noise.
It was the kind of rain you couldn't see through, the kind that created a curtain of water and you weren't sure if the water was coming from up or below.
Zoe and Mark had you all called to The Mess, leaving your campers sitting tight in their cabins for the time being.
Lisa was the last through the door, her long blonde hair a couple of shades darker from the rain soaking it.
But all of you were practically dripping onto the wooden floors beneath you.
"I don't want to say it and you guys don't want to hear it, but we have to cancel," Zoe said as she boldly drew a red marker through 'capture the flag' on today's itinerary, she wasn't the kind to sugar coat anything but right now you really wish she would. Her declaration, a bold one at that, practically led to an uproar of complaints from the lot of you.
"It's tradition!"
"Cancelling because of a little rain?!"
"What about camp championships!?"
You also couldn't help but feel a pang of disappointment in your stomach. This was supposed to be your first real match up against Eddie since last summer, and you would have been lying if you said you weren't looking forward to it.
The wooden floor creaked beneath you as you swayed softly against it.
"We know you're upset!" Zoe said in an almost useless attempt at calming the group. "But it would be a hazard to let them play in these conditions!"
"It's just a little rain!" Connie #2 insisted again.
"Do you want to be in charge of bandaging scrapes and cuts afterwards, Connie?" Zoe asked simply, and Connie's face immediately faced the crooked floorboards.
"Please inform your campers about the schedule change, well try to reschedule for another day ok? In the meantime let them know they'll have the afternoon session off instead before dinner. Morning activities will resume as normal.”
At least she didn't bring out the megaphone this time, you thought. The tiniest victory.
You pulled the hood of the rain coat well over your forehead and zipped up the jacket until only your eyes were visible through a small slit.
"You know you look ridiculous right?" The only thing that could be worse than capturing the flag being cancelled had to be dealing with Eddie.
"Well at least I'm dry." You gave him your best cocky smile, which was completely lost given most of your face was hidden by your coat and Eddie chuckled softly. "In comparison to some other people, forget to pack your jacket, Munson?"
It was clear Eddie hadn't brought his jacket with him, his shirt drenched in rain water, enough that you could see through it.
"No, this is simply a fashion choice…" "Besides, I'm not scared of a little rain."
"Well, I'm not making you soup when you get pneumonia," you laughed as you looked at him, he really did look ridiculous, even though his shirt was practically glued to his chest. His curls were dead and flat, sticking to his face and you couldn't help but think he looked like a rain soaked dog.
The whole group tracked back to the circle of campers cabins, a couple of you huddled together under a couple of too small umbrellas, to deliver the unavoidable verdict to your campers.
"Hey! Don't shoot the messenger, Zoe's verdict!" You threw your hands up to proclaim your innocence in the matter, truly one of the scariest demographics on the planet had to be middle schoolers. Just as you expected, no one was happy about the cancellation of capture the flag. And you couldn’t blame them, you had been looking forward to this more than you expected to.
However with morning activities still scheduled to take place like normal, there was no time to hang around. Quickly gathering your campers and hurrying them off the regularly scheduled arts and crafts. Always the same pleasant mix of glitter and craft glue.
But as you looked around Eddie was nowhere to be seen, which quickly created an unsettling feeling in your stomach. Where was he? Why wasn’t he here?
All of his campers were here, they were fairly easy to spot all things considering, but their so-called fearless leader was nowhere to be found.
However, you didn’t have to worry for long. You had sent your campers back with Con, staying back to help with the inevitable clean up of almost forty kids doing arts and crafts.
Finally, after what felt like hours, the arts and crafts room was left in a somewhat decent state, you had settled in with your campers in their cabin, a deck of cards being passed along you all with soft laughs drowned out by the roar of the rain still raging outside.
And you were finally dry. After misplacing your raincoat and having to walk back to the cabin without it you were completely soaked head to toe. But now you could appreciate the feeling of dry clothes against your damp skin as the warmth slowly returned to your body.
But your peace was not long lasting. Eddie’s voice sounded from outside your cabin, the door cranked slightly to let fresh air in, and somehow he was so loud you could still hear him over the thundering of rain outside.
“Hey Sunshine!” Sunshine, ironic nickname considering the weather conditions. But Eddie stuck with it, knowing whenever he said it you got just a little crease at the corner of your eye. “Could you come out here for a second? I need your help with something.”
You shut your eyes to keep yourself from rolling them, and reluctantly got up from your comfortable position on the floor, pushing the door to the cabin open all the way.
The freezing shock hit your body before you could even react, the water that washed over you made you cold to the bone and it took you a moment to realise what had happened. The bucket fell to the ground with a hollow clang, and you were once again soaked completely head to toe.
You wiped water from your face and had to resist the urge to scream until you cried. When your vision finally returned to its fullest, you could see Eddie standing leaned against one of the support beams on Cabin 10s deck, with probably the biggest smile you had ever seen plastered to his face.
“Nevermind- I think I’ll manage on my own.” Behind him in the window you could see his campers lined up along the still to look at the play out of what they must be considering the funniest prank ever pulled considering their inability to hold in their snickers and laughs.
Then and there you knew, the game was afoot.
Mutuals - @uglypastels @catastrofhe @eddiemunsonbrxinrot @eddiemunsons-girl
Taglist - @pastel-abyss-x @fayetheenthusiast @obi-wanakenobi @starbeambo @chloebeansack @a-villain-vying-for-attention @meaganjm @prettytoxix @magicalxdaydream @ghoulsgraveyard @emmaginanni @eddie-munsons-girlfriend @munchabunch @kaydancegilr0y @eateraa @satorix @avery-needs-more-fics @kbakery @milly-louise @salome-c @hopebaker @moonlight-and-stars @sweetpeapod @eddiemunsonsfuturewife @cherrypieyourface @theglitterymess @eddieshellfireshirt @lovelyladymayy @hellfire-state-of-mind @itsmoonyhere @missriverred @crabravee @escape-in-time-x @eddiemunsnon @alternativelit @nightless @ruinedbythehobbit @evilunicorn4minions @bohemian-war @lili-pond @hb8301 @emotionaldreamer @eddies-lover @audrie-bryant @munson-burner @luvbug8 @love-conqures-everythingg @shamidreamer
@love-conqures-everythingg @daydreamin1220 @steveharringtonscarkeys @Eddiessidegirl @eddiesquinn @juggernort @husherstan @Boomhauer @kittyplier95 @duramater97 @bunkybarnesbxtch @eravanaaaah @jaemunson70 @hawkinshottie86 @munsonswhore86 @zzokks @fluffyharrington @zombaarbie @pearls4valentine @iheartgrayson @eddiemunsonsfuturewife @1800-fight-me @themarvelousbee @blue1blue5 @scullys-alienpussy @bookworm3570 @anonymousfleshbag @cebragirl @cherryandsugar @stylesxsixx @elennair @loveeeyy-y @honeywritingfish @kryptidkova @that-lame-ghoul9000 @ast3rl1ngs @willgrahamscasket @seiphira @plaindonutsworld @daringmunson @aftermidnightwriting @munsonswhore86 @error-message-404 @darkdarkroom @lovedarrow @abyss-sss @wiltedwonderland @melissai @drowningrn @eddiiesworld96 @uh-goodbye @dixontardis @eddiesskittle @nativity-in-black@tvserie-s-world @chouetteschaussettes @loveisonlyrealinmymind444 @gnarlymarl @2clones-1kamino @scoops-harrington @issasnuts @s-u-t @ethereal27cereal @28uzui @lyinginthegingerlocks @leam-03 @ohm4rii @weasleywinchester @paintballkid711 @kaita11 @munsonswhore86 @grungegrrrl
494 notes
·
View notes