Camp (BoyxBoy)

Contrary to Popular Belief

Contrary to Popular Belief

"Boys, can I speak with you real quick?" Linda said to Alex and I, beckoning for us to follow her.

She lead us away from the group where we were waiting for Amy and Noah to join us.

"Noah's mother called this morning to let us know that they were going out of town over the weekend so he wouldn't make it today," she explained. "And because you are the only others in the group I'm putting Amy with Taylor, just for today."

It was friday, and I had somehow miraculously survived the first four days of camp. Alex had been friendly, and I'd talked to Reid and Taylor a couple more times.

"Oh," Alex said. "So then what do you want us to do?"

"Well since Jace isn't legitimately going to camp, you guys aren't required to do anything specific, but you're not allowed to leave. I was wondering if you just wanted to hang out, and maybe do an activity that other groups aren't doing? It's up to you."

"What about the crafts room? Do I need to supervise or anything?" Alex asked.

"Why would you have to supervise? Don't the counselors who're in there with their groups supervise?"

Linda nodded at me. "You're right, but at the beginning, during training, each counselor is assigned a specific activity in case of some sort of schedule change, such as Amy and Noah not being in your group, but that problem is so minuscule it doesn't really apply. You're free to do whatever today, guys. Just don't interfere with another group."

She went back to where the beard guy stood, whom I learned was name Steve.

"So," Alex said, turning to me. "What do you want to do?"

I shrugged. "I don't care. We can just sit, can't we?"

"Yeah, if you want. No one is scheduled for the paddle boats today, I don't think, so we could go sit by the lake."

We stopped at the cafeteria and Alex nicked two cokes that were reserved for the counselors' lunches. Once we were at the lake, we sat down on a drift wood log that was placed there on purpose. Across the lake we could see another group doing archery with plastic bows and rubber arrows.

"How's life?" I asked, trying to make conversation.

"Alright," Alex replied. "And you?"

"Okay."

Alex spoke again. "So what are you like outside of camp?"

I was taken aback by the random question. "Um...what?"

"You know...are you the same? I mean, I don't really want to know someone my age as a kid I'm in charge of at summer camp. It would make things a little bit easier for me if I could just pretend you were my friend or something.

"Oh. Right."

Pretend.

"I guess I'm the same...I really don't know."

"Oh."

"Are you?"

"What?"

"You know," I said. "Are you the same. Outside of camp."

"I guess so. If you asked people I'm close with they'd say otherwise, but contrary to popular belief I am human."

"Oh?" I said, raising an eyebrow. "That doesn't really have anything to do with the question but thanks for letting me know. I'll make sure not to let people convince me you're an alien or anything."

Alex grinned at me, and, as if the universe was trying to tell me something, his head tilted so it was right in front of the sun and there was a halo of light around his head.

In that exact moment it's like a switch in my brain switched over. Like the two neurons that spent the last seventeen years on different sides of my brain finally found each other, and once they met my life started to make sense.

I realized I had been staring at Alex with my mouth open and quickly snapped out of it.

"Ready for lunch?" he asked, and I noticed that the group doing archery had begun cleaning up and were about to head over to the Rec. building.

I nodded and we stood up to go.

-

"How was your day?" mom asked, as usual, as I climbed into the car in front of Max.

"Fun!" Max said. "We climbed the rock wall and played in the gym today."

"That's nice. How about you, Jace?"

I stared out the window.

"Jace?"

"Oh, sorry! What?"

"How was you day, sweety?"

"Fine," I said.

I zoned out again and we drove home, Max expressing how much he loved camp the entire time.

Once we were home I got out and went straight up to my bedroom, lying flat on my bed and staring at the ceiling.

Dinner time came, and I ate robotically, going straight to bed once I was finished.

Bartholomew tried following me but Max quickly distracted him.

I didn't sleep a lot that night.