Every Summer Has A Story

Ch. 35 - Thea's Plague

"I don't understand how it's only Wednesday," Eve huffed, sorting through a pile of camper store cards.

Nathanael shrugged and continued sweeping up the tile floor.

"It's because you're having a slower go after being on constant Timothy Gibbons watch last week," he teased lightly, "don't worry, next week we have the peanut allergy kid and you'll be plenty busy with all that."

"I forgot about him!" she groaned, lightly slapping her forehead, "Scooby mentioned him week one during check-in and it totally escaped my mind."

"Oh, you'll be busy," Nathanael chuckled, pointing the tip of the broom her direction, "you may want to start planning how you're going to get all of the peanut stuff out of here."

Eve glanced around the candy store's vast selection with horror.

"There are so many brands made in the same facility as peanut products!"

"Our health officer last year tried to close the store for a week," Nathanael said over the sound of his sweeping, "but The Rev wasn't having it."

Eve began straightening the shelves of stuffed animals.

"That's a little excessive, but I can see where she was coming from."

A knock on the door startled them both. Eve sighed and stepped over Nathanael's dirt pile, sliding the window open to reveal Maverick's sheepish smile on the other side.

"Help me, I'm dying!" Maverick whined.

"Dying?" Eve echoed, arching a suspicious brow.

"Dying," he confirmed, clutching his chest, "can't you see I'm wasting away to nothing?"

Nathanael laughed and joined Eve at the window.

"You hungry, pal?"

Maverick sighed dramatically,

"I need to make a Walmart run. I've run out of snacks and pretty soon I'm going to be in a state of perpetual hunger."

"Yikes," Eve grimaced.

Nathanael reached behind her and tossed Maverick a candy bar.

"Eat up while you can, it's almost peanut allergy kid week."

Maverick's eyes widened in horror.

"Oh, balls," he lamented, "we can't have any of the good candy!"

Eve watched him unwrap the Snickers unceremoniously and dig in, trying to sort through the convoluted mix of feelings in her belly. There was unease at what their friendship had deteriorated into and the sense of comfort Maverick's presence always seemed to bring her, trying to fight for dominance. His electric blue eyes flashed to Eve's a few times between bites and she felt a jolt, much to her dismay.

"Get your shit together," she scolded herself inwardly.

"I'm just ready to sit back and watch Eve's meltdown," Nathanael teased, resuming his sweeping, "I miss my trashy daytime television and it will be the next best thing."

"How could that be more interesting than all of the twisted somewhat incestuous relationships going on here?" She challenged.

Maverick swallowed the last of his candy and nodded in agreement.

"Honestly they may as well call this place The Wabanaki Shore," he deadpanned.

"Minus the gym time," Eve added, "I get to do plenty of laundry and my Chaco tan lines would be Snookie approved."

Nathanael let out a belly laugh.

"The Wabanaki Shore, I like that."

Maverick readjusted the straps on his backpack and nodded.