RAYAN
"Here we are! Camp Shennen!" Ava called from the front of the pack of their small group of classmates. Jon, Yvonne, Kylie, and Lonie took the bulk of the middle. James shuffled in his shadow with his eyes through his camera, pointed at the uneven path they walked. Meryn lacked further behind, hands in his pockets with the Carrier hovering along beside him, where glass protected their bags for the campout. It wasn't too far a walk out of Eastpoint's town limits. Ava had guided them all the way to the gates which led into the campsite proper.
"Huh?" Rayan frowned at the walls.
Ava turned with a smile. "Gorgots sometimes hunt nearby — they're skittish, but better to be safe than sorry, so the border was built around the camp. As long as we don't leave its confines, we're fine! Still though, we need to work out a system once we're set up in the cabin." Without a break, she ushered them into the grounds, and the gate closed behind them with a chirp.
His feet ached as they trudged over the path, until Ava pointed through a break in the light tree cover. On a small ridge, a modestly sized cabin stretched around the path, where a catwalk split the building in two and cut a swath through, where a fire pit rested in the middle with several benches.
Jon released a holler, and ran forward as if they hadn't made a gruelling trek through nature. "Finally! Freedom from schoolwork for a whole week! Let's go! It's time to get some practice for Starcross in!"
"We just got here," James said with a yawn.
Rayan rubbed his back with a groan as Ava smiled and pointed them to the two doorways which led into the lower level of the building. "There's maps all over these grounds, so let's take ourselves inside and drop our things. James, you're in charge of showing Rayan where the guys usually sleep."
James mumbled his understanding and motioned for their group to follow him into the cabin. Jon, not deflated from his attempt at rallying their Starcross spirit, bounced along as they entered the massive game area. A heating place tucked into the corner of the room, and a line of couches tucked against it. Ava assisted the Carrier inside when it gave a helpless chirp at the door.
"Here's the game area," Ava said. "The bed cabins are upstairs. Since this is apparently Rayan's first time camping, let's make it extra special." Her hands clapped together with an endless smile against her cheeks.
Rayan grabbed his marked bag off the Carrier when it settled in front of the couches. Bags over his shoulders, he stepped out of the way for James to grab his own before leading him through the corridors with Jon and Meryn on his heels. A spiral staircase went upwards, and Rayan groaned when he tread every step, hauling himself through pain.
"City boys aren't used to this?" Meryn questioned with a teasing sneer. "Aren't you used to roughing it?"
"Depends on your definition of roughing it. Traversing a city is a little different," Rayan said as they reached the upper level. On the other end, a moderately sized wash station greeted them, while another door led into an open room with multiple beds, some of them double wall-units.
Rayan crawled to a high wall-unit, while Meryn took the one below him with a huff. While James took a lone bed and Jon had an entire wall unit to himself, he turned to Meryn when he tugged out flexible ear covers. "What are those for?" he muttered.
Meryn raised an eyebrow at him, then nodded at Jon. "I'd like to get some sleep at night. I'm not James who can sleep through explosions."
Rayan blanched at the insinuation, and chuckled as James shoved his bag underneath his bed before spreading out his night clothes.
"You think your sister has an entire schedule planned out?" Jon questioned.
James shook his head. "I'm sure she has a preferred itinerary, but she's not that much of a stick in the mud, Jon. You should know that."
"What is there to do here?" Rayan asked.
"Swimming. Climbing. Name it, there's probably something we could figure out," Jon said. "Trust me, Ray, as a fellow Kestran, you'll like what we do here. This is where we let loose and have some fun before our big testing blocks and the winter parties. Also where I like to test out Starcross plays on the field."
"It's like you can't get anything in his head except netbats and balls and the scores of the championship." James adjusted his camera bag, and his beat up camera rested in his palms as he scowled at Jon when he boomed with laughter. His mind lit up with another possibility.
He slid to Meryn's level. "Hey, Meryn. Can we talk outside?"
"Not giving you relationship advice."
Heat washed into his cheeks. "Nothing like that, just come on."
Meryn hauled himself off the bed, and the two left Jon and James to bicker before heading to the wash station. The door slid closed behind him.
"So?" Meryn mused.
"I know James and Ava's birthday's are coming up," Rayan said. "I want you to help me with James' present."
"Really?" Meryn lit up. "What are you getting him?"
Rayan took out his datapad, and showed the board of his present. Meryn balked at the price in bold letters at the top. "James would murder you if he saw this."
"I know his camera isn't working as well as it used to since I knocked it into the pond," Rayan explained as Meryn swiped through the details. "Half his shots don't come out right anymore, and I know it's starting to piss him off. In our arts classes, I got the idea while he gave me a picture to draw — I'm going to get him a new camera. I just wanted to make sure it has the right set up and that I didn't miss anything."
"And where do you plan on getting this? Are you having it shipped in?"
"No. It's in stock in Roxton," Rayan explained. "I had Mom put one on hold — all that's left is to go get it. I want you to come with me, Meryn. You've known James longer than I have."
"And you're already picking up on his photography habits and needs?" Meryn questioned. "Does Ava know?"
"She does."
"What are you getting her?"
"She hasn't told me what she wants yet," Rayan admitted. "I think she wants me to draw something for her, but she mentioned that it wasn't 'ready' yet... but while I was hanging out with her I saw her poster for the Aetherium Werewolves."
Meryn stuck out his tongue. "Popular band."
"I know their next concert is next Octan," Rayan said. "I'm still working out the details with that, but I'm going to try and get tickets to it."
"Okay... but why do you need me to come with you to pick up James' present?"
Rayan frowned at Meryn. "Just in case I need to pick anything else up that you think he'd like."
As Meryn opened his mouth, someone knocked on the door, and Jon opened it.
"Time to go enjoy ourselves, people. Yvonne just went to the river to check the temperatures, and we're good to go. Everything's on and activated, so it's time to enjoy our free week before the endless misery that is first block testing!" he said with a cheerful tone. "James is already downstairs with the others, Ava has called a small meeting, so hop to it!" Jon clapped his hands for a rallying tone before leaving with quick strides down the spiral staircase.
"Well?" Rayan questioned.
Meryn sighed. "Fine... if you really need my help that badly."
"Awesome." Rayan beamed and rushed out of the washstation with Meryn right behind him. Downstairs in the game area, everyone piled on the couches and elbowed whoever came closer.
"We're all here, great," Ava said. "Kitchen is up and running and stocked with food for the week. I just want to get a couple rules laid down. Same as before, try not to leave the camp grounds," she explained with a finger in the air. "Clean up after yourself. Your compearls should also have a connection."
James looked around. "And here I was thinking you had some sort of schedule after all. I'm surprised that you're just laying down common sense instead of—"
Ava threw her datapad at him, which smacked him in the face. "I thought about it," she said with a grin. "But, all the other times we just threw caution to the wind, so I didn't bother this quadrum. You're free to do whatever, but I would like to have a group hang out and swim by the river. If anyone has any other ideas, I'll note it down. Otherwise... this is your week." Her arms waved outwards. "Make do what you will with it."
James folded his leg. "Are you going to study or..."
"I'm going to make sure no one gets into trouble." Ava glared at him. "Try not to wander off, James."
"Yeah..." He scoffed in dismissal.
Ava ignored him. "Since it's getting late, I recommend staying by the cabin, but that's all I have to say here."
Rayan helped Jon set up the ringball table, where they fluttered to life and hovered at their set goalpoints. Finished with his duty, and shooed when he offered to help more, he wandered over to Ava, who considered Meryn who sat in front of the heating unit.
"Hey, Ray," she said.
"We should talk to him, Ava."
Her once cheerful expression fell when she rested her hands on her elbows. "I don't know what I'd say to him... are you sure he's getting bullied?"
"I..." Rayan faltered, then shrugged. "I don't know, but there's enough warning bells to make me nervous. But I don't have any proof. Meryn's always by himself between classes. I never see him with anyone else."
Ava leaned on the wall, then said, "I'm just trying to figure out what to say. He won't talk to me." Her shoulders trembled. "He knows he can talk to me about these things."
Rayan frowned at her. "Maybe he just doesn't want to worry anyone? He seems like the type."
Ava gazed at him, then released herself from the wall to head to Meryn without another word. One of the hoverrings beeped when Jon sent his ball through it, and Yvonne whacked it back at him as he gasped and ducked when it bounced off the wall. Rayan smiled at the happiness, but Meryn's woe swallowed it as he shadowed Ava when she sat down beside Meryn.
"Meryn?" she asked while Rayan took a spot beside her and leaned forward to turn the heating unit on while the last edges of the sun disappeared past the canopy of leaves.
"Hm?"
"Do you have anything you want to do over the week?" Ava questioned as Rayan lounged back, keeping count of Yvonne's attempt at bouncing the ball off Jon's head, who took in stride.
"Uh..." Meryn frowned. "Not particularly."
Ava glanced at him, then back to Meryn. "How are your classes going?"
"They're okay."
Rayan winced at the forming wall, but Ava continued, unabated, "That's good to hear." Her hand clutched his shoulder, and Meryn's brow furrowed. "You can talk to me if you need help, Meryn. " One last pat, Ava stood up, and Rayan followed her back around the bend, out of sight of Meryn and she folded her arms, where her smile died into something ferocious.
"Ava?" Rayan mused.
"I do believe you, Ray," she reiterated. "I want to find out what's happening to Meryn, but for now... let's just try and get his mind off it. Can you help me?"
"Of course."
Her smile lit up the corridor. "Thank you for listening, Ray. I'm going to go try again."
"No problem." He got out of her way to let her return to Meryn's side, and peeked out the window, where James sat by the small fire alone. Something urged him to go outside and sit with him, but another tugged him back to make sure Ava and Meryn worked out the problem which haunted his new friends.
Nightfall came and blanketed the campgrounds in shadows when they called the first night. He slumped in his wall unit while everyone slept. Jon snored, and he pressed his hands against his ears while Meryn slept soundly with the earblockers.
Here I thought it couldn't be that bad, guess I was wrong. He tossed and turned and tried every sleeping position imaginable, but his mind refused to rest while the moon, Lana, lit the grounds with a silver glow. He took out his sketchpad, staring at his unfinished pieces before glancing at James.
As Meryn said, James slept soundly, face tucked in the pillow as his back rose and fell in deep waves. Rayan sat up, clutching his sketchpad close to him. Outside, stars sprinkled their light across the expanse, and he lowered himself out of the wall unit, using Jon's snores as cover in the night.
He crept to James' side, then prodded his shoulder. "James."
No response.
I don't know why I thought that'd work, he's sleeping through this.
One more attempt, and James rolled over onto his side with a soft sniff, drawing his blanket closer to his cheeks as he nuzzled into them with a sigh. He drew his hand off James' shoulder, and left the room alone.
Into the wash station, he splashed water onto his face and planned out his route. I'll take a sketch of the grounds, just need to find a good vantage point. I spotted several lit paths when Ava was giving a cursory tour of the grounds before, too bad trees look the same. He scoffed and scratched his neck and flattened his sketchpad beside the sink. Most of them...
He grabbed it, ready to paint across the starry expanse.
As he turned, he almost screamed at the sight of hazel eyes.
"What are you doing?" James asked, shoulder against the doorframe.
"I thought you were asleep," Rayan hissed, holding his heart.
James raised an eyebrow. "Did I scare you again?"
"Well, fuck, James, you're not exactly loud like Jon is." Rayan clutched his shirt. "I can't sleep."
"You get used to it," James mumbled, then glanced at his sketchpad. "Don't tell Ava this, but I usually go outside at night to take some pictures, though with how my camera's been acting up lately, I haven't tried." He detached himself from the door with a huff. "I know a place that we might be able to take in the scenery. It's my favourite spot to take pictures when I'm here."
"Oh, and you'd show me it?"
James shrugged. "If you can't sleep, and I am now awake, we might as well. You game or not?" He held out his hand. "I thought you were a troublemaker."
"I mean... how much trouble can we get into?" he whispered.
"None at all, I just like to have my moment," James said. "It'll be fine. You'll be able to sleep after you see this spot, trust me."
He trusted him.