Chapter Text
August 2004
This summer was everything Buck could've hoped for and more. He made a friend—possibly his best friend.
Eddie, who gave him his very own nickname, who made him laugh, who pulled pranks with him, who saved him from many occasions of his own clumsiness.
The only problem with this summer was that he had to leave. Leave his new friend, leave the place that was so warm and welcoming, leave when he finally felt like he could be himself and not be judged for it.
Tomorrow, he would be back in Hershey with his parents in that house that felt like it was going to drain the life out of him. He sighed into his hands, trying to enjoy his last few moments at camp. A camp he didn't even know if he would be coming back to. The air caught in his throat at that thought.
"You okay?" A voice cut in, jolting him out of his stupor.
It was Eddie. Of course it was Eddie, looking at him with concern in his eyes as the camp counselors talked about how it had been an amazing summer and how they hoped they would see them all again next summer.
They'd been told to sit in the theater for some last day announcements and festivities."Yeah, I'm fine. Just tired," Buck lied, forcing himself to focus on the counselors.
Except, Eddie didn't let it go. He nudged him with his shoulder. "You're lyinggggg," Eddie sing- songed, dragging out the word.
Buck couldn't help the small laugh that escaped his lips.
"Come on you can tell me," Eddie encouraged and Buck looked sideways at him before he relented.
"I'm just…gonna miss this place. That's all," Buck admitted and Eddie nodded in agreement.
"Yeah, me too," Eddie agreed. "But there's always next summer!"
The words hit Buck like a brick. He wanted to lie, to agree with him, drop the conversation—but he found he couldn't. "I don't know if my parents will let me come back next year," Buck said, as he picked up a stick and drew in the dirt.
"Wait what?" Eddie exclaimed, a little too loudly based on the glares of some other kids around them. "But what about…" he trailed off.
Buck tried to reign in the emotions he felt that very moment. He shook his head, once, twice, and then lifted his head and plastered on a smile. "I'm glad I met you though. I'm gonna miss having you save me from tripping over nothing," Buck joked, but he can tell it fell flat.
Eddie's eyes suddenly looked determined, "We should exchange numbers."
"I-I don't have a cell-phone," Buck said automatically. "My parents said I have to be sixteen before I can get one."
"What about your parents? Do they have a phone?" Eddie asked quickly as if he was going through a list of options.
"There's the house phone," Buck contemplated, before remembering the reason he hadn't heard from Maddie all summer. "I think there's a rule or something about calling across states. Costs money or something?"
Before Eddie could answer, the counselors got louder interrupting their conversation. They're silent for a while as the counselors put on some sort of show to close out the year.
When they got back to their cabin hours later, Eddie was the one to pick up the conversation again. "What about letters?"
"Letters?" Buck's eyebrows furrowed.
"Yeah, my sister, Adrianna, watched some show and they were sending letters to each other to talk, maybe we could do that?" Eddie suggested. He looked so hopeful and Buck's heart squeezed at his friend's determination to stay in touch.
Buck smiled widely at the suggestion. He didn't have to lose Eddie, even if he couldn't come back next summer, he could still be friends with him. "Yes!" Buck exclaimed and Eddie beamed in response.
"I'll give you my address. You got a piece of paper?"
July 2019
Buck angrily opens the door to his cabin. Cabin 317.
It feels like a dark, angry storm cloud is thundering in his mind.
Why is Eddie here? Why is he in California? Why is he at this camp of all places? Why is he suddenly appearing in his life again, now?
Why, why, why, why—
Someone yelps as something crashes to the floor.
The storm dissipates.
Buck's head snaps up, finding a guy around his age with curly black hair staring wide eyed at him. Buck looks at him and then back to the door putting two and two together. "Oh shit. Hi, I'm Buck. Sorry about that," Buck says sheepishly.
The guy lets out an awkward chuckle but looks more relaxed.
"Ravi," he introduces, holding out a hand for Buck to shake. "It's alright. You just surprised me, that's all."
Buck drops his bags and grabs the outstretched hand, shaking it. "So, I take it, you're my cabin partner?"
"Yeah!" Ravi says excitedly. "I thought your name was Evan?"
"Long story," Buck waves him off. "Everybody calls me Buck."
Ravi smiles at him before holding up his packet in the air. "Well good to meet you, Buck. Do you want to start working on the bunk assignments after you unpack?"
Buck grins in return, shoving his bags into the other unclaimed corner. "Yeah sure," he replied.
He can use the distraction anyway.
Buck finds he really enjoys Ravi.
They seem to work together well, figuring out the bunk assignments with no problem, and going over the first day and what it would look like. Ravi seems easygoing and funny and Buck forgets all about Eddie.
He learns quite a lot about his "roomie" (as Ravi loved to say) for the summer. He learns he likes frolf (which he'd never heard of before today), cats, and has an addiction to coffee.
Asking about coffee is one of the first things Ravi questions and Buck laughs outright at him because it’s one of his first to Bobby too.
The dining hall usually supplies it in the morning and they decide to take turns going to get coffee and a breakfast run in the morning before the kids are set to start for the day.
The dining hall is a little ways away from the beach toward the bottom of the hill that the cabin sat on.
At the welcome meeting, they told them dinner will be served at the dining hall around 6. Bobby also mentioned some sort of surprise being announced not too soon after dinner started.
Buck has no idea what that could possibly be but he has to admit he’s curious.
When it’s around time for dinner, they start to make their way to the dining hall. When they walk inside, it’s full of faces both new and old. Buck sees Lucy chatting with Ana and some blonde girl around their age he doesn't know.
As they make their way over to the line, Ravi quite literally bumps straight into someone—not just anyone though, it’s May. "Oh my god, I'm so sorry," Ravi apologizes quickly, reaching to steady her.
May just smiles at him and shakes her head. "No worries!"
Ravi blinks quickly and Buck knows, just knows, that Ravi is a goner. He seems like he’s about to start gaping like a fish so Buck steps in and uses his winning charm. "May!" Buck exclaims excitedly, moving forward to hug her and she returns his hug easily. "It's so great to see you!"
"You saw me last week Buck," May teases. Her eyes drift from him to Ravi, shining with curiosity. "Who's this?" She gestures her head toward Ravi who is still silent.
"Oh right! This is Ravi, he's my partner for the cabin," Buck explains. "Ravi, this is May, she's my day-partner and new just like you."
"Not that new," May corrects with a roll of her eyes.
"It's great to meet you," Ravi greets after a moment and reaches out his hand to shake.
May smiles warmly and takes his hand in hers. "It's nice to meet you too," she says.
Ravi smiles back, blush rising on his cheeks, as he shakes her hand. "Guess it's good to meet more newbies here, you know in case I have any trouble."
"Oh yeah," May agrees. "You'll be in lots of trouble with this one." She gestures to Buck playfully and Ravi turns to him with an eyebrow raise.
"Hey!" Buck protests, throwing his hands up, exasperated. "I'm not that bad."
"Yes, yes you are," Hen chimes in as she makes her way over. "You're always getting yourself into some sorts of trouble, Buck."
Buck does not appreciate being ganged up on. "This," he gestures between the two women. "I don't like. Re-do please, I can't have you two teaming up against me."
Hen gives him an innocent smile and throws her arm over May's shoulder. They look at each other and then back to him giving him smug looks.
"Should we start with the choking incident or tell him what Buck's like when you give him a clipboard?"
"Okay, time to go! Ravi here is starving!" Buck yelps and grabs a sputtering Ravi by the shoulders and whisks him off.
Buck lets him go when they are far enough away from May and Hen.
"How much trouble do you get into?" Ravi asks as soon as they get into line.
"They're exaggerating. And if anything it's never my fault," Buck explains and then abruptly changes the subject. "Anyway, how'd you like May?" Buck waggles his eyebrows at Ravi.
He rolls his eyes at him. "It just thought she was cute, that's all."
"That's all, huh?" Buck challenges.
"That's all."
Liar, Buck thinks smugly.