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English
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Published:
2022-07-18
Updated:
2023-04-21
Words:
23,135
Chapters:
18/?
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48
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300
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6,652

Camp Hawkins!

Summary:

Steve is a camp counselor, and he accidentally adopted a group of campers a few years back. Now those campers are in their last year, and he's going to make this the best summer ever.

Or that's how it started.

In other words, stranger things summer camp texting au because I'm unhinged :)

I am just realizing now that the relationship tag order got screwy but the main ships going on are byler & steddie everyone else tagged will show up though.

Notes:

I really don’t feel like having to creatively write in all of this information in a texting au, so here’s the basics of the universe this au takes place in:

This fic takes place at Camp Hawkins, which is based on the summer camp I went to as a kid. The dates come from summer 2022 which is not complete at the time of writing this so do with that information what you will. Camp sort of exists in a bubble without recent news thanks to the lack of technology and also so I don't have to figure out when things in the real world happened and stuff.

The “teens” from the original series are all (mostly) counselors, and the party have all finished their freshman year of high school, making them last year campers. Last year campers are generally referred to as 15 year olds, even though some of them are 14. The camp director is Jim Hopper, called Hop by everyone.

At Camp Hawkins, there are boys and girls ages 8-15 split into 4 rows of cabins. Girls senior row cabins are 4a,4,3,2,1a, and 1 and boys senior row cabins are 10,11,12,13,14, and 15. These two are known together as senior row. Senior row is generally ages 12-15. Cabins 1a,1, 14, and 15 generally have last-year campers, but sometimes there’s overflow into cabins 2 and 13, or overflow from younger campers in cabins 1a and 14. Boys junior row has cabins 7,8, and 9 and girls junior row has cabins 5,6, and 6a. These two make up junior row, and generally have ages 8-12. I know it’s confusing af, but I simplified it from my summer camp a bit already and I don’t want to confuse myself by changing the numbers a whole ton. I might make a little chart or something.

Also, I know separating by gender seems dumb and old fashioned and kind of transphobic, but when I went there they were super understanding of trans identities and were willing to work with campers to accomodate their needs.

At the camp, there are the campers (8-15), there are counselors (generally 18 and up but there are a few younger ones on occasion), and there are CITs. CIT stands for counselor in training, and they are usually former campers who want to become counselors. They are 15-18, depending on how old they were when they aged out of being a camper. They are usually a CIT for two years, and are known as first year and second year CITs depending on the year. There are two counselors and two CITs in most of the cabins. The 15 year old cabins (1,1a,15,14) are the only ones that have 1 counselor and CIT instead of 2.

There is no technology for the campers, but counselors and CITs are allowed their phones and stuff but typically don’t use them very much. That’s why a lot of the texting is just between the older teens for now.

There are 4 two-week sessions that campers can attend. Most younger campers only attend one session, while older campers generally go for 4 weeks, either the first two (known as first month) or the second two (known as second month). The people and vibes of the two months can be totally different! There are always a few kids who go for 6 or 8 weeks, or who go for the weird middle month of sessions 2 and 3. Different kids go to different sessions for different reasons. There are different special activities that happen each session, scheduling, school start times, friends, etc.

Program areas are the fancy names for all the different activities. I could write out a comprehensive list, but that would take a while. A lot of them will come up in conversation. Counselors run program areas, usually 1-3 with the help of CITs. Swimming is a big deal because it’s on a lake. Swim lessons are a thing and they’re pretty much the only mandatory thing. Evening program is after dinner and is usually big camp games and activities like capture the flag and stuff.

I think I can manage to incorporate a lot of the rest of the basics into my writing, but let me know in the comments if there’s anything that’s too confusing, and I’ll explain it in the notes somewhere.

I know literally no one read this but anyway have fun reading this fic :)

Chapter 1: Session 1 Begins

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

oh they built the ship titanic to sail the ocean blue
and they thought they had a ship that the water would never leak through
but the lord's almighty hand
knew the ship would never stand
it was sad when the great ship went down
IT WAS SAD LORD SAD IT WAS SAD
too bad
IT WAS SAD WHEN THE GREAT SHIP WENT DOWN
TO THE BOTTOM OF THE...
O (husbands, and)
C (wives, little)
E, A, N (children lost their lives)
IT WAS SAD WHEN THE GREAT SHIP WENT DOWN

***

saturday june 25th
11:42 am
new chat

steve: hey the giant groupchat with all the counselors was getting tedious and i want to plan things we can do for the 15 year olds so i made a new chat with all the counselors of the last year cabins

robin: sorry to whoever else is here steve and i are menaces

unknown number: Oh well Steve and I dated when we were 14 so i know what he’s like

steve: oh hi nancy this is awkward

robin: so THIS is the legendary nancy wheeler
robin: i’ve heard about you

nancy: That wasn’t intimidating at all, thanks

unknown number: why am i here

steve: just read the chat

unknown number: i seriously don’t care about your dating history harrington

robin: who is this?

unknown number: eddie munson, counselor of cabin 14 for sessions 1 and 2 at your service

nancy: I thought you were always in cabin 7 with the little kids?

eddie: times change, my friend

steve: well anyway the 15 year olds this year include a group of weirdos that i particularly love and we’re making this special for them, got it?

nancy: Even my brother?

steve: okay maybe not mike

robin: i can live with that

nancy: I was kidding we’re making this the best summer ever for the little punks, even Mike

robin: but that’s no funnnnnn

steve: you can bully me, just not the children, okay?

robin: fine, mommmmmm

steve: i hate you

robin: love you too steve

eddie: hi i’m still here getting every message thanks

robin: sorry not sorry
robin: you were warned

sunday june 26th
1:34 pm

steve: ugh i forgot will and eleven are in cali mike just got here and he’s sulking

nancy: Oh I should have warned you oops

eddie: ohhhhh so that’s why jonathan isn’t here to do cabin 14

nancy: Yeah they’re in cali visiting family friends

eddie: wait who’s eleven?

steve: oh yeah long story so she was adopted by hop years ago and when she was 8 he forgot to sign her up for camp because she spent all summer here anyway so she just decided to join cabin 5 and was their eleventh camper for the summer
steve: then hop and will’s mom joyce finally got married so now will and el are sisters
steve: i think her name is technically jane

nancy: JOYCE
nancy: I love Joyce
nancy: Pretty sure half of the reason they married is so Joyce could officially be El’s mom

eddie: how do y’all know each other so well i literally know my campers wtf

nancy: Were you a second month camper?

eddie: ohhhh that explains it

robin: haha i was too
robin: second month gang

eddie: second month gang?

steve: hey that’s not fair i went the whole summer my last couple years

robin: now we’re besties

steve: besties

eddie: five bucks says harrington and robin are hooking up

steve: …..

robin: bitch i’m gay

eddie: oop my apologies

nancy: Get off your phones y’all we’re supposed to be doing counselor shit like responsible adults

robin: fine MOM

thursday june 30th
9:13 pm

eddie: hey stevie boy

steve: i liked it better when you called me harrington

eddie: so you said you own henderson and sinclair right

steve: hands off my boys

eddie: jesus chill
eddie: they’ve just been talking about d&d a lot
eddie: and i am literally a dm
eddie: i didn’t bring my books or anything but i have my days off in a couple days

steve: yeah? get to the point

eddie: i want to steal your children to play d&d

steve: ??? go ahead y’all are nerds

eddie: and here i was thinking steve harrington had become a decent human being

steve: stfu i thought you said you didn’t know any of us before this year

eddie: bitch everyone knows who you are

steve: so you lied

eddie: i have not spoken a word to you before this summer

robin: you two are blowing up my phone YOU stfu

steve: sorry robin

eddie: sorry robin

nancy: Why do you listen to Robin and not me?

eddie: you use capital letters and correct punctuation

nancy: i hate u

eddie: join the dark side nance

friday july 1st
1:06 pm

eddie: okay okay i talked to hop i’m good to do a d&d campaign next week
eddie: it’ll probably be a few hours every afternoon
eddie: i’m so excited you don’t even know

robin: who’s running the music program area while you’re doing that

eddie: the cit duh

robin: ahh yes bully the children

eddie: bully the children

nancy: maybe let’s not

steve: no bullying my children they get enough of that as it is

eddie: your children aren’t cits so they’re fine

saturday july 2nd
7:39 am

robin: y’all aren’t READY for 1a’s battle of the bands

steve: yeah we are

nancy: we’re definitely ready

eddie: you all forget i always win this
eddie: every year
eddie: always

steve: because you play the electric guitar and write your own songs blah blah blah
steve: cabin 15 is going to be fire
steve: i seriously need wheeler to stop sulking though he’s a pain in my ass

nancy: yeah he’s just really upset he can’t see el yet
nancy: it’s kinda sweet but also kinda annoying

steve: oh no it’s really annoying

eddie: dusty and lucas are also missing the cali people but they haven’t turned into shitbirds

steve: yet

robin: wait are el and mike like dating or something?

steve: robin
steve: are you really this dense

robin: i’ll take that as a yes

nancy: dang
nancy: in mikes defense i also really miss jonathan

robin: lemme guess you and jonathan are dating?

steve: this is old news robin

robin: damn i’m oblivious

robin and steve
7:44 am

robin: fuck meee

steve: no thank you

robin: steve.

steve: fine what

robin: i’m stupid af

steve: yes, and?

robin: this is going to sound so dumb
robin: but i sort of like nancy

steve: ???? and you didn’t tell me??

robin: you used to date it would be weird

steve: robin i love you but seriously tell me things i know stuff and i can help

robin: fine who do you like then

steve: idk i haven’t had any real crushes or anything since nancy
steve: lol
steve: oh wait that summer we became friends i had a HUGE crush on you
steve: i forgot about that because you’re gay

robin: valid
robin: okay it worked you made me feel better

steve: you’re welcome

robin: <3

big chat
saturday july 2nd
10:34 pm

steve: GUESS WHO WON BATTLE OF THE BANDS

eddie: we were all there
eddie: i hate you

nancy: 1 won girls senior!!

robin: ughhhhhh
robin: we were so goooooood

steve: you did great robin

nancy: yeah it was good!

eddie: i hate you all

nancy: yours was good too eddie!

steve: yeah man just not as good as 14

eddie: i’m muting this chat

nancy and steve
sunday july 3rd
7:03 am

steve: wait is eddie actually mad about this

nancy: you tell me eddie is a mystery to me
nancy: i love how when you scroll up in here the last thing was us basically sexting

steve: nance don’t remind me

nancy: it’s just kinda funny
nancy: we legit did not talk like normal people

steve: YEAH OKAY LET'S STOP TALKING ABOUT OUR RELATIONSHIP PLEASE

robin and steve
7:10 am

steve: okay nancy is being really weird
steve: she keeps bringing up our relationship

robin: yeah she does that sometimes
robin: i mean you were her first
robin: first relationship, first kiss, first sex

steve: robin

robin: what
robin: it’s true

steve: FIRST SEX?

robin: it’s true
robin: anyway
robin: you set her standards for relationships so of course she talks about you

steve: THANKS I HATE IT

robin: yeah it’s kinda awkward

big chat
tuesday july 5th
7:30 am

eddie: d&d time d&d time d&d time

steve: we get it edward

eddie: did you just call me edward

steve: hell yeah i did

eddie: okay fair
eddie: are you ready for me to steal your children

steve: sure

eddie: i’m announcing it in the dining hall during breakfast
eddie: i’m so excited you don’t understand

robin: we know dingus

9:24 am

eddie: okay i have henderson and wheeler obviously
eddie: sinclair is going on the backpacking trip tomorrow so he can’t
eddie: but his sister joined so i’m happy

steve: erica?
steve: she’s the sassiest little queen you’ll ever meet

robin: i didn’t know she played d&d what a slay

eddie: oh no i picked up on the sass

nancy: will gave her all his old d&d stuff last summer

eddie: omg that’s so sweet
eddie: wait does will play

steve: i think so? i know he used to

eddie: perfecttttt
eddie: i feel so evil i love this

robin: that’s nice enjoy your nerd time i’m on days off please shut up

eddie: ooo could you get me some candy
eddie: like some licorice or something

robin: you like licorice?
robin: eww
robin: that is not valid

eddie: wtf licorice is the best

robin: i beg to differ

steve: i agree with edward

robin: well that’s not correct dingus

eddie: pleaseeeeee robin my stash has run out from my days off

robin: it’s been like 2 days wtf
robin: and fine i’ll feed your addiction

eddie: your the BEST

nancy: you’re

eddie: fuck youuuuuuu

nancy: you're the one with bad grammar

Notes:

here we go

lyrics are to the ship titanic, arguably the most infamous of the songs we used to sing at camp. just thought i'd include them, i'll continue to add song lyrics from camp songs and random songs that fit the vibe

if shit doesn't make sense lmk in the comments :)