Chapter Text
I climb into the bus and sit in the very back. I see an excitable boy, around my age, in way too nice clothing, climb on.
"Hi, I'm Steve." He says to a pair of kids. They look up at him. "Hi." They reply before turning away from him. He pauses a second, his smile dropping a second before he turns to another kid.
"Hi, I'm Steve." He says, trying to sit down. "Uh, Hi?" They say staring at him. He stands up straight and moves to find somewhere else.
"Hi, I'm Steve." "Okay?" The boy sighs. "Hi, I'm Steve." "Whatever." Each time the boy, Steve, gets less enthusiastic.
The young boy sits down in a huff next to me at the back of the bus. "Ooh, looks like you came on too strong there Stevie-boy." I say teasing. "Huh? Oh. Well, people normally like me. I just wanted some friends here." He says looking up at me and pouts.
"Well if it makes you feel better. I probably won't make any friends either." I say leaning back and shoving my hands in my jacket pockets. "I'm Eddie by the way. I'd shake your hand but-" I wiggle my fingers in the pockets. "And I don't do handshakes." He laughs. "Hi-ya Eddie." He smiles and relaxes in his seat.
"So Eddie where are you from? Are you from Hawkins? I don't think I've seen you before." Steve asks. "Oh, um. I just moved to Hawkins." I say shyly. "Oh cool. I've lived in Hawkins my whole life. It's a small town, not much to do but- Oh, hey what school are you going to go to?" He asks kind of cutting himself off.
I look at him before answering. "Uh, Hawkins middle school. Is there another one?" "Oh me too. Uh, I guess you could have gone to Hawkins South, but that's technically not even in Hawkins." I nod and turn to look out of the window.
I guess Steve notices I don't want to talk as he looks up at the roof tapping his fingers on his legs. After a while, he seems to have happily zoned out.
I watch as the trees become thicker and more densely populated. We slow down before turning down a long thin dirt road. We drive till we pop out the other end. Trees were replaced by log cabins, tiny humans running around and a small lake off to the side.
"Yes, a lake! I can practice swimming." The boy beside me yells before blushing and sinking into his seat. I turn to look at him. "I'm training to get on the swim team." He explains, and the bus parks.
I follow the kids off the bus and into a check-in line. "Name?" A chipper young lady asks. "Uh, Eddie, I mean Edward Munson." I say.
"It's ok Eddie, we love nicknames here. You'll be in... ah the Panthers." She says dragging out the last sentence and looking for my name. She points to a young man handing out dark purple t-shirts. I nod and walk over.
"Here you go. What's your name?" The man asks handing me the shirt. "Eddie." I say looking at the shirt. It's dark purple with a white paw print. "Ah, Munson right?" I nod. "Don't worry, you only have to wear it during team challenges. Unless you want to."
I nod feeling a hand on my shoulder. I turn and see Steve. He looks at the counsellor. "Hi, I'm Steve." The man shakes his hand and gives him a shirt. "Hi Steve, I'm Matthew, the Panthers' team counsellor." Steve nods.
He turns to me pulling me out of the way, as more 'team members' arrive. He slips on his shirt before talking. "Dude, how awesome is it that we're on the same team?" He asks. "We don't have to wear the shirts." I reply.
"I know, but it's cool. Team spirit and all." He says looking down at it. I sigh. "Well, at least I can have you to keep me company. You know, before you leave me for better friends." I say jokingly.
He looks at me seriously. "Nuh-uh. We are day one friends. I'm not gonna leave you." He says crossing his arms. "Oh, ok." I say surprised.
We walk to our cabin and claim a bunk together, Steve taking the top, because and I quote. "I've always wanted a bunk bed. To sleep up in the clouds." I smile and point him up.
~
Our counsellor takes us on a tour of the camp before we finally arrive at the mess hall. We all get in line to grab some dinner. "Excuse me, what is this?" Steve asks beside me.
The lady behind the counter looks at him sweetly. "That is hotdog spaghetti. And this is sloppy Joe." He looks at her confused. "If you want Liam is making normal hotdogs, just over there." She says pointing to the corner of the room that leads to the kitchen. He nods.
"Ah, I'll meet you at the table." I say before turning to the lady as he walks off. "One sloppy Joe please." "Sure thing love." She says smiling.
I walk to sit down at our team's table before Steve follows. I look at him, an eyebrow raised. "What, I've never had that before." He says pointing at my plate. "What is it exactly?" He asks again whispering.
I laugh before smiling at him. "It's a sloppy Joe. A minced beef and gravy or ketchup mixture, normally. Served on some white bread buns. It's nice but messy. Want a try?" He looks at it as a chunk of meat slides off. "Maybe next time." He says with a disgusted face.
"You really have never had a sloppy Joe before?" He shakes his head. "My mum wouldn't let me have such messy food. Or any food that you have to use your hands for. Except for hotdogs." He says holding his one up. I laugh.
"Well, I think I'm the opposite. I generally eat food that requires a fork at best. I'm well versed in this kind of food. I'll teach you to like them." I say before taking a big bite, sauce covering my face.
"Uh, you've got a little something." Steve says. "Where?" I ask jokingly. "Everywhere!" He laughs. I laugh and grab a napkin, dabbing it pretending to be fancy which causes another giggle to come out of the boy next to me.
~
We wake to Mathew drumming on our beds. "Rise and shine boys, we have an action-packed day of fun." He yells and we all groan. "What time is it?" A boy asks on the other side of the room. "7 o'clock. I let you sleep in because it's your first morning. Let's go!" He says as another round of groans is heard.
We all climb out of bed and get ready. Before we're all following him out and into nature. "The first week is trying everything. So next week, you can choose what to do. I'd suggest using your time doing activities that are gonna be in the challenges. This week is also to get to know your campmates. They are your family for the month. You must know everyone's strengths and weaknesses, to strategies for said challenges. But for now, we're going to try archery. Which will be a team challenge." He yells behind himself as we walk.
~
I unsurprisingly was shit at archery. But surprisingly so was Steve. We tried all kinds of activities that week, mainly sports, Steve was pretty good at most of them. I was good at survival tactics, such as building fires and structures.
Over the course of the week, more people paid attention to Steve, because they realised he was a big asset to our team. He basically became the team leader. But he stayed true to his word. Whenever someone asked him to hang out with them, he always made sure I could come along.
~
"Ok, my turn." One of the boys from another cabin yells, covering his eyes. We're playing hide and seek. "10, 9, 8-" I sprint and run down a walkway.
I notice a small gap between some trees and duck through it. I walk further into the dense lot of trees before finding a small clearing. A few rocks and logs sit in the mixture of dirt and twigs.
I look around before looking back. 'Surely they won't find me back here.' I think taking a seat on one of the rocks. I sit back and look up at the clouds, waiting.
"Is that everyone?" I hear a boy yell. "Where's Eddie?" Steve yells back. There's a pause. "Maybe he stopped playing, come on. I'm seeking next." Another yells, I hear him walk back to the designated counting spot.
"No! We have to find Eddie!" Steve says. "We don't want to. But you can. We just won't go looking for you." I hear closer to me, feet shuffling.
"Eddie! Eddie!" I hear Steve call. I walk back to the path and see Steve a few feet in front of me calling out. I grab his arm scaring him. He turns around, I hold a finger to my lips and turn around beckoning him to follow.
I pop back into the clearing before gesturing to it. "Look what I found. It's a secret spot." "Whoa! Cool!" He says looking around. "You can't tell anyone. Your secret ok?" I ask holding out my pinky, he links his around mine. "I won't I promise." I smile and sit back on the rock.
~
"Eddie, do you want to go play some basketball?" Steve asks enthusiastically, running up to me. "I'm not really a sports person." "Oh." He says sadly. "B-but I'll come to watch, and I'll bring a book, just in case I get bored." I say standing up, clutching my book to my chest. He beams up at me and pulls me along.
I slowly look up from my book, Steve is running around shirtless. Sweat dripping down his chest. My heart skips and I feel my face start to flush. 'What? What is going on?' I rip my eyes away from him, and back down to my book.
~
"What is this?" Steve asks as we sit down to eat. "Why did you take something that you don't know what it is?" I ask. "I didn't want the lady to think I was sheltered." He says looking down. "By the sounds of it, you were. It's just chicken tacos." I say picking one up to show him how to eat it. He follows suit before smiling. "This is so good." I smile back.
~
"Eddie, I'm gonna go for a swim. Come with me." Steve says walking into the cabin to grab his swim trunks. "I don't want to swim." I say laying on my bed and plucking at the guitar I borrowed.
"I didn't say you had to. Just come make sure I don't drown." He says pulling off his pants. I shield my eyes. "Dude, couldn't you change in the bathroom?" "Huh, there's no one in here. Why would I?" He asks innocently. "Because I'm in here." "Oops, sorry. Uh, I'm finished." He says, I look over at him, a blush creeping across his face and down his neck.
I sigh. "Fine. Let's go." I say standing up. I walk out the door, guitar in my hand as Steve races ahead. We reach the lake. A few kids are playing in the water but they're a bit far from where I drop down against a tree. Steve looks down at me before removing his shirt.
"Just call on me, when it's dinner time." I blush as he begins jogging out to the water before he turns. "And check on me every once and a while. I'm a strong swimmer but I should still have someone looking out for me." I nod and he returns towards the water.
He goes out across the dock before diving straight into the water. As he comes back up he pushes his hair out of his face and waves at me. I wave back and look down at the guitar in my hands.
I pluck a few strings, closing my eyes. I feel my brain slowly wonder, thinking of Steve shirtless, to water running down his smooth warm skin, to him showering, step out-
"Shit! I did forget a towel!" I look up at a dripping Steve. I stare for a second, I notice a single hair growing on his chest, I blush and look away. "Hey, Eddie could you go get me one?" He asks. I nod, not looking at him. I stand and walk off. "Thanks!" He calls behind me as I hear him walk back to the water.
~
"Come on Stevie-boy!" I yell from the bench. We're doing the last team challenge, dodgeball. Our team is in second for overall challenges, this game decides it. I got out straight away but Steve, well he's amazing, only he and another member of the Panthers are left. I hear two slap sounds before the whistle is blown. I blink a few times before I realise we lost.
"Ah man, good shot." Steve says going to shake the other team's play before he gets ignored. "You were awesome!" I say as Steve walks up to me. "Yeah, but I couldn't win it for us." He says looking down. "Steve, it's just summer camp. Plus we got second. All thanks to you. We got so much further than I thought." I say lifting his face. He smiles when he sees mine.
That night we had a bonfire party. We were allowed soda and sweets. And we stayed up an hour later than normal. Before climbing into bed.
I lay there listening to my cabin mate's breathing. I roll over trying to sleep before sighing. I sit up and grab my shoes putting them on. I go to walk out before deciding to climb the ladder of my bunk bed gently shaking the boy sleeping up there. "Psst, Steve. Steve." I whisper. "Wake up!" I poke his face.
"Wha?" He mumbles. "Come on! Grab your shoes." I say climbing back down and sitting on my bed. He tiredly follows pulling on his shoes next to me and I pull him outside. The fresh night air woke us up.
I quietly pull into our secret spot and sit down on the log. He follows and turns to me. "Why did you wake me up?" He asks rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. "I'm scared." I say. He tilts his head. "I'm scared of school. I'm gonna be new. And I'm weird. And-" "Eddie you have me. I'll introduce you to my friends."
"But what if they don't like me?" I ask looking into his eyes. "What wouldn't they like?" He says softly. I squint at him and he smiles.
He stands up and sits against a tree, waving me over. Confused, I sit next to him. I sigh as he lays his head on my shoulder. I blush glad he can't see much in the low light.
I reach my hand up and slowly run my fingers through his hair. I sigh again. "I wish I had long hair." He chuckles. "I bet you'd look amazing with long hair." I snort. "I have curly hair. My dad always said it looked shit long."
He lifts his head looking at me. "Your dad? I thought you lived with your uncle." I freeze. "Uh, I do. I- I meant when I lived with my dad. But I don't, not anymore." I say playing with my hands.
Steve nods and lays his head back on my shoulder. "I still think you would look nice with long hair. Probably more so now I know it's curly." He says reaching up to my slightly longer than a-buzz-cut hair, rubbing it.
I slap his hand away before smiling. "I'll think about it."
~
The bus ride home what full of a lot more conversation than the ride to camp. Talking about what we're gonna do at school. Steve offered to use his pool when his parents are home. Pretty much talks of the future.
We climb off the bus and run to greet our guardians. "Mum, mum. Come and meet my friend. Eddie! Come here." I hear Steve say. I walk over and wave. "Mum, this is Eddie." He says smiling brightly.
She looks me up and down, forcing a smile. "Nice to meet you. Sorry, Steve but we have to go." She says turning to leave. "Oh, ok. Bye, Eddie!" He says going to hug me. "Now, Steve!" She yells. I jump slightly.
"Bye Stevie!" I call to the now retreating boy. And walk back to Uncle Wayne. "Who was that?" He asks. "That's Steve. I guess he's my friend. He goes to the same middle school, so I won't be alone." I explain. He looks at me sadly before smiling.
"Well let's hope you two have a strong friendship."