Chapter Text
Camp Lapis, the place is even more beautiful than in the photos! A little cabin surrounded by mountains, two small caves are on either side of the cabin, and a tiny river splits the camp ground in half. The river leads to a small lake, open for swimming or ice skating in the winter. Trees are spaced around the grounds, giving the place a beautiful smell of pine. Patches of flowers are planted around, adding a splash of color to the camp.
Nico, Sarah, Sean, Kelly, and Opal were spending the next two weeks here. A little friend-group get away from all their real life problems. They've all been so stressed lately and haven't had much time to hang out all together, so when Sarah texted the groupchat with the link to this camp, almost everyone agreed instantly.
Nico was suspicious, the link led to a shady website. It had barely any decoration or information. When they all arrived, they weren't met with anyone else, not even a tour guide, which made her feel even more uneasy about the whole thing. Someone named Damien was supposed to be meeting them, but nobody was here. The group welcomed themselves into the camp grounds. Sarah and Sean, sister and brother, were drawn to the river, grabbing stones and throwing them to see who could make a bigger splash in the water. Kelly and Opal snuck off to try and find a tree to climb, but all the branches were too high so they found the biggest tree and sat on the grass below it. Nico stood alone, analyzing the camp. She found herself mindlessly walking towards a patch of flowers.
The flowers in this bunch was an array of daisies, lilies, and cornflowers. The colors all complimented each other, bringing a sense of calm to Nico. She took another step and accidentally stepped on a flower. She stepped back and bent down, lightly touching the petals of the flower in hopes that it would stand back up and shine as bright as it did a moment ago. But it refused and lay squished in the grass.
"Sorry, little dude." Nico muttered, brushing her short, brown hair out of her face. Getting that wolf-cut was the best and worst decision she made. It suits her, but her hair keeps getting in her face from the styling. She stood back up, feeling a wave of dizziness before steadying herself.
"Whatcha up to, Camper?" A voice said from behind Nico, making her jump and nearly hit the person behind her. She whips around and is face to face with a moderately attractive man. He has almond colored skin with bright, amber eyes. His hair is shaggy and looks unkempt, but it's clearly a choice and not from unhygienic choices. He wears a black t-shirt and black denim shorts, as well as a pair of dark brown hiking boots, which are completely covered in mud. He presents himself very confidently.
"Fan of the color black, I see?" Nico says, looking him up and down. He lets out a small chuckle at Nico's snarky comment.
"I could say the same for you!" He exclaims, putting one hand on his hip and using the other to loosely gesture at Nico. "I mean, leather jacket and chains in the middle of the forest is definitely a choice!"
Nico looks down at herself and realizes she really isn't wearing proper camping attire. Her usual alternative style probably wasn't a good choice.
"I'm Damien, by the way! I apologize for being late, I got caught up with something!" He says, holding out a hand. When Nico doesn't take it, he recoils and puts his hand in the pocket of his pants.
"I can see that." Nico says bluntly, gesturing to the mud that covers his shoes and lower legs. "I'm Nicole, but please call me Nico."
"Alright, Nico! Nice name!" Damien compliments, Nico rolls her eyes subtly in response. "Say, would you be willing to gather all of your friends together and bringing them to the cabin? I'll be waiting inside so we can go over rules and sleeping arrangements!"
Damien walks off without another word. Nico knows her friends won't listen to her, hell, they probably wouldn't even notice if she went missing! But she complies and goes around, heading to Opal and Kelly first.
Kelly keeps her hair up in a loose bun. The dirty blonde color matches her pale skin. She wears a light pink tank top and blue denim jeans. The top is a hand-me-down from her older sister, and it's a little too big. The way that Kelly sits reveals her top surgery scars. Nico taps Kelly on the shoulder and gestures to her own chest, giving Kelly a small smile, just to let her know what's visible. Kelly adjusts her shirt and giggles a little.
"Thanks, Nico. I never would've noticed." Kelly smiles at Nico. The sight of her genuine smile makes Nico smile back. ...Is her face going red? "What's up, Nico? You're obviously here for a reason!" Kelly says, tilting her head to the side like a dog.
"Oh, right. That Damien guy is here now, says he wants us all to meet in the cabin." Nico says, pointing behind her with her thumb in the general direction of the cabin. Kelly nods and stands up, helping Opal to their feet. Opal has long, blonde hair, but they dyed the ends to look like that of an opal stone. The colors shimmer in the sun when they move their head and look like an actual gemstone. Their face is covered in freckles, the ones around their eyes get highlighted from their round glasses. They wear a shoulderless, white shirt and a small, flowy, navy skirt. The two waste no time and head to the cabin instantly.
Nico makes her way to Sarah and Sean. Sean is making faces at Sarah, who flaunts in his face about making a bigger splash and throwing the farthest. Despite Sarah being two years older than Sean, they look like twins. If Sarah were to cut her shoulder length hair to her head you'd be unable to tell the two apart. Sean notices Nico's arrival and stops making faces, waving vigorously.
"Hey Nicole!--" Sean exclaims before getting elbowed in the ribs by Sarah, who harshly whispers something in his ear. "Oh, okay! Hi Nico!"
Nico gives a small wave and continues to make her way over to the two. Once in a talkable distance, she begins to speak.
"Yo, that Damien guy finally showed. He wants us at the cabin to talk about rules or something stupid."
"ah, alright. Thanks for letting us know!" Sarah grins, grabbing Sean by the wrist and pulling him towards the cabin.
Nico doesn't immediately follow. She stares at her reflection in the river water. She reflects on how her friends acted. Their smiles.. It was all fake, and Nico knew it well. No matter how genuine they sounded, no matter how much they cried after not seeing each other for years. It was all fake. Nico only stuck around because she knew if she left.... she'd have nobody.
After a moment of contemplating, she snaps back to the present and realize everyone else is waiting for her, so she gives her reflection one last glace, turns on her heel and heads towards the cabin.