Chapter Text
"Isak, wake up!"
I blinked my eyes. "Huh?"
"We are here", Jonas, my best friend, said.
I straightened up on my seat and looked out of the window. The car was parked next to the lake. I turned my eyes on Jonas.
"Where are Mahdi and Magnus?" I asked, looking for my two other friends.
"They are already outside", Magnus's mother said from the driver's seat. "You boys should get out too. Your ferry leaves in ten minutes."
"Come, on, Isak", Jonas said and jumped out of the car.
I stretched my arms and got out of the car, stretching my legs and back. I enjoyed the warm weather and sunshine on my face. It felt good after long car drive. I saw Jonas helping Mahdi and Magnus to take our bags out of the car's trunk.
"Jesus Christ, what have you packed here, rocks?" Jonas asked.
"Just a couple of books", Mahdi said.
"It's a summer camp, you don't need books."
"I like to read."
"Summer camp, Mahdi!" Jonas yelled. "Back me up here, Magnus."
"Do you think Vilde Lien is going to be here this year?" Magnus asked, looking at people gathering near the ferry.
I chuckled and took my bag. "I heard she's a supervisor this year."
"Why only eighteen-year-olds can be supervisors?" Magnus asked.
"Because they are basically adults", Jonas said.
I shrugged.
"We can be supervisors next year", I said. I actually looked forward to it. I have been going to this same camp for a few years now and I loved it there. Same people came there every summer and we knew each other well. There were always the couple of new kids but still lot of same faces. And when someone turned eighteen they would always come back as supervisor.
"I'm going to be the best supervisor this camp has ever had", Magnus said proudly.
We laughed and then Magnus's mother came to say goodbye to us. She hugged us all and kissed Magnus's head before letting us walk towards the group near the ferry.
I spotted a few familiar faces from the previous years. I saw Noora's blonde hair and next to her was standing Sana, wearing her hijab which made recognising her easy. The third girl who was talking with them I didn't know. She had short black hair and she was small like a fairy.
"Isak!" Someone yelled as we neared the group. I looked around and spotted Eskild Tryggvason. He was a guy I got to know last year and he was a supervisor this year. He was the coolest lad I knew. He was completely himself and waved his gay pride flag high on the sky. I smiled at him.
"Hello, Eskild."
He walked up to me and nodded at my friends. "Boys." He hugged me. "How are you?"
"I'm fine, excited to be here again. How are you?"
He flashed a big smile. "My first year as a supervisor, I'm buzzing!"
"Good luck", I said.
He walked away to someone he had recognised and we started climbing on the ferry. When it was full there was still lots of people on the shore who had to wait that the ferry comes back to pick them up. It was too small to take us all at once and new campers arrived all the time.
It took ten minutes until the ferry stopped in front of the island. We all got out, carrying our heavy bags with red faces. I loved that island. It was big and beautiful and of course, it was where the world best summer camp was held.
We walked past an old, wooden sign that said, "HOLLY CAMP" and a smile creeped on my face. I was home again.
When we walked on top of the uphill we saw a familiar old, large red building which was the main house. We called it the Great Hall, because there was two big rooms, one which reminded a class room and one where we all eat every day.
We left our bags on the ground in front of he building and got inside, walking to a large room which had several seats placed in neat order. There were always four seats, then a gap and another four seats. Mahdi, Magnus, Jonas and I sat on the four seats near the entrance and soon the room filled with another campers.
We already knew what the seats meant. Whoever sat on the same four seat group as you would be your roommates for the next three weeks. That's why my friends and I made always sure to be first ones to enter the hall and grab the seats. We didn't want to end up in separate rooms.
It took quite a time but finally all the seats were filled. I saw Noora and Sana sitting with that fairy-like girl and some red haired girl who had freckles. I didn't know her either.
I saw Mike and Jake, the mischievous twin brothers who had been going to Holly Camp just as long as I have. They had two boys who I didn't know sitting next to them. I also recognised Markus and Hans. I didn't like them, they were kind of bullies.
The room was filled with laughter and chatting until a tall, tanned man with a large beard and tattooed left arm walked in front of us all. It was Mikael, the owner of the camp and the big boss.
"Hello, fellas", he said with his low voice.
"Hi, Chef", we who had been here before said in unison. He never let us call him Mikael. He was Chef to us and God help if you called him any other name.
"Welcome to Holly Camp!" he said. "For those of you who don't know me, I'm Chef. The boss of this place."
Loud cheering which Jonas, Magnus, Mahdi and I joined.
"So, let's go through the rules once again", Chef said. "No drinking, no smoking. No going out during the night. No fighting, no bullying and no leaving others outside. We are all big family here, united. We have to work together otherwise the next three weeks will be like hell.
"Now when that's clear, I would like you to introduce our supervisors. Six out of eight are old campers but we have two new faces this year! Come on out, fellas!"
We turned our heads and saw Eskild walking in first, following by familiar faces. William, Chris, Eva, Vilde (Magnus started smiling) and Ingrid... And then a girl I didn't recognize and finally a tall boy with his hair pushed back and hands in his pockets.
I stared. I knew I was staring but I couldn't stop it. He looked...good. I wasn't blind, I could tell when a guy looks good. But he looked really good. I just couldn't stop staring. It was this instant feeling that you get sometimes. Not love at first sight, God no, but something similar. Interest at first sight, perhaps? The guy's eyes darted to mine as if he knew I was staring. I quickly lowered my gaze down and then glanced at my friends.
They hadn't noticed a thing and I was glad.
When all the supervisors were standing in the front, they introduced themselves.
"I'm Eskild."
"William."
And so on until the new supervisor girl I didn't recognise said her name, "Hi, I'm Sonja and this is my first year here."
I looked at the guy as he opened his mouth.
"I'm Even, also my first year here."
Even. I stared at him again, unable to move my eyes away. He was interesting and I hadn't even talked to him yet. God, I hoped he wouldn't be our supervisor because it would be awkward, me staring at him all the time unable to stop myself.
"As you might already know, the people sitting on the same four seat pack as you will be your roommates for the next three weeks. And now we just have to get every group their own supervisor", Chef said.
There was thirty-two campers and eight supervisors, which meant it was four campers per one supervisor. We had always four guys and four girls as supervisors.
"But before we do that, we are going to do a roll call, just to make sure everyone is here."
Chef started yelling names from his list and every time someone heard their name they raised their hand and yelled, "HERE!". When my name came, I lifted my arm up and said, "You've all been blessed because I'm still here after all these years! You're welcome."
"Every year", Chef sighed, shaking his head. "I suppose I don't even have to ask whether Jonas, Mahdi and Magnus are here."
"No, sir!" my friends yelled and everyone started laughing. I felt how someone was staring at me and I saw that guy, Even, looking at me, grinning slightly. I turned my eyes away before I started smiling too.
When the roll call ended Chef ordered one supervisor to each group.
"We want Vilde!" Mike and Jake yelled.
"Sorry, no girl supervisors for boys", Chef said. "You two know that."
"Bummer."
I was nervous. I hoped we would get anyone but Even because something about him made me feel uneasy. Chief ordered the new supervisor, Sonja, to Noora and Sana's group. Eva, Ingrid and Vilde got groups which members I didn't recognise. Lots of new faces this year. Chris got Markus and Hans and I think it was rather perfect match because Chris was kind of an asshole and Markus and Hans were major assholes.
I sighed in relief when Even got Mike and Jake's group. Now left was only our group and some guy's group that neither of us recognised and only two supervisors left, William and Eskild.
"I hope we get Eskild", Jonas whispered.
I hoped that too.
"Eskild, I think you can handle Valtersen and his friends", Chef said and I yelled YES when I heard him say my last name.
"We got Eskild!" Jonas yelled and we ran to Eskild, making a group hug.
Everyone started laughing at us. I suppose we were kind of the clowns over here but we didn't mind. Someone had to be, right?
"Okay, you have two hours free time to unpack and do whatever until we start the Game", Chef said.
People started to make their way out, slowly but surely. My friends and I were the first ones to get out and we quickly ran to our bags and lifted them up. We waited until Eskild came out and walked to us.
"Ready, boys?" Eskild asked.
We nodded.
"Lead the way, guru", I said.
We walked around the Great Hall and saw eight red cabins shattered here and there in no particular order.
"We are in the cabin seven", Eskild said.
"Same as the last year", Jonas said. "Sweet."
We walked to the cabin that was closest to the sauna and shore were we go to swim from time to time. Eskild opened the door and let us in.
There was two bunk beds and one regular bed which was always Supervisor's bed. Magnus and Mahdi called dibs on the upper berths so me and Jonas took the lower ones. I swung my bag on the bed and opened it. There were three cabinets in the cabin, one at the end of each bunk bed and one right next to the door which was Eskild's. Mahdi was sleeping above me so we shared the cabinet behind our bed and Magnus and Jonas shared the other.
I was the only one unpacking, the others were chatting happily.
"Vilde is so hot", Magnus said. "Do you think we could have something?"
"No", Jonas and Mahdi said.
"Hell no", Eskild said. "She's supervisor, her standards are higher now."
"Isak?" Magnus said, looking at me.
I stuffed my shirts in the cabinet. "I don't think Chef would like it if supervisor started fooling around with us. After all, they are supposed to look after us."
There was a knock on the door frame and as we turned around we saw Even, the new supervisor. He nodded at Eskild and said, "We are gathering a group to play football. You guys interested?" His eyes lingered on me before he turned them back on Eskild and my friends.
"That sounds fun", Eskild said. "We are in, right, guys?"
"Yeah, sure", my friends said.
"I'm out", I said. I couldn't play football to save my life. I was clumsy and would just make a fool out of myself.
"Are you sure?" Eskild asked.
"It's going to be fun", Even said.
I nodded. "I'm sure. I can stand by and watch."
"Whatever floats your boat", Eskild said.
"He's too ashamed do admit that he sucks at sports", Jonas said. Everyone chuckled, including Even and I shot a glare at Jonas who ignored it.
Everyone got out of the cabin and started walking towards the group that was gathered in a field. There was William and some guys from his cabin, Chris with Markus and Hans and Mike and Jake from Even's cabin.
Mahdi and Magnus went to talk with the twins while Jonas and I stayed with Eskild.
"Okay, guys!" Chris yelled. "Let's form two teams."
Everyone started moving around and I moved out of the way. I sat on the grass safe distance away and watched how the two groups formed and they started playing.
All the girls were also standing aside, whispering to each other and watching the boys play. I ripped of the grass around my legs and swirled them in my hands, eyes focused on the game. I saw a few of the guys pulling their shirts of due the fact that it was really hot day.
I turned his eyes away when Even pulled his shirt off and jogged closer to me.
"Are you sure you don't want to play?" he asked. He was standing right in front of me, blocking the sun.
I looked at him and nodded, swallowing.
"Alright", Even said and raised his eyebrows.
My stomach flipped and I lowered my gaze as Even ran back to the field. When I felt like I could look up again I lifted my head up and soon found myself staring at Even. He looked awesome, being without shirt and playing football with a concentrated look on his face. I didn't want to stare but I couldn't help myself.
I took my phone out of my pocket and started scrolling through my Instagram.
When the bell rang, signaling that our two hours free time had ended, I got up and waited for my friends to stop man hugging the other players and come back to me. When they did, Eskild lead us to the Great Hall.
It was time for the Game.