The noise inside the dining shelter slowly settled into a comfortable rhythm.
Most of the plates had been pushed aside, crumbs scattered across the wooden tables as campers leaned back on benches or turned sideways to talk to the people around them. Some were already standing, stretching their legs after breakfast, while others lazily picked at the last pieces of fruit or toast left on their trays.
Ray rested his forearms on the table, absentmindedly turning the empty plate in front of him a few inches from side to side.
Across from him, Kate sat with one elbow on the table, her posture relaxed now that breakfast was finished. The morning light coming through the open sides of the shelter caught the copper tones in her hair whenever she shifted slightly.
Around them, the conversations blended into a steady hum.
Jake's voice rose above the rest every now and then, still loudly defending himself from the jokes that hadn't stopped since the counselor's earlier comment. A few people nearby kept laughing, occasionally throwing another remark his way just to keep the teasing alive.
Then a familiar sound cut through the room.
A sharp cough.
The older woman had returned.
She stepped back into the center of the dining shelter, positioning herself between the rows of tables where everyone could see her. Her posture was straight, her arms loosely at her sides as she waited.
The cough had already done its job.
One by one, conversations began to fade again as campers turned their heads toward her, sensing another announcement was coming.
The woman waited until the whistling and cheering died down before continuing.
"I hope everyone enjoyed their food. As I said before, you guys can have fun here—drink, smoke, and basically do whatever you want."
A few campers immediately started whistling and cheering again, some banging lightly on the tables like she had just confirmed she was the coolest counselor they could possibly have.
"But!"
She raised her hand sharply.
The noise died down almost instantly.
"I won't let you waste the entire holidays just drinking. We will, of course, have activities."
A few groans mixed with the laughter around the shelter.
Jake raised his hand dramatically from across the room.
The counselor looked directly at him.
"And yes, Jake," she said calmly, "they are mandatory. "
Several people around him burst into laughter as Jake slowly lowered his hand, already regretting asking.
She waited until the laughter settled again before continuing.
"The first activity I have planned for the next sixty days is going to the lake."
That immediately caught everyone's attention.
A few people leaned forward on the benches, others exchanged quick glances, already sounding more interested than they had been a moment ago.
"You guys can drink," she added, raising a finger slightly, "but only beer—and no more than two or three per person."
A couple of disappointed groans came from one of the tables.
"I won't help a bunch of baboons get back to camp when they get drunk or drown."
A few people laughed quietly at that.
Somewhere behind Ray, someone muttered something about Jake being the first baboon candidate, which earned another round of snickering from the nearby tables.
The counselor looked around the room one more time, making sure everyone was actually listening now.
The counselor scanned the tables once more, making sure everyone was still paying attention.
"And no public affection."
Jake's hand shot up again almost instantly.
A few people around him started laughing before he even had the chance to speak.
The counselor sighed lightly and pointed at him.
"Yes, Jake. No 'fucking on the beach.'"
She said it with heavy sarcasm.
The dining shelter erupted again—laughter bouncing off the wooden beams while Jake threw his hands up like he had been personally attacked for simply asking questions.
She glanced around the shelter again, making sure the message had landed.
"And by public affection, I mean especially intercourse," she added dryly. "Not holding hands or kissing."
Her eyes drifted back toward Jake one more time.
Jake raised both hands defensively this time before she could even say anything, which only caused another wave of laughter around the tables.
"You guys have half an hour to prepare," she continued. "It's a thirty-minute walk to the lake, so it's close."
A low murmur spread through the room as people started talking again—some already pushing their benches back, others finishing the last bites of food on their plates while discussing swimsuits, drinks, and who was bringing what.
The morning at camp had officially moved on to its first real activity.
As benches scraped against the wooden floor and campers began standing up, the dining shelter slowly emptied.
Groups formed almost immediately—people talking excitedly about the lake, arguing about who was bringing beers, and debating whether the walk would feel longer under the sun.
Ray pushed himself up from the bench as well.
Across the table, Kate hadn't moved yet.
She was still sitting there, staring vaguely at the table like her thoughts had wandered somewhere else entirely.
"Hey, we gotta prepare."
Ray's voice was calm, almost gentle.
Kate blinked, like she had just been pulled back into the room. She shook her head slightly, brushing a loose strand of red hair behind her ear before standing up from the bench.
Around them the dining shelter was quickly emptying, the energy of the camp shifting toward the upcoming trip to the lake.
Ray and Kate stepped away from the table, joining the slow stream of campers heading out of the dining shelter.
The morning sun felt warmer now, the clearing outside buzzing with people moving between cabins as everyone prepared for the trip to the lake.
They had barely taken a few steps down the path toward their cabin when someone appeared in front of them.
"Sup, lovebirds."
It was Zoe.
She wore the same mischievous grin as before, like she had been waiting for the perfect moment to appear. Her curly hair bounced slightly as she stepped into their path, arms loosely crossed while she looked between the two of them.
Ray sighed immediately.
"Hey Zoe, I already told you yesterday. It's not like that!"
Zoe's grin only grew wider.
Kate glanced between them, clearly about to say something sharp in response, her lips parting as she stepped slightly closer.
But before she could speak, another figure approached from the side of the path.
Dylan.
He walked up casually, hands in his pockets, glancing between the three of them as if he had just arrived in the middle of something entertaining.
Dylan glanced between Ray and Kate, immediately catching the situation from Zoe's smug expression.
"Ray, she giving you a hard time again?"
Before anyone could answer, he reached over and grabbed Zoe gently—but firmly—by the ear.
"Ow! That hurts!" Zoe yelped as he started dragging her a few steps away from them.
"Why do you always do this, Dylan?!"
A few nearby campers turned their heads at the small scene as Zoe stumbled after him, trying unsuccessfully to free herself.
Dylan stopped and looked at her with clear annoyance.
"I told you yesterday, sis. Leave them be."
Zoe rubbed her ear dramatically the moment he let go, shooting an exaggerated glare at her brother while Ray and Kate stood there watching the exchange unfold.
Zoe hissed under her breath, shooting one last irritated look back at them before turning and stomping off down the path.
Dylan followed after her, shaking his head slightly like this was a routine he had already gotten used to.
"Unbelievable," Zoe muttered as she walked away, still rubbing her ear.
Ray and Kate stood there for a moment, watching the two of them disappear between the cabins.
Then they looked at each other.
And both of them started laughing.
Ray shook his head slightly as he watched Zoe and Dylan disappear between the cabins.
"That girl is something," he said as he and Kate started walking toward their cabin along the dirt path.
Kate let out a small scoff.
"If she keeps at it, I'm gonna kick her ass."
She clenched her fist slightly as she said it, though the faint smirk on her face made it clear she wasn't entirely serious.
The path between the cabins was busy now, campers heading back and forth as everyone prepared for the trip to the lake. The morning sun filtered through the tall trees overhead, lighting the ground in shifting patches as Ray and Kate walked side by side.
After a few minutes, they reached their cabin.
Ray pushed the door open and stepped inside, the familiar quiet of the small wooden room replacing the noise of the camp outside.
Kate followed right behind him.
The moment she was inside, she headed straight for the small wardrobe where she had unpacked her clothes the day before. She pulled the door open and immediately started going through the neatly folded stacks inside, clearly already thinking about what she would wear for the lake.
Ray, on the other hand, moved much slower.
The hangover kept reminding him every few minutes that he wasn't exactly operating at full strength yet. A dull pressure still lingered behind his eyes, making him pause for a second as he leaned lightly against the bed frame.
He took a slow breath, letting the quiet of the cabin settle around him while Kate continued rummaging through her clothes nearby.
Ray took another slow breath, trying to push the last wave of his hangover away.
As he straightened up, he began turning around toward Kate.
At that exact moment she spoke.
"Ray, don't turn ar—"
Their eyes met.
For a split second he saw her standing near the wardrobe, dressed only in her underwear as she had just started changing for the lake.
Ray froze.
Then he immediately spun back around, his face turning bright red almost instantly.
"I'm sorry!" he blurted out, a little louder than he meant to.
Behind him he could hear the quick rustle of fabric as Kate hurried to grab something to put on.
"I told you already—be a classy pervert, Ray!"
Her voice came from behind him, hurried and slightly flustered as he could hear fabric shifting and rustling while she quickly pulled something on.
Ray kept his face firmly pointed toward the wall.
"I said I'm sorry!" he repeated, still red in the face.
The cabin stayed quiet for a moment except for the sound of Kate finishing getting dressed. Outside, faint voices and footsteps passed by the cabin as other campers hurried around preparing for the walk to the lake.
Ray didn't dare turn around yet.
He just stood there, staring very intently at the wooden wall again, like it had suddenly become the most fascinating thing in the room.
"I'm done. You can look now."
Ray hesitated for a second.
Then he slowly turned around, almost cautiously, like he wasn't completely sure what he was about to see.
His eyes lifted.
And his mouth opened slightly.
Kate stood a few steps away from the wardrobe, now wearing a soft blue dress. It covered her comfortably, the fabric falling lightly down to her knees. The neckline showed just a little of her collarbone and the top of her chest—nothing revealing, but enough to catch the light from the window.
Her red hair rested loosely over her shoulders, the morning sun from the window behind her giving it a faint glow.
But more than anything else, she simply looked…
Beautiful.
Ray blinked once, clearly not expecting the sight in front of him.
Kate opened her mouth like she was about to say something.
For a second it looked like a question had formed on her lips.
But then she just shook her head and dismissed the thought.
"I know I look amazing. Stop staring."
A confident smirk appeared on her face as she stepped closer.
She gave Ray a playful push toward his wardrobe.
"Get ready. We need to leave soon!"
Ray stumbled half a step toward the small wardrobe, still blinking like his brain was catching up to what had just happened.
Behind him, Kate crossed her arms casually, clearly satisfied with the reaction she had gotten from him.
Kate turned toward the wall, giving him the same courtesy they had agreed on earlier.
Behind her, Ray moved quickly, pulling a clean shirt over his head and stepping into a pair of shorts. The cabin floor creaked lightly under his feet as he got dressed.
As he changed, he couldn't help glancing in her direction for a brief moment before looking away again.
God must be real.
Because she's just... Damn.
A faint smile appeared on his face as he finished dressing, the earlier hangover feeling a little less important now.
"I'm ready. Let's go."
Ray said it quickly as he opened the cabin door, already stepping outside without even looking back at her.
The bright morning light spilled into the room as the door swung open.
Kate watched him for a moment, one eyebrow lifting slightly.
A slow smirk appeared on her face.
So he's going to play hard to get now… huh.
She grabbed the small bag she had prepared for the lake and followed him out of the cabin, the door creaking softly as it closed behind her.
Ray stepped out into the warm morning air, the sounds of the camp already filling the clearing again. Campers were moving between cabins, some carrying towels over their shoulders, others holding small bags or bottles as they prepared for the walk to the lake.
He waited near the porch without turning around.
A moment later, Kate stepped out behind him and pulled the cabin door shut.
For a brief second they stood there side by side, watching the rest of the camp come alive around them.
Somewhere down the path, Jake was already loudly announcing that the lake would witness "legendary swimming skills," which immediately triggered a chorus of sarcastic responses from the others.
Ray shook his head slightly.
Kate let out a quiet laugh.
Then, without another word, the two of them joined the growing group of campers heading down the dirt path that led away from the cabins and deeper into the trees.
The lake—and whatever the first real day of camp had in store—was waiting for them.