Chapter Text
“Hello? Everyone! Quiet please!”
The loud talking of children, teenager and nervous parents died down.
All eyes wandered to the red-headed adult standing on a slightly elevated platform.
He wore a bright orange shirt with the camp logo and a pair of baggy jeans. He waved his arms around to get the attention of even the last person.
“Can everyone see me? Great!”
It was difficult to fully see them.
Liza had to move a bit around to look between the moving mass of bodies around her. It was very full.
The summer sun was shining brightly down on them, even if it was only late morning it was already warm.
Scratch that, it was hot.
Maybe Liza should have worn something a bit more weather fitting, just like their mother had advised.
The black t-shirt under the dark flannel was heating up under the sun and the baggy black jeans was great to store their phone and other stuff, but horrible under rays and rays of summer heat.
Her hand closed harder around the handle of their suitcase.
It was warm, it was loud, it was crowded.
It was just not a nice situation.
"Alright everyone. Dear campers, dear parents. Welcome to Camp Cosmos. It is my biggest pleasure to open our gates and have a whole bunch of new faces to fill the cabins. A few weeks of adventures await us during this wonderful summer. And for this wonderful summer to start I need all of you to give a loud applause to the wonderful camp counsellors we have here!"
They pointed at a small group of people, somewhere between teenagers and young adults that stood to the side of the stage.
Some waved slightly at the crowd, but most of them just stood there smiling.
“In a second you will get to know them a bit closer and you will find out who will be your go to person for this summer, but first...”
They made a dramatic pause and Liza used it to take a closer look at the five counsellors on the stage.
On the very left was a girl with silky black hair. It almost reached her waist and she was the smallest of the group. She had been the one that had waved at the audience a bit earlier. She had a round face with a small nose and big brown eyes.
Next to her was a tall boy, like really tall with dark, short curls and muscular arms. He had a mischievous grin on his face, but looked in general like a sporty guy, maybe basketball because of his height. He looked like a nice older brother.
On his left was a teenager, who looked like they had fallen in hair dye. The short bright hair was a mess, but looked like a pure rainbow. Everything about this person seemed bright. Their entire outfit and even the wide grin on their face promised chaos, but in a good way. They winked at someone in the audience and got nudged in the side from the girl next to them.
The girl had a bit longer blonde hair, that was held back by a headband, which looked to be handmade. She looked back at the crowd and gave another smile to a bit farther in the back, probably campers that returned this year.
The last person in the group was a boy, a bit taller than the girl next to him. He had a mocking smug look on his face. Dark hair, that hung in his eyes reached barely below his ears. He surveyed the crowd like he was deciding which of them would cause the most trouble or which would annoy him the most.
Liza looked back at the camp leader with the red hair.
“First we need to make sure all our campers are able to start their adventure. So we need all the parents to give their children a last hug and then go back to their cars. This is the moment where we say goodbye. “
They waved to the parents and even all the camp counsellors waved at them.
It got louder for a second, as the parents bid farewell to their children.
Liza looked around and saw many children getting hugged by sometimes teary-eyed parents.
She was happy that she had already done that, leaving her parents at the gate and deciding to get to the camp herself.
They had just hoped to avoid any embarrassing outbreaks of their parents.
Slowly the large crowd parted and the parents left the group, looking back to them all, but making their way up the small hill, towards the gate and towards their cars, leaving a now much smaller group of only children.
The red head on the platform cleared their throat to gain the attention of the crowd again.
“Now dear campers it is time to properly introduce you to your cabins and their leaders.”
They got interrupted by said leaders who looked disappointed at the red head. They looked confused for a bit till they understood what they wanted.
“Oh. I am of course Core, the Camp Owner and the boss around here. Anyways, your cabins. Those will be the places where you sleep and find new friends. You are of course also welcome to find friends outside of your cabin. The cabin will be like your family for the next few weeks. You will eat with them, you will work with them and during the challenges you will compete together. We have five cabins that each have their own fitting shirts, that you should wear at the challenges, but all those information's are for the counsellors to tell you.”
They smiled at the counsellors, who looked only partially happy to take on that burden.
“Let me introduce you to them now. First we have the Star Cabin with the wonderful Sabrina Choi.”
They made another pause as the smallest of the group stepped a bit forward and gave a friendly smile. The other counsellors gave a friendly applause.
“Hiii! I am Sabrina, but you can call me Bri. I use she/her pronouns and am 20 years old. It is so lovely to meet you and I just can´t wait to spend all of summer together and have a good time. You can always ask me about anything and there is no need to be afraid.”
She smiled again at the children.
She wore a grey skirt and a white shirt. The tee-shirt had the camp-logo on the back and a constellation of stars in the front.
“If I call your name you come up here and stand with Sabrina. When I have called all five of you up here, you will follow her as a group back over there and then when we all have found our place you have time to go and unpack your bags and settle in. We´re all ready? Ok. First one is Catherine Owen.”
A young girl with brown hair slowly walked forward. She had many small braids in the wild curls with little pieces of yarn braided in. The girl walked closer to the stage and greeted Sabrina. She looked to be maybe 16 or 17, so probably one of the returning campers.
“Darren Patterson.”
Was a sporty boy around fifteen with a flirty grin and a statue that looked a lot like a future football player.
“Bailey Golden”
did fit her name with golden chin length hair and a smile as if she just won the lottery. She hung onto her new mates in a big hug and even if Darren was shocked at first he did hug her back.
“Zoie Combs”
was maybe fourteen and looked a bit shy, with an oversized jacked that they had wrapped around themselves.
“Twig Arias”
was the last of the group and they looked like a theatre-kid. There was no other way to describe it.
Liza would guess that if given the chance they would stop everything to recite Hamilton on the spot.
“Now that we have the entire Star Cabin here do give them a nice welcome.”
The crowd cheered and Liza applauded as well, trying to remember at least the faces of these people.
The other counsellors also applauded, even though the last one with the dark hair only clapped slowly, not really happy about the group there.
Core smiled at the Stars, as they made their way down the stage and stood together a bit more by the side.
“Ethan? You want to go next?”
The tall basketball boy stepped forward and gave the crowd a heart-warming grin, that got a couple screams from the campers and also some sequels from the other counsellors, where the short one with bright hair and the blonde girl pretended to faint and swoon over the boy.
“Sup! My name is Ethan and I will look after the Cloud Cabin.”
He proudly stroked over his dark blue shirt, that had a big cloud on the front and the camp logo in the back.
“I can’t wait to spend time with all of you. I am 18 and my pronouns are he/him. I´m excited for a summer full of action with y´all!”
He smiled again and the two counsellors yet again pretended to be swept of their feet.
Core at the side of the stage rolled their eyes and started reading the names of the campers sorted into his cabin.
“Eric Bolton”
looked like he was very happy to be in the cabin of the sporty boy. He himself looked like he fitted right in there. Maybe 16 years also really tall, but not as lean as Ethan, he was a bit bulkier and was almost vibrating with excitement.
“Olly Robbins”
was the opposite of him with short dark hair and a baggy jean-jacket he looked like he would rather be anywhere but in this social situation with everyone’s eyes on him, Liza totally understood him.
“Molly Cain”
looked to be one of the youngest around here with maybe 12 years of age, at least that was the youngest one could apply for this camp. She was rather small, being dwarfed especially next to Ethan. She wore an especially bright shirt with a big-eyed cat on it and look just cute.
“Lucy McConnell”
wore a pair of black glasses and also seemed only slightly exited to be part of the sports group.
“Mash Anderson”
was a boy around 13, maybe 14 who had hair that stood up and looked a bit like a hedgehog.
After they all had gotten a big applause from everyone except the boy on the side, who again only gave a couple slow claps.
Before Core could announce the next person the one with the colourful hair got pushed forward by the blonde one.
“I´m Moss! I use any pronouns and I am the one to look after the Rainbow Cabin. It is kinda fitting to me.”
They laughed and ran their hand through their hair.
“I am 18 and am ready to find out what wonderful people you are.”
“Evie Chambers”
was the first one with a cute little summer dress, who looked around 16 maybe 17 and greeted Moss with a hug. They seemed to be friends already.
“Kieran Simmons”
was a muscular boy with short blonde hair and a surfer body. He looked like he just walked out of a teen-magazine.
“Magdalena Levine”
looked a bit tired, as she dragged herself up the stage. She waved at Moss and then again at the crowd, barely opening her green eyes.
“Chloe Nolan”
was also a return with the way she high-fived Moss and waved to the other two counsellors that stood on the stage. She had dark hair that looked a bit wild with the way it was cut in different layers.
“Lemi Harmon”
was the last one of that group. He had brown hair that looked almost grey under the warm light of the sun. He seemed a bit shy but smiled nervously at the crowd.
“Sophie? Do you want to go next or let Quilt go-?”
The blonde girl smiled and swiftly stepped forward.
“Hallo my darlings. I am Sophie as you have heard and I am the leader of the Sun Cabin. It will be a wonderful summer with each and every one of you.”
She wore a brightly yellow shirt with a big sun in the front and something that looked like a pair of shorts with a bunch of small drawings on them.
“Lia Mora”
was the first one. She was a bit older, around 16 maybe and had long black hair with a big bow in the back. The girl skipped up the stage to stand next to Sophie, who whispered something into her ear.
“Fin Walker”
was a boy with bright green eyes, like almost glowing green. He seemed a bit shy and nervously ran his hand through his short brown hair. He was rather lanky with a good height, if he would have not stood this crouched down.
“Liza Duncan.”
Liza walked up on the stage, nervously fiddling with the sleeves of her flannel as the counsellor gave her an encouraging smile and pointed at the crowd below the stage and Liza turned around and waved quickly.
She had stepped closer to the others on the stage, trying to almost hide behind Lia, because she was a bit taller than her and seemed a lot less intimidated by the whole situation.
“Galaxy Rivea”
was a small girl with a round face and a look like she was pure innocence. She wore a cute dress with high socks and was very well put together. Even though she was probably only around 13 years old.
“Hii!”
She looked at Liza with big brown eyes and gave her a toothy grin. Liza smiled back tight lipped. Still somewhat terrified by the many eyes on them.
“Sky Ellison”
was a short boy with messy black hair. He avoided the eyes of everyone, keeping his head hung low and hands tucked deeply into the pockets of their jacket. They shyly nodded at the others of his cabin and tried to blend in with the background.
Sophie ushered them down the stage to a free space beside it, next to the Rainbow Cabin. The last counsellor stepped forward and waved at the last few people that stood yet unclaimed below.
“I am Quilt, 20 years and the leader of the best cabin which-“
He was interrupted by the other counsellors booing him and his speech. He gave them a glance and just continued.
“As I said, I am the leader of the best cabin. The Moon Cabin!”
He pulled out a short list and started calling names.
“Alice Frye”
Was a pretty girl with red hair and a freckle kissed face.
“Chris Ellis”
was a boy about 17 years old with a bit shorter hair. Half of it was dyes blue and the other half was white. He grinned at the others and waved with a hand that was adorned with rings.
“Amelia Meija”
looked a bit softer and smiled at the others. She had long curls in a light brown and wore a blue dress.
“Alissa Hunt”
seemed to be a friend of someone from the Star Cabin, because as she stepped up the stage someone from over there cheered extra loud for her.
“Max Calderon”
was a young boy who looked really shy. He had his hood drawn over his head and looked uncomfortable to be here. Quilt whispered something to him as they walked down the stage and Liza could only see the boy nod.
Core walked over to the middle of the stage again and cleared their throat to gain everyone's attention again.
"Very well you have all found a place. Now you have time to get settled and find your little home for the next few weeks. Your leader will give you all the information you need. We will see each other again at lunch in 2 hours and then talk."
They smiled and left the stage with an applause and each and every counsellor started leading their campers away from the centre and towards the cabins.