Chapter One: First Play

The July heat has finally become tangible, licking everything to death like a slobbery, hyper puppy with its ultraviolet waves. Sora hazily steps out of his dad's silvery-blue suburban, groggy from napping on the car trip to Hawkeye Camp "where a kid can let go!" The heat is the first thing he notices, giving him strong instincts to return to his cool, air conditioned car. But he knows his mom would just drag him out, by his toes if that's what it takes.

Sora, a sixteen year old brunet with Caribbean blue eyes and tan skin, had already told his parents exactly what he thought of this summer-long camp they were ditching him at. Although both him and his genetic donors usually got along well, for some reason he couldn't get them to see anything his way this time. A whole summer away from his friends at home at a place called Hawkeye? Oh, that sounds absolutely like a vacation; hand him the margaritas and Marbolos. That, by the way, was heavy sarcasm.

Sora's parents weren't amused when he said that last bit out loud along with everything else. They couldn't leave him home alone while they went over seas for vacation (and isn't that just the cliché? What are they even doing over seas? They've never gone before!). Couldn't they let him stay with his older brother, Leon, in Twilight Town? They said no to that too, saying he was too busy studying in college, and that he didn't need to be babysitting him.

Besides, they would argue, this camp is supposed to be fun. It's got river rafting, campfires, games, team competitions, swimming, sports- everything that Sora is fond of hating. If he were honest with himself, he would admit that it isn't the sports that he hates. It's the people in it. But no matter what Sora told his parents, they would say, "Even so, you need to get your nose out of books for awhile and expend your endless energy."

What kind of parent tells their kid to stop studying?

Sora sighs as he leans on the car door. Oh, good Lord, he doesn't want to go. All the roads are gravel, hot enough to make pancakes, eggs, and bacon even under the shade of trees. To him, the whole place looks like a potential forest fire. The trees are green, but drying, and the air smells of dust and pollen. No humidity, which is much better than his home in Galveston area. Houston is always humid, whether it's freezing or one hundred degrees. But so far, this is the only perk of the camp he can see. The cabins to his left, separated by a row of boys and girls cabins, are made of wood and thus far he hasn't spotted an air conditioning unit on any of them. To his right, an administration building and a huge pool with a volley ball court. Behind that he can see the edges of a soccer/football field. By the camp map he'd glanced at a while ago, he knew past all that was a lake, huge hills/small mountains, and hiking trails. The place, to put it bluntly, was fucking huge.

"Alright dear," his mother says, slight sympathy laced in her voice, "It's time to get your stuff and look for your cabin."

"What's the number?" Sora replies tiredly; gotta do this like a Band-Aid. Rip it off quick instead of drag it out and start a fight.

His father replies, "7-B."

Sora shuffles to the trunk of the suburban. Dragging everything out (which isn't much) and trailing it behind him only takes a few moments and he sets out on the path, grunting at the suitcase for catching onto his basketball shorts and inching them down. Good thing he's early; wouldn't want them to accidently fall and pants himself. That would be his sort of luck too.

From a distance, the cabins looked separated, but they aren't. Connected by a long, dark wooded deck, it reminds Sora of a dorm hallway he had seen when helping Leon move. He struggles up the chipping stairs at the front of the large complex and scrapes by all the A's and most the B's until he reaches the very end, finalized by the wooden railing and trees just beyond. He would be the very last cabin on the left. Across from him is cabin "1-C".

He waits there for a moment, waiting for his parents to catch up. He assumes they went into the administration office to check him in and get his cabin key. When his dad finally walks up, he hands over the keys, jingling them loudly as if to attempt and bring Sora out of his regretful stupor.

He refuses to act any more enthusiastic, but he unlocks the cabin and steps in. It's very anti-climactic. Just four bunks with very old, creaky mattresses, fans bolted on the ceiling corners of the room loudly running at full blast, and a few dirty windows. It is nothing more than Sora had expected so he has no opinion on it, though his parents are obviously watching his face for a sign of one.

"Well," Sora starts, annoyed, "I guess you guys better go. You wouldn't want to miss your flight."

He knows he's being a dick to his own parents, but after all this they deserve it. They dragged him here, to a shitty camp full of activities that he wouldn't like, most likely full of people who will love all these activities and torture him. High school all over again, except he won't have his small group of friends or any textbooks to make them leave him alone.

"I guess you're right…" his mom replies, sighing and disappointed. "We will miss you so much, baby."

"Ughh, mom, not the baby names please." Despite further protests, she hugs him and Sora's dad joins in.

"It won't be that bad," his father chides in, "maybe your Miracle will happen."

His family has a strong belief in miracles; that they happen every day, that they are the deck of cards life gives you, and the day you flip a card a stare at a joker. Life's big "what if"; that movie moment that everyone waits for. That moment that everything falls into place. Dad says his was the day he met mom, and the next one was the day they got married, then Leon and Sora's births. They were full of little clichés like that. Sora secretly believes in such moments… but he also is very much relieved to get away from the pressure of waiting. This camp, he knows, won't change anything. In a whole different state, in a place he can't bear to like… It'll be a vacation from his own reality, and a shitty one, and he'll welcome it for having nothing better to do. Then he'll return home, and wait for chance to gamble with him again.

Despite himself, Sora admits softly, "I love you guys."

"We love you, too, son," they say in unison. They all laugh a little bit, and then his parents leave. When silence greets him calmly as their footsteps become too distant to hear, Sora isn't sure how to feel. Relieved? Dreadful? He decides it doesn't matter, and begins to unpack.

It's going to be a long summer.

Apparently, Riku's mom's idea of punishment is sending him away for a whole summer, but that couldn't be farther from the truth. After all the bullshit that came with life's new year's present, he has been ready to leave his city junkies for months. Sure, the camp isn't exactly what he had in mind to get away, but at least it's away from city lights and asshole drivers. He can fake his way through whatever "activities" the program has planned for him, to teach him team work and social skills or some shit his mom talked about. Just the fact that he can get away is enough.

But of course, he made his mom think that going away for the summer was the worst thing that could ever happen to him, just to make her feel like she was being a good mom. And she was… They just didn't click like most kids and their parents do. In his opinion, she was self-centered. In her opinion… well. He wasn't exactly easy to understand a lot of the time. They were more roommates than anything else.

So her red little Mazda pulls up to camp Hawkeye, tires gritting on the gravel road and she winces. Riku rolls his grey-green-blue eyes, knowing how ridiculously picky she is about her car. He leaps out of the car before it's even put in park and pops the trunk. A minute later his mom is following him, searching through her bottomless purse with vigor, yet somehow still keeping a consistent pace behind him. They reach the administration building and then she takes over, sweet talking the man running the joint. Talking about his allergies and tendency to get sick. All lies of course, but he needs any excuse he can get to stay inside for a day or two. He'll decide later if he'll pull that card.

After what feels like an eternity, he finally ends up in his cabin. Of course, he had to explain the administrator that he is not, in fact, a girl just because he has silver hair brushing the middle of his back. But fortunately for him, the guy glanced over his completely black attire and decided to put him in the back cabins. 1-C, to be exact. Only one other person seems to be here, as all the other rooms had obviously been left untouched, and is in the cabin across the hall.

"Alright, is that everything?" Riku asks his mom, but the question is mostly directed at himself.

"I think so honey." She looks around, slightly disapprovingly, but the silverette knows she's thinking that she could never stay in a place like this and that her son never crossed her mind in that train of thought. Her grey eyes turn to him, stern in an attempt to look disciplinary. It might work if she just gave a little more of a damn. "Remember, Riku, you're definitely allowed to have fun and make friends and all that but you're here to learn a lesson. Don't make those nice men call me about you. Got it?"

"Yeah, Mom," he replies quickly, sighing, "You don't have to tell me twice."

"Right," she finishes, walking over to him and kissing his forehead. She has to lean up a little bit though; he has finally out grown her. "I love you, Ri."

"I love you too, Mom," and it isn't a lie. She may drive him up the fucking wall twice over in a two minute span, but she's all he's got and he doesn't intend to lose her. "If any guy gets too touchy or stalkerish and you don't like it, don't try to handle it on your own. I will protect you."

This earns him a hug, and she sighs, "You're the best thing that ever happened to me, little prince. Don't change… Well. Change your behavior. But not your heart. Ok?"

"You worry too much. I heard you earlier." She laughs and releases her son.

"Alright, I'll see you later. Keep in touch."

"Bye, Ma." And with that, she's gone. Only two minutes later he can hear her barreling out of the place like a bat out of hell. A city girl doesn't belong in a place like this. She's flying to her social nest, like she's twenty again with no baby boy to take care of. The separation, though, will be good for both of them.

Riku, thinking about all this, ties his hair up with his first hair band of the summer. He packed a whole hundred of them, knowing how they mysteriously disappear over time, and they are the first thing he takes out of his bag and sticks it under his mattress. Guys are stealthy, thieving little bastards. Him included.

Hearing another cabin door open and close, he sets to work, unpacking and situating things the way he likes it before others come in and lay claim to space that is rightfully his. Hopefully, his dark clothes and reluctance to talk will keep the other guys staying in his cabin to leave him the fuck alone. Find another guy to be happy-go-lucky with and watch porn. He'll have none of it.

"Gaaah it's so hot!" he growls to the cabin, glaring at the fans that do absolutely nothing to help. "Where the hell is the fucking bathroom?" Maybe the first thing he should do to "learn a lesson" is watch his mouth. Something tells him none of the adults here will appreciate it. Hmm.

This is going to be a long summer.

A/N: Another actual story :) So excited! Btw, yes, this is for ANIMEFREAK4261. You wanted a camping fic and I RAN with it. Hope you like it, luv, you've been egging me on to write since the beginning. Next chapter up soon!