The morning air outside the cabin felt fresh compared to the warmth inside.
Sunlight filtered through the tall pines surrounding the camp, painting moving patches of gold across the dirt paths as the branches swayed gently in the breeze. The smell of breakfast drifted through the clearing—eggs, toast, something sweet cooking somewhere near the main building.
Ray stepped down from the wooden porch, stretching his arms above his head as the cool air helped clear the last pieces of his hangover.
Around them, the camp was already alive.
Groups of campers walked between cabins, some still half asleep, others already laughing and talking loudly as they headed toward the dining area. A couple of people passed by carrying metal trays, the clatter of dishes echoing faintly through the clearing.
Somewhere near the fire pit, Jake's voice could already be heard above everyone else.
Ray followed the main dirt path that led toward the center of camp, the sound of conversation growing louder with every step.
The dining area sat near the middle of the clearing—a long wooden shelter with open sides, rows of picnic tables stretching underneath the roof. A few counselors' cabins stood farther back among the trees, though none of them seemed particularly active yet.
Inside the shelter, dozens of campers were already gathered.
People talked over each other, chairs scraped against wooden floors, and the smell of coffee filled the air.
Ray slowed slightly as they approached, taking in the scene.
The quiet of the cabin from earlier already felt like it belonged to a completely different world.
And as soon as they stepped inside, a familiar voice cut through the noise.
An older woman—she couldn't have been more than thirty—stepped out of one of the counselor's cabins just as Ray and Kate made their way down the path.
She closed the door behind her and started toward the dining area where everyone was gathering. The morning sun caught her hair as she walked, and she moved with the relaxed confidence of someone who clearly knew the place well.
Ray barely paid attention to her.
The kitchen and dining space were set up outdoors beneath a long wooden shelter, open on all sides so the fresh air could move through freely. A few large tables were already filled with campers, trays and mugs scattered across the surfaces as people dug into breakfast.
He had noticed the setup yesterday when he first arrived.
But at the time, the rest of the camp had been far more interesting.
Now the noise of the crowd, the smell of food, and the clatter of dishes pulled his attention back to the present as he stepped under the shelter.
The woman stepped into the center of the dining shelter, where the morning light fell through the open sides of the wooden structure.
For a moment she simply stood there, waiting.
When the chatter didn't stop, she cleared her throat with a firm cough.
The sound cut cleanly through the noise of the room.
One by one, heads turned toward her. Conversations faded, chairs stopped scraping against the floor, and the clatter of dishes slowly died down as everyone looked in her direction.
She straightened slightly before speaking.
"Welcome to Camp Willow Creek. As you all know, it's not a typical camp for young people, as all of you are considered adults. Or most of you."
Her eyes shifted across the tables and landed on Jake.
He was sitting sideways on a bench, making exaggerated monkey noises while scratching his head dramatically for the amusement of the people sitting near him.
The woman fixed him with a dark, unimpressed look.
The monkey sounds stopped almost immediately.
A few people around the table tried—and failed—to hide their laughter.
The woman waited a second longer, making sure the room had actually gone quiet before continuing.
"As I was saying," she went on, folding her hands behind her back, "all of you are considered adults by the state of Louisiana, which means you can drink, smoke, and—"
"FUCK!"
Jake's voice exploded across the dining shelter.
Several heads snapped toward him immediately.
Jake was half out of his seat, staring down at the floor near the bench like something had personally betrayed him.
A couple of campers nearby started laughing again, while others leaned over to see what had happened.
At the front of the shelter, the counselor slowly closed her eyes for a moment like someone mentally preparing themselves for a long two months.
The counselor opened her eyes again and looked directly at Jake.
"Yes, Mister Jake," she said calmly. "But considering your behavior, I doubt any woman would take an interest in you."
A few people around the tables snorted quietly, already sensing where the comment was going.
"I'd look into your male friends."
With that, she turned and began walking toward the kitchen area, a small smirk tugging at the corner of her mouth as she left the campers to their breakfast.
For a moment there was silence.
Then the entire dining shelter erupted into laughter.
Jake threw his hands into the air in exaggerated disbelief while the people sitting around him leaned away like they suddenly didn't want to be considered part of his "options."
Ray stood there for a moment, still listening as the laughter slowly faded and conversations around the dining shelter started up again.
His mind had drifted somewhere in the middle of the counselor's speech, the last bits of sleep and hangover still clinging stubbornly to him.
By the time the woman disappeared toward the kitchen area, Ray finally blinked and seemed to wake up from the small trance.
Kate nudged him gently with her elbow.
"Come and sit."
She said it simply, already turning away as she carried a tray she had grabbed from the kitchen counter.
Ray followed her between the benches and tables while campers around them continued talking, arguing, and laughing about Jake's public humiliation.
Kate sat down at one of the half-empty tables, setting her plate in front of her. She had already managed to grab some breakfast—toast, eggs, and a small bowl of fruit.
Ray slid onto the bench across from her, the smell of food finally reminding him how hungry he actually was.
Ray barely sat down before getting back up.
Kate looked up at him briefly, raising an eyebrow, but didn't say anything. Instead, she took a bite of her toast, watching him over the edge of it as he walked away from the table.
The food counter stretched along one side of the shelter, covered with trays and bowls that campers were already picking through. Toast, eggs, fruit, cereal, jars of jam, and a large metal container that smelled strongly like coffee.
Ray grabbed a plate and kept things simple.
A couple slices of toast.
A generous amount of jam.
Good enough.
He turned and made his way back through the tables, campers shifting their chairs and trays as he passed.
When he reached the table again, Kate was still eating, sitting comfortably on the bench as she took another bite of her toast.
Ray set his plate down and sat across from her, finally ready to start breakfast.
Ray didn't waste a second.
The moment he sat down, he started eating like someone who hadn't seen food in days, tearing into the toast with quick, determined bites as the jam smeared across the edges.
Kate paused mid-bite and watched him for a moment.
Then she rolled her eyes.
Around them the dining shelter buzzed with conversation—people laughing, chairs scraping against the floor, someone arguing loudly about who had taken the last piece of bacon.
Ray barely noticed any of it.
Right now his entire focus was on the plate in front of him.
Kate watched him shovel another bite of toast into his mouth and shook her head slightly.
"Slow down, you're gonna be sick. And I'm not taking care of you again like yesterday."
Ray paused for a moment, still chewing, and glanced up at her from across the table.
The warning didn't seem to slow him down much.
Around them the dining shelter was still buzzing with noise—people moving between tables, the clatter of plates near the food counter, and Jake somewhere in the background loudly defending himself from the jokes that hadn't stopped since the counselor's comment.
Kate leaned back slightly on the bench, keeping her eyes on Ray as if she were already waiting to see whether he'd prove her right.
Ray took another bite of toast, but this time he slowed down.
As he chewed, his eyes lifted and settled on Kate.
For a few seconds neither of them spoke.
She noticed the look immediately. Instead of brushing it off like she usually did, she held his gaze, meeting it directly from across the table.
But only for a moment.
After a few seconds, Kate looked away first, turning her head slightly as a faint blush crept across her face.
Ray blinked once, still watching her.
There was something about her eyes he couldn't shake.
Kate shifted slightly on the bench, clearly aware that he was still looking at her.
"I've changed my mind," she said, keeping her gaze somewhere off to the side. "Devour your toast, and stop devouring me with your eyes."
Ray blinked once, like the comment had snapped him out of whatever quiet moment had formed between them.
Around them the dining shelter was still full of noise—people laughing, chairs scraping, someone loudly arguing near the food counter.
Kate kept looking away, pretending to focus on her breakfast as she took another bite.
But the faint warmth still lingered on her cheeks.
Slowly, the plates in front of them emptied.
Ray finished the last piece of toast, wiping a bit of jam from his fingers, while Kate pushed her plate slightly forward on the table.
For a moment neither of them moved.
Around them the dining shelter remained lively—campers finishing their meals, some already getting up from the benches, others lingering to talk and laugh. Someone dropped a spoon near the food counter, and the sound echoed briefly across the wooden floor.
Ray leaned back slightly on the bench, stretching his legs under the table.
Kate sat across from him, resting one elbow on the table as she glanced around the room.
For now, there wasn't much to do.
So they sat there, waiting to see what this place would throw at them next.