Most vampires are extinct, but not all.

Braden is a vampire. With his ghastly pale skin and his harsh brown hair – he's the walking definition.

So, imagine my surprise when I turned up for our first activity to co-council and be met with a completely red tomato.

Well, not entirely.

"I swear to god, Braden, that better not be what I think it is on your back."

A look of confusion covers his face momentarily. Then, bingo, he gets it. He smacks his forehead in frustration before grabbing his t-shirt and pulling it on. Which is a shame.

"Blame Tanner, he's the idiot who drew the dick onto my back while I was sleeping on my stomach in the sun. I didn't think it would leave a damn tan line," he mutters, "Fu–"

"–dging."

"–dumbass."

"That's not much better." I laugh. "What's with all the colourful language anyway, there's literally innocent ears everywhere."

"Sorry, sorry, I'm just annoyed at Tanner. The goddamn idiot. Plus, Colton is pissing me off."

"Why?"

"No reason...he's just a, uh, an idiot too. You know, the usual." Considering he vanished six years ago, no, I'm probably not used to his 'usual' but I don't press.

"I cannot fu–wait, what the hell are you doing?"

My hand lifts to my eyes and I shield them to focus my view. Looking around, I try to see what I'm looking for.

"Again, what the hell are you doing?"

"Oh, nothing much, just looking for Braden."

"Have you lost your head? I'm right here," he deadpans.

"Nah, you're definitely an imposter. One, you're not white and two, you're not innocent."

"What are you on?"

Nudging him, I laugh, winking. "I'm just joking with you. But you do have to admit, you grew some serious balls this year, planning to ask a certain someone out?"

Crimson doesn't describe the colour he turns. Picture this: a burnt guy, blushing.

"Uh- no- what- no- eh-" And just like that my innocent Braden is back.

"C'mon, let's just go start the activity." I chuckle.

Begrudgingly, he stomps along beside me. "I hate you," he grumbles.

"I love you too."

A hint of a smile dances on his lips before he sticks his tongue out at me. Naturally, I, like any responsible adult, stick mine back out in retaliation.

Finally, reaching the boardwalk, we drill the campers on the boring regulations before we tell them that we will be racing today in the lake; the winning team earning a point to go towards their final score.

"Who can't swim?" I ask.

One child raises his hand like every year. Do the parents not understand what 'your child needs to know how to swim to come here' means?

Holding back a frown, I exhale, before pointing to the grassy banks at the side of the lake.

"You, stay, there," I mumble like a cave man.

Braden smirks at me, teasingly. "Oh, shut up, you're going to slow your team down with a t-shirt on so, ha."

"Whatever you say, Lexi."

"I will–"

"Lexi?"

I look down. "Yes?"

"Do bears live in those woods?" The little girl points to the green forest that surrounds the lakes outskirts.

"No, Lianna, they don't."

"But what if they do?" she continues.

"But they don't."

"Yeah but–"

"Lianna?"

"Yeah?"

"Just get in the water." I sigh.

"But bears swim and I can't swim as fast as I run. I'd rather be able to run to run away." For the love of god, this is going to be a long summer.

I sit outside on a rickety picnic table with Brooklynn, Ashlynn and Natalia – Vivian's away sorting out her camper's spilt drink. It's noon and the campers are eating or queuing for their lunches.

Munching on Al's famous fries, I let the unknown elephant that's in the air free. "Colton came to my cabin last night."

"What?"

"When?"

"Why are we only hearing of this now?"

"It hadn't come up yet?" I mumble.

"Well, what happened?" Natalia pushes, leaning forward.

"He came, said sorry, then left."

"Seriously? That's all he said to you after six years? You have got to be joking me?"

Ashlynn picks up her fork stabbing a tomato, juice splashing everywhere. "Calm down, Brooke, at least he apologised."

"Why did he apologise?" Natalia asks.

"You think I have any idea? If I did I wouldn't be telling you–"

"Alexis!" I turn my head to see my campers in chorus.

Heaving myself up from the table, I look apologetically at the girls.

"It's fine but we're definitely finishing this conversation later." Ashlynn waggles her tomato about before popping it in her mouth with a smile. To which I shake my head nodding, returning her grin.

On my way to the twenty-four-seven, energy drinks, I notice a tall figure dealing with a table next to mine and my pace falters.

Twenty-four-seven.

They didn't even care what situation I was about to be in nor what I was doing previously.

Like puppies I tell you.

I carry on not sparing a glance in his direction.

"What is it?" I ask, forcing a smile on to my face as I reach them.

"Those boys keep saying there's bears in the woods!" Liana's face contorts like she's going to start the waterworks. Oh, for heaven's sake.

"Which boys?" Every finger points in the direction I wasn't looking in.

P-u-p-p-i-e-s.

My eyes close and I pinch the bridge of my nose with my finger. Slowly, I turn my body round to face the boys who are staring at me after many fingers had shot at them in accusation.

"Boys?" All their heads bow.

"What did they do now?" a deep, husky voice speaks.

Staring at the mass of muscle in front of me, my eyes blink slowly. My knees are about to buckle, what am I going to– someone remind me why I'm so nervous again? Damn.

"Alexis?" He never uses my name?

"Oh, right. Your boys are teasing my girls and I will not stand for it." I cross my arms over chest.

"And what have they done this time?"

"They're making up stories about the bears in these woods, my girls are getting scared and I need to put an end to it now." So, I can get some sleep tonight.

My campers start to shout in protest but I give them a stare and they hush. Liars.

Colton bends down and crouches like a frog beside his boys. Taking this moment, I really look at him. The couple of years when he was gone really did him good. He hasn't really changed much in characteristics but overall, he just seems... bigger.

"Like Alexis here, I do not tolerate teasing. It's akin to being a bully and it's not acceptable. I would like you all to apologise to the girls or else there will be consequences." Just like I expected, I'll need to lectu– huh?

He looks at them pointedly till they all mumbled their apologies.

Nodding my head at him, I go to deal with my campers. Colton moves to the end of his groups table, crouching down again in the aisle that separates our tables. I move to the opposite end to comfort an unsure Liana, purposely putting a huge gap between us.

"Liana, actually all of you, there's no bears in these woods. There haven't been for a long time." I smile, rubbing her shoulders, trying to end this mess once and for all.

My smile drops off my face when I see their fear expand instead of shrink.

"Haven't?" they echo, eyes like saucers.

>>><<<

After I've finally calmed the girls down, lunch is nearly over. I go to move back to my table and notice Colton still in the middle of the two tables. His back facing us, legs still bent in the same position. Squat goals.

To pass through the two tables, I know I will be very close to Colton momentarily. But my lust for food makes me ignore this fact.

Quickly and swiftly, I move through the space and vibrating, my stomach gurgles. Rubbing it vigorously to quieten the sound, my eyes grow. I hold my breath hoping no one hears.

But as it conspires that's the least of my problems. Next thing I know, I'm being catapulted forward. The world lurches and I catch a glimpse of the back of a leg that had appeared in front of me moments ago. The breath I was holding blows out and I yelp, my hands flying out to steady myself.

All eyes are on me so, quickly, I stand up, dusting myself off and turning to face the culprit.

Colton is now kneeling with one leg on the floor but soon he is standing in front of me. His demeanour doesn't change, neither does the tone of his voice when he speaks. But I know Colton and the twitch of his eyebrow expresses he was in fact feeling something.

"Alexis that was an accident, my legs got tired so I went to kneel and didn't see you." He explains.

And I'm supposed to believe the camp squat champion just suddenly got tired?

Rolling my eyes, I don't respond.

"I'm telling the truth." Colton's eyebrow twitches slightly indicating he wasn't just an emotionless statue when I still dont reply.

"And why should Lexi, believe you of all people?" Ashlynn appears at my side, seemingly outraged by all of this.

"Because I don't lie." Colton just stares at me, his eyebrows now clearly moving. I think he has an eyebrow situation going on – he should get that checked out.

"I– it's whatever. Just don't let it happen again." I give him a tight-lipped smile.

"It won't."

"I know."

"What do you mean?"

"Because I don't think you have the guts to try it and see what happens to you. You're not a little boy anymore Colton, you've grown up. But so have I," I speak without thinking before chuckling unnaturally. "Just don't let your campers terrorize mine anymore, I'm not prepared to deal with changing wetted beds."

Colton joins in with my abnormal laughing looking awkward and puzzled. Smiling at the campers pointedly, showing them no harm was done, I walk back to my lunch table, my hunger forgotten.

"Lexi that was amazing! You left him looking all bewildered and he had this look on his face like he had just sucked a lemon!" Natalia says when Ashlynn and I reach our table. I nod my head, numb.

"That was definitely something," Vivian's tone told me she's undecided on her opinion. Me and you both.

"He should've apologised to you," Brooklynn mutters.

"But when has he ever?" Natalia moves her food around her plate looking less excited now.

"If he apologised last night, why wouldn't he just now? That boy is making me mad!" Ashlynn grumbles.

"It was probably just an accident."

"Next time it happens Lexi, we are fighting back. No if, buts or maybes." Brooklynn's eyebrows scrunch, Natalia nods her head in agreement.

"Duh." I laugh lifting my hand up to wipe the sweat off my brow in secret.

Content for now, the girls go back to their own conversations, excluding me. For I was too busy replaying the encounter in my head on repeat.

hey guys!

general thoughts?

i'm really tired and for once I've not got a lot to say! but I hope you like the chapter!

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qotc: Android or apple?
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Comment of the chapter: Alisa_the_EMO ,

"*Accidentally frisks hand over abs*"

i loved that comment!!
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cover also by: Alisa_the_EMO its beautiful!

if you'd like to send fan art in: pls send to [email protected] - and message/pm me to make sure I get it!! thankyou- i'd love to see what you come up with!

see you soon!

xoxo,

Jessie.