"Come on! It's just one picture!" Maia exclaimed.
     "Don't be a chicken."
     "What, a chicken? You think I don't want to take pictures because I'm too scared?!" Lilly asked in disbelief.
     "That's not what she meant," Celeste remarked.
     "Just be in the damn picture, Lilly!" Riley shouted.
     "Wow, girls are such high maintenance when it comes to taking pictures," Marcos commented.
     "Zip it, Marcos!" Riley glared at him.
     "Can we all just get ready?" Hunter asked. "The camera lives on battery life, you know."
     "Yeah, we know, Hunter." Grace crossed her arms across her chest.
     "You look great, Lilly. Just one picture won't hurt," Ethan said with a smile.
     "Yeah, just smile and get it over with. Right?" Dylan added in.
     "Fine!" Lilly groaned in irritation.
     "Only Ethan and Dylan can tame her," Louis remarked. The large group got ready in front of the camera, and Hunter set the timer then rushed beside them. In a few seconds, the camera shutter went off.
     "Silly poses now!" Maia shouted, and the second picture came out crazy, for several of them jumped onto each other or grabbed onto each other.
     Celeste looked at the worn-out photo in her hands. In the picture, a group of hormonal teenagers had their arms over each other's shoulders with wide smiles or goofy expressions on their faces.
     Amongst them was the person who was holding the photo, Celeste Kahn, a 29-year-old and the boss of her own interior design store. She looked at her 19-year-old self with long black hair, dark brown eyes, and light skin in the picture.
'To think this was me ten years ago,' she thought.
     "Wow, you still have that?" someone asked by her ear.
     "Jesus," she muttered and turned around to see her old friend whom she hadn't seen in a few years—even though they stayed in contact—Lilly Forbes. "You scared the shit out of me." She put a hand to her forehead.
     "That's kind of your fault. I didn't sneak up on you. You're just easily scared." Lilly gave her a fake smile, and Celeste rolled her eyes.
     Lilly was the one beside her with a rigid smile on her face and her light-brown hair in a high ponytail. Her face portrayed her dislike for certain unnecessary photos.
     She was currently a 28-year-old forensic psychology student who had dark brown eyes and light skin like Celeste, but her body was much curvier.
     "Is it only me or...?" Lilly asked, getting comfortable in her seat.
     "No, Riley and Grace are coming too. It's a reunion, Lilly. Would it be one with only us here?" As Celeste finished speaking, Riley and Grace walked in. Celeste waved at them, and they sat down at their table.
     "What's up, bitches!" Riley smiled widely. She was a 28-year-old, Latina pediatric resident with long and wavy black hair, dark brown eyes, and golden-brown skin.
     "Hello to you too, Riley," Celeste stated with a smile on her face.
     "How is it that she doesn't change much in ten years?" Grace remarked, shaking her head. She was a 27-year-old Latina criminal defense lawyer with long and curly black hair, brown eyes, and honey-colored skin.
     Before anyone could continue, a waiter went to take their order. "I'll take a flan and a vanilla frappuccino," Riley said excitedly.
     "I'll take a strawberry milkshake," Lilly said with a flat tone.
     "I'll have nachos and a frozen coffee, thank you," Grace added politely.
     Celeste ordered a vanilla frappuccino like Riley's, and as the waiter started to leave, Riley stopped him. "Wait, add another order of nachos too, thanks." She smiled at him, and he nodded.
     "I see you're still a foodie like before," Celeste said to Riley.
     "Only with you guys. My boyfriend doesn't let me." She rolled her eyes. "I should dump him, shouldn't I?"
     "Obviously!" Grace responded in disbelief.
     "But he cooks for me and does the house chores..."
     "Did you hit your head or something?" Lilly folded her arms.
     "Shut up," Riley remarked, and Celeste sighed.
"First of all, where is your pride and dignity? Never be with a man who restricts what you eat. These men really think they can control women like it's still the nineteenth century. Dump him. I won't remind you again when he shows another red flag. Aside from that, we're finally together again after so many years. Why is it so hard for us to get together one time?"
     "Because we have soul-consuming jobs," Lilly replied blandly but quite factually.
     "To fucking god!" Riley remarked, visibly exhausted.
     "Yeah, exactly what she said." Grace nodded in approval.
     "You have it easy, don't you?" Riley questioned.
     "Me? Since when?" Celeste raised a brow.
"Not you acting like you're not the boss of a lavish firm."
     "Do you know how much work I am responsible for?"
"Isn't that what employees are for?" Lilly commented.
     "You know I tend to have the urge to take over when it comes to having to let others do my work. My brain doesn't trust that others will do their best," Celeste said.
     "You are totally a borderline perfectionist," Riley smirked.
     "Ugh, I hate to admit it but yes."
     "It's not such a bad trait though," Grace voiced.
"Not if it prevents me from having a relaxing day without turning into a workaholic worrywart!"
     "At least you have a stable job by now. We're still students." Lilly gestured to the three of them.
     "Hey, I graduated," Grace corrected.
     "You're still a newbie."
     "You know what? You're right." She agreed quickly.
     "Why are we talking about stressful things such as our work life? We're here to forget about those things. Let's think of something else," Celeste stated.
     "Like our impending deaths?" Lilly suggested sarcastically, and Celeste rolled her eyes.
     "You always know just what to say," she responded with the same enthusiasm. "No, something like when we all first met. That's the purpose of this reunion. To be reminded of our fond friendship."
     "Ew, sappy shit," Riley remarked, and Grace laughed a little.
     "Oh come on, a lot of interesting things happened back then. Why not reminisce?"
     "Okay, that's very true. A lot of interesting things happened for sure. Too much, in fact." Riley folded her arms as she remembered.
     "Well, yeah, but let's focus on the better ones first."

— TEN YEARS AGO —

     "Remember to focus on perfecting your skills," Celeste's mother told her for the hundredth time before boarding the bus to a music-based camp, which she was forced to apply for.
     "Yes, I know! You told me several times already," Celeste remarked and sighed.
     "Be safe." She waved her mom off in annoyance and took a seat close to the front, but she had scanned the campers in their seats before sitting down; there weren't many people on the bus, probably just ten. The bus made a few more stops to pick up other teens and then got on the road.
     "I can't believe I'm spending my valuable summer at some stupid camp for music. I could be doing more important things," Celeste mumbled to herself and sighed. "If only I wasn't Asian."
     "Oh my my my, oh my my my." She looked for the source of the singing and spotted two, extremely cheerful girls singing together. One was light-skinned while the other was dark-skinned and wearing black, square frames.
     "Ugh, too exuberant for me in the morning," she mumbled to herself. "What are they even listening to? It's definitely not Cantonese or Mandarin. Japanese? Korean? Whatever, I don't care right now." She looked to the seat across hers and saw a plump girl eating a can of Pringles in silence.
    'Why do I have a feeling that someone is watching me?' Lilly turned to look at Celeste staring at her with furrowed brows. 'Uh...weirdo,' she thought. 'Now, I feel uncomfortable.'
    'I should stop looking since she noticed me,' thought Celeste, and she looked out the window.
     Sitting all the way at the back of the bus, a girl with a scar on her brow bone had her arms folded as she watched everyone. 'I can't believe mother and father sent me to this music camp because of what happened. They think occupying me will make things better. They're ludicrous and delusional...' she thought. 'I oughta make some friends while I'm here.'
     After an hour or so, they arrived at the campsite in Mishawaka, and they started to get off the bus. As Celeste reached the last step, a girl pushed her aside, making her bump into the door.
     "Finally! I was getting bored," Grace said as she stretched her arms up.
     "What the actual hell," Celeste muttered as she rubbed her arm.
     A few guys in the back tried to muffle their laughter as best as they could. She looked back at them, and one gave a sheepish smile to which she rolled her eyes at. They started to walk down a sandy path and passed by a sign with an overview of the entire camp.
     'Wow, that's pretty luxurious for a camp for music. There are a lot of facilities. The main office; different, practice halls lined up; a big, dining hall; several, clustered cabins; a basketball court; a tiny park surrounded by trees; an outdoor stage; a lake dock; a sports ground; an infirmary; and outdoor restrooms even though the cabins already have bathrooms.'

—PRESENT DAY—

     "Oh, yeah! I totally remember shoving you to the side." Grace laughed vociferously. "Sorry, I was just in a hurry to get out. My ass was tired of sitting."
     "Ha...you did it to me several times, Grace." Celeste looked at her with a bitter look.
     "What? It's who I am!"
     "Sure..." She nodded slowly.

—BAND CAMP—

     The group of teenagers was led inside the dining hall for introductions. A guy stepped onto one of the tables and cleared his throat. "Welcome to Pier&Son's Band Camp! I am Marcos Pierson, the camp supervisor. My dad owns this place, but I am essentially the director this summer because he is on vacation with my mother and siblings." He had thick medium-brown hair that complemented his golden-beige skin.
     "Do they look as handsome as you?" a girl asked, and he laughed with a sparkle in his gorgeous green eyes.
     "I decided to look after the camp so get ready for a great time here. Don't worry about strict rules and nonstop practicing as long as I'm here, but don't let me stop you from following the same rules if you're not a newcomer. Lastly, feel free to talk to me if you have any questions or concerns." He looked around with a smile on his face then stopped at Riley and winked to which she raised a brow and smirked at.
     Celeste looked between them and rolled her eyes. "Could he be any less discreet?" she scoffed.
     "I don't think he can." Celeste turned around to see a smiling guy who had incredibly breathtaking features. His captivating ebony eyes and straight black hair were such contrasts to his fair skin and porcelain veneers. She even noticed the cute, symmetrical dimples that appeared when he smiled.
     'Holy crap, he's cute and handsome!' Celeste thought, trying not to visibly freak out. 'And I only reach his shoulders!'
     "Hey, I'm Louis Kang. Sorry for eavesdropping."
     'Is this fate or something? We have the same surname!' She wanted to point that fact out but didn't. "I'm Celeste Kang, and it's alright." They watched each other for a while before she quickly turned her attention back to Marcos.
     Louis smiled a little and did the same. 'Cute...' he thought.
     "Okay, first of all. All the newbies have to step up and introduce themselves," said Marcos, and he got off the table.
     Grace went first. "Nice to meet you guys. I'm Grace Romero, a Latina who loves Queen, and I'm excited to have fun here!" She got down and returned to her seat.
     Next, were the two girls who were singing on the bus. The light-skinned one said something, but no one could hear her clearly while her mouth moved. The dark-skinned one with glasses sighed and spoke up. "Hi! I'm Maia Ellison, and she's Mary Anne Wilson. We both love BTS! In case you don't know who they are, they're a Korean boyband."
     The next person was Riley. "Heyyy, I'm Riley Gonzales. I'm also Latina. I'm just hoping to have a fun time if you catch my drift." She chuckled.
     After Riley, a pair of twins introduced themselves. "We're the Ross twins," they both said at the same time with charming smiles.
     "I'm Dylan Ross," the twin on the left stated. He had caramel hair that was styled to the right, grass-green eyes, and he was wearing a black shirt.
     "And I'm Ethan Ross," the twin on the right stated. His hair was styled in the opposite direction with a distinct widow's peak, and he was wearing frames, unlike his brother. Moreover, he was wearing a shirt the opposite color of his twin, white.
     Even though they looked similar, you could tell them apart from their voice, face shape, and hair if you paid close attention. Dylan had a deeper voice than Ethan, and Ethan had a slim face with a wider nose while Dylan had a rounder face and softer features. Ethan looked a bit more mature compared to Dylan, and he had a slightly crooked smile while his brother didn't.
     Some girls around Celeste were whispering about inappropriate things pertaining to the twins and giggling, making her scrunch up her face. She was next, and she sighed before stepping up. 'I hate introducing myself, especially in front of a crowd...' she thought. "Hi, I'm Celeste Kang. I love listening to music and drawing, and I hope we all get along together." She gave a small smile then got off.
     After Celeste was a girl whose eyebrow had a scar. She had dark-brown hair, deep-brown eyes, and tan skin. "I'm Ally Ramos, and I play football," she said quickly and jumped off the table.
Next in line was Lilly. Some guys whistled at her and laughed; they were the same people who laughed at Celeste when she was pushed aside. The same guy who looked apologetic before had the same expression once again as he glanced at Celeste.
Lilly rolled her eyes and introduced herself. "I'm Lilly Forbes. I love my cats, and I love classic old music and movies." She gave a sarcastic smile and returned to her seat.
Then, Louis stepped up with a dimpled smile on his face. "Hey, I'm Louis Kang. I love eating food," he chuckled then continued, "and I like to meet new people and getting to know them better." He glanced at Celeste with a smile before looking away.
     Her eyes went wide in confusion then she looked away. 'Why did he look at me? Did he mean me? What is this?' she thought, taken aback by his semi-directness. He combed through his hair with his fingers and stepped off the table. 'How ironic...At least he didn't wink.'
"He and the Asian girl must be siblings; they have the same last name," a girl behind Celeste whispered.
'I would not want to have him as a brother! He's too handsome for that. Either he's from another Kang family line, or whichever Asian culture he is from has the same sounding surname.'
     "I'd definitely like to get to know him better," another girl behind her whispered to her friends and giggled. "Did you see him looking at me?" one of the girls asked the other.
     "No, he was looking at me," another said.
     Celeste shook her head and sighed. 'You'd like that, wouldn't you? He is pretty cute, but it seems he's a bit of a flirt too.'
     A few other people introduced themselves then Marcos passed a piece of paper to everybody with their cabin number on it. The people who got the same number grouped up then walked to their cabin together. Ally ended up with three other girls named Harper, Ava, and Olive.
Harper's dark-green eyes matched with her long, straight ginger hair and freckles. Ava's thick uni-lips scrunched to one side in a side smile while her ice-blue eyes watched in curiosity. Her wavy, peach-colored short hair took the attention away from her freckled skin. Lastly, Olive—who had tan skin—did a once over of Ally with her dusky black eyes, which matched her short and curly jet-black hair.
Ally clicked her tongue in disappointment then looked over to Riley and the others with a sigh. 'I was hoping I'd get to bunk with them...They seem like my type of people...I wonder if I can change cabins. I'm sure that Regina George and her little posse over here wouldn't mind since they don't even like how I look,' she thought. She decided to ask Marcos to switch cabins. "Hey, Marcos?"
     "Oh, hey. Ally, right?" Marcos asked with a charming smile plastered across his face, making her smile unconsciously as well while she nodded. "Do you have a question for me?"
She cleared her throat when she remembered what she was here for. "Um, yeah. Is it possible for me to switch cabins? Preferably to Riley's one?" she asked.