For the next two days, Dan spent as much time away from his cabin as he could possibly manage, which was a difficult feat, considering he hated being outside any longer than was necessary. The heat had become even more stubbornly insistent, and for the first time that week, he found himself donning one of the few pairs of shorts he owned. It was a low point for him.

Considering all the complaining he'd been doing about this place ever since he'd found out about it, he strangely was becoming attached to it; he'd gotten used to the abnormal amount of trees, and the hyper speed showers he had to take if he didn't want the water to become glacier cold.

And hell, he'd even gotten used to his cabin mates, or....the ones who still talked to him, at least.

Not a word had been passed between him and Phil since the incident he liked to call The Great Slut Shaming Extravaganza. An unfortunate but catchy title, and it summed up the whole thing pretty nicely.

He shouldn't take it so hard, he knew that, it was not the first time someone had called him a name, and it definitely wasn't the worst. It just felt a lot more personal.

So Phil was on the outs with him, and he didn't miss the hesitation that Finn gave him whenever they talked. Whether that was because of the Nick thing, or something else, he didn't quite know, but it was still infuriating.

"You know, you don't look so deathly pale anymore." Emery sat down next to him, and normally Dan would reject other people trying to force their companionship on him unwanted, but right now, he didn't really have the energy. "The sunlight you hate so much is really doing you some good."

"Fuck off," Dan said, rolling his eyes. "My skin cells are all dying right now under these harsh UV rays."

"Aw come on, you know you can't use those big science terms around me."

"If those are 'big science terms' to you, then I feel sorry for whatever teachers you've ever had." Dan grinned at Emery's middle finger.

"So what's got you in such a sulky mood lately, then?" Em asked, laying back on the grass and crossing his arms behind his head. Dan glanced at him curiously; it wasn't like very many people bothered with getting to know him at all, let alone want to know about his problems. And he'd only been here a week so far, which was nowhere near enough time for him to develop any sort of bond with the people here. He didn't much like the idea of spilling his secrets to near strangers.

But who the hell else was there?

"Just..." Dan shrugged and stared at his drawn up knees. "I wasn't expecting to, get attached to this place. You know, I didn't wanna come here at all. I was hoping to spend the whole summer hating my parents and avoiding anything to do with 'nature' or 'fun'."

Emery smirked up at him. "So you're all down and out because you actually like it here?"

"I think 'like' is a bit of an over exaggeration." Dan said. "It's just not as horrible as I was picturing it."

"Can I tell you a secret?" Em sat up again, glancing around as if someone would actually want to eavesdrop on their conversation. Then turned and said in a stage whisper, "I didn't like it here at first, either. Two years ago today, I was as glum and pissy about this place as you are now."

Dan shook his head. "Now I don't believe that. As spirited and enthusiastic as you are about it? No way," he said.

"I know that doesn't mean much to you," Em said, "but the point is, a lot of people were forced to come here against their will; me, Finn and his sister, honestly, about half the camp. You just have to get used to it."

He would like to think he was already pretty damn used to it, and that nothing about the experience was anything he thought of as 'good'. He'd heard this same lecture from his parents fifty times before they dumped him here, and he really didn't think he wanted to hear it from Emery, no matter how attractive and friendly he was. The words were starting to make him physically sick.

Em sighed at his lack of a response. "Fine. At least you have your birthday to look forward to. You'll be eighteen, right?"

"Don't remind me." Dan glared at his ankles. He wasn't some metaphorical loser who hated his birthday because it was a useless marker on how close he actually was to dying; he liked celebrating it, and he liked all the attention people would suddenly give him. This year was different though. He was stuck in a place he didn't know, with people he still called strangers. There was no real upside to turning eighteen this year, he'd been picturing it going a lot differently.

"You just hate everything, don't you?" Emery said, and Dan shrugged. He decided to stop being so morbid and serious, at least for the time being.

"I like...some things." There was a noticeable pause before Dan realized Emery was waiting for him to elaborate. "Like...scented candles."

"Jesus fucking Christ," Emery grinned at him obnoxiously. "If that's all you've got going for you, then I'd hate to see where your future lies."

"Fuck off," Dan shoved him so that he fell to the ground on his back again, but both of them were smiling.

So at least there was one person.

***

As soon as the sun was high enough to actually see two feet in front of you, Dan was up and out of the cabin, trudging across the damp grounds and cursing the heat that was already starting to make him sweat.

It was the tragic day he'd been anticipating, June eleventh, and he was officially eighteen. It was almost disturbing, how no one seemed to care about this momentous occasion; no one was waking up early to wish him well, there was no surprise party or cake, or even a change in the air that would indicate to his newfound adulthood.

But that also might be because it was 6:30 in the morning and he still felt half dead.

There was a large, open space towards the entrance of the camp, and it was filled with highly uncomfortable and splinter infested wooden tables. Dan planted himself firmly on one of these spots, watching the tips of the trees gradually become more prominent against the early morning sky.

His parents were supposed to be coming sometime in the afternoon, hours from now, but he still felt like he should start mentally preparing for it. He didn't want to end up breaking down or begging them to just take him back home. He wanted to be better than that.

This was probably the first time he'd been truthfully alone since arriving here, and it was the most content he'd been, possibly in the last year. But there was also that edge to it, like he shouldn't be sitting out here all by himself or something. It was starting to make him anxious, so he climbed off the table and made his way back towards the cabin, if not just to grab clean clothes and shower.

Fucking birthdays.

***

"Dude, where the hell have you been all morning?" Finn sat down next to him at the small table, their shoulder pressed so close together, it was strangely intimate. Dan shrugged and squirmed in his seat.

"Out. Walking around." He'd been all over the camp, like some desperate attempt to avoid whatever it was that was bothering him so much about today. He didn't know why he felt so uneasy, but it was best if he dealt with it in his own mind rather than have everyone constantly ask why he was spacing out so much. "I just felt like being by myself for a while."

"I was gonna wake you up by spreading whipped cream all over your face and screaming 'For He's A Jolly Good Fellow', but you disappeared on me."

"Oh wow, sorry I missed out on that," he said blankly.

They were in Arts & Crafts block, and yeah, it was so much worse than the name implied. The counselor, a thin wisp of a guy named Rick with a million bracelets on his arms and glasses that were taped in the middle, was showing them how to properly glue uncooked macaroni to paper plates without making a huge mess. Dan stared down at his macaroni penis in satisfaction.

"Well, happy birthday anyway," Finn said glumly, looking mighty disappointed that his plan hadn't been carried out that way he wanted. "And your parents are here."

Suddenly, his edible genitals didn't seem so sarcastically rewarding now, and that sharp sense of dread he'd been holding at bay returned at full force.

It wasn't like he didn't want to see them, they were his fucking parents, he just didn't want to do it so soon. He wasn't ready for them to ask questions about how he was doing and what he'd been up to so far. It would be like a slap to the face. Or something equally as dramatic.

One of the pros of this place was, you didn't really have to stick around for the activities. You could come and go as you liked, as long as you didn't stay holed up in your cabin the whole day, or wandered aimlessly about the grounds. Dan stood and made his way out the door, ignoring Finn's attempt to reassure him, and abandoning his masterpiece on the table.

There were way too many kids, all crowded together in huddles outside, some in their bathing suits either heading towards the lake and/or pool or just getting out of it. He walked around them, careful not to touch their overheated skin as he headed to the front office, where his parents were probably waiting in the air conditioned oasis of this place.

He wasn't expecting to see Chris, leaning against one of the thinner trees and not-so-surreptitiously watching a group of half-naked girls in the middle of a volleyball match.

"What the fuck?" He sounded just as shocked as he felt, and for a second, he had the wild thought that maybe he was hallucinating, the heat and recent stress making him see things, but no. It really was Chris, turning around at the sound of his voice and grinning widely.

"Man, I was right about the hot guys here," he said, and Dan nearly started crying at the familiar crudeness coming from his best friend. "I'm honestly a bit jealous."

"What the hell are you doing here?" Dan asked as he walked closer, reaching out and pulling Chris into a hug.

"Whoa, intimate contact? Have you gone soft on me, Howell? What's this place doing to you, 'cause I like it." He teased, but he didn't push him away. "You're parents thought it'd be a nice surprise, although I think they secretly were just too lazy to get you an actual gift."

Right on cue, his parents stepped out of the office building, instantly spotting Chris and Dan standing together in the small shade of the trees.

"Hi, sweetie," his mum said, and before he even knew what was happening, she was suffocating him in an embrace that seemed too strong to be physically possible. Then, just as quickly, she started smothering him with questions and concerns, wondering if they were feeding him properly and if the bathrooms were sufficiently clean. He barely had room to answer between her frantic inquiries.

"Let him breathe," his father interrupted gently, placing a hand on her shoulder. "We just got here, we have time for all that later."

"I know," she sighed helplessly. "At least tell me the people are nice here, no one's mistreating you or anything?"

"No mum, jeez, the people are fine." And hey, he mostly did mean that. There were only a few exceptions. "Maybe a bit more outgoing than I'm used to, though."

"Definitely," Chris said, and pointed over his shoulder toward the volleyball players. "What would it take to get you in one of those bikinis?"

His parents had never really approved of Chris's company at all, let alone Dan's involvement with him, but they had never said a word against it. He figured it was because they would rather him have one bad influence of a friend than none at all; it probably made them feel better, that their son wasn't such an asocial recluse anymore.

"Okay, well," his mum smiled, though it seemed a bit stiff. "How about you show Chris around, Dan? You two can catch up, and we'll all get together later and celebrate."

The way she said celebrate made his stomach hurt, an ever present reminder that they were probably only here to try and assuage their worries that he hated them for forcing him to come here. And he had, like, two days ago, but now it was too much of an effort to ignore them, especially since they'd brought Chris along. Dealing with that for two hours in a car was a miracle in itself.

"Yeah, sounds good." He grabbed Chris's arm and started pulling him away, trying not to seem too much in a rush. "See you later."

"Dude," Chris said once they had gotten far enough away so as not to be overheard, "how bad is it, actually?"

"Not as bad as I was expecting, honestly," Dan said with a shrug. "No poison ivy, or bears in the woods trying to disembowel me. Mostly, it's just weird activities and burning in the sun, so I'd say I lucked out."

Of course, it was only the first week, so there was no telling how smoothly the rest of the summer was going to be. If it kept getting worse from here, he probably wouldn't be alive by then, a victim to the modern torture of hostile teenagers and no internet connection. A very bad mixture these days.

"You've gotten so fucking tan," Chris stated, running his hand across Dan's arm in apparent awe. "And you're wearing shorts. I don't think I've ever seen your legs. Who even are you?"

Dan shoved him. "Fuck you," he said teasingly. "Believe it or not, you can't spend all day in ninety degree weather wearing skinny jeans."

"You just don't want it enough."

He figured he would show Chris his cabin first, and introduce to his temporary roommates if they were in. But when they reached the small building, it was empty of anyone else.

"This doesn't look very sanitary," Chris said, walking in circles and inspecting practically every inch of the room. He was a major perfectionist, and it was hilarious to watch next to his usually candid, laid back attitude. "I mean, four guys in one room? Isn't that against some kind of laws?"

Dan sat on his bed, pulling his legs underneath him. "It's a lot bigger than your average room, I think, I'm sure it's fine."

Chris looked nowhere near satisfied with that, but he finally gave up on searching through the other guys stuff and sat across from Dan on the bed. "So then. Tell me all the naughty things you've done that you can't say in front of your parents."

"Why do you have this idea that I'm some wild party animal whenever no one's around?" Dan asked haughtily, even though he knew that Chris could see he had some stories to tell. Okay, so he wasn't exactly a saint, but that didn't make him the loose cannon that Chris seemed to believe he was. "It's been pretty chill so far."

"That is fucking lie and we both know it, you have that look in your eye."

"What? What look?"

"The look like you've done something either really good or really bad, and you don't want to tell me."

He hated being best friends with such a persistent and nosy asshole.

"Jesus fucking--" Dan sighed. It would be best to just tell him, because God knew he wouldn't shut about it. "Fine, there was....this guy."

"Ooh, what guy?" Chris immediately smirked at him, and Dan wanted nothing more than to leave it there and forget about it. He knew it wouldn't be taken seriously.

"Just a guy." He picked at the loose frays of his bedspread absently. "We hooked up, I guess. But apparently, he's some notorious play boy who'll ruin my life because I slept with him. So it was a one night thing, that's pretty much it."

"Aw, no details?" Chris pouted, but Dan glared at him and he dropped it. "Alright, fine. Just saying, if it was me, it would definitely not be one night."

"I don't know, I mean," Dan ran a hand through his hair, "it's not that he's not attractive, or that I wouldn't want to, just...I sort of regret it. Like, a lot. I was starting to, make friends or whatever, and after that, it just kinda blew up in my face."

"And what does that matter?" Chris said, and Dan give him a questioning look. "Look, you'll know these people for the next two months. Who cares if you fuck up sometimes, or make bad decisions while you're here? You'll never see anyone here again. So it doesn't matter."

Dan opened his mouth to reply, but was interrupted when the door to the cabin opened and Phil walked in, stopping in his tracks when he spotted the two of them sitting together.

"Hey," he said, and Dan was sure it had been at least three days since they'd said anything to each other, so this was different but it wasn't horrible. Not yet, at least. "You've been missing all morning."

"Yeah, sorry," Dan said, and he wasn't completely sure why he was apologizing, but it seemed appropriate. "Been busy."

There was an awkward silence that followed, where neither of them looked directly at each other, before Chris decided to break it.

"Well, I'm Chris, Dan's best friend and occasional lover, who might you be?"

Dan dragged his hands across his face and sighed heavily, but Phil only laughed. "I'm Phil. One of the unfortunate souls that has to share this space with Dan."

"I fucking hate both of you."

"Such a kind hearted spirit, I love you too," Chris said, and stood up from the bed, pulling Dan up with him by the wrist. "Now come on, show me the rest of this place, I want to get the full experience."

Dan let himself be dragged out of the room, but just before the door closed behind them, he glanced back and gave Phil a small smile.

They were barely a foot away from the cabin when Chris punched him in the arm. "What the hell was that?"

"Ow, you dick." Dan rubbed his now-probably-bruised arm. "What was what?"

"That crazy high tension between you and mister sex god." Dan rolled his eyes at the slightly degrading, although not ill fitting name. "I felt uncomfortable being in the same room as you two."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

Chris scoffed, in that way that Dan knew he would do everything in his power to figure out every little detail about any sort of relations between Dan and Phil, whether they be friendly or not. "Bullshit. There's something going on there."

Dan shook his head and started walking towards the lake, with Chris trailing after him. "There really isn't," he said. "We barely even talk to each other. Plus, he isn't that great of a person."

"Please, he looks like a fucking virgin, what could he have possibly done to you to make you hate him in only a week?"

Dan didn't answer him, kicking at the ground as they walked silently. He hadn't told anyone else about the unfortunate encounter between him and Phil, and he didn't think he would anytime soon. It was like this deep seated heat of shame that sat on his chest whenever he even thought about it. He didn't want to see how other people would react, or worse, agree with it. It was better if he kept it between the two of them for now.

"Fine," Chris said after a little while, surprisingly, giving up the endeavor to uncover all the dirty details. "But you shouldn't hate everyone here because of something that won't matter in, like, a month. You won't make any friends, then."

Dan smirked "I'll always have you, though, right?"

"You bet your sweet ass you will."

***

a/n: lmao remember when i said i'd try and have an actual update schedule for this story ;)

but hello and welcome to chapter six like honestly ????? usually I'd only be on like ch. 3 by now so this is an accomplishment i think

and 3.4k words !! that's not a lot but i usually average like between 1.7-2.5k so
N I C E C O U R T N E Y

#danpaintedhisnailsandsnatchedmysoul
#secondweekofschoolandistillwanttodie
#dicksoutforharambe

okay it's midnight i'm leaving, so long and goodnight

peace :3