Welcome to Camp Evergreen..
CampFire Crush☀️
Chapter One: Welcome to Camp Evergreen..
Section One: The Arrival
The sign looked nicer than the camp felt.
Welcome to Camp Evergreen — Where Summers Become Stories.
That was the slogan printed in soft green letters across a wooden archway that creaked every time the wind hit it.
I stared at it from the bus window and immediately felt like it was a warning disguised as a promise.
“Great,” I muttered under my breath. “Poetic summer camp. That’s never been suspicious in history.”
The bus slowed, tires crunching over gravel as we pulled into the main lot.
Counselors were already waiting outside.
Smiling.
Way too smiling.
Like they hadn’t just signed up to supervise children for eight straight weeks with no escape.
The bus doors hissed open.
Warm air hit my face instantly.
Pine trees surrounded everything—towering, endless, thick enough to make it feel like the rest of the world didn’t exist anymore.
I grabbed my duffel bag and stepped down.
The ground was uneven beneath my shoes.
Already annoying.
“First time?” someone asked beside me.
I turned slightly.
A girl about my age, clipboard in hand, bright yellow Camp Evergreen shirt.
“Yes,” I said.
She grinned like that meant something exciting.
“Oh, you’re gonna love it here.”
I didn’t respond to that.
Because I had learned long ago that people who say “you’re gonna love it here” are usually lying.
Section Two: The System
“You’re Leah Carter, right?”
I nodded.
She checked something off on her clipboard.
“Cabin Three. Orientation starts in ten. Don’t be late.”
“Noted.”
She walked away immediately, already calling someone else’s name like I was no longer her problem.
Which I respected.
I adjusted my bag and looked around.
Camp Evergreen was bigger than I expected.
Wooden cabins scattered through the trees like they had grown there naturally.
String lights hung between poles even though it was daytime.
A lake shimmered in the distance, so still it looked fake.
And everywhere—
Counselors.
Talking.
Laughing.
Dragging luggage.
Hugging like they were in a reunion instead of a workplace.
I felt slightly out of place.
Not dramatically.
Just enough to notice.
I started walking toward the cabins.
Cabin Three, apparently.
I just hoped it wasn’t cursed.
Section Three: First Encounter
“New counselor?”
The voice came from behind me.
I turned.
And immediately paused.
He was leaning against the side of Cabin Two like he had been there for hours.
Dark hair messy in a way that looked intentional even if it wasn’t.
White t-shirt. Sleeves rolled slightly. Hands in his pockets like he didn’t need anything from anyone.
Except maybe entertainment.
“Yeah,” I said.
He nodded like he already knew that.
“Leah Carter?”
I frowned.
“…Do you just memorize names for fun?”
He smirked slightly.
“No. The camp group chat is aggressive.”
“There’s a group chat?”
“Multiple.”
I blinked.
“That sounds like a violation of peace.”
“It is,” he said. “You get used to it.”
I didn’t like how calm he sounded about that.
I adjusted my bag strap.
“I’m Paxton,” he added after a second.
Of course he was.
That name fit him too well.
“Cool,” I said.
Paxton tilted his head slightly.
“You don’t sound convinced.”
“I’m not.”
That made him laugh under his breath.
Not loud.
Just amused.
Like I had passed some kind of test I didn’t know I was taking.
Section Four: The Warning
“You’re Cabin Three?” he asked.
“Yes.”
He nodded slowly.
“That’s rough.”
“Why is everything here a threat?”
“Because it kind of is,” he said simply.
I narrowed my eyes.
“That’s not comforting.”
“Not trying to comfort you.”
“Noted.”
Paxton pushed off the cabin wall and started walking.
I hesitated for half a second.
Then followed.
Not because I trusted him.
Just because I didn’t know where anything was yet.
That’s what I told myself.
We walked through the center of camp.
Counselors were gathering near the main field.
A raised platform had been set up with a speaker and a banner:
WELCOME WEEK ORIENTATION
“Perfect,” I said flatly. “I love mandatory enthusiasm.”
Paxton glanced at me.
“You always this dramatic?”
“I’m realistic.”
“Same thing,” he said.
“It’s literally not.”
He smiled slightly again.
I noticed that too.
Unfortunately.
Section Five: Camp Evergreen Rules
The head counselor climbed onto the platform.
A whistle blew.
Everyone gathered.
“Welcome to Camp Evergreen!” he shouted.
A cheer went up.
I did not participate.
“This summer,” he continued, “will change you!”
I immediately disliked that sentence.
Paxton leaned slightly closer.
“Rule one,” he said quietly.
I glanced at him.
“What?”
“Don’t take anything they say too seriously.”
“Then why say it?”
He shrugged.
“Tradition.”
That made no sense.
But I filed it away anyway.
The head counselor kept talking.
Schedules. Assignments. Rules.
Too many rules.
“Counselors will be assigned co-leads after orientation!” he announced.
Paxton groaned softly beside me.
“What?” I asked.
He glanced at me.
“Forgot about that part.”
I stared at him.
“…What part.”
He smiled slightly.
“Surprise.”
I did not like that word.
Not at all.
Section Six: Something About Him
Orientation ended in chaos.
People scattered immediately.
Counselors talking over each other.
Luggage being dragged.
Laughter everywhere.
Paxton didn’t move right away.
Neither did I.
We just stood there in the middle of it.
“You’ll be fine,” he said suddenly.
I looked at him.
“I didn’t say I wasn’t fine.”
“You didn’t have to.”
That annoyed me slightly.
“I don’t need reassurance from strangers.”
He nodded.
“Good.”
“Good?”
“Means you’ll survive longer.”
I stared at him.
“You’re weird.”
“You’ll get used to it.”
“I don’t plan to.”
He smiled again.
And for the first time—
It didn’t feel like he was teasing me.
It felt like he was predicting something.
Something I wasn’t ready for yet.
Section Seven: The Beginning of Trouble
A loud whistle blew again.
“Counselor assignments are posted at Cabin Central!”
People started moving again.
Paxton finally stepped aside.
“Guess we’ll see where this goes,” he said.
“What goes?”
He glanced at me.
“Summer.”
Then he walked ahead without waiting.
I followed after a second.
Not because I wanted to.
But because Camp Evergreen already felt like it had decided something for me.
And I had a feeling Paxton Reeves was part of it.
Whether I liked it or not.
End of Chapter One
