The Summer I Didn't Expect..
Church Camp Crush (CCC)
Chapter One — The Summer I Didn’t Expect
Livy James had never been the kind of girl who believed summer would magically change her life.
She wasn’t the main character in some movie where she arrived somewhere new and suddenly everything became perfect.
Real life didn’t work like that.
Summer was just summer.
A few months away from school.
A few months of sleeping in, hanging out with friends, and pretending that the stress of everyday life wasn’t waiting for her when August came around.
At least, that was what she thought.
Until Church Camp.
Livy stared out the car window as the familiar streets slowly turned into winding roads surrounded by trees. The farther they drove, the quieter everything became.
She watched the sunlight shine through the leaves, creating little golden spots across the road.
Maybe this was exactly what she needed.
A break.
A fresh start.
A week away from drama, stress, and everything that had been weighing on her lately.
Her mom glanced over from the driver’s seat.
“Are you excited?”
Livy shrugged.
“Kind of.”
Her mom smiled.
“That means you’re nervous.”
“I didn’t say that.”
“You didn’t have to.”
Livy rolled her eyes but smiled slightly.
Maybe she was nervous.
She had been to church events before, but this was different.
A whole week away.
New people.
New memories.
The kind of thing everyone came home from saying was “the best week of their life.”
She wasn’t expecting anything crazy.
She definitely wasn’t expecting a love story.
Honestly?
She wasn’t looking for one.
Camp Evergreen was exactly what Livy imagined.
Tall trees surrounded the cabins. String lights hung between buildings. There was a giant wooden cross near the outdoor chapel, and everywhere she looked, people were laughing.
Groups of friends were already catching up.
Camp counselors were running around trying to organize everyone.
Music played near the main gathering area.
It felt like a place where memories were made.
Livy grabbed her bag from the car and looked around.
“Okay.”
She whispered to herself.
“Don’t embarrass yourself.”
A voice behind her laughed.
“Talking to yourself already?”
Livy turned around.
A girl with curly brown hair stood there, smiling.
“No.”
She paused.
“Maybe.”
The girl laughed.
“I’m Ava.”
“Livy.”
“First year?”
Livy nodded.
“Is it that obvious?”
Ava smiled.
“Only because you have the same look everyone has on their first day.”
“What look?”
“The ‘I have no idea what I’m doing but I’m pretending I do’ look.”
Livy laughed.
“Okay, maybe.”
Ava picked up her bag.
“Come on. I’ll show you around.”
And just like that...
Livy’s first friendship of the summer began.
By the time the opening ceremony started, Livy already felt a little less nervous.
She sat beside Ava and listened as the camp leaders welcomed everyone.
They talked about making memories.
Trying new things.
Growing closer to God.
Finding friendships that could last beyond one summer.
Livy smiled.
She actually believed it.
Maybe this week really would be good.
Then she saw him.
And she had no idea that one person could completely change the feeling of a place.
He was standing near the front with a group of guys, laughing at something someone said.
Brown hair.
A smile that seemed impossible not to notice.
The kind of confidence that made people naturally look his way.
Livy didn’t even realize she was staring until Ava nudged her.
“See someone interesting?”
Livy immediately looked away.
“What? No.”
Ava raised an eyebrow.
“Sure.”
“I literally just got here.”
“And?”
“And I’m not here for that.”
Ava laughed.
“Nobody comes here expecting anything.”
Livy shook her head.
“I’m serious.”
“I believe you.”
Ava smiled.
“For now.”
Later that night, everyone gathered around the campfire.
The sky was filled with stars, the kind you rarely saw back home.
Livy sat with Ava, roasting a marshmallow and listening to people share stories.
She felt comfortable.
Happy.
Like maybe she really could have the peaceful summer she wanted.
Then someone sat down across from them.
The same boy from earlier.
“Mind if I sit here?”
Ava immediately smiled.
“Go ahead.”
Livy tried not to look too interested.
Tried.
“I’m Maddox.”
His voice was even better than she expected.
“I’m Livy.”
“First year?”
She nodded.
“Is it obvious?”
He laughed.
“Kind of.”
Livy smiled.
“Apparently everyone can tell.”
Maddox laughed.
“Don’t worry. You’ll get used to it.”
For the next few minutes, they talked.
Nothing major.
Just small things.
Favorite songs.
Funny camp stories.
Where they were from.
The normal conversations people have when they first meet.
But something about it felt easy.
Like they had known each other longer than a few minutes.
Then someone called his name.
A girl walked over and smiled.
“Maddox, there you are.”
His expression changed slightly.
Not in a bad way.
Just different.
He stood up.
“Oh, hey.”
The girl wrapped her arm around his.
“This is my boyfriend,” Ava whispered after they walked away.
Livy looked over.
Her heart sank slightly.
Boyfriend.
Of course.
She didn’t know why that surprised her.
It shouldn’t.
She barely knew him.
But somehow, hearing that word made something inside her quiet.
Because Maddox wasn’t just a cute boy at camp.
He wasn’t just someone she could laugh with.
He was someone who was already taken.
And Livy knew better than to cross that line.
That night, lying in her cabin bed, Livy stared up at the ceiling.
She thought about the campfire.
The conversations.
The way Maddox laughed.
Then she reminded herself of one thing.
He had a girlfriend.
And she wasn’t going to be that girl.
She wasn’t going to fall for someone she couldn’t have.
This summer was supposed to be about memories.
Friendships.
Finding peace.
Not a boy.
Not feelings.
Not heartbreak.
But sometimes...
The things you try hardest not to find...
Are the things that find you first.
And Livy had no idea that the boy she promised herself not to fall for...
Would become the person she would never forget.
End of Chapter One
