Chapter IV: Wisecrack Wi-Fi

There he was, the ginger-haired jester of Jefferson High, about to pull off his most audacious prank yet. His heart was pounding like a drum, but he wore his signature grin, and shared a knowing look with his friends. The last day of school, may as well go off with a big bang and Principal Anderson was going to get a send-off he'd never forget.

As he began his speech, he fished out of his pocket his secret weapon— a small remote control. A piece of tech genius that no one knew he had the brains for. With the press of a button, the banner above him rolled, showering him in buckets worth of confetti and balloons filled with the cafeterias leftovers. Laughter erupted from every corner of the schoolyard.

That was four years ago. Man high school was awesome. As he walked out of the game arcade that evening, duffel bag slung over his shoulder, he looked around cautiously. Willow Wind was a small town. Everyone knew him. Some for the right reasons, others for not so much good reason. No one could know about this side of him—the tech whiz who spent hours mastering games and fixing broken consoles. It wasn't part of the class clown image. If anyone saw him here whatever rep he had in high school would go down in flames.

Then he spotted her waiting by the bus stop—his little gamer girl, with her glasses perched on her nose and her hair tied up in that cute messy bun she loved so much. As he approached her, she looked up from her handheld console and smiled at her. That smile... it made every prank, every joke worth it.

"Do you have to leave for camp C?" She asked pouting.

"I mean, I don't have to but," he replied, brought her close for a hug.

"Then don't." she looked up at him with her doe like eyes, pleadingly. "We could make the most of our summer in a different way." she traced a finger along his jawline.

"Mm, nice try but you know why I gotta go baby." He pulled her in for a goodbye kiss. "Keep beating those high scores for me."

"Five more minutes." she whispered, holding him close.

He wished those five minutes would last forever, but he knew it was time to go. As he climbed onto the bus, he flashed her one final smirk as she stood there alone. She was his secret cheerleader, his player two in this game we called life. And she was the last person he saw as the bus pulled away from their little town towards camp.

The first thing he noticed about the cabin, even before stepping inside, was its age. It looked like a low poly cabin. Or like something out of FnAF. Honestly though, the camp could've been better maintained. For one, there trees were so thick, he couldn't even get a signal out here. Means he couldn't even talk to J, until the end of the summer. The single working light bulb hanging from the ceiling cast a dim glow across the room. There wasn't even a single outlet in this cabin. Maybe he hadn't thought this through as thoroughly as he should have.

He still loved the place—the dampness of the wood beneath his fingertips, the musty smell of the cabin that seems to have been frozen in time. It was like he'd been sucked into Subnautica and one thing he didn't back out of was a challenge. Game on.

To his left, there's Tim or Tom, he hadn't caught his name yet, unpacking into a trunk under one of the bunk beds. He was a man of few words but his actions spoke volumes. He moved methodically, each item finding its rightful place within minutes of our arrival.

Above him, on the top bunk, sat Jack. His eyes are closed and he breathes deeply. There's an almost sacred silence around him as he meditates—or so he has insisted. To him it just looks like he's trying not to fall asleep.

And then there's guitar hero, brooding in the corner. It's an old thing but he seems to be attached to it. Hadn't said a word since he'd gotten into the cabin.

Despite the silence, he couldn't resist cracking a joke here and there; it's just who he was. But no matter how hard he'd try to make them laugh, they remain undisturbed in their own worlds. It was kind of depressing. And a blow to his confidence but maybe the other guys at the campfire would be more receptive of his jokes.

Night was creeping in slowly. The counsellors would summon them soon for the campfire for a debriefing. That's what they usually did anyway. The quiet ones keeping their peace while he continued his attempts at humor. The door swung open and a woman with black hair stuck her head in.

"Hello campers!" she chimed. "Let's all gather out front for the campfire!"

He didn't know whether to be terrified or relieved, but either way. Campfires meant marshmallows and he hadn't had a bite all day.