The next morning started bright and early, at 8 am. The CIT’s and counselors got ready for the arrival of the campers. The camp officially opened at 10 am, but there were always people showing up sooner so everything was to be ready by 9 am sharp. Willow, Buffy, and Faith all got assigned together at the sign up table. The three of them would be sitting at the top of the drive welcoming all the campers, checking them in, and giving out bunk assignments.
Willow sat down at the table overly eager, awaiting the arrival of the campers. Buffy and Faith, on the other hand, were dragging their feet, as they headed towards the table.
Faith turned to face Buffy and asked, as they trudged up the drive to join Willow, “What’s up with the Energizer Bunny up there? How is it humanly possible that she is this peppy this early in the morning?”
Buffy just shrugged and smiled, “It’s Will’s thing.”
After Faith and Buffy finally made it to the table the three set up shop to get ready to greet the first campers that arrived. Despite the earliness of the hour, Willow’s peppiness and the arrival of the first few campers started to liven up Buffy and Faith’s moods.
About an hour after the official opening of the camp there was a lull in the amount of campers arriving, and the girls began talking about the activities they would be assisting with.
“Faith, what classes are you going to be helping with?” Willow asked excitedly. The arrival of the campers and the beginning of the summer was making her overly giddy.
“Let’s see.” Faith pulled out a slip of paper from her bra. Willow and Buffy just stared at her: Willow in shock; Buffy with a question in her eyes. “What? These lame ass uniform shorts don’t come with pockets. Whatta you want from me?” Buffy shrugged and Willow sniggered. Faith rolled her eyes and opened the paper. “Ok, I got first period free, then water skiing for two periods, and then after lunch I got gymnastics for two.”
She looked up at the two girls to see if they had any comments on her schedule. Buffy got an excited look in her eye then said, “Oh I have first period free too. And… uh…” she pulled out her schedule and looked it over quickly, confirming her thoughts. “I knew it! I have gymnastics fourth period too,” she said with a dazzling smile.
“What else you got?” Faith asked.
“Uh, let’s see. Soccer second, swim third, and archery fifth.”
Willow squealed, “Ooh… Ooh! I have swim third too! Yayness!”
“Looks like we each have some activities together. That’s definitely of the good,” Buffy said with a big smile. “What else you got Wills?”
Willow ticked off her other activities from memory, having already, and yet very eagerly memorized her schedule. “I have kayaking first, then a free, then swimming with you, tutoring after rest hour, and kayaking again before dinner.”
“You’re tutoring? It’s the middle of the summer. What kid wants to be tutored during their summer vacation?” Faith asked incredulously.
Willow answered factually, “Some of the parents like their kids to continue getting help through the summer to get them ready for the fall. It also helps them retain the information they learned during the year by continually applying it over the summer.”
“Damn, you must really love school Willow,” Faith said.
“You have no idea,” was Buffy’s answer with a smile in her voice. Her best friend loved school. It was most definitely a Willow thing, but Buffy was more action girl. She played sports and ran. This was how she got through the school year without going insane from all the classes and learning.
“Hey, Faith, since we both have first period free you wanna go for a morning run with me?” Faith looked at Buffy a little confused knowing full well that neither of them were morning people. “It wakes me up, and I feel better when I run. Gets me ready for the day you know. It’s like insta-wakey Buffy.”
Faith just shrugged and smiled saying, “Sure, why not, got nothing else to do.”
The three girls smiled and turned to face the onslaught of new arrivals.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
A couple hours later, there was another lull and the girls were hungry. Their replacements were due to arrive in fifteen minutes so they could go have lunch.
“Ugh, I’m starving,” Buffy whined.
“I see some scrumptious on its way here,” Faith smirked and pointed with her head to the maintenance men’s pickup truck that was about to pass by their table. The truck had been back and forth all day bringing the campers trunks to their cabins passing by the girls table every half hour or so.
Now that they had some down time, Buffy was able to glance at the truck looking for her hottie. She saw him with his back to her, ‘and what a nice back’ she thought to herself (she could tell even through the t-shirt), sitting in the truck bed. When they were passing directly parallel with the girls table, he turned around like he knew someone was watching him, caught Buffy’s eye and winked. She immediately slumped down in her seat, having been caught staring, her face flaming.
Buffy turned pleading, embarrassed eyes to Faith and Willow, but all Faith said was, “Nice going, B,” and laughed.
Embarrassment gone in a flash, Buffy sat up straight and huffed in indignation, “Whatever, Faith. I didn’t see you do any better.”
“Oh I’m just scopin’ out the area. I’ll be layin’ down the groundwork in no time,” Faith said with a leer as she watched the truck continue down the path.
At that moment, Cordy and the rest of the trio came into view of the table and Buffy’s good mood immediately dissipated. In all the time they’d been chatting, Willow and Buffy had yet to tell Faith about the evilness that was the bitch ditz trio. Faith could tell that her two new friends were uncomfortable as these 3 girls she recognized from the dining hall, but hadn’t met, walked towards their table. The closer they got, the smaller the two girls next to her tried to become. Faith was confused, but determined to stand by her friends against whoever these people thought they were. Faith wasn’t intimidated. She’d seen worse.
The trio approached the three girls, Cordy standing out in front. Harmony was flanked on her left; Kennedy on her right. “Alright losers it’s time for you to leave and go unpack the campers.” She said this directly to Willow and Buffy, not even acknowledging Faith’s presence. That immediately pissed Faith off.
“Excuse me?! What the hell did you just call us?”
“Oh. You. New girl. Guess you missed the memo on who’s worth talking to around here. FYI, you hang out with these two,” Cordy pointed to Willow and Buffy who hung their heads lower, which really pissed Faith off, “that automatically makes you a loser.”
“Guess I did. Must have also missed the one that said they allowed dogs on campgrounds. ‘Cause all I see standing in front of me are a bitch and her two mangy mutts,” Faith shot right back.
Buffy and Willow laughed seeing the incredulous look on Cordy’s face. Kennedy scoffed while Harmony just glared at the three of them. Cordy looked stunned for a moment and Faith just smiled and barked at her, which made Buffy and Willow laugh harder. No one ever stood up to Cordelia Chase; least of all insulted her to her face. Cordy’s solution to this problem was to ignore Faith like she didn’t exist and turned back to face Willow and Buffy.
“Shoo little girls, you’re in our way.” Willow and Buffy started to get out of the way, not wanting to deal with Cordelia, when Faith held her hand up.
“I’m sorry, who died and made you Queen of the world?” Faith said.
Cordy turned to face Faith, but addressed her like she was a small, slow child. “It’s 1 o’clock. We’re supposed to switch jobs. Now run along and put those man arms to work unpacking the little campers.” And with that Cordy sat down, and waved to Harmony and Kennedy to do the same.
Dumbfounded by her new friends’ actions, or lack thereof, Faith started picking up her stuff, glaring at Willow and Buffy over their shoulder as they did the same. At that time, the rumble from the maintenance pickup truck could be felt coming up the drive and Willow, Faith, and Buffy all turned to watch it drive by. Harmony being more perceptive than usual saw the look Buffy was giving the blonde one who had his back turned to them. An evil smile spread over her face.
Harmony started laughing manically. All five of the girls turned to look at her. When her laughter finally died down, the evil smile was back, making Willow and Buffy uncomfortable.
Indicating Buffy with a nod of her head, Harmony said, in an irritating baby voice, “Aw, how cute. Buffy’s got a wittle cwush.”
The evil smile planted itself on Cordy and Kennedy’s face, and Buffy gulped audibly. “Is that right?” Kennedy said, evil oozing out of her.
Harmony nodded her head, and Cordy smiled wider saying, “Well isn’t that just… precious. Fawning over the hired help? How… charitable of you? Too bad you’re too much of a prude to put out, or so Angel says.” Cordy paused to watch Buffy cringe at her words. “I bet even someone as low on the totem pole as him wouldn’t want you.” Kennedy and Harmony roared with laughter. Buffy turned bright red and looked down at her feet. Faith was fuming, and Willow looked so sad for her friend.
Harmony said, “Besides even if he was desperate enough, he would want a real woman, not a little girl,” and just like the slut she was, she flipped her hair back indicating herself as just the woman for the job.
Faith armed with her comeback said, “And aren’t you the picture of womanhood with your hair in pigtails and a lollipop in your mouth.”
Harmony looked around her, then at Cordy and Kennedy looking for help. She didn’t understand Faith’s comment. She thought she looked great.
Faith rolled her eyes and thought ‘genius this one.’ Out loud she said, “Whatever, let’s get outta here.” She turned away from the trio and walked away without a backwards glance. Buffy and Willow scrambled with the rest of their stuff, and quickly followed suit.
They walked back to their cabins in silence, and parted ways to help their new campers unpack.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
At the welcome back dinner, the first thing Buffy said was, “I’ll tell you all about the trio and the Angel comment, but after dinner. I don’t wanna do this here.” Faith nodded and the three girls chatted lightly throughout the meal.
After dinner the campers were split up into pairs: an old camper with a new one to get acquainted with the camp, giving the CIT’s and counselors a couple hours to themselves. Willow, Faith, and Buffy decided to take a walk around Wa-Klo’s part of the lake. They eventually ended up on Turtle Rock by the windsurfing dock. It’s where Buffy went to think, she’d already been there once already this summer, and it was only the second day. She sighed as she sat down, still not saying anything.
Impatience started to overwhelm Faith and she blurted out, “What’s the deal B?”
Another deep breath, and a supportive pat on the back from Willow, and Buffy was ready to talk. “Ok. So Cordy and I have been like mortal enemies since the first day of camp 6 years ago. It was her second summer, and Willow and mine’s first. We were all in the same cabin and Cordy decided that since she was the ‘experienced camper’ she would tell us what to do, and we would follow her, except we didn’t. Back then I was able to stand up to her, but when Kennedy and Harmony came the next summer that ended. The three of them started ganging up on me and Willow all the time, and it’s just like when someone tells you you’re worthless enough times… you start to believe them.” Buffy looked up at Faith with sad eyes. “It’s not like I enjoy this. I freaking hate how I act around her. I’m not like this with anyone, but her, but it’s like I can’t help it you know?” Faith nodded slightly understanding more than she knew.
“I get that, B.” Buffy looked at Faith in surprise hearing the understanding in her voice. Faith sighed and began the shortened version of her sordid tale. “Look, I’m adopted, but before then I lived with my real parents till I was about 10. They always told me what a loser I was and how I’d amount to nothing, and I believed them. Too bad I didn’t realize that they were drugged-out, drunk ass losers and not me, but then I was taken away and given to a good family. Now… everything’s five-by-five.” Faith told Willow and Buffy all this while looking down at the rock not meeting their eyes. They could tell that not all the pain was gone, but glad that their new friend was in a better place.
A feeling of understanding washed over the group. Faith looked up again right at Buffy and said, “This has gotta end. You gotta stand up to her, B.”
Willow got a wide-eyed look as an idea came to her. “You could make it goal number two for the summer!”
Buffy looked incredulously over at Willow, “And what about you, huh? You don’t have to help? I don’t see you standing up to Miss Stick Up Her Ass anytime soon.”
Willow looked a little sheepish then tentatively said, “Oh-okay. I’ll h-help.”
“That’s the spirit, Willow!” Faith shouted as she slapped a hand on her back.
Willow was still a little nervous, but Buffy was right. She’d been bullied just as must as Buffy had, and it was time for her to stand up to the trio too. She just wasn’t going to tell Buffy that she was going to wait for her to go first.
With a smile and understanding the three girls started heading back to their cabins. Faith stopped abruptly and said, “Hey wait. What about that Angel guy Queen Bitch mentioned? What was that about?”
Buffy got a little nervous, but pulled Willow and Faith off the path so she had a little more privacy to tell this story. She did say she would tell Faith.
One deep breath and she was ready to begin. In a hurried whisper she said, “Ok, long story short. Angel was the guy I was kinda seeing 2 summers ago. You know, summer romance and all that hooey? Lies! I thought he was all tall, dark, and mysterious. Nope. Turns out he’s a grade-A asshole. He goes to the all guys’ camp across the lake, and I met him at the first dance last summer. He seemed sweet and caring. We started a thing, but it wasn’t really anything. Just a thing you know, and well…” Buffy trailed off choosing her next words carefully. “After the second dance we snuck away to make out behind one of the cabins, and it was fine. A little wet, but it was my first kiss so at the time I thought it was amazing. At the third and final dance we snuck off again, but Angel got a little too feely and I didn’t like it. I pushed him away and told him to stop. He grabbed me and started kissing me again and feeling me all over, and by then I really didn’t like it. I shoved him away and slapped him. He yelled at me called me a tease and prude, and then stormed off,” as Buffy said this Willow wrapped her arm around Buffy’s shoulder.
Willow continued the story. “I found her about 5 minutes later crying behind the cabin. Angel had stormed back into the dance shouting about how awful a kisser she was and how she was a tease.” At that point the two girls heard a sniffle come from Buffy, and Willow gave her a squeeze with the arm wrapped around her shoulder holding her closer.
After a few moments of silence, Buffy finally spoke up again. “Last summer, Cordy started seeing Angel. When that happened, Cordy’s taunting got so much worse. It was awful,” and with that Buffy was silent again.
Faith gave them a few minutes to comfort each other, and then put a hand on each of their shoulders creating a triangle out of them. She cleared her throat so the other two girls would look up at her, and when she had their attention she said, “We’ll make that goal number three.” When Buffy and Willow looked confused, Faith smiled and continued. “We’ll make getting back at Angel goal number three.”
Buffy and Willow looked shocked. They’d only known Faith for two days, and already she was more than willing to help them get back at the people who had tormented them for years. They couldn’t believe it. They both smiled brightly at Faith not believing their luck in finding such a good friend so fast. Faith shrugged and said a little shyly, “What are friends for?”
After that, they turned back to the path and started heading for the cabins again. It was time to put the campers to bed. Buffy finally broke the comfortable silence by saying, “Guess that really wasn’t a long story short was it?”
“Nope, but you’re getting better,” Willow said.
“Really?” Buffy asked hopefully.
“Oh, ya. Definitely,” Willow said with all the sarcasm in the world.
“Hey! I tried. Buffy and storytelling equal babbling, you know that.”
“Yep,” Willow said it with a pop on the P.
Buffy and Faith laughed as the three girls parted ways to put their campers to bed, and get ready for the first day of activities in the morning.
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Author's Chapter Notes:
There were 2 updates tonight so make sure you read chapter 2 first!
Betas: PaganBaby and Spikelissa *hugs*
Banner: xaphania :)
Disclaimer: see chapter 1
Betas: PaganBaby and Spikelissa *hugs*
Banner: xaphania :)
Disclaimer: see chapter 1
Chapter End Notes:
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