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���The sound of a trumpet yanks me from sleep. Lazily, I peel an eye open to find Blaine, fully clothed and planted in the middle of our bright cabin. I have to squint against the unwanted sun.

���"Gooood Morning, team blue!" He announces, like Robin Williams in Good Morning, Vietnam. Im noticing my fellow cabin mates rising, just as disturbed as me. But, Blaine is just grinning at us. "Come on guys, up. If youd all printed three itineraries, like Mr. Kurts Dad, you would know wake up call is 6." I blush from the shoutout.

���Jeff rolls out of his bed first, grabbing a lieu of items from his trunk. As he heads to the shower, he shoots Blaine a dirty look. "Mouth trumpet in the morning is so not cool."

���"Sorry, Jeffy boy." Blaine shoots back, clearly not sorry. The blonde flicks him off in return. The next person to get up is the boy bunked above Trent, a grumpy Eli following.

���Since I was clever enough to shower last night, theres much less of a rush resting on me. Blaine keeps reminding us all that breakfast is cut short today, because of the nature walk. His drilling is only working people into a slightly irritated frenzy. I, however, am unmoved. Taking extra care, I brush my teeth, complete my skin regime, apply sunscreen, style my hair, reapply sunscreen, get dressed, make my bed and then apply a third layer of sunscreen. Hopefully, no one else catches onto my night time shower trick, because its only brilliant if few people know.

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���At breakfast, Trent and I find joy in watching the slightly hungover guys. They wont know whats hit them when the nature walk comes. Bas points out that its mostly underclassmen, since the juniors and seniors are too wise for such shenanigans. Yet, the sophomores are too full of themselves to not do it and freshmen are recently liberated from their parents. Luckily, little to no alcohol was consumed between the three of us. We would be a little more lucky if the eggs werent so processed and the pancakes less bland.

���Not long after breakfast has begun, Wes is whipping out his megaphone. "Morning, guys!" His chipper voice is, I imagine, like a screeching crow to our hungover friends. "Not now, but in a minute I need everyone to find their cabin leader and group up for the nature walk. Leaders, once you have done a headcount, you can take off. Keep your maps, keep your walkie talkies, keep your cabin members. And those who drank too much last night, today make sure you drink a lot more." A singular sophomore whoops. "Of water." Wes clarifies. "Stay hydrated,

everyone. Ok, be safe and have fun."

���On that note, Trent and I find Blaine standing on a chair to be seen over the taller crowd. "Lets go, team blue!" He cheers. "You guys ready for this nature walk? Start the day off with a good breakfast?" Blaine asks of Trent and I, while the rest of the group meanders over.

���Trent shakes his head. "The eggs were slimy."

���"A little friendly tip," Blaine leans from his chair, just slightly, to whisper to us. "Stick with the cereal." Then he locks eyes with me, and winks coyly. He fucking winks at me and I can feel my cheeks lighting on fire. But, of course, Blaine doesnt notice, because he turns and begins a head count of the group. "Alright, team blue, lets roll out!" He calls, all heads accounted for.

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���To begin our walk, we follow Blaine behind the dining hall. Awaiting us is a rocky hill, practically a small mountain, with a trail carved out of the trees and the shrubs. Just from the sight of it, I know this wont be a walk in the park. Those I can do. Anything with rough terrain and I am out.

���"Please tell me this isnt what college is like." I mutter under my breath, as we begin our ascent.

���While we walk, Blaine gabs tirelessly about the nearly twenty trails on the campsite, which all lead to one end point. He finds it to be very exciting. "When alls said and done, all roads lead to the same end. Literally." He keeps lamenting. "Thanks, Charles de Lint for being dead on with that one. So, team blue," he suspends his words, grunting a little as he struggles to climb up over a small drop off in the path. Im amazed at how long winded he is, with all of the cavorting he is doing. Meanwhile Im in the back, barely breathing. He turns and extends his hand to Eli, next in the pack, to help him clear the tricky spot. "Its not so much which road you take, as how you take it."

���Most everyone else required little to no assistance clearing the path. Even Trent, who had joined me in the slackers party, hops up it with little hitches. I, however, wouldve been stranded if not for Blaine practically lifting my worthless body up on top, with me holding on to his hand for dear life. Once Im over, Blaine hangs in the back with me for a moment, letting the rest walk ahead, led by Jeff.

���"You making it?" He asks, his hand coming to perch gently on my shoulder. I nod, unable to catch enough breath to be able to speak. "Are you sure?" Again, I nod. Do I really seem that pathetic that he has to double check with me? "Alright, let me know if you need anything or you arent feeling well, okay?"

���This time, I manage a winded "thank you."

���To that, Blaine gives me one more look over, then he sneaks up to the front, barely having to duck under the branches. "You know, we are actually on one of the hardest of the twenty trails. Definitely harder than the other cabins paths. Im proud of us, team blue." Great. Thanks.

���By the time we reach the top, I am dripping in sweat and huffing for air. Desperately, Ive turned to Trent for help. But he just stares back at me, vaguely uncomfortable. Apparently we arent save your life close. If only Bas was with us,

���"We are late, but we reach!" Blaine announces at the sight of the other groups. Its a wide, circular clearing, with the many paths Blaine had mentioned branching off of it. Theres also a lookout, where you can see from Camp Sisterhood all the way to the damn parking lot. But thats it. Theres no Garden of Eden or a Fountain of Youth.

���"Can you believe we came all this way just to take in the view, as Nick says." I hear Sebastian complaining before Ive acknowledged his presence. All I can do is shake my head in response, still trying to steady my breathing. "And why do they call it a nature walk? Its a fucking hike!" He waits a beat for me to respond. All he gets is my labored breathing. "Maybe you should sit down." I allow myself to be helped to the ground by my friend. Bas waits, quietly, for me to calm down.

���"A fucking hike." I mutter, finally having oxygen in my lungs.

���He laughs, "right?"

���"All for the fucking view. Im going to have to shower after this."

���"Dont even talk to me about those showers. Theyre so dank." Bas groans.

���"Please, dont start talking like a frat boy already." I reprimand him, even though hes right. Those showers are grimy and smelly and, well, dank.

���"Green group!" Sebastians attention is caught by Nicks call. "Lets go, were heading down this way." I see nick pointing to the trail my group recently conquered.

���I pat my friend on the knee. "Good luck." Wearily, he follows his cabin mates, their collective treading raising up dust around me. When Ive rubbed away the dust in my eyes, I open them to find Blaine is standing in front of me.

���"You feeling better?" He asks, kneeling to be at my seated height.

���"Oh, yeah, Im fine." I nod, trying to be nonchalant about the sweat stains on my shirt.

���"Thats good." Blaine says, squeezing my knee. I watch his hand resting there, its warm and almost comforting, until he moves it to sit by my side. "Enjoying the view?" He starts creating small talk. I try to focus on his words, instead of the fact hes making small talk with me, our shoulders touching. I force a smile and lie about how I love it. "You think its stupid, too, huh?"

���"What? No, its great."

���Blaine chuckles. Its deep in his chest, but warm. "Its okay, I kinda hate it, too." Thats very new to me, since he seemed very cheery on the walk up, like a Disney World tour guide. "Wes was super pumped about the whole nature walk," he says the words as if theyre as absurd as Bas and I thought them to be. "And its my job to be super pumped about everything hes super pumped about. And to look out for you and Trent, of course. The babies of team blue." Great, now Im a baby. Flattering. "So, youre sure youre okay?" I nod. "Do you want some of my water?" I do very much, but I decline the offer, trying to be less like a needy baby that he has to look out for. "If we head back now, you can make it? Were taking an easier trail down."

���"Yeah, Ill be fine."

���"Okay." Blaine hops to his feet, then extends a hand to help me. Because, Im the baby that he has to look out for. "Team blue, lets roll out." He calls, pointing down a new trail.

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���After the nature walk from hell, I took a much needed shower, showing up a half hour late to lunch. Bas is still there, his food consumed, chatting with two older guys. "Look who finally made it." He teases, making room for me. "Guys, this is Kurt. Hes also a freshman." The patronizing looks they give me are aggravating. "This is Trevor and Seth." I recognize the latter from the campfire last night. "They just invited me to join their flag football team tonight."

���"Oh, lovely." I force a tight smile for them both, despite being very not in the mood.

���"You should sign up, too." Trevor offers.

���I want to roll my eyes at him. Thats never going to happen. "Oh, thats okay. Flag football isnt exactly for me."

���Trevor frowns, but only for a moment. "Well, you should at least come watch."

���"Will do." Although, I dont plan to.

���"Great, see you guys tonight."

���"Later, guys." Sebastian waves at his new friends as they leave. "So, why were you so late to lunch?"

���"Shower." I snap at him, popping a grape into my mouth.

���My friend nods, noting my irritated demeanor. "Okay, dare I ask, whats with the attitude?"

���I roll my eyes and sigh, but I still scan the mess hall to make sure it is safe to tell him. Blaine, I note, is on the other end of the mess hall talking to someone I dont recognize. I lean in to whisper with my friend. "Do you know what Blaine said to me?"

���"Whos Blaine?" He asks, matching my furtive demeanor.

���Again, I sigh. "My cabin leader." Bas nods and prompts me to continue. "He pretty much called all of the freshmen babies that he has to take care of, like were some significant burden on his fun."

���Bas reaches to steal one of my grapes, but I smack his hand away. "Im sure he didnt mean it like that."

���I shake my head, sure of Blaines intentions. "He was mocking me."

���My friend rolls his eyes at me, "why would he do that? Hes a cabin leader of Camp Brotherhood. Not Camp Senior Hazing. It was probably nothing."

���"I guess." I concur, only because I fear Bas has bought too far into this camp and will only end up mad at me if I persist. Being here is a little bit like being in the Twilight Zone. After that, theres quiet between us as I eat.

���"Hey," he starts up again. "Do you think the game tonight will be shirts and skins?"

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���Following lunch with Sebastian, I opt to retire to my cabin. Considering how little interest I have in the planned afternoon activities, Im thankful that I thought to pack a sketch pad and some lead. The cabin itself is quiet, although I can hear the voices of the other boys carrying in from outside. The loneliness is soothing in a place where togetherness is so forced. Its enough to occupy me until dinner, in which Bas says he missed me at the game and Trent reminds me that I cant only come out for food. He thinks people will start to talk and hes in no position to dissuade any rumors.

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���The second most dreadful thing of the day, the nature walk being first, occurred promptly after dinner. Cabin time. Blaine sat us all down and announced that tonights game is Two Truths and One Lie. He went first, leading by example.

���"I am fluent in five languages. I am the shortest member of the sophomore class. I hid a pet in my dorm for a whole semester without getting caught, which none of you should ever do." He directed that towards Trent and I.

���Jeff was the first to take a whack at Blaines proposition. "The second one is the lie, because youre a junior."

���"Fuck." Blaine scrunches his face in defeat, but laughs. "Thats a good point. That wasnt my intended lie, but Jeff is right. I fucked up and forgot how old I am. Sorry, guys." A sophomore, whom Ive learned is named George, guesses that hiding the pet is the lie, to which Blaine denies. "I only have full fluency in three languages."

���"Oh, only three." Eli mocks.

���"Alright, Eli, why dont you go next then." Blaine challenges.

���And go he did. They all did. Everyone gave such interesting facts. If I didnt know any better, I wouldve thought them all to be lies. As Blaine picks us off, one by one, I almost want to embellish my truths a bit. But, when he calls on me, "last, but most assuredly not least," I panic.

���"Uhm, I have a brother, I won nationals for my cheer team and Ive never had any alcoholic drinks." Which just makes me sound super lame.

���"Kuuurrrt," Blaine actually whines, startling the shit out of me. Its only Monday and already I have the cabin leader whining my name. Sebastian would be proud. "Save your Never Have I Evers for next week." Blushing, I apologize, although I can tell hes joking. "Its okay. But, I am calling you out on the cheerleading."

���Jeff raises a hand, "I second that. Theres no fucking way."

���Two Truths and One Lie has a way of making people feel so cunning. With a sly grin, I inform them that theyve guessed wrong. I was Cheerio for just a few months, but it was a good few months.

���Eli shrugs, "Im not surprised. Bottoms are always best flexible." Everyone opts to ignore Eli, much to my gratification. Another guy tries to forge on by proposing another guess, but Eli refuses to be ignored. "He does have a cheerleader body."

���"Down, boy." Blaine commands to Eli. "Owen, you were saying..."

���The guy, Owen, continues with his guess. "Do you not have a brother?"

���I shake my head. "No, I do."

���"Of course he does." Blaine interjects. "Uh, Owen, we are currently sitting at Camp Brotherhood, Casa de Team Blue. We are all brothers. Duh." One of his truths couldve been that he can be incredibly sassy.

���"Clearly, Spanish is not one of the three languages." Eli jokes.

���"C�llate." Blaine commands, causing Eli to raise his hands in surrender. Rubbing at his beard, Blaine pieces together the evidence. "I cant picture you drunk." He confesses.

���"It looks a lot like me crying over Bambi and then puking on the guidance councilor." I confess, before I realize that counts as over sharing. Luckily, though, the group laughs.

���"Kurt wins. Hit the showers, team blue. Or the dining hall for the next hour and a half. I suggest you consider 10:30 as lights out, but youre all adults. Do what you want. Just, remember, you have to stay on our campsite at 10:30. Dont wake up vacationing families." Blaine reminds us, as we disperse to do what we want with the night.

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���Having done my night routine between dinner and cabin time, I head straight for my bunk. As does Blaine. "Hey, Kurt," he begins, rummaging through his duffel bag. "I didnt see you around today. Where were you hiding out?"

���"Oh...Uh, here." My answer is dripping with apology, even though I owe him none. "I wasnt feeling well." I lie, because the way hes looking at me make me feel so guilty.

���"Are you okay? You shouldve let me know, instead of sitting in here alone. I have medicine and company keeping skills."

���Even though Im still kind of averse to Blaine after his baby comment, his antics and concern earn a smile from me, "its fine, I was just tired."

��"Ah, from the infamous nature walk, I assume." I nod. "Right, well, Ill let you get some sleep." He says that, but he doesnt move. Lingering, he watches me. "You strike me more as top, personally." Then he winks again and saunters away with his toothbrush.

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