“Thanks…” Kylie gingerly picked up the sawdust-like cookie.
Raelynn glanced down, “Sorry. That’s all they had.”
“No!” Kylie leaned forward to hug Raelynn, praying that none of their cabin mates were awake. “It’s amazing! Thanks for doing this for me-”
Raelynn smiled a little bit. “You’re 16. Have a name yet?” Kylie cursed to themself, they had promised… hadn’t they?
Kylie forced a smile, admittedly they were excited to finally change their name, but also a little afraid. “Kai. Thanks for your support Raelynn!”
Raelynn hummed and gently took Kai’s hand, “Perfect. You really need to become more confident.”
Kai snorted at this, “In a conversion camp? I’m supposed to be confidently non-binary in a gay conversion camp.” They shook their head.
Raelynn pouted, “I’m trying to be motivational! Can you just listen for once?”
Behind them, Kai heard one of the campers, Jewel, shift and mutter something. Kai turned to Raelynn, a worried look on their face, “Shh. We best get to bed. In case someone were to come in…”
Raelynn rolled her eyes, “No one is going to come in. And I have something for you.”
“What?” Kai cocked their eyebrow, “How did you manage such a thing?” They did this sometimes. Started talking in some strange accent and speaking in such formal tones.
Raelynn merely grinned at them. “It doesn’t matter,” She winked, “I have sources!” She crawled over to her bunk and carefully took out a small package. Then she threw it at Kai. “Open it!”
Kai laughed quietly as they picked up the small parcel and opened it. Then she gasped. “Raelynn!” It was a small sketchpad and a pack of pencils- probably stolen from the art cabin. And on the first page was a sketch of Kai. It was beautiful. It captured their elfish face, dark braided locks of hair, and chocolatey skin. Even their eyes were drawn perfectly- hundreds of shades of brown and hazel mixed together, in a shining expression Kai wished they were happy enough to wear.
The two of them had bonded over art and drawing- they had met while Raelynn was 14 and Kai was 15. It was both of their first years at camp. They both had art as their activity that day. Kai had wandered in aimlessly, not knowing what to do. Raelynn, despite being younger, had taken Kai underneath her wing, as she had already been there a few weeks. From then on, the two of them had spent almost every second together- and when they had their first cabin rotation- they were thrilled to find they were in the same cabin. .,
The next page was a sketch of Raelynn. Raelynn used to be pale- when she came to camp anyway. By now her skin was a much darker tan. She had light brown hair, also braided (as was most of the girls’ hair at the camp), and green eyes. Raelynn used to have glasses. She had used them to help her read. But not too long in, they had gotten broken by one of the older girls. The counselors had done nothing. Kai hated them for it- among a bunch of other reasons as to why they hated the consolers. But Raelynn had been so kind and innocent when she had arrived- she didn’t deserve this. Most of the girls didn’t.
“Do you like it?” Raelynn was pressed up against their side. Peering at the notebook in their hands.
Kai smiled. “Thank you so much!” They smiled and wrapped their arms around Raelynn.
Raelynn smiled back. “You’re welcome. One year in this hell hole. You deserve it.”
Of course- That ruined to mood. This hell hole. Such an understatement. From the outside, it may look like a normal summer camp. But most summer camps didn’t force you to go to church every Sunday and during the week. They didn’t physically punish kids for being who they were. “Yeah-” Their voice quavered. “I guess.”
“Idiots!” A hand hit the back of Kai’s shoulders. Kai whipped around. Jewel was awake. Her icy blue eyes glinted in the dark. “Do you have any idea of what would happen to you if King walked in?”
Kai rolled their eyes, “We were careful!”
“No. You weren’t,” Jewel rolled her eyes, “Please. Just go to bed. I don’t want to see either of you hurt-” her eyes softened. “Kai.”
Kai snorted but stood up to go to their bed all the same. “You were listening.”
“And what if I was?” Jewel winked, “Best you be more careful!”
“Okay! Okay!” Kai slipped off their coat. “I’ll be more careful.”
Raelynn was already climbing up to the top of her bunk, “‘Night Kai, Jewel.”
“Night Raelynn,” Jewel and Kai echoed.
Kai settled underneath the warm sheets, still able to hear the other girl they shared the cabin with, Liz, snoring softly above them. And Kai actually smiled. Even in this hell hole. Her birthday wasn’t that bad.
The morning was normal. A camp counselor stormed in and screamed at them to get up and get ready- before stomping away almost as soon as all four of them were up and getting dressed. Liz was complaining loudly about the short pink crop top as she slipped it over the black tank top she was wearing. The camp uniform was a black tank top, pink crop top, black mini skirt, and yellow sneakers. The girls were required to braid their hair or put it in a ponytail at the very least.
Jewel was wearing her black riding pants and short boots. “What do you have for 1st activity today?” Jewel asked, picking up her helmet, “I have horse riding.”
Liz grabbed a bathing suit and towel and shoved it into a duffel bag. “Swimming, then prayer, then breakfast.”
“Oh.” Kai was disappointed, “I have prayer, breakfast, then morning walk.”
Raelynn was quiet, “Breakfast first. Then horse riding, then prayer.”
Jewel sighed, “I don’t think our schedules line up this week.”
“No…” Everyone jumped as the warning bell sounded.
“Bye!”
Kai’s smile faded as soon as Liz, Raelynn, and Jewel were out of sight. They hated the way the consoler looked at them in disgust- gay wasn’t a sin. And it wasn’t Kai’s fault that they were non-binary. Honestly.
The church was the length of a good walk away. Kai walked in quietly and took a seat in one of the pews. All of the girls were required to sit in a separate pew, with a boy. Something about boys and girls praying the gay away together was more effective. And since Kai was thought of as a girl, some random boy they had never seen before slipped into the pew next to them, not saying anything, just staring straight ahead of him, trying his hardest not to look at them. Kai crossed their arms and leaned back, They hated this with a burning passion.
King walked in. Of course. He always was in charge of the morning prayers. Yet another person Kai hated. King was one of the classic racist, homophobic, camp leaders.
He started his lecture by going on and on about balance in marriage, about being perfect the way god designed you.
Kai ignored him. They leaned back in their seat, rolling their eyes in exasperation. They had heard the same lecture almost every day for a year. It was enough to drive anyone crazy. That was- until someone mentioned Kai’s affliction.
“Like her?” A really annoying blonde asked, pointing at Kai.
Kai fumed, “It’s they,” they hissed to themself.
King nodded, “Exactly, Kylie, is afflicted by a longing to be something she is not. Kylie, are you feeling any better about it yet?”
“No,’ Kai muttered. But they didn’t say it too loud. They threw on a fake smile, “Yes. I feel that god is really getting through to me now!” They giggled, wanting to kill themself even more.
King hummed at this, “Good. Now…” Kai slumped back into their seat.
------ ----
RAELYNN
Raelynn ate her cereal slowly, the spoon almost dropping to the floor several times as she failed to pay attention to what she was doing.
“You okay?” A girl asked to her right. All the girls tried their best to help one another, as they were all there for the same thing. Being part of the LGBTQ+ community. This girl had short-cropped auburn hair, brown eyes, and pale skin.
Raelynn sighed and leaned back, “Yeah…” She said softly, standing up to throw away her tray.
“What do you have next?” The girl asked, following her.
Raelynn tossed her food in the trash. “Horse riding.”
‘Me too! I’m new here- where are the horses?”
“Come with me. My name is Raelynn,” Raelynn flashed a smile at the girl.
The girl beamed back, “Becca.”
Becca. Raelynn would feel bad leaving her.
You're laughing.
They are suffering existential edge,
AND YOU'RE LAUGHING.
time for you to know that both my humor and my characters' humor are broken.