Camp Orion, Part 4
When they arrived back at their cabin, Zach wasn't there, but the bunks were all otherwise occupied, most of their inhabitants already asleep. Immediately, Mark grabbed a towel and headed for the communal showers. Chris stripped himself all clothing but his boxers, readied a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt and applied deodorant.
This, of course, is when Zach chose to amble in, eyeing him without even trying to hide it. "Can I talk to you outside?"
"Let me get dressed," Chris mumbled in reply and, thankfully, Zach headed back out. Chris could feel his whole body blushing, even as he put on his pajamas and tried to calm down.
Chris joined him on the porch a moment later. He was sitting on the steps, his back to Chris, smoking. Chris plopped down beside him, at a notable and safe distance.
"I want to apologize," Zach said on an exhale.
"Does everyone here smoke?"
"Focus. Please," Zach said sharply and Chris frowned, but nodded his head to indicate Zach should continue, "I was kind of a jackass. I get like that sometimes. But, if I have to be in the same bunk as you for the rest of the summer, you should probably get used to it. I've pissed a lot of people off in the twenty-two years I've been alive, but that's just the way I am."
"Pretentious," Chris mumbled under his breath, "Assuming, arrogant, purposely flippant, manipulative..."
"Okay, first of all, if you're going to be a jackass back, at least do it so I can hear you. And second of all, I think you're reading way too much into what happened between us today. I was kind of a jerk, but I'm worse to most people. You can't expect me to tiptoe around your feelings, especially having just met you. And you can't trust Mark's opinion of me. It's...biased."
"How so?"
"He and Jonathan are the same age. They live in the same town, go to the same school. Mark was homeschooled until two or so years ago, he met Jonathan and they used to be good friends. But," Zach sighed, propping his elbows on his knees and putting his chin in his hands, "Jonathan's understanding of our relationship and mine differ. He thinks he has to lie to people his age, make it sexual, or else people won't believe him."
"What's the deal between the two of you anyway? Are you..."
"Like I said... it's complicated. I got him out of a bad spot two years ago, he and Mark both. Mark's taken a shine to me since then, but Jonathan even more so. What happened... It damaged him. Deeply. He's very fragile and very dangerous at the same time. No one really knows what to do with him. His parents, the rest of the faculty here, definitely the people at his school back home. I feel like I'm all he has, sometimes. But, it's like he made it that way on purpose. He made himself believe that I'm the only person he can trust. And it's a lot to bear. I... I don't know what to do," he said, the last part coming out in almost a whisper, "So I just let him think what he wants."
"You've gone along with him lying about a sexual relationship with you for the past two years because you're afraid of hurting his feelings? Zach, that is so...fucked up. You could get in so much trouble," Chris shook his head.
"If anyone cared enough about him to report me, yeah. You're right. I could. But--"
"And you play it off by acting all flippantly attractive with everyone else to lower suspicion. That's just sick. You're waiting for this whole thing to blow up in your face, which it will."
"I know," Zach said quietly, "But I don't know what else to--"
"I keep telling him it's a disaster waiting to happen, too," Said Mark, stepping up between them, onto the porch, "But everyone seems focused on Johnny's feelings and not his fucking mental well being, so not a lot I could do without ruining a lot of people."
"How long have you been listening?" Zach snapped.
"Long enough, I'm well versed in the Tragedy of Jonathan Groff already, though," He reached for the door, "What happened...it happened to me too. And I'm not all that fucked up for it. There's a time to stop letting the past effect you, put your foot down, and move on with your life. And that time has long passed for him. Your heart is in the right place, but you're weak, Zach. You're a fucking enabler. If I didn't know you so well, if I so much as doubted your feelings where Jonathan was concerned, I would've reported you a long time ago. But I won't see a good man suffer because he's to damn softhearted to stand up for himself. Toughen yourself up, get out of the situation, but stop dragging other people into it. There's nothing Chris can do, you've done nothing more than saddle him with your stupid problems," And with that, Mark went inside, letting the screen door slam behind him.
"I understand where he's coming from," Zach said, "I don't tell just anyone. But I feel...I feel like I can trust you."
"I won't tell anyone," Chris shrugged, "No one to tell, really. I'm sorry about what happened, but it doesn't change anything. My guard is up. You're not going to hurt me, and you don't have any power over me. So, do me a favor and leave me alone."
"I..." Zach closed his eyes and whispered, "I don't want to. You're the first person I... I don't know what it is, but... I trust you. Entirely. I want to get to know you better. I want to be around you more."
"And I don't want to be saddled with your problems," Chris shrugged, rising from his spot on the porch.
"Wait," Zach said, grabbing his arm gently, "Please. I know I'm screwed up, but you're different. I don't...I don't want to lose this. I don't know what it is. And I know I'm being weird. But I'm drawn to you. I don't feel the way I do around you with anyone or anything else."
"You've known me," Chris said carefully, "For half a day."
"I know," Zach replied, shaking his head, "I know it's weird but... Can I kiss you? Please?"
Chris snorted at him, but blushed deeply anyway, "If I'd known Drama Camp was full hormonally charged, sexually curious males, I would've started going years ago. I'm getting more action in the past two hours than I've had in the past eighteen years."
And he let Zachary kiss him. Immediately, he felt something different than with Mark. Mark had been a good kisser, and it had felt really nice, but this warmth crept up in Chris' chest and spread through the rest of his body, just from lip to lip contact. A closed-mouth kiss!
Zach rested his forehead against Chris', their lips seperating, and for a moment they just panted against one another's mouths. "You're blushing," Zach said, sounding amused, "All over."
"Yeah," Chris said, "We should probably go inside."
"One more kiss," Zach said, almost pleading. He leaned forward, but Chris leaned back and stood abruptly.
"Nah," Chris said evenly, "I think I'm going to make you earn it from here on out." He went in, went to bed, and slept soundly.
"Makeover time!" Mark yelled, diving onto Chris' bed. He bounced once, twice, before hitting his head on the top bunk and collapsing on top of him. "C'mon, get upppp!"
"Awright, 'm up! Geroff me!" Chris exclaimed, still flailing in a half asleep panic. The cabin was, once again, otherwise empty. He was only a little disappointed to not see Zach there.
"Showers, c'mon let's go!"
"Lemme grab some clothes. Jesus."
"Already taken care of, c'mon!"
Mark dragged Chris to the showers, where he all but stripped him down and shoved him in a stall. He kept opening the curtain to shove things at him. A pine-scented moisturizer, Head and Shoulders, a disposable razor and shaving creme ("Get that scruff off your face, Pine. It's not a good look for you."), and some exfoliant.
As Chris climbed out and dried off, Mark was arranging several items on the sink, immediately coming at him with a pair of scissors. "Woah," Chris said, ducking out of the way. Mark crouched on top of him, pinning him to the floor.
"Trust me," he said.
And Chris let him go at it, cutting about an inch of hair off all around, getting it above his ears, closely cropped. Then, he ran a handfull of gel through his still wet hair, attacked him with a blow dryer, and supplied him with a black t-shirt, loose light jeans, torn at one knee, black converses and socks.
Finally dressed, clean shaven, plucked, cut and exfoliated within and inch of his life, Mark let him see himself in the mirror. Chris was slightly overweight, but he carried it well. His arms were fairly well defined, which made the shirt do great things for him. The jeans were lose enough to look and feel comfortable and the shoes completed the look. His hair looked a lot lighter and was gently spiked away from his face in every direction, looking tastefully dishevelled. His features were more clearly visible without the distraction of stubble, bringing his bright blue eyes and well rounded, pink lips into focus. He blushed at the prospect of actually finding himself...attractive.
"Wow," Chris said, incredulous, "Wow."
"I know," Mark nodded from behind him, grabbing his ass and squeezing, "I do good work, don't I?"
Chris squirmed away from the touch, turning an even deeper shade of pink, "Hey, watch it!"
"So... you kissed him last night," Mark said casually.
"How did you know?"
"My bed is right by the door. Good on you for resisting him, though. Just the one kiss, I'm seriously impressed," Mark nodded at him, "So...uh...how do I compare?"
"I think, in theory...well, and practice, too, you're a better kisser. I'm just more attracted to him. It was better for me because of that, I think," Chris was red at this point.
"Maybe I'll get another chance to outshine him," Mark smirked, "But right now, it's time for breakfast. Me and you are due for a grand enterance."
"You and I," Chris corrected him as they headed for the door.
"Hey, Chris?"
"Yeah?"
"Shut up."
Chris felt brave, cocky for some reason, like a persona had taken hold of him. Suddenly, he was dangerous, sexy, could get away with whatever he wanted. "Maybe you should make me," he teased.
"Good god, you're gonna be a total slut by the end of the summer, aren't you?" Mark laughed, "Later, my boy, later. I'm too hungry to care about getting any right now."
They walked down to the Mess Hall in silence. Chris wondered about what had happened to Mark and Jonathan; it worried him. Yet, he knew that if he asked, Mark would evade. He did feel confident that Mark would say something when he was ready, but in the meantime, he'd just have to wait it out.
Breakfast was simple, a bar lined with fruit, cold pastries, and cereal with milk, orange juice, and coffee. They went to the same place they'd sat the last time, but seemed to attract a lot more attention this time. Chris could feel his whole body tingling with the attention, and a deep blush already covered his cheeks. He found Zach in the crowd, and found his eyes on him, inspecting, pleased with the results. He met Chris' gaze and grinned leacherously, unable to help it, before schooling his expression into something more tame and platonic.
Beside him sat Jonathan.
And his eyes were drilling holes into Chris.