Chapter 13 – The Camp Announcement
The school auditorium buzzed with excitement and chaos. Students of HVIS were packed shoulder to shoulder, their chatter bouncing off the polished walls as the principal stepped onto the stage, clipboard in hand. The lights dimmed, and a hush fell—well, mostly. Section E's usual energy leaked through every crack.
"Attention, students!" the principal's voice boomed. "This year's annual inter-section camp will be held at Lakewood Adventure Grounds. All sections will stay together in assigned teams. Cooperation, teamwork, and strategy will determine the winners."
As the students groaned collectively, JJ muttered under her breath, "Great… more chaos. Just what I needed."
Keifer, leaning against the edge of the stage, smirked at her from across the auditorium. "Sounds like a lot of hard work for someone so delicate," he teased, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
JJ shot him a glare. "Delicate? You're hallucinating again, Watson."
Keifer leaned a little closer, lowering his voice just for her. "Or maybe… my wifey is going to impress me."
JJ blinked. "Wifey? Shut up, you gago!"
Keifer chuckled, unbothered, and before she could retaliate further, he grabbed her hand and tugged her toward a quiet corridor behind the auditorium.
"Keifer! What are you—"
He silenced her with a quick kiss, bold and unexpected. JJ's eyes widened, cheeks flushed, and she shoved him playfully.
"You are impossible!" she hissed, though her voice wavered slightly.
"I only punish profanity like that," he murmured, smirking. "Consider this a… disciplinary action."
JJ groaned dramatically, shaking her head as Keifer gave her hand a gentle squeeze. "Next time… just next time," he whispered before leading her back toward the gym lockers, ensuring no one followed them.
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Teams and Chaos
When they returned, the chaos resumed. Sections A and E had been paired for the camp, meaning Aries, Percy, Freya, Rakhi, Kiko, and Mychel from Section A were placed alongside Keifer, JJ, Cin, Felix, Rory, David, Eman, and Calix from Section E.
Freya, standing with her arms crossed and a huff of disdain, spoke loudly enough for everyone to hear, "I do not want to stay with this… this… group. I have standards, you know. I can't tolerate incompetence!"
JJ snorted. "Good luck surviving, princess. Chaos doesn't care about standards."
Everyone laughed, even the usually grumpy Aries, though he muttered under his breath, "Stay away from Keifer, JJ…"
Percy, ignoring his brother, grinned mischievously at JJ. "Thank God we're in the same camp, baby sistah. Otherwise… what would you have done without seeing my handsome face every day?"
JJ rolled her eyes so hard it almost hurt. "Percy, just… die quietly."
Keifer, noticing the banter, smirked at JJ. "See? Even your brothers can't handle you without me noticing."
JJ glared, pushing him slightly. "I'm fine, Watson. Just… fine."
---
Camp Day 1
School bus reached the campsite, some students were happy some were being dragged by their friends.
After assignments were announced, students were split into groups to organize tents, food supplies, and camp activities. JJ found herself reluctantly paired with Keifer, Percy, Aries, and some of Section E's boys.
"Don't touch that!" Percy yelled, wielding a roll of rope like it was a sword. "I only allow my baby sistah to handle the rope first!"
Aries rolled his eyes, muttering, "She doesn't need you hovering, Percy. And JJ… stay away from Keifer, seriously."
JJ snorted. "Aries, don't pretend like you care. I'll handle myself."
Keifer, leaning against a nearby post, winked at her. "I don't doubt that… wifey."
JJ groaned, muttering "Gago" under her breath as she shoved him. He caught her hand, tugging her close for a brief, teasing kiss before letting go.
Felix and Rory, nearby, whispered to each other, smirking. "This is going to be fun. They're basically a walking soap opera."
Cin rolled his eyes. "Try not to kill each other before the camp even starts."
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Team Reactions
Freya continued to complain loudly, Kiko rolled her eyes, and David tried desperately to mediate.
But the chaos escalated further when Percy decided to test their tent setup skills by swinging JJ around "to check balance."
JJ shrieked. "Percy! Get me down! I am NOT your action figure!"
Keifer stepped in immediately, catching her when Percy went too far. "Careful with my wifey, or I won't just scold you."
JJ's eyes narrowed, half-annoyed, half-amused. "You said it… not me, Watson."
Aries muttered to himself, watching the spectacle. "She's going to drive us all insane."
Keifer whispered to JJ as they set up the tent together, their hands brushing. "You do realize I'm not letting anyone touch you anymore, right?"
JJ smirked. "Try as you might, Watson. You're not the boss of me… even if you are infuriatingly attractive."
---
By the end of the day, the camp area was chaotic, loud, and full of laughter. Students were running around, arguing over tent placement, food, and chores, but somehow, Section A and Section E were already forming bonds amidst the chaos.
Freya was still complaining, Percy was still loud and dramatic, Aries was grumpy yet protective, and Keifer was teasing JJ endlessly. JJ, exhausted but exhilarated, realized something: she had never experienced this much chaos and fun in her life, and strangely enough… she didn't want it any other way.
As the sun dipped below the horizon, casting warm hues over the campgrounds, JJ and Keifer stood side by side, surveying the madness. Percy shouted something incomprehensible about "baby sistah's safety," Aries muttered about "keeping her away from Keifer," and JJ muttered back, laughing, "This is literally insane."
Keifer leaned closer, voice low and teasing. "Insane… like us?"
JJ rolled her eyes but couldn't hide the small smile tugging at her lips. "Yeah… like us."
And somewhere in the chaos, Section E and Section A knew one thing for sure: this camp would be unforgettable.