Chapter 17 – The Morning After Baracudda
Morning at camp arrived like nothing happened.
Which was honestly suspicious.
The sun was bright, birds were loud again, and the bonfire had reduced itself into sleepy ashes like it also wanted to forget last night.
JJ woke up slowly inside the tent, blinking at the ceiling like she was buffering.
"Why do I feel like I fought a war…" she muttered.
Outside—
Silence.
Then chaos.
"BABY SISTAAAAH IS AWAKEEEE!" Percy's voice exploded like a grenade.
JJ sat up instantly. "Why is he screaming so early…"
Aries was already standing outside the tent, arms crossed, expression dead inside. "Good morning."
JJ squinted at him. "Why do you look like you saw a ghost."
Aries: "Because I did."
JJ paused. "That's dramatic."
"It's accurate."
---
The Moment JJ Learns Nothing
She stepped out of the tent.
And immediately—
Silence.
Everyone stared.
JJ blinked. "Why is everyone looking at me like I burned the camp?"
Felix slowly raised his hand. "Define 'burned'."
JJ frowned. "What?"
Rory whispered, "She doesn't remember."
Cin nodded slowly. "She definitely doesn't remember."
JJ crossed her arms. "Remember what."
Percy gasped dramatically. "SHE HAS AMNESIA AFTER BECOMING A CULT LEADER."
JJ: "A WHAT?"
Keifer, standing slightly away, finally looked at her.
Calm.
Too calm.
Just a faint smirk.
"Morning," he said.
JJ narrowed her eyes. "Why do you look entertained?"
Keifer: "Because I survived."
JJ: "That's not an answer."
Aries stepped in immediately. "Don't ask."
JJ slowly turned her head. "Aries."
Aries: "No."
JJ: "What happened."
Aries: "Absolutely not."
---
Percy Enters Full Chaos Mode
Percy jumped in front of her like a documentary host.
"BABY SISTAH. LAST NIGHT YOU SUMMONED A SPIRIT."
JJ blinked. "I did what?"
"You said BARACUDDA!"
JJ: "What is baracudda."
Silence.
Then Felix whispered, "It's her."
JJ: "HER?"
Rory: "It's… complicated."
Cin: "We almost died."
JJ stared at them. "You all are insane."
Percy nodded proudly. "YES. BUT YOU WERE THE FINAL BOSS."
JJ slowly turned to Keifer. "Tell me this is a joke."
Keifer tilted his head slightly. "Not entirely."
JJ narrowed her eyes further. "Watson."
Keifer shrugged. "You tried to sacrifice Percy."
JJ: "…I did NOT."
Percy: "YOU CHOSE ME FIRST!"
JJ: "That's a lie."
Aries: "It's not."
JJ slowly turned to her brother. "Traitor."
Aries: "Survivor."
---
The Truth Starts Coming Out
One by one, pieces of last night started leaking out like bad memory flashbacks.
Cin spoke carefully. "You tried to drag me into the fire."
JJ: "Excuse me?"
Rory added quickly. "You called us all… non-virgins suspiciously."
JJ froze. "I would never say that."
Felix: "You did."
JJ slowly turned pale. "That's not my personality."
Percy: "IT WAS YOUR BARACUDDA PERSONALITY."
JJ: "STOP SAYING THAT WORD."
Keifer, watching all this, finally said casually:
"You also chased me around the fire."
JJ stared at him.
"…I did what."
He nodded. "Very aggressively."
Silence.
JJ slowly sank onto a log. "I want to leave this camp."
---
The Final Blow – Keifer's Calm Revenge
Keifer leaned slightly closer.
"You also called me something."
JJ: "What."
He smirked faintly.
"Hubby."
Entire camp: 💀
Percy screamed instantly. "OH THIS IS THE PART I REMEMBER CLEARLY!"
JJ stood up so fast the log almost fell. "I DID NOT."
Aries: "You did."
JJ: "I AM LEAVING THE PLANET."
Felix: "Please take us with you."
Rory: "Same."
---
Teasing Level: Maximum
From that moment—
JJ's life ended.
Not literally.
Emotionally.
Percy followed her everywhere. "BABY SISTAH, DO YOU REMEMBER YOUR SACRED ROLE AS BARACUDDA?"
JJ: "STOP."
Cin smirked every time he saw her. "Almost sacrificed us. Respect."
JJ: "I DIDN'T."
Keifer, worst of all, stayed calm and occasionally just said:
"Careful, wifey."
JJ would immediately throw something at him.
Aries was permanently in protective mode. "Do NOT provoke her."
Keifer: "I'm not provoking. I'm reminding."
Aries: "That's worse."
---
JJ's Denial Era Begins
By afternoon, JJ had fully entered denial phase.
"I was clearly possessed."
Percy: "By romance."
JJ: "NO."
Rory: "By chaos."
JJ: "NO."
Cin: "By alcohol."
JJ: "Probably."
Keifer: "By me."
JJ froze.
Slowly turned.
"Say that again."
Keifer: "No."
---
Ending – Camp Never Recovers
As the day went on, laughter slowly replaced trauma.
Even Aries stopped being fully grumpy.
Ella just smiled quietly at everything.
But JJ?
JJ was still in recovery mode.
Every time Percy whispered "Baracudda," she threatened violence.
Every time Keifer said "wifey," she denied reality.
Every time someone mentioned fire, Cin flinched.
And somewhere in all that chaos—
Keifer kept watching her.
Not teasing.
Not joking.
Just… watching.
Like he was remembering something she didn't. Their moment at night.
And maybe that was the real chaos of the camp.
Not Baracudda.
Not the fire.
But the fact that JJ Mariano had become the center of everyone's memories…
Even the ones she forgot.