It was a poetically pretty day. Sun shining. Birds chirping.. Lilypad sat up in her bed and stretched. Sprite, Dot, and Muffin were already awake. She looked through the organizer hanging from the back of her bed for accessories-how she picked out her outfit’s theme for the day-and found barrettes with pink, yellow, and blue buttons on them. Lilypad got dressed in sky blue overalls, a pink short-sleeved blouse, and socks with a patchwork pattern in the same colors as her barrettes. 

During the walk to the dining hall, Lilypad made small talk with Sprite. The second she sat down, she heard a familiar voice. “Lilypad?” 

Ah. Aurora, a junior counselor and her older sister. She hadn’t been avoiding Aurora necessarily, but she wasn’t too happy to see her either. It wasn’t like she disliked her sister, but every time they were together, it was like people were constantly comparing them and coming to the conclusion that Aurora was just better.

Aurora was tall and slender. Lilypad was anything but. Aurora was polite, responsible, and always said the right thing at the right time. Lilypad couldn’t get her head out of the clouds or keep her mouth shut. 

None of it was Aurora’s fault-she didn’t like it any more than Lilypad did. But she couldn’t help trying to separate herself from her sister.

Sprite nudged her. “Is that your sister?”

Ah, here it comes. The two didn’t even look that similar! Sure, they were both pale-skinned and blonde, but Aurora’s hair was a far lighter blonde with pink, green and blue streaks, like an aurora borealis. Aurora’s eyes were a pale, desaturated green, while Lilypad’s were sky-blue. The similarities were barely there. 

Lilypad sighed. “Yes, this is Aurora.”

Aurora waved. “You’re one of the other CITs?”

Sprite nodded and reached across the table to shake her hand. “Yep! I’m Sprite, it’s nice to meet you.” She gestured to the person sitting next to Aurora, who was looking rather miserable. “Is this another junior counselor?”

“Yes, that’s Jade.” Jade didn’t even look up upon hearing her name. She had dull blue eyes, wavy brown hair in a messy ponytail, and wore a camp t-shirt-the logo faded, the worn fabric hanging off her bony shoulders. 

“Good morning, Jade.” Sprite waved to her, receiving a half-hearted mutter in return. 

Dot practically ran into the dining hall with Muffin and Zero. “Sorry I’m late, guys!”

The three of them sat with Lilypad and Sprite. Sprite gestured to Aurora. “We’ve been talking to Aurora, Lily’s sister. She’s a junior counselor.”

Aurora waved. “You’re Zero, right? I remember you! You were a junior counselor when I was a camper.” 

“I guess I was. You were Art Gallery?” 

She nodded. “That was a pretty great camp. And people thought you were my sibling, that was funny.”

Zero made a thinking face. “I mean, I can see it.” 

Lilypad wanted to yell “THANK YOU!” Zero and Aurora looked far more similar than herself and Aurora. Zero’s hair was even lighter blonde-almost white-and their eyes were light brown, similar in saturation to Aurora’s.

“What programs are you two with?” Dot asked.

“I’m with Art Gallery, Jade's with Explorers.” Aurora answered.

“Explorers-that’s the youngest group, right?” Sprite asked.

Jade looked up. “Uh huh. I don’t know why they put me with the little kids, they’re goddamn annoying.”

Aurora elbowed her. “Language.”

“I’m right!” Jade threw up her hands in exasperation.

“Well, I’m having a good time. What about you all?” 

Dot launched into an excited tirade about what they’d done so far, and Lilypad let herself zone out until Socks called her, Cricket, Flapjack, and Muffin for morning meds.

Aurora stood up quickly. “I can take them-I have to change my CGM and ask the health center staff something about my diabetes meds anyway.” 

Lilypad refused to let herself be frustrated by Aurora’s presence. It wasn’t worth it. 

In the health center, a camper walked up to Lilypad.. “I like your hair thingies!”

Lilypad looked up and smiled. “Oh, thank you!” She unclipped one of her barrettes and clipped it to the kid’s overalls. “Here, you can have one!” 

The kid’s eyes lit up, and she ran off. Lilypad turned to Muffin. “I guess that’s what the counselors were talking about? Kids think we’re awesome.” 

Muffin nodded wordlessly. Flapjack leaned in and added, “You didn’t feel like that when you were a camper? That CITs were the coolest people ever?” 

Lilypad shrugged, adjusting her barrettes. “I guess I did. I-”

“Didn’t think you’d become that cool one day? Me neither. But-” Flapjack propped their feet up on the bench across from them and leaned back. “We’re freakin’ awesome.”

Cricket looked at them skeptically. “Keep telling yourself that.”

“You just don’t wanna admit you’re part of the coolest CIT group this camp has ever seen!”

Cricket gave Lilypad and Muffin an “are you guys hearing this” look before opening her journal and writing something.

Flapjack rolled their eyes and stage-whispered, “She’s writing about how awesome we are, specifically, how awesome I am.”

Lilypad laughed, “I’m sure she is.”

Maple opened the door to the other half of the health center and called for Cricket. Upon seeing Maple, Muffin sat up straighter and her expression changed to something resembling a smile, which Lilypad appreciated-she got tense around Muffin’s neverending anxiety. She remembered Maple had been Muffin’s counselor at a previous camp, and clearly, Maple calmed Muffin down a lot. 

After finishing with morning meds, Socks took the four of them to the climbing tower, which was right next to the health center. Flapjack said, “It’s kinda smart they have it here, huh? I’m sure plenty of kids get hurt?”

Cricket responded, “I haven't heard of a single person getting hurt at climbing tower. The high adventure people are too competent for that.”

Flapjack snorted. “Did you forget who’s in charge of high adventure? Squirrel. You think she’s competent?”

Not missing a beat, Cricket responded, “Certainly more competent than you.” Without another word, she sat on a bench beside Artemis.

Flapjack sputtered in outrage and spun around, to face Zero, who was leaning against a tree with their eyes closed. “ARE YOU HEARING THIS?”

They opened their eyes. “What’s the problem?”

“CRICKET SAID I’M INCOMPETENT!? I am so competent, she has no idea what she’s talking about. What the freaking heck made her think that? Hmph.” 

Zero was entirely nonplussed. “I’m sorry she said that. I’m sure you’re very competent for a, er, fifteen-year-old.” 

“Thank you!!” Flapjack turned and pointed at Cricket. “TAKE THAT! They said I’m competent!” 

Cricket didn’t respond. All the other CITs, however, were barely holding back laughter. 

Rex clapped her hands and called out “CITs! Climbing tower time! I’m gonna turn y’all over to Sharky and Blaze now.” She gestured to Sharky, who sat on a tree stump fiddling with a helmet and Blaze, one of the other counselors on the high adventure team.

Blaze stepped up. “Hi everybody! I’m Blaze. I don’t think I know any of you, so I’m gonna have y’all tell me your name and one rule we have here at the climbing tower. I’m gonna start with you-very competent person with the red and black bandana.” She pointed at Flapjack.

“I’m Flapjack-and wear a helmet?” 

Blaze nodded. “Right! Sharky here”-Sharky waved and held up the helmet they’d been messing with-”will give those out in a minute. Next? Dragon shirt?” She pointed to Artemis. That went on for another few minutes, with Blaze coming up with rather entertaining descriptions for each of them-Lilypad was “buttons”.

Once the helmets and harnesses had been handed out, the first two people-Artemis and Sprite-got on the climbing wall. Sprite, the showoff she was, got to the top of the wall faster than Lilypad thought possible. At the top, she gave a goofy salute to everyone below. The rest of the CITs cheered as she climbed back down, landing on the ground and brushing her short, curly hair out of her eyes. 

She looked really cool; Lilypad found her face heating up. Sprite came and sat next to her. Lilypad stuttered out, “That was awesome! Do you-climb a lot?”

Sprite stretched. “Thanks! And yeah! I kinda do everything, but I do like climbing.” 

While they talked, Artemis finished climbing and joined Lilypad and Sprite on the bench. She adjusted the scrunchie holding her braids back. “That was fun! Nice job, Sprite, I don’t know how you did it that fast!”

“Oh, well, y’know, I’ve had a lot of practice.” Sprite was clearly trying to act humble, but Lilypad saw her brighten up from the compliment.

Blaze called out, “Who wants to go next?” 

Flapjack and Dot hopped up. After they finished, Cricket and Muffin went. Finally, when the two of them finished, Blaze looked at Lilypad and Avocado. “You two want to go?”

Avocado looked up from her sketchbook. “Nah. Don’t wanna.”

Lilypad hesitated. “I-don’t know.” She was quite unsure about this. Unsure about whether she was strong or flexible or able to balance enough to climb. Unsure whether the harness would even fit over her considerable hips and thighs. Unsure if any of that would lead to her getting made fun of-because how dare she be a fat girl who thought she could do things. 

Not that she’d show any of that, of course. It was too heavy for her to express at camp. “No thank you, I don’t feel like it today.” She smiled placatingly. 

Blaze didn’t argue, just shrugged and asked, “Anyone want to go again?”

Artemis and Sprite both raised their hands, and so the next half hour or so went by, Artemis and Sprite continuing to climb-evidently, they were the only ones who enjoyed it much. Lilypad couldn’t complain-she just sat, watching Sprite because, well, she looked cool! Not because she was really pretty or anything. Certainly not. And even if she was, it wasn’t like Lilypad would ever have a chance with her. 

After Sprite and Artemis had gotten off the wall a final time, both seeming quite tired, Blaze collected their helmets and harnesses. At the same time Sharky sauntered over to Zero, grabbed their walkie-talkie, and yelled, “REX! Wait-shit-she lost hers. Uh-Koala?”

Zero looked down at the spot their walkie-talkie had just been with a perplexed and slightly forlorn expression.

A moment later, Koala’s voice came over the walkie. “Language, Sharky.”

Sharky winced. “Ah-none of you heard that. Koala, come get your kids, I think they need to be fed.” 

“Alright, I’ll get them!” A few minutes later, Koala and Socks walked up. Sharky shoved Zero’s walkie-talkie back into their hands, grabbed their backpack, and ran off. Zero’s befuddled expression never left their face. 

“How was climbing?” Koala asked as she walked them to the dining hall.

Sprite spoke up. “Tiring, but fun!”

Artemis added, “Yeah, it was awesome! The climbing wall is great.”

Koala smiled. “Glad to hear it! Ready for lunch?” The CITs followed her to the dining hall. 

Lilypad sat beside Sprite, who, after pouring water for the whole table, downed her entire glass at once. Sprite wiped the sweat off her forehead and ran her fingers through her hair, fluffing up the curls that’d been flattened by her helmet. “It’s way too hot to be doing any sort of exercise. I need a shower.”

The whole table nodded. Sprite turned to Lilypad and asked, “How on Earth do you wear any sort of layer in this heat? I couldn’t do it.”

She shrugged. “Wearing, like, lighter fabric helps. The same way Muffin does it.” She gestured toward Muffin, who was, as usual, wearing long pants.

Artemis added, “Plus, you both wear pastels, which reflect the Sun instead of absorbing it.”

Flapjack gave her a shove. “Freaking nerd, of course you’d know that.”

“At least I’m not boiling alive wearing all black!” 

They seemed about to yell something in outrage, but after looking down at their outfit-which was a black T-shirt and black sweatpant shorts, Flapjack crossed their arms and sulked. 

After lunch, Lilypad was about to join the rest of the CITs in line to leave when the kid from the health center ran up to her. “Lilypad!”

“Oh? Hello!” 

The kid held something out to her-a green blob of those beads that fuse together when ironed. “I made this for you! It’s a frog ‘cause frogs like lilypads!”

“Thank you so much, this is adorable!” The kid ran back off to her group, and Lilypad turned around to join the CIT line, standing next to Sprite.

Sprite asked, “What’s that about? Make a new friend?”

She nodded. “ met her at the health center this morning.” Lilypad showed her what the kid had given her, which more so resembled a frog with three eyes and five mangled legs, all of which were falling off.

Sprite made an odd noise, and Lilypad looked up to see her trying not to laugh. “That’s…something.”

“She cared enough to make something for me! I’m so glad I came here.”

Sprite shrugged. “Fair point. I’m glad you’re here too. What do we have next, pool?”

Lilypad was about to respond when Rex said, “Alright, we’re gonna head to Pines to get changed for pool!” 

Muffin nodded, getting the box of sidewalk chalk and sitting on the ground.. “Do you want to draw anything in particular-or-”

Lilypad grabbed a green piece. “I’m thinking we draw everyone’s camp names!”

Muffin gave her a curious look, but shrugged and took a brown piece, drawing a muffin. “Is there…a reason you want to do this?”

Lilypad shrugged. “Drawing is fun?”

“Good enough, I guess.”

After drawing in silence for a minute, Lilypad began talking again.. “Besides, do I need a reason to do anything? I just want to do something that makes me happy, y’know? I think people need to see more value in liking things because they’re fun.” 

Muffin responded, “I like that. You’re right. People should…worry less about how they’ll be viewed.”

“Exactly!” 

A little while later, Rex called the CITs to get out of the pool and go shower, and Lilypad stood up, brushing pastel rainbow chalk dust from her hands.

After showering, the CITs sat in the Pines unit house, waiting for Rex to come start the lesson. Lilypad drew flowers on Sprite’s folder for maybe ten or so minutes before Rex showed up.

“Sorry, guys! Finally found my walkie-talkie-it was in the Explorers’ unit for some reason? Anyway, lesson time.” Rex grabbed a couple papers out of her backpack and began reading, “Today we’re going to talk about what our goals are for the summer and what we want to gain out of this program. First, why did you guys choose to do CIT in the first place?”

Dot, unsurprisingly, spoke up first. “I thought it’d be fun!” 

Rex nodded. “Cool!”