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Chapter Text

Luz stares down at the pamphlet, reading the words Reality Check Summer Camp, and over, and over again. The Good Witch Azura is settled comfortably in her bag after almost throwing it away. She couldn't, it was one of the last things her Dad left her, there was no way she could give that up. Ever.

She clings to the strap of her bag, dreading the arrival of the bus. The camp isn't too far, from what Luz has heard, between 40 minutes to an hour, tucked away in the woods.

Luz is.. scared. She hasn't been away from her Mom for even a full night since the accident, since her Dad passed.

She's scared of being away from her Mom, of the other kids, and becoming like them. Changing. She likes who she is, she likes Azura, and writing silly fanfiction. She likes snakes and going to conventions. She likes being weird, odd, abnormal. She likes being herself.

She doesn't want to change that.

She swallows compulsively, twisting the strap around her fingers. She doesn't want to go, but she knows she doesn't have a choice. After the incident with the snake her Mom had reached the end of her rope, and decided there was no other way to help Luz. To fix her.

She loves her Mom, she always will, but in this moment she can't help but be angry, wishing her Mom would just.. listen. Would understand. 

She wants to stay home. To spend the summer with her Mama.

It's then that she sees her Mom's car pulling back up, and it fills her with hope that her Mother has come to her senses, changed he mind. That Luz will not go to summer camp.

"Luz!" Mama says, climbing out of the car and coming to stand in front of Luz. "I was thinking.. instead of taking the bus, I can drive you. I got the day off work. You could even have complete control over the playlist," as she speaks, she holds out her hand for Luz to take, a small, hesitant smile on her face. "What do you think, mija?"

Driving with her mom certainly beats riding in a bus with a bunch of kids she doesn't know, so she takes her mom's hand and allows her to lead her back to the car. They get her luggage set in the trunk, and then Luz climbs into tne passenger seat and plugs her phone into the aux cord.

This is.. really happening. Her hope is crushed. She's going, nothing is going to change that. 

"I know you're nervous, baby," Camila says, starting the car back up. "But I promise this will be good for you. No more trouble at school, no more kids laughing at you or thinking you're weird.."

Luz only hums in response, scrolling through her music and selecting her song. The Crane Wives starts up, Little Soldiers coming through the speakers.

She doesn't.. really want to talk to her mom right now. She's upset, angry, and she just wants to go home. But as she watches the trees go by through tbe window, she knows that isn't happening.

Camila sighs, dragging Luz's focus away from the song. "This isn't to punish you for the snake incident, Luz. I don't want you to feel.. like you're in trouble. I just-" she squeezes the steering wheel, knuckles paling. "I just want to make sure you're going to be okay. You don't have any friends, I want you to have them, and to do well in school so you can get into a good college."

Luz leans her head against the window, rubbing her fingers together. If being.. normal is what it takes to make friends, then she doesn't want any. She shouldn't have to change to get "good things".

"I'm sorry." Camila says, quietly, and nothing else. The rest of the drive passes with nothing more than the music in the car. Luz allows herself to get lost in her head, soaking in the lyrics and imaging them to Azura characters that fit each song, scenarios and edit ideas easily filling up her brain.

She feels bad, for just ignoring her mom, but she's upset and she doesn't know what to say. I understand would be a lie, it's okay, I'll be okay, it's what's for the best are all lies she can't bring herself to say.

She doesn't want to go, she doesn't understand, she doesn't think it's for the best, and it isn't okay. No one understands her, no one accepts her.

She thought that, even if her mom didn't understand her, she would always support her. But, that isn't true. Not when she's being sent to a camp called Reality Check Summer Camp.

The ride is tense for an hour until they pull up to the camp, just as the busses are arriving as well.

No going back. She feels sick.

They get her stuff out of the trunk, and then Camila checks her in, getting her cabin number and wristband with the number on it. Cabin five.

It's four to a cabin, and Luz decided she wants a top bunk as they get all her stuff inside, but she doesn't really have a way to claim it as hers until she talks to her cabinmates.

Afterwards, her mother leads her to the dining hall, where all the kids will be gathering. Her stomach is tight with fear, knowing Camila will be leaving soon, and she'll be alone.

"Oh, my baby," Mama says, gently cupping Luz's cheeks in her palms. "I'm going to miss you so much mija, text me everyday, call me when you can." As she speaks, Camila's eyes begin to fill with tears, and the anger Luz was feeling leaves her all at once.

This wasn't an easy thing for her mother either, despite Luz's feelings on the choice, it was a hard one to make. She shrugs her mom's hands off and goes in for a hug instead, wrapping tightly around her. "I will, mama," She says, squeezing tightly. "I promise."

Camila pulls her back and peppers her face with kisses, uncaring of anyone watching. "You'll do great here. I love you so much, Luz."

"I love you too, mami," Luz whispers, accepting the kisses even at the risk of teasing. 

Her mother gently pushes her towards the dining hall doors, and with a deep breath and one last weak smile at her mom, she steps inside.

It's loud, the chatter of students talking and the sound of silverware against plates grates on her ears. Each table is a small table that seats four, marked with a number.

A staff member informs her that she's to sit with the table with the number that corresponds to her cabin number, and she heads off, weaving her way through the other standing or walking students go get to table table five.  

There's two other kids sitting there, a tanned girl with braided, navy blue hair, and a smaller boy with dark skin and a beanie on. As Luz approaches, she notices the boy os wearing three watches as he talks animatedly to the girl next to him, gesturing wildly.

They look.. friendly enough. If these are two of the people she's rooming with, maybe it won't be so bad.

She clears her throat when she gets close enough, raising a hand in greeting. "Um, hey! Cabin five, right?" She pulls out a chair neither are sitting on, feeling uncomfortable. She's never been good at making friends, Mama says she comes off too strongly..

The girls brightens. "Oh! Yes, we're in cabin five!" She smiles pleasantly. She has round gold glasses and green eyes, a dusting of light freckles over her nose and cheeks. "I'm Willow Park! And this here is Agustus-"

"Gus," the boy corrects, sticking his hand out for a fist bump which Luz happily obliges. He has moles scattered around his face, arms, and neck, and a chip in his top left tooth. "Gus Porter! You're cabin five too, then?"

Luz smiles, feeling less nervous now. These people are excited to meet her, and it puts her at ease. "Yeah! I'm Luz Noceda!" 

"It's nice to meet you, Luz," Willow says, brushing a stray strand of hair out of her face. "Is this your first time here?"

"Yeah.. what about you guys?" Luz asks.

"Second." Willow smiles, as Gus holds up two fingers next to her. "We went last year, too!"

Luz hums softly in thought. The pamphlet said that she'd be roomed with other upcoming sophomores or freshmen, but Gus looks really young.. "What grades are you guys in?" She decides to ask, rather than pondering the mystery herself. No reason to guess about it if you could get just the answer.

"10th," Willow answers. "We're both sophomores!"

Gus nods sagely, then smiles. "I'm only twelve, but I skipped 7th and 8th grade. I was a freshman last year."

"Yup!" Willow says, wrapping an arm around the smaller boys shoulders. "Our Gus is a regular ol genius!"

Gus laughs, attempting to get away from her as she presses a noogie into his beanie. "I don't know about genius." says, like a humble genius would. 

"Well, I do." Willow pulls her hand away after one last noogie, and brushes more hair out of her face. "Anyways.. what grade are you, Luz?"

"Same!" Luz laughs a little. Though a little out of place, she likes being here, with the two of them. Though they obviously knew each other well, they were still welcoming and open, unlike most friends Luz tried to talk to. They're close, Luz can tell by the way they talk and interact, but also they're matching blue and green bracelets, and the blue nail polish Willow is wearing, and how Gus is wearing green. "I was a little worried coming here, I didn't know anyone, but I'm glad I'm in a cabin with you guys! You seem really sweet!"

Willow and Gus seem to light up a little, but before they can say anything in response someone sits down heavily next to Luz, fiddling with their wristband. 

It seemes to be a boy younger than herself, with choppy hair and tanned skin and a scowl on his face. 

"Oh, hey- ugh, Matt?" Gus' face scrunches up in displeasure. "You're in cabin five?"

"Unfortunately." The other boy, Matt, apparently, replies. He crosses his arms over his chest and sinks into his chair. "I shouldn't even be here."

Gus scoffs, but doesn't bother to respond. Willow silently shakes her head at Luz as she opens her mouth to ask what he means.

Turns out, Matt doesn't need a response as he continues. "I don't need to be here. I'm not like you, I'm not weird."

Ouch. "It's not my fault you're here, Matt." Gus says dryly. "Stop taking it out on me like it is."

Matt doesn't respond to Gus, only sinks deeper into his seat and tucks his chin into his hoodie, turning his head away. "I want to go home." He says instead, which.. makes it hard to be mad at him. Luz understands, even though she'd never dare take her frustration out on someone who didn't do anything to her.

Gus sighs. Willow winces and mouths I'll explain later. Luz feels terribly left out, which isn't.. an unfamiliar feeling, but this isn't purposeful. This just happened and explaining it now, in front of Matt, doesn't seem like a good idea. That's okay, Luz can wait, and she can't deny that the idea of this apparent drama between Gus and Matt is just a little exciting. She loves a good rivalry, even better if she can get them to be friends by the end of it.. Enemies to friends! A classic.

Suddenly, most of the chatter in the dining hall goes quiet, and the rest quickly follow after as a man walks to center of the room. He's tall, with blonde graying hair and a large scar over half of his face. "Welcome students, to Reality Check Summer Camp." He smiles and raises his arms, making a sweeping motion to the room. "It is truly a gift to see you all here, new and returning students alike. I am Phillip Wittebane, the founder of this place. I truly hope we can help you all find your places in society. In a moment, we will start dinner. Each table will be called up one at a time, and I ask that you be patient and respectful while waiting. Once you're finished you will deposit your dish and clean your table, then you may head to your cabins for any unpacking you may need to do. Enjoy your dinner, and your stay here."

Luz finds herself grateful for her lower cabin number, and they're called up soon enough. It's a little awkward, talking with Willow and Gus as Matt trails behind them, silent and sulking. 

They're served some sort of meat stew, with carrots and potatoes. It's not bad, better than she was expecting from a summer camp in the woods, and she's happy to tuck into it while chatting with Gus and Willow.

She learns a couple things. Gus has a pet chameleon, Emmeline. Willow's Dads own a flower shop. Gus' favorite subject is history, Willow likes music. 

Luz finds herself enjoying her time, feeling a sense of comfort and belonging despite only just meeting Willow and Gus. She feels a connection to them, and she's grateful their here, that they're in the same cabin. It makes her feel at ease, like maybe her time here won't be so bad.

Chapter Text

Edric stretches out, laying his legs over his sister's lap and hanging his head backwards off the seat. The bus was loud, and cramped. Filled with kids who didn't want to be going to a summer camp filled with boring activities and boring people.

Or that was the thought, anyways. Most kids were there because they were anything but boring, there to be squished into molds. The kid's who attended Reality Check Summer Camp were odd. Kids who never fit, and once they did they didn't come back.

Edric hated going, but not because of the kids. Because of the adults, most of them, at least. Harsh and uncaring, only in it for the money. Edric should know, his Mother is funding the damn place and he's been going since he was twelve. Four years, his summer down the drain.

"Ugh, Ed!" Emira says, digusted by his shoes so close. She pushes at his legs, but everytime she gets them off her lap he just puts them right back. "Get off! You have your own space, you don't need to take up mine too!"

Edric laughs, only further invading his sisters space. Amity sits in the row next to them with Boscha, curled up against the window and acting like she doesn't see what's happening, or care. The little displeased turn of her mouth tells him enough, though.

"Naw, I'm good." Edric smiles. "I need your space too so I can be comfy."

Emira slaps lightly at his leg. Not hard enough to properly hurt, but hard enough for him to know she's mad. "You're so- ugh! Clingy! Get off!"

Even though he knows she doesn't mean it in a mean or necessarily bad way, the use of the word clingy does sting, but he keeps smiling and brushes it off like he always does. "You love me! Be close to me!"

He knows he's.. attached, to Emira, but how could he not? They're twins, they've been together since they were born, he can't just not be around her like he's always been. He needs her, even if she.. doesn't feel the same way about him.

She always just made jokes, little things that were meant to be harmless but weren't. No one else joked about it, though, they were all serious when it came to the topic of the amount of time they spent together.

We worry they won't be well adjusted. We worry they won't have personalities aside from each other. It isn't healthy. Blah, blah, blah. Emira was perfectly well adjusted, completely dependent, her own person, own personality. Edric.. wasn't, but there was also something wrong with him in a way it wasn't with Emira, or even Amity. Emira didn't have anything to do with why he was so.. wrong.

Mom always said it meanest. To him. Made cruel comments about the ways he fumbled normal social interaction and couldn't breathe without Emira around.

Summer camp sucked, but at least it was an opportunity to get out of the house and away from Mom. Mostly. She still had ways to know what he was doing even from afar. Money did wonders.

"I'm always close to you!" Emira says. "I don't want to be close to your hairy legs and gross shoes. Get off!"

"My legs aren't that hairy!" Edric says, offended. Really, they aren't that bad, at least not as bad as Emira makes them out to be.

"They're gross." She says firmly, leaning away.

Edric huffs, but doesn't make it worse now that Emira has resigned herself to her fate of having his legs in her lap the rest of the ride. Really, they don't have much longer now. He doesn't have his phone, but he can tell just by the scenery going by out the window.

With nothing else to do, he settles in and allows his mind to wander in the space of relative quiet.

Every year, Edric and Emira get the same cabin. He easily accepts his wristband, number seven, and moves out of the way for Emira to get hers.

He barely pays attention, leaning heavily on his suitcase while he waits and takes a quick glance around the place. Despite his Mother's funding, not much has changed. The buildings still look old and like they could fall over at any moment, but they've got a new coat of paint. He hopes the food is still decent this year.

He twists his wristband between his fingers, wiggling one between the band and the skin of his wrist. He swears they get tighter every year..

"Ed," Emira says, and there's something off in her voice that makes his stomach twist uncomfortably. He doesn't like it, he doesn't want to hear more of it "I'm-"

"We have to hurry if we want the same bunk," Edric says, unapologetically cutting her off and grabbing her wrist to pull her forwards on his search. "Cabin Seven.. it shouldn't be too far."

"Ed," Emira says, again.

Cabin Two.."I hope we get someone we know. Like- like Viney. That would be fun.. we-"

"Edric." Emira says firmly, digging her heels into the dirt and forcing them to stop in front of Cabin two. "Ed. We're not in the same cabin."

Suddenly, it feels like the ground has disappeared from underneath him. Like someone's dumped freezing cold water right over his head. "What?" Slowly, he turns to look back at his sister. Her eyed are swimming with a million things he can't make out, and few that he can.

Worry. Pity.

She holds out her wrist, showing off her wristband with the number two on it. "This is my cabin. I think.. I think Mom told them to split us up this year."

Edric's mouth is suddenly dry. The endless chatter of his brain quiets, instead of its typical ramble it screams I am alone. All his words die on the tip of his tongue. He is without Emira.

She bites her lip, chewing it between her teeth. "..I'm sorry," She says slowly, like she's choosing her words carefully. It's not like her. "But I think this will be good, Ed."

No it won't. It can't. Edric can't be Edric without Emira. They're a package deal, he's the dumb clingy one who can't let go and can't function without Emira. He chose all the classes she did, begged Mom to make sure they had the same schedule, made sure they were in all the same extra curricular activities.

"It won't be." He says. "I can't do it."

She shakes her head a little. "You don't have a choice. I'm sorry." She turns, then, heading to the cabin that now feels like it's towering over him, taunting him. It's stealing away his sister.

He stands like an idiot in front of it once she's disappeared inside, so long that a counselor has to usher him to his cabin so he'll make dinner on time.

His head feels foggy, like he's moving in a daze. Like the world is ending, like he's falling apart. Who is he without Emira? What is he going to do? He's alone. Amity wants nothing to do with him and he's away from his twin.

Cabin Seven feels like it's taunting him.

Inside, there is a blonde boy silently putting away his things. The other bunk is completely taken, so Edric resigns himself to sleeping top bunk over the blonde.

As he gets closer, he realizes exactly who he's sharing a bunk with.

It's impossible not to recognize him, signature forelock and scar on display.

It's Hunter Wittebane, Phillip Wittebane's nephew. Aka, the guy you Do Not want to share a cabin with, because if you breathe wrong he'll go running to his Uncle to report 'bad behaviors'.

This is going to suck.

Slowly, Hunter looks up. Edric swears his eyebags are worse than last year, or maybe it's just because he's looking at the other boy up close for the first time ever, even though Hunter's been going as long, if not longer, than Edric himself.

"Ah, the Blight boy," Hunter rasps, his head tilting just slightly in a way that might be endearing if he were literally anybody else. Edric's only escape from his Mother's eyes was his cabin, and now he can't even have that. "I'm Hunter-"

"I know," Edric cuts him off, internally wincing. He speaks before he thinks far too often than he'd like to admit. "Everyone knows."

Hunter blinks, slowly, then stands. "Right.. dinner's going to start in a couple minutes. I'd suggest you start moving, Blight. Mr. Wittebane doesn't appreciate lateness."

Edric's eyebrows fly up to his hairline at the formal title. Even his ever strict Mother didn't make any of her children refer to her that way. "Um. Yeah. Are you?.."

Hunter scoffs. "Yes. You can follow me if you want to."

The rudeness is.. off-putting, but Edric still follows the other teen as he starts to head towards the cafeteria, instinct to latch onto someone kicking in hard without Emira to follow around. Despite that, he does not want Hunter-freaking-Wittebane to be the one he attaches to. He'd not be able to do a single thing without fear of being told on like they're in kindergarten.

The cafeteria is loud, as always, and Edric thrives in it. He thinks he's built to be around people, to never be alone. People around him always talk about winding down, recharging their battery alone, in peace and quiet. Edric just thinks quiet and alone drive him crazy.

At table seven sits Viney, one of his cabinmates from last year. She smiles toothily at him, arms crossed on the table. "Hey, Ed! Where's Em?"

The reminder stings. He almost wants to cry.

"That's rude," Hunter hisses, directed at Viney's eblows on the table.

Both her and Edric completely ignore him.

"She's in Cabin Two," he says, quietly.

Viney's eyebrows furrow. Next to her sits Barcus,(it's a nickname, but Edric honestly has no idea what his name actually is) who waves lazily. Edric's never had a cabin with him before, but he's seemed cool whenever he interacted with the other boy.

"Seriously? Man, that sucks. Hopefully we'll still see her a bunch." Viney says.

The way Emira spoke when they split made it seem like they won't. "I hope so," he says, turning his gaze down to the old wooden table.

Moments later, Phillip Wittebane appears and goes through his usual spiel that Edric's heard three times already.

Getting food is a boring affair. Eating more so. Viney chats with Barcus, but Edric doesn't know any sign language to communicate and he doesn't want to make Viney interpret a whole conversation. Hunter sits next to him, the perfect embodiment of manners and politeness. He only speaks to chastise other people's manners, otherwise he quietly eats in small spoonfulls and doesn't engage at all. He's the first to be done, silently staring down at his more than half full bowl.

It reminds Edric of the way Mom expects him to eat at home. He wonders why Hunter is still coming to camp. Is it just because his Uncle can't get someone to watch him over the summer? Surely, entering his junior year, Hunter is old enough to stay home for a summer. He just seemed so.. normal. Everything this camp said they'd turn the kids that came into.

Maybe he's an example? Something Phillip Wittebane shows off to show his campers what's expected of them?

Or maybe he's just a mole. Sent out for the sole purpose of selling out his peers, which he does happily. Ugh. This is going to suck.

At this point, for once, he'd rather be home.