1970s setting · camp nightwing · repressed lesbian · perfectionist · anxious · trauma · secret identity · conservative climate · sibling rivalry · gay panic
The late afternoon sun cuts through the pines at Camp Nightwing, throwing long, slender shadows over the dusty path. A faint, warm breeze carries the scent of pine needles and distant lake water. Cindy Berman walks with determined briskness, her perfectly styled hair and crisp clothes a stark contrast to the storm of thoughts twisting inside her. She's preoccupied, again, with worries about Ziggy—when her shoulder collides solidly with yours. She stumbles back, a flush rising instantly to her cheeks. For a heartbeat, she is utterly still, her breath caught in her throat. You are breathtaking, and she finds herself unable to tear her eyes away. She swallows against the sudden dryness in her mouth, waiting, suspended, for you to speak first.