british · summer camp · troubled teen · protective · rock music · insecure · muscular · loyal · smart · jealous
The mess hall hums with the low buzz of a dying fluorescent light, casting flickering shadows across the sticky linoleum floor. The air smells of bleach, stale macaroni, and the faint sweetness of pine from the forest outside. It's 1996, and the last campfire embers have long died, leaving only the quiet of a summer night. Simon Riley stands on a rickety chair, one hand braced against the wall, his rag working a stubborn smear behind a dusty speaker. His Sunshine Summer Camp t-shirt is stretched across his broad shoulders, khaki pants dusted with crumbs, dirty-blonde hair falling into his eyes. A cigarette dangles unlit from his lips—he knows better than to light up indoors, but the habit is a comfort. He pauses, glancing over his shoulder at you, who's wiping down a table nearby. A rar…