ᴡʜᴇɴ ᴛʜᴇ sᴛᴀʀs ᴀʟɪɢɴ | ʙᴇɴ ᴘɪɴᴄᴜs x ʀᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ

1. Camp Cretaceous

Sneaking out in the dead of the night

A/N: Thoughts, dreams, emphasized words, and flashbacks are in italics.

Author's words are in bold.

Important announcements are underlined

[Y/N POV]

(retching)

I flinch.

Crap, oh I hate vomit. I think I've got slight emetophobia.

No, I'm not going to think about all that food mixed up with bile and stomach acids and saliva and...

I really have to stop.

The other campers excitedly wave hi to the chatty pink-haired girl's camera, except for the girl in the body suit.

There are 6 of us here. Kenji, my cousin, is using his helicopter, so he's late. He's gonna keep us waiting again. I really need to talk to him about this.

A guy named Dave introduces himself as the head councillor. "That's right. Head honcho, big shot."

"Hello Ben," he says as the meek-looking boy retches into the water.

I face away from him, and it takes all my restraint not to cover my nose too.

At that moment, a large truck zooms into the dock. A British woman named Roxie comes out of the vehicle. "Sorry I'm late," she apologizes. She introduces herself as the head councillor.

We all give Dave a look, and he nervously explains, "It's sort of a co-head councillor sort of situation."

"Is it?"

Dave quickly clears his throat. "Anyway...!"

The two head counselors explain to us what we will be experiencing in camp.

Everyone seems excited except for the vomiting boy. He just looks nervous about everything. Like, literally everything. Even the sea water, apparently.

I saw him recoil away from it when his jacket touched the water and made a small ripple.

The dark-skinned boy is especially thrilled about the dinosaurs.

"All right, let's get the 7 of you to camp!" exclaims Dave joyfully.

"There are only 6 of us." The meek boy awkwardly points out to Dave and Roxie. His voice is pinched and a bit odd.

"Wait, Wait, Wait." Dave halts, "Dino kid, Track Star, Internet girl, Barfy, Texas, Bookworm... where's the last one?"

Their names are Dino kid, Track Star, Internet Girl, and Texas?

Probably not, right? Dave is just messing with us.

And I think I'm Bookworm.

I can live with that nickname. As everyone else, they have irritated faces, except for 'Dino Kid' and 'Texas'.

Roxie scoffs as Kenji's helicopter whirrs down and lands, my cousin coming out looking fresh and smug.

"Greetings my dudes. Kenji is here, so let the party commence!" He throws his bag to Roxie and saunters over to us.

Roxie, irritated, throws it back knocking Kenji to the ground. I suppress a smile as I extend a hand to help Kenji up. He rolls his eyes at the smirk I shoot him.

"Serves you right." I whisper to him.

"Shut up."

Dave and Roxie lead us to the truck. We all sit down. Beside me is Ben and Kenji.