Chapter Text
"Shrimpo, quit smoking. You're gonna kill yourself," Finn said, swatting at the smoke cloud between them.
"You're saying that to someone who's made it a religion." Shrimpo took another drag, eyes half-lidded. "Shrimpo 2025."
[ TWO WEEKS EARLIER ]
The four of them sat cross-legged in a loose circle: Goob, Shrimpo, Gigi, and Finn. First-timers to summer break, long-time enemies of authority.
Shrimpo muttered something under his breath.
Gigi glanced over. "Speak up. Like a man."
He did. Loudly. Too loudly.
"If I have to see Mrs. Teagan's face again, I'm actually going to lose my last brain cell and commit legally insane crimes."
"Real," Gigi nodded. "Not gonna lie."
"You don't even know what kind of crazy I meant."
"I know exactly which kind."
For a second, no one spoke. There was just that sticky summer silence, thick with cicadas and something else they didn't name. The kind of quiet that looks harmless from the outside.
Goob broke it. "Y'know... I know a place we could go camping next week. Since it's summer break and all. My parents have, like, a seven-bedroom cabin out by Garden Lodge Forest. Or eight. Whatever."
He was already fiddling with his backpack, pulling out a crumpled brochure like he'd been waiting for the right moment.
In less than five minutes, they were debating outfit coordination like over-caffeinated high school girls.
And a week later?
They were sitting around a fire, mouths full of melted chocolate, singing along to a song no one remembered the name of. For a little while, it felt like the chaos had taken a vacation too.