Compe Tent Campfire, Tuesday Morning

[twintuitionist.livejournal.com]

For the first week, Juliet had firmly believed the tents were a joke and that at any moment, the school would come back to its senses and let everyone back into the dorms. Which were still a little basic for Juliet's tastes, but at least they had electricity.

It was now well into the second week, and she had to admit they were likely stuck for the duration. Juliet was just stubborn enough about being "real" that she hadn't yet followed through on her threats to get a hotel room -- which didn't, of course, stop her from whining every chance she got.

The bright side was that staying outside gave her an excellent excuse to work on a tan. She sprawled on her stomach on a towel set at one side of the unlit fire pit, notebook open in front of her as she worked on the monologue she'd promised Jono she'd write for the summer showcase. It was hard, communicating how dreadful camping was without sounding like you'd lost your sense of perspective.

[OOC: Open, of course!]

Comments

[catchmeifyoucan.livejournal.com]

On his lunch break, instead of going out to get food like a normal person, Frank decided to buy a bag of marshmallows and bring them out to a campfire instead. Any old campfire, because he kept getting lost in the tent area. Hush.

"Oh, hey," he said, flashing Juliet a smile as he sat down on one of the logs. "Juliet, right?"

[twintuitionist.livejournal.com]

"That's me," Juliet said, propping herself up on her elbows and looking at him over her sunglasses. "And you're Frank. Aren't the tents just the worst thing ever?"

Not that that was apropos of much, but whatever.

[catchmeifyoucan.livejournal.com]

"Yes," Frank said immediately, because she wasn't the only spoiled kid at this campfire. "They're like -- public transportation, but to live in."

He'd taken a subway once. Once. It was not an experience he really felt an urge to repeat.

[twintuitionist.livejournal.com]

Juliet crinkled her nose. "Exactly! And I don't even like public transportation as a novelty."

[catchmeifyoucan.livejournal.com]

"Me neither," Frank agreed. "Maybe it's faster, but it's so not worth the unpleasantness."

So spoiled, children. So spoiled.

"Marshmallow?" he offered, holding out the bag to her. "Or I could try and get the fire going first."

[twintuitionist.livejournal.com]

Juliet considered the bagged sweets dubiously, but --

"Sure," she said, and sat to pluck one delicately from the bag. "I like them better raw then cooked, anyhow."

[catchmeifyoucan.livejournal.com]

"Me too," Frank agreed, plucking out one for himself and popping it in his mouth. "Anyway," he added after a moment, "using a campfire is way more work than I would've thought. I tried to make a panini over at the big one the other day. Apple slices everywhere." No, Frank, that was just because you were a tiny bit incompetent. This was not the tent for you!

"...Or maybe I'm just not a good cook," he added sheepishly. "Anyway, marshmallows. Marshmallows are always good."

[twintuitionist.livejournal.com]

"They are," Juliet said firmly. "And what else was in the panini with the apple? That sounds either tasty or really weird."

[catchmeifyoucan.livejournal.com]

"Oh, brie and bacon," Frank said. "I was trying to be fancy, which is... really hard when you're cooking over a bunch of logs." He grinned sheepishly. "I've never really cooked before. My mom pretty much handles it at home."

[twintuitionist.livejournal.com]

"I don't cook either," Juliet said, leaving off the part where the Darlings had a cook. "Trying to ... well, it's brave, isn't it/ Adapting to the wild?"

[catchmeifyoucan.livejournal.com]

"That would explain why I'm so bad at it," Frank concluded with a grin and a snap of his fingers. "The wild and I don't tend to get along. Sweat and dirt... aren't really my things. Which is why these tents should be optional, for outdoorsy people and all that."

[twintuitionist.livejournal.com]

"Are there any of those?" Juliet asked, sincerely curious. "And if there are, can't they vacation on their own and let us stay in buildings with roofs?"

[catchmeifyoucan.livejournal.com]

Frank laughed. "I wish," he said. "Or it could be an optional thing, like, half the school goes to the tents and the other half gets a nice hotel somewhere on a beach. Except it wouldn't really be half and half, more like... ninety-ten. But still."

[twintuitionist.livejournal.com]

"We could check in at the Arms Hotel," Juliet mused. "I just don't want to look like I can't handle the tents. I am tough."

Like a creampuff.

[catchmeifyoucan.livejournal.com]

"I know," Frank sympathized. "I guess it's only a few more days, though. And after that, the dorms will look really nice when we get back." Pause. "Even though they're tiny."