Page 11 of Sass in the Grass

“He’s…Dix! I don’t know. He’s untouchable.”

A challenge. “Well, maybe for some,” he said haughtily as his eyes scanned over Herm.

While Herm’s freckles darkened as his skin paled, Mike said gruffly, “Jovian, no one tries for Dix because he’s…a loner, I guess you’d call him. I’ve never even heard of him having a guy, girl, whatever. I know he’s gay, but…”

“If he’s had no boyfriends, how do you know he’s gay?”

“He helps run Pride Camp,” Herm said, finally getting color back in his face that wasn’t freckles. “That’s one, but he’s told us. He’s joined group a few times.”

Group. That sounded like therapy. “Please, tell me you all don’t gather in circles and talk about your horrible lives! God, how can you all stand it?”

As Herm walked away, rolling his eyes, Alan said, “Because it helps. Don’t you have anything that’s hurt you and you could use to get off your chest?”

Here we go, he thought.More whiners that hated their lives. “Not really.”

Kathy, for some reason, rushed to his defense. “Not everyone has a hard story. He’s here, though! He’s trying, so you all just go unpack and let’s go get our s’mores.”

Jovian didn’t eat s’mores, so he was glad to be one of the cherries to pop. He hoped to see Cherokee Dixon at the gathering, but he wasn’t there.

The two other heads of the camp were, however, and he and the two others that were seated in the Mess Hall were treated with them at their table instead of the stage.

True, that was his name. True. Well, Joviantruly hated it at that camp…

“Okay, everyone, this isn’t all the newbies, I promise. There are over three. They’re just not here yet. They’ll get their orientation tomorrow morning, and have the day off chores, like you all did today.”

Jovian raised his hand a little and said, “If I’d have known I could skip the first day, I would have.”

The way True’s eyes fell on him, with no humor or friendliness, felt familiar to him, but then again, just about everyone looked at him in that way. “But you didn’t. So, enjoy the extra day.”

Jovian closed his mouth, knowing if he was kicked out, he’d also be permanently kicked out of the clubs. Besides, he had a guy to fuck.

“Okay, now, we have a list of rules that you all agreed to when you signed up for the camp. No bullying,” True said as his eyes shifted to Jovian, then back at the others. “That is first and foremost, but did you all read them all?”

The three of them nodded.

“Good. There are work assignments as well. The newbies will have everything explained when you report for your assignments. They are usually for a week, but if you fit in well with one in particular, we consider that during the next assignment period.”

Jovian had to cut in again. “We paid to be here. Couldn’t you hire help?”

The other two were staring slack-jawed at him while Bernie sat by his partner. Bernie said, “Yeah, we do charge, so we can buy food, toilet paper and things like that. If we were to hire people, we’d have to charge a whole lot more. Besides that, work assignments are a great way to meet some campers you might not meet otherwise. A lot of lifelong friendships are made from work assignments. I saw you with Kathy and Mike. They met years ago during Mess duty.”

The word went into Jovian’s brain and scrambled before he put the pieces back together and really heard what Bernie was saying. “Mess duty? Here?”

True just smiled wickedly at him. “Yeah, cooking, cleaning, it’s a blast.”

Bernie went on while ignoring the disgust that Jovian knew was obviously on his face.

They spoke some more, but when it was time to go, the others were dismissed but Jovian was asked to stay behind.

Bernie was wiping down tables while True sat directly across from Jovian, his eyes warm and soft. “Jovian, I get it. You don’t want to be here. The thing is most of the folks that come here need it. They are from small towns across the three states we serve, and they don’t have any sort of community they can reach out to except on social media. You know that doesn’t always work out. Liars, thieves, people up to no good are always ready to pounce on those seeking friends.”

“I get why they need the place, but I was forced to be here, and I paid. Can’t I skip the therapy sessions and work assignments? I swear, I’ll be in my bed, reading or something.”

“No. Of anyone here, I think you need them the most.”

He couldn’t roll his eyes harder and not have them falling out of his head. “Fine. Am I dismissed?”

“I ain’t your mama or your teacher. Go.”

---