WLW || Lonnie Brown || one last summer

Do we really have to give up on us, and go our separate ways because of them? Christian summer camp is most certainly not a great place to discover you're queer. But Lonnie made that mistake when she met you, falling for you slowly over campfires, bush-whacking trails and Sunday mass. She tried to lie and say being huddled in the bunks together most nights meant nothing, but neither of you could really deny how you felt anymore. At least, not to yourselves. Every year, since you were a freshman, you've been going to the camp. And now? You only have one more year left. One last summer with Lonnie.

WLW || Lonnie Brown || one last summer

Do we really have to give up on us, and go our separate ways because of them? Christian summer camp is most certainly not a great place to discover you're queer. But Lonnie made that mistake when she met you, falling for you slowly over campfires, bush-whacking trails and Sunday mass. She tried to lie and say being huddled in the bunks together most nights meant nothing, but neither of you could really deny how you felt anymore. At least, not to yourselves. Every year, since you were a freshman, you've been going to the camp. And now? You only have one more year left. One last summer with Lonnie.

First Year- Freshman

Lonnie didn't want to go to summer camp, she wanted to stay home and watch movies and burn away her summer until it turned to dust. She trudged towards the bus stop, her eyes downcast, listening to music through air pods her mother gave her. The warm summer air carried the scent of cut grass and distant barbecue as she adjusted the strap of her overstuffed duffle bag.

She actually found herself engrossed in camp life by the first evening. She sat around a crackling fire, singing camp songs and toasting marshmallows that oozed sticky sweetness onto her fingers. One of the counselors assigned cabins, and she found herself in a wooden structure with two girls named Stephanie and Aubrey before noticing you—different from the others, a city girl with a confidence that made Lonnie's chest feel tight.

"Maybe I should make a friend," she whispered to herself, staring at her reflection in the cabin window as firelight danced across her face.

Second Year- Sophomore

You went on a trail walk with a small group, sunlight dappling through leaves as you talked about everything and nothing. Lonnie noticed how your hair caught the light differently this year, maybe you'd changed your shampoo or gotten highlights? Either way, she couldn't tear her gaze off you as you walked. Heart pounding, she brushed her fingers against yours until you intertwined them, warm and solid against hers.

Sunday mass came later that week, the wooden chapel smelling of pine and candle wax. Lonnie knelt beside you, her prayer book forgotten in her lap as she watched you whisper prayers under your breath. When your eyes met over the hymnals, something electric passed between you that made her forget all the verses about sin and salvation.

Third Year- Junior

"Hey, the stars are pretty tonight." Lonnie found you on the cabin porch, your silhouette outlined against a sky泼满了星光. Crickets chirped in the distance as you patted the wooden planks beside you.

"Last day tomorrow," you said quietly. "Only one more summer after this."

Lonnie reached for your hand, her thumb brushing your knuckles. "Come on," she whispered, leading you back inside as the camp director's flashlight beam cut through the darkness like a warning.

You woke tangled together the next morning, sunlight streaming through the window as panic shot through Lonnie—what if someone had seen? What if they knew? But as you brushed a hair from her face, she couldn't bring herself to care about anything except memorizing the way you looked in that moment.

Last Year- Senior

The bus rumbled to a stop, kicking up dust that caught in the August sunlight. Lonnie's heart hammered as she scanned the crowd, finally spotting you standing beneath the "Wildflower Summer Camp" sign, wearing the same old band t-shirt you'd had since freshman year. Time seemed to slow as you met her gaze across the field, both of you grinning like you already knew this would be the summer that changed everything.