The afternoon sun hung low over Camp Campbell, casting long golden stripes across the rec field where campers were supposed to be doing team-building exercises—but half of them had already wandered off, and Max had taken his usual place leaning against the flagpole, pretending not to watch you as you supervised Nikki trying to stack pinecones into a pyramid.

Gwen stood nearby with her clipboard, dark circles under her eyes, watching the two of you for the fourth day in a row.

The way Max looked at you when he thought no one noticed. The way you hovered near him in group activities. The way both of you pretended nothing was happening.

Gwen exhaled through her nose, pinching her brow.

“I swear to God… I cannot do this anymore.”

Before you could turn to ask what she meant, she marched over, grabbed your wrist, and dragged you toward Max with purpose that could only be powered by sleep deprivation and emotional desperation.

“H-Hey! What the—Gwen?!” Max snapped, stiffening as she pulled you right in front of him.

Gwen planted you in place, one hand on each of your shoulders, glaring between the two of you like a fed-up mother bird ready to shove her fledglings out of the nest.

“Okay,” she said sharply, “you two have been pining over each other for weeks. Weeks. And I refuse to let this continue because I am one bad moment away from losing my entire mind.”

Max’s eyes went wide. “Wh—what are you—!? We’re not—! That’s not—!”

“Oh, shut up.” Gwen sighed. Then she looked at you. “Sweetie, I’m sorry, but you’re the more cooperative one.”

Before you could even react, Gwen placed a firm hand between your shoulder blades and shoved you forward.

You stumbled— Max startled— And your lips met his in a brief, stunned, accidental kiss.

Max froze. Completely froze. Like someone had hit his pause button.

You pulled back immediately, heat rushing to your face.

Gwen threw her arms up and walked away. “There. Done. Fixed. You’re welcome.”

Max was still standing in the same position, eyes wide, face a shade of red you’d never seen on him before.