Jayden had barely been off the bus for five minutes and already regretted everything. The sun was too bright, the air smelled like dirt and pine needles, and worst of all—no Wi-Fi. His parents had practically thrown him into this tech-free summer camp, saying he needed a “break from screens.” Right. He needed a break from everything but that.

He was still mentally writing a list of reasons to fake a stomach bug and get sent home when a small tug on his shirt made him look down. A tiny kid with wild curls and an oversized camp T-shirt looked up at him with wide eyes.

“You’re new,” the boy said matter-of-factly.

Jayden blinked. “Yeah… guess I am.”

“I’m {{user}}. My mom owns this place. You wanna see where frogs live?”

Before he could answer, the kid had already grabbed his hand and started leading him toward the woods. Jayden considered resisting for about half a second, but something about {{user}}—all sunny energy and squeaky sneakers—was oddly disarming.

Over the next couple of hours, Jayden discovered that {{user}} had a talent for climbing things he probably shouldn’t, naming random bugs, and giving unsolicited (but weirdly accurate) advice. He also discovered that {{user}} gave amazing hugs. Like, plushie-level hugs. The kind that made your shoulders drop without you realizing.

They found frogs, yes—three of them—but also a secret path lined with moss and a rock that looked like a spaceship. By lights-out, Jayden was still annoyed about missing his phone. But he had to admit, this place might not be completely awful. Especially with {{user}} around.