flying wild around his face.
“Shhhhhhh.” He raised a finger to his lips. “Don’t let them see!” he whispered.
“See? See what?” I asked.
He waved us frantically to the side of the cabin. “Hurry. Get over here. My name is Drew. I can’t let them see me.”
“Why? What’s up?” Marty said.
“Are you okay?” Charlotte asked him.
He looked frightened. His eyes were wild. Sweat rolled down his forehead. “Listen to me,” he whispered. “I’ll tell you the truth. I’m the only one who will tell you….”
19
“Huh? What are you talking about?” I whispered.
Before Drew could answer, Will stepped onto the path.
He glanced angrily at Drew, then turned quickly to us. “I brought extra blankets,” he said, holding them up to show us. “I’ll take them to your cabins.”
“That boy—” I started to say. “He said—”
I turned to where Drew had been standing. He was gone. Vanished.
“What did he want?” I asked, hurrying to catch up to Will.
Will shrugged. “Beats me. He’s kind of weird. The other boys don’t like him much. They call him Drew the Shmoo. Don’t pay any attention to him.”
He led us to the cabins. They were cleaner and nicer than our cabins at Camp Hawkwood.
We found white shorts and Camp Evergreen T-shirts waiting for us on our bunks. I couldn’t wait to get changed. My clothes were muddy and sweatyand gross. The clean outfit felt so good.
Marty, David, and I slid under the blankets on our bunk beds. “It doesn’t get any better than this,” I muttered. I was asleep a few seconds later.
At breakfast the next morning, the other campers were very friendly. As we downed big plates of scrambled eggs with biscuits and bacon, we told them about our canoe trip. About the falls and the trick played on senior campers every year. And about how we hid from Ramos and made him think we crashed our canoes.
“He must be in a total panic!” the boy named Gary said. “He must be so scared, he’s probably sick.”
“Well, he’ll feel better as soon as Uncle Brian phones our camp,” Charlotte said.
I glanced around the mess hall, searching for Uncle Brian. I didn’t see him. I didn’t see that strange kid Drew, either.
After breakfast, Will found us some swimsuits—the girls had theirs on, under their clothes, for the canoe trip—and the five of us joined in the general swim at the lake. Even though it was early in the morning, the water felt warm. We all had a great time.
We had a race across the lake—the five of us versus five of them. They won easily. But we put up a really good race.
The other campers clapped and cheered and shouted as we swam. “Wish we had this kind of spirit at our camp,” Charlotte said to me as we were drying off. “These guys are really into camp!”
We split up after the swim. I joined a volleyball game on the basketball court. I thought my arms would ache after the long canoe trip. But it felt good to stretch and use my muscles.
Mike, another kid on my team, kept staring at my sneakers. As we were rotating sides of the net, he stopped me. “What kind of sneakers are those?” he asked.
“Air Jordans,” I told him.
He made a face. “Air what ?”
“You know. Air Jordans,” I said.
“Weird,” Mike said, staring at my sneakers and shaking his head.
“You never heard of them?” I asked.
“Oh, yeah. Of course I have,” Mike replied quickly.
“Hey, Mike—your serve!” a kid yelled.
Mike hurried to his place.
I stared at him for a long while. What was that about? I wondered.
The other guys all wore black-and-white high-tops. I didn’t see any other Air Jordans.
The game ended just before lunch. Our team won—but by only two points.
I followed Mike to the mess hall. Guys were streaming in from all directions. I stopped at the frontdoor to the building and searched for Uncle Brian. I wanted to ask if he had been able to reach anyone at our camp.
Guys trotted past me, eagerly heading in to lunch.
“Shhhhhhh.” He raised a finger to his lips. “Don’t let them see!” he whispered.
“See? See what?” I asked.
He waved us frantically to the side of the cabin. “Hurry. Get over here. My name is Drew. I can’t let them see me.”
“Why? What’s up?” Marty said.
“Are you okay?” Charlotte asked him.
He looked frightened. His eyes were wild. Sweat rolled down his forehead. “Listen to me,” he whispered. “I’ll tell you the truth. I’m the only one who will tell you….”
19
“Huh? What are you talking about?” I whispered.
Before Drew could answer, Will stepped onto the path.
He glanced angrily at Drew, then turned quickly to us. “I brought extra blankets,” he said, holding them up to show us. “I’ll take them to your cabins.”
“That boy—” I started to say. “He said—”
I turned to where Drew had been standing. He was gone. Vanished.
“What did he want?” I asked, hurrying to catch up to Will.
Will shrugged. “Beats me. He’s kind of weird. The other boys don’t like him much. They call him Drew the Shmoo. Don’t pay any attention to him.”
He led us to the cabins. They were cleaner and nicer than our cabins at Camp Hawkwood.
We found white shorts and Camp Evergreen T-shirts waiting for us on our bunks. I couldn’t wait to get changed. My clothes were muddy and sweatyand gross. The clean outfit felt so good.
Marty, David, and I slid under the blankets on our bunk beds. “It doesn’t get any better than this,” I muttered. I was asleep a few seconds later.
At breakfast the next morning, the other campers were very friendly. As we downed big plates of scrambled eggs with biscuits and bacon, we told them about our canoe trip. About the falls and the trick played on senior campers every year. And about how we hid from Ramos and made him think we crashed our canoes.
“He must be in a total panic!” the boy named Gary said. “He must be so scared, he’s probably sick.”
“Well, he’ll feel better as soon as Uncle Brian phones our camp,” Charlotte said.
I glanced around the mess hall, searching for Uncle Brian. I didn’t see him. I didn’t see that strange kid Drew, either.
After breakfast, Will found us some swimsuits—the girls had theirs on, under their clothes, for the canoe trip—and the five of us joined in the general swim at the lake. Even though it was early in the morning, the water felt warm. We all had a great time.
We had a race across the lake—the five of us versus five of them. They won easily. But we put up a really good race.
The other campers clapped and cheered and shouted as we swam. “Wish we had this kind of spirit at our camp,” Charlotte said to me as we were drying off. “These guys are really into camp!”
We split up after the swim. I joined a volleyball game on the basketball court. I thought my arms would ache after the long canoe trip. But it felt good to stretch and use my muscles.
Mike, another kid on my team, kept staring at my sneakers. As we were rotating sides of the net, he stopped me. “What kind of sneakers are those?” he asked.
“Air Jordans,” I told him.
He made a face. “Air what ?”
“You know. Air Jordans,” I said.
“Weird,” Mike said, staring at my sneakers and shaking his head.
“You never heard of them?” I asked.
“Oh, yeah. Of course I have,” Mike replied quickly.
“Hey, Mike—your serve!” a kid yelled.
Mike hurried to his place.
I stared at him for a long while. What was that about? I wondered.
The other guys all wore black-and-white high-tops. I didn’t see any other Air Jordans.
The game ended just before lunch. Our team won—but by only two points.
I followed Mike to the mess hall. Guys were streaming in from all directions. I stopped at the frontdoor to the building and searched for Uncle Brian. I wanted to ask if he had been able to reach anyone at our camp.
Guys trotted past me, eagerly heading in to lunch.
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