He noticed a couple laughing and gesturing with their to-go coffee cups at the boy who stood before them with his fists held out, obviously asking them to make the age-old choice, right hand or left. The woman reached out and tapped the boy’s left hand and he turned it over, smiling triumphantly. He uncurled his fingers and held up his palm to show there was nothing there. The man handed his cup to his wife and covered the boy’s right hand, turning it in his own. The boy pulled it away, then held it up to show that it, too, was empty. They all laughed, and the man grabbed the boy around the waist, pulling him in and tickling him, the boy squirming and giggling.
Jake’s eyes slid around the dirty terminal, saw other people slumped in chairs, bored gazes fixed on nothing in particular. He stared down at his Nikes and when he heard the garbled announcement for his bus departure, risked looking up at his mother. She was fighting to hold back tears, but he could see them shining in her eyes.
“Jake, could I just hug you goodbye? I don’t want to embarrass you, but I’m going to miss you so much!”
Jake pretended reluctance, then opened his arms a little to show he would allow it. His mother slowly put her arms around him and held him gently. Suddenly, her arms tightened and she was clasping him to her fiercely. Jake felt the wetness of her tears on the side of his face, and an enormous lump in his throat that he tried to suppress. He rested his cheek on her shoulder and for just a moment, allowed himself to feel. His mother slowly released him. He heard her shaky indrawn breath, watched her step back from him. All he could do was nod, as he turned to join the line for his bus.
The 4-hour drive to the camp was fun for Toby. The three of them chatted happily about the trip they were going to take when Toby returned from camp. They had taken a vote; Mrs. Curran wanted to go to some place tropical, Toby had dreamed of swimming with dolphins and watching sea turtles, and his dad would go anywhere that had a good golf course. Mr. Curran did some research on the Internet and found a resort in the Gulf of Mexico that fit all three requirements. Toby would return from camp and have about three weeks at home before they left on vacation.
As the hours ticked by and they got closer to camp, though, Toby started feeling more nervous. He had never been away from home except for an occasional sleepover, and didn’t know if he would really like staying at this camp. He hoped he would, and he hoped they could teach him what he wanted to know.
Dara checked inside her bag one more time. Yes, the essentials were still there, among the other stuff: three swimsuits, her toothbrush, her writing tablet, and Brisingr, the third book in the Eragon series. She loved fantasy/science fiction, and took guilty pleasure in writing stories she never showed to anyone. She had several notebooks full, carefully hidden behind the comforter on her closet shelf. Dara had been saving the Eragon sequel for camp, which hadn’t been easy. She kept picking it up and reading the back cover and then the first few lines of Chapter One, but she always managed to put it back down again. Willpower, she admonished herself.
“Dara, we’re ready to go!” she heard her father call from downstairs.
She grabbed her bag, taking a last look at the poster of Orlando Bloom as Legolas flanked by her collection of stuffed dragons, fairy figures, and a life-size cardboard replica of Aragorn, from Lord of the Rings. The shelf above her bookcase held her swimming medals and trophies; she barely glanced at them as she closed her door and skipped lightly down the stairs. She didn’t realize it, but she had something of the elvish grace displayed by Legolas; swimming had made her strong, but out of the water, her movements were sprightly, her slender body tall and straight. With her long, almost white-blonde hair, a pair of pointed ears would not have looked out of place.
Her mother waited at the foot of the stairs, smiling up at her, but saying nothing.
“Well, don’t just stand there, Jean, we need to get on the road!” her dad said sharply.
Without a word, her mother backed up and headed for the door, leaving Dara to follow. Dara looked at her dad, wishing he wouldn’t speak so angrily all the time. It seemed like he was always upset about something. The only time he was happy was after Dara won a race. Then he’d smile and pat her on the back, and they’d go out for a sundae or something.
“Come on!” he urged, bringing her back to the present.
She went out through the garage and hopped in the back seat behind her mother. Her father stowed her bag in the trunk, and started the car, backing down the driveway as he pressed the garage door control.
One car ride and two plane rides, and she would be at camp. Or wherever the camp people picked her up so they could take her to camp. Ms. Hindall had said she could stay in her cabin all day long if she wanted to; Dara thought dreamily of Brisingr. Maybe she’d just spend a whole day reading, and come out only for food. Her promise to swim laps every day was a faint memory in the back of her mind.
Mr. and Mrs. Parker, and Mr. Parker’s sister, Grace, were gathered around Caroline and Drew. Brandon was there, too, riding happily on his mother’s hip. Caroline and Drew each had a rolling backpack, tickets tucked neatly into the front pouches. Aunt Grace turned first to Caroline. She looked into her eyes, then pulled her into a surprisingly strong hug.
“I love you, sweetie,” she said in her soft voice, and Caroline could actually feel that she did. She gave her Aunt a sloppy kiss on the cheek. Drew waited his turn and was not disappointed when his Aunt put her arms around him, and though he dwarfed her by about a foot, her hug was strong and tight. It was just amazing to him how things had changed between them. Aunt Grace turned from him and plucked Brandon away from his mom, so his mom would have her arms free to say goodbye. There were more hugs and kisses, and Brandon blew an enthusiastic raspberry that had them all laughing.
Drew and Caroline looked back and waved once more before trudging through to the passenger’s only section of the terminal, backpacks trailing behind them. They made their way to the gate, where the boarding line was already forming, and politely thanked the airline chaperone who had escorted them onto the plane, keeping to themselves their very firm belief that such escort was totally unnecessary. They felt like seasoned travelers; they had been flying together, without their parents, to their grandmother’s house every summer for the past 4 years.
Drew had already claimed the window seat for the first leg of the trip; Caroline would have her turn on the next. “Well, did you pack all your science books, brainiac?” he teased, as he tightened his seatbelt. Caroline rolled her eyes.
“It’s summer, remember? I’m going to concentrate on having fun!” she replied. She was quiet for a moment, and then shared something that had been bothering her ever since they had decided to go to this camp.
“Do you think they’re going to make us do any stuff like chanting or meditating or...I don’t know, airy-fairy things?” she finally produced.
Drew looked down at her and read real concern in her face. “It’s not like this is some cult or anything. You know what Aunt Grace said; we don’t have to do anything we don’t want to do.” He paused, thinking. “I wonder about the stuff they do there, too, but then I think about what happened to her and I figure it can’t be bad. I hope I’m right, anyway,” he shrugged.
Caroline nodded. She would just have to wait and see.
Chapter 6
Arrival
The plane had taxied to the jetway, but they weren’t allowed off yet. Drew stood and retrieved their backpacks from the overhead compartment, as they waited impatiently for the line to start moving. Caroline was stooped, staring out at the Dallas sunshine, feeling a few nervous butterflies in her stomach. People started trudging up the aisle, so she turned and grabbed her backpack off the seat, following Drew’s tall form.
They thanked the pilot and flight attendants who were standing at the exit, and went through to the terminal with yet another airline escort. Someone from the camp was supposed to meet them by the baggage claim area, so they followed the signs, backpack wheels squeak
ing as they walked.
Dara strode through the Dallas terminal thinking that it looked a lot like Lindbergh Field in San Diego, which looked a lot like the Phoenix airport, where she’d changed planes. The person from Delta had helped her find the right plane in Phoenix, and now another Delta lady was taking her to the baggage claim place to get her suitcase and meet up with the camp people. She was used to traveling either with her parents or with the swim team, so it was kind of scary to be alone with all these strangers. She was grateful that the Delta people had been so nice to her.
At the baggage claim area, the conveyor hadn’t started moving yet. People were milling around, talking with each other or silently staring at the empty luggage chute. Suddenly, a buzzer went off, a blue light flashed, and the belt lurched into motion. After a minute, bags appeared at the top of the chute and came sliding or tumbling down. Dara watched, fascinated; she liked to imagine stories about where all these things came from. There were all kinds of luggage, suitcases and duffel bags big and small, oddly wrapped packages, a stroller folded and bound with duct tape, and many identical looking black overnight cases. Behind a crate stamped Hawaii and bearing a picture of a large pineapple, Dara spotted her blue bag. She reached for it as it came around, and hefted it off the belt. The Delta lady helped her move it farther away, and they both stood to look for someone from the camp. They spotted a lady with a neon orange baseball cap partially covering her blonde ponytail, holding a sign that read “Camp Life”. Next to her was a girl who looked a little younger than Dara and a very tall boy, both with identical straight brown hair. At their feet were a couple of backpacks and two large duffel bags.
The Delta lady led Dara over to the lady holding the sign, who introduced herself as Stacy. “Well, you’ve got her now, so I’ll be on my way,” said the Delta lady, smiling at Dara.
Dara thanked her and watched her walk away, before turning back to Stacy. She also glanced briefly at the other two kids, feeling a little shy. Stacy gave her a big smile. “Dara, we’re so happy you’re going to be with us for awhile! This is Caroline and her brother, Drew, from Idaho.”
Drew looked down at Dara, but not that far. She topped Caroline by half a foot. He stuck out his hand, something his parents insisted upon when meeting anyone new.
Dara glanced at his hand for a moment, then shook it rather gingerly, an uncertain smile on her face.
Caroline looked up at her admiringly. “Where are you from, Dara?” she asked.
Dara turned her attention to Caroline. “California,” she replied. “Near San Diego.”
“Oooh, that must be fun! Do you get to go to Disneyland a lot? We went with our family last year for the first time. I loved it!” Caroline enthused.
“Yeah, it’s a pretty special place,” Dara admitted, smiling more naturally this time. “We go there about once a year.”
“Lucky!” sighed Caroline, causing her brother to laugh suddenly. She looked up at him with her brows raised.
“You sounded just like Napoleon Dynamite..Luckeee,” he mimicked.
Caroline had to laugh, too. There probably wasn’t anyone in Idaho who hadn’t seen that movie and most kids knew a large part of the dialog by heart.
Dara didn’t know the movie and was looking puzzled. Stacy was laughing, too, and said they had the movie back at camp and she could watch it if she wanted. She said that it was the kind of movie that grew on you...or not.
She herded them out the door with their bags and led them to a silver van with “Camp Life” lettered across the side panel. Stacy opened the back and the kids shoved in their luggage before climbing into the van. Stacy hopped in the driver’s seat and as she pulled out, told them the camp was about 90 minutes away. Caroline and Dara had their heads together in the back seat, the conversation changing back and forth rapidly, with lots of gesturing, exclaiming, and laughing. Drew rode shotgun and was content to gaze out the window. As much as he’d tried to reassure his sister, he was really glad that Stacy hadn’t shown up in robes smelling of incense or anything like that. He didn’t like airy-fairy stuff any more than Caroline.
Jake saw the guy with the “Camp Life” sign even before the bus had stopped completely. He was standing near the curb, talking to another man in a bus driver’s uniform. The camp guy was just a little taller than Jake, but looked much more solid, with wild blonde-brown hair and cool-dude sunglasses. He was wearing khaki shorts, and if he’d had on a safari-type shirt instead of a royal blue t-shirt with a picture of Mr. Peanut on it, he would have looked like that Crocodile Hunter guy, Steve. It came to Jake suddenly that he reminded him of Jarod somehow…Jarod, who got him into stealing, and then went out of his life in a blur of red light. Jake pushed the thought aside, holding on to his backpack as the bus stopped. He jumped off the last step and ambled over.
“Are you Jake?” the camp guy asked, his voice a low, deep rumble.
Jake nodded, unsmiling.
The camp guy held out his hand. “I’m Ron, from Camp Life. Glad to have you here,” he said, his speech Texas slow and thick, his eyes locked on Jake’s.
Jake reluctantly clasped hands, not meeting Ron’s gaze.
Ron turned to the bus driver with whom he’d been speaking and shook hands with him. “See you around, Gus. I’ve got to get Jake here out to camp. He’s probably starving and I know there’s a great dinner waiting for us tonight.”
The man called Gus clasped hands briefly, giving a nod to Jake before walking away.
The bus driver from Jake’s bus was unloading the cargo, and Ron and Jake walked over to get his bag. Jake hadn’t said a word yet. The mention of dinner did get his attention. He had eaten a hamburger and fries at the last meal stop, and he was used to eating a lot more and a lot more often. He’d grown 3 inches in the past 6 months and it seemed like he was always hungry. His mother marveled at where it all went on his lanky frame.
“This way, Jake,” Ron said, leading him out to the parking lot past a shiny red Ram pickup to an ancient Ford truck. It was a sickly green color, like they used to paint Forest Service trucks back home in New Mexico. Ron tossed the bag and the Camp Life sign in the back.
Speaking for the first time, Jake said, “Found on Road Dead?” looking at the truck with undisguised revulsion.
A corner of Ron’s mouth turned up. “Would you prefer a Fix It Again, Tony?”
That drew a reluctant grin from Jake, who would have much preferred a Fiat to an old Ford truck. Something silver and fast, like the roadster in his XBox game.
Ron noted Jake’s grin, satisfied for the moment. “The camp van is busy picking up a group at the airport, so we get the service truck.” They got in and Ron turned the key, the engine starting right up with a powerful hum. He glanced over at Jake. “She’s not pretty on the outside, but her insides are beautiful,” he commented.
Jake responded with a noncommittal grunt, looking out the window.
“It’ll take about an hour and a half to get there, so you can take a nap, play the radio, whatever you want. If you pick a station I can’t tolerate, which means rap, then we’ll have to find a compromise.”
Despite the heat, Jake was still wearing his jacket; he pulled his IPod out of his pocket, held it up so Ron could see, then put the ear buds in. Ron nodded, and turned back to the road. This one is in a lot of pain, he thought to himself. We’ll see what we can do about that.
Toby’s mother peered at the map, told his dad to take the next right. The road soon turned from asphalt to hard-packed dirt.
“This place is out in the boonies!” his dad commented.
“Did you see the population sign on that town back there?” his mother asked in disbelief. “It said 324. 324 people.”
Toby’s hometown in Oklahoma had thousands and thousands of people. He couldn’t imagine what it would be like to live in a place this small. Everyone must know everyone. Wouldn’t they get bored? There hadn’t been a movie theater or a water park or anything much that he could se
e. The only fast food place was an old Dairy Queen; not even a Taco Bell!
They bounced and jolted over the dirt, watching the pastures and scrub brush pass by.
“We should be getting close,” Mrs. Parker said. “The brochure says it’s 4 miles from that turn-off.”
Just as she said this, they went over a rise and saw a wooded area and another dirt road leading off to the right. One of those old ranch signs was suspended between two tall posts, but it didn’t say “Triple Bar T” or “Rocking J”, like the ranch signs Toby had seen in the movies. This one said “Camp Life”.
Chapter 7
First Impressions