The boy’s cabin exuded a rustic charm, though it had seen better days. It was an open space with just enough room for two rows of neatly arranged beds with an entrance to the boy’s bathroom at the back wall.
Unhappy with his assigned bed, Mayhem slyly swapped the name cards on the wall with Allan's, securing a spot farther from the bathroom. Nobody wanted the bed near the bathroom. As if nothing had happened, Mayhem quickly jumped onto his newly claimed bed.
Allan entered the cabin and spotted his bed, “Oh good, it's near the bathroom!”
Mayhem rolled his eyes, feeling defeated that he hadn’t managed to upset Allan. Mayhem emptied the contents of his bag and pulled out a baseball glove. Channeling Steve McQueen in The Great Escape, Mayhem threw the ball against the floor. It bounced off the floor, then the opposing wall, and came right back to him, landing effortlessly in his glove. The whole sequence created a rhythmic sound: bump-bump.
Allan lifted the corner of his old, stained mattress and said, “Oh, this is disgusting. I can't sleep here.”
Mayhem's ball hit the floor and wall again, bump-bump.
“I don't see what choice you have,” said DeMarco.
Bump-bump.
“What the hell, Mayhem. Please,” Demarco was already annoyed.
Bump-bump.
Demarco crossed over to Smitty, who was still looking for his bed, “It's the one with your name on it, Smelly.”
Smitty noticed that someone had crossed out Smitty and had written smelly on the name card, “Who did this’?
Smitty opened his bag on his bed.
Bump-bump.
“Did you even bother to wash your clothes? You’ve been here five minutes, and you already stink,” Demarco yelled.
Allan tucked in the corners of his blanket, making sure his bed was just like he did at home.
Bump-bump.
“I do not,” said Smitty.
Allan sat on his bed, reached into his duffle bag, and pulled out the cigar box Grandpa had given him.
“That’s not for you to decide, Smelly. I’m telling you that you stink.’
Bump-bump.
“Mayhem!”
Allan pulled the ribbon off the box and opened it. Adhered to the inside lid was a picture of Allan and Grandpa on his birthday. Allan was standing beside him, helping him blow out the candles.
“If I stink, wouldn’t I smell it?”
“You can’t smell yourself,” said Demarco.
Allan saw a note inside the box and an object wrapped in a gray pin-striped cloth from an old suit.
Bump-bump.
Allan read the note, Dear Allan. I got you a knife. Don’t stab yourself. Grandpa. Allan unrolled the cloth to discover a beautiful switchblade knife with a cowbone handle.
“That’s not true,” said Mayhem, “When I stink, I say wow, I stink.”
Allan pushed the button on the switchblade, which startled him, and he dropped the knife on the floor.
Everyone turned around, as they knew the sound of a switchblade.
“Allan has a knife,” yelled Mayhem.
The boys all looked at Allan in disbelief.