As the sun rose over the camp, Mayhem was the first to wake. He stood at the flagpole, trumpet in hand, before a megaphone mounted on a metal post. After warming his hands, he took a deep breath and blasted the army wake-up call, which echoed for miles, stirring every camper, horse, bird, and fish within a five-mile radius.
Allan woke with his head exposed above the covers, but something was wrong. He pushed down the blankets, jumped out of bed in his tighty-whities, and discovered he was covered in feathers. Allan was hazed. He lifted his deflated pillow, noticing that it had been cut open with a knife. The other boys sat up and laughed as Curtis and Mayhem entered the cabin.
“Mayhem!” Curtis yelled.
“Why does everyone blame me?”
“Did you do it?” Curtis asked.
“Yeahhh.”
Allan chased Mayhem out of the cabin and right in front of the girls' cabin. The girls looked out to see Allan, in his underwear and feathers, running straight past them, and they laughed like never before. Yvette stepped out of the cabin to catch the event.
At the pier by the lake, Cheri, Curtis, Allan, Yvette, Demarco, Smitty, Mayhem, and others were dressed to swim.
“Everyone in the water!” Cheri declared as she blew the whistle hanging around her neck.
The gang jumped in and tread water.
“Listen, you must tread water for ten minutes to play any water sports,” yelled Curtis.
Allan and Demarco were facing each other and talking until Mayhem pushed Demarco’s head underwater. Demarco shot back up and splashed Mayhem in revenge.
“Mayhem!” Curtis yelled.
Then Mayhem started up with Allan, pulling on his shorts from under the water.
“Mayhem enough!” Curtis yelled.
Yvette and Stephanie were also treading water together. But Stephanie would not stop rambling about absolutely nothing. Annoyed, Yvette swam over to Allan, who was breathing heavily.
“I saw you at my school with that big bandage on your nose,” she said.
“Please, I’m trying to breathe.”
“Were you in a fight?”
“No. Basketball game.”
“Did someone elbow you?” Yvette asked.
“No, I did this all by myself.”
She laughed at his honesty and clumsiness, and Allan responded by splashing her.
Cheri blew the whistle, “You all passed! Now have fun.”
On the small makeshift beach by the lake, the kids screamed and exited the water to grab various water toys. But Allan and Yvette stayed shoulder-deep, bopping up and down and swimming in circles around each other.
“Michael? That’s all the Jacksons you can name?” she asked.
“Jeremiah?”
“Jeremiah? There is no Jeremiah. There’s Jackie, Tito, Jer-maine,” Yvette corrected, “and Marlon and Michael.”
“That’s pretty good,” Allan responded.
“Well, there are only five.”
Stephanie approached them, hands on her hips, “Are you water skiing with me or not?”
“I’m busy,” said Yvette firmly.
“But you said,” Stephanie started.
“Busy!”
Stephanie walked away in a huff, “Every year she does this. Why do I even ask?”
“Allan, did you play Mumbly Peg last night?”
“You know?” Allan responded.
“Are you kidding? My brother practices all year to beat someone. Mayhem practiced on me once, and my Grandma grounded him for a month.”
“I didn’t know what I was doing. I won my mistake. I don’t even know what I’m doing here now. I didn’t choose this camp. My Grandpa sent me.” Allan confessed.
“Camp Arapahoe is the best thing that’s ever happened to you, Allan.”
“How do you know that?” he asked.
Yvette reached towards Allan and kissed him hard, pulling him inward.
“Have you ever kissed a black girl?”
Allan pondered his long history with girls, which didn’t take very long, “Well, no.”
“Have you kissed any girls? Anyone at all?”
“Me? Lots of times.”
“You have?” she asked.
“No,” he revealed.
They kissed again, then she pushed him away and slowly worked her way out of the lake.
Allan stepped out of the water like James Bond, showing off his bathing suit. Super Stud. Cue the James Bond guitar strum. But Allan quickly realized that the kids sitting on the beach were laughing.
“Uh Oh,” said Yvette.
Allan realized that he was sporting a boner. He grabbed a nearby towel to cover up, but Demarco toyed with taking the towel away.
“Don’t you dare!” Allan yelled.
“Yvette, what are you doing?” Mayhem asked of her behavior.
Yvette toweled off, “I’ll kiss anyone I want.”
“Yvette, you’re always blowing me off for a boy!” yelled Stephanie.
“You usually do, Yvette. Every summer.” Mayhem confirmed.
Stephanie joined in, “Every summer. All year. Yep.”
“It was just a kiss!” Allan yelled, “and she kissed me.”
Now Yvette was annoyed with Allan too, “You kissed me too,” and she stormed off with Stephanie.
“Tonight, Allan, we have something to settle,” Mayhem stormed off.
“I’ll kiss anyone I want!” Allan yelled, “and I’ll beat you again.”
Demarco asked, “Allan, do you know what you’re doing?”
“Not at all.”
“You lucked out last night, but to win you need to practice.”
“Teach me,” Allan demanded.
“You don’t have to do this,” Demarco reminded.
“Yes I do, I like her.”