• 1
Duncan—Dunc—Culpepper sat on the edge of his bed checking off items on the list he was holding. His best friend Amos Binder called them out to him.
“Swim trunks.”
“Check.”
“Mosquito repellent.”
“Check.”
“Sleeping bag.”
“Check.”
“Fake throw-up.”
“Ch—hey, that’s not on the list.”
Amos grinned. “You never know. Just whenyou leave something at home, that’s the very thing you’ll need.”
“This camp we’re going to has some pretty strict rules about behavior. Willie Myers told me that Attila the Hun doesn’t have anything on these counselors.”
Amos took off his cap and put it on backward. “How come we got so lucky? Whose brilliant idea was it to send us off to Camp Gitchee Goomee, anyway? What a name. Have we done something to deserve this kind of punishment?”
Dunc looked at him.
“I mean lately,” Amos said.
“My mother says that everyone should have the experience of going to summer camp. She thinks it will be good for me to get back to nature, breathe some fresh air, and be around normal people my age.”
“What am I—abnormal?”
“Oh, I’m sure she didn’t mean anything against you, Amos. Besides, you’re coming with me.”
“I’ve been thinking about that. This camp business sounds worse than the army. I could stay here and hold down the fort until you getback. Lie around the pool, soak up some rays, play some video games.”
“Amos Binder, I can’t believe it. We always do everything together. I can’t believe you would even think of such a thing!”
“I was going to write to you.”
Dunc decided it was time to try a different approach.
“Okay, Amos. If that’s the way you want it. I can handle that. No problem here.
She
might be a little disappointed, though.”
“She?”
“Melissa Hansen. I found out that she just happens to be going to the same camp we are.”
Dunc knew it wasn’t fair to bring up Melissa. Amos loved Melissa with his whole heart. While she thought of him as a welcome mat—if at all.
Amos put his cap on the right way. “Do you know for sure, guaranteed, beyond a shadow of a doubt, cross your heart and hope to eat raw liver, that Melissa is going to this same camp?”
“Where do you think my mother got the name of the camp?” Dunc nodded. “Melissa’s mother told her.”
Amos jumped from the floor up to the bed. “Ye-es! All alone with Melissa Hansen in a beautiful mountain setting. Birds singing, flowers blooming …”
“I hate to mention this, Amos, but you won’t be all alone with her. There will be at least two hundred other campers, besides the counselors. They put the boys on one side and the girls on the other.”
“Details,” Amos said, ignoring Dunc. “What an opportunity! It’ll really be the perfect place to show off my skills as an outdoorsman.”
“I didn’t know you had any.”
“I’ve got three days. I’ll get some.”
Dunc smiled. “Well, if you’re determined to go on this trip, who am I to stand in your way?”
• 2
Camp Gitchee Goomee was nestled in a small mountain range near Silver Lake. All of the buildings were made log-cabin style. There were twenty bunk houses, ten on each side of the camp. The dining hall, recreation room, office, and infirmary were located in the middle.
“Isn’t this something? I told you it would be great up here, Amos. Just breathe in some of that fresh air.”
“I’d like to, but breathing is not one of the things I do best right now.”
Amos looked like a giant raccoon. He had a small piece of white tape across his nose, and his eyes were two perfectly round black circles.
“Tell me again how you managed to break your nose.”
“It happened last night. I was bringing my camping gear downstairs when the phone rang. I figured it was Melissa calling to talk about camp stuff. It sounded like her—you know, that kind of high-pitched ring.”
Dunc nodded. Amos was always certain that Melissa was calling him. She
Duncan—Dunc—Culpepper sat on the edge of his bed checking off items on the list he was holding. His best friend Amos Binder called them out to him.
“Swim trunks.”
“Check.”
“Mosquito repellent.”
“Check.”
“Sleeping bag.”
“Check.”
“Fake throw-up.”
“Ch—hey, that’s not on the list.”
Amos grinned. “You never know. Just whenyou leave something at home, that’s the very thing you’ll need.”
“This camp we’re going to has some pretty strict rules about behavior. Willie Myers told me that Attila the Hun doesn’t have anything on these counselors.”
Amos took off his cap and put it on backward. “How come we got so lucky? Whose brilliant idea was it to send us off to Camp Gitchee Goomee, anyway? What a name. Have we done something to deserve this kind of punishment?”
Dunc looked at him.
“I mean lately,” Amos said.
“My mother says that everyone should have the experience of going to summer camp. She thinks it will be good for me to get back to nature, breathe some fresh air, and be around normal people my age.”
“What am I—abnormal?”
“Oh, I’m sure she didn’t mean anything against you, Amos. Besides, you’re coming with me.”
“I’ve been thinking about that. This camp business sounds worse than the army. I could stay here and hold down the fort until you getback. Lie around the pool, soak up some rays, play some video games.”
“Amos Binder, I can’t believe it. We always do everything together. I can’t believe you would even think of such a thing!”
“I was going to write to you.”
Dunc decided it was time to try a different approach.
“Okay, Amos. If that’s the way you want it. I can handle that. No problem here.
She
might be a little disappointed, though.”
“She?”
“Melissa Hansen. I found out that she just happens to be going to the same camp we are.”
Dunc knew it wasn’t fair to bring up Melissa. Amos loved Melissa with his whole heart. While she thought of him as a welcome mat—if at all.
Amos put his cap on the right way. “Do you know for sure, guaranteed, beyond a shadow of a doubt, cross your heart and hope to eat raw liver, that Melissa is going to this same camp?”
“Where do you think my mother got the name of the camp?” Dunc nodded. “Melissa’s mother told her.”
Amos jumped from the floor up to the bed. “Ye-es! All alone with Melissa Hansen in a beautiful mountain setting. Birds singing, flowers blooming …”
“I hate to mention this, Amos, but you won’t be all alone with her. There will be at least two hundred other campers, besides the counselors. They put the boys on one side and the girls on the other.”
“Details,” Amos said, ignoring Dunc. “What an opportunity! It’ll really be the perfect place to show off my skills as an outdoorsman.”
“I didn’t know you had any.”
“I’ve got three days. I’ll get some.”
Dunc smiled. “Well, if you’re determined to go on this trip, who am I to stand in your way?”
• 2
Camp Gitchee Goomee was nestled in a small mountain range near Silver Lake. All of the buildings were made log-cabin style. There were twenty bunk houses, ten on each side of the camp. The dining hall, recreation room, office, and infirmary were located in the middle.
“Isn’t this something? I told you it would be great up here, Amos. Just breathe in some of that fresh air.”
“I’d like to, but breathing is not one of the things I do best right now.”
Amos looked like a giant raccoon. He had a small piece of white tape across his nose, and his eyes were two perfectly round black circles.
“Tell me again how you managed to break your nose.”
“It happened last night. I was bringing my camping gear downstairs when the phone rang. I figured it was Melissa calling to talk about camp stuff. It sounded like her—you know, that kind of high-pitched ring.”
Dunc nodded. Amos was always certain that Melissa was calling him. She
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