gaining!” Immediately, her sneakers began to slide forward. Dr. Ben yelped, “We’re giving! We’re giving!”
For some reason, his words struck Dawn as funny and she began to giggle. Her laughter was contagious. Val started snickering, then Marlee, then the kid behind her, and so on, until everyone was laughing. As the laughter swelled, everyone’s strength gave out, and the whole group started sliding faster and faster toward the mudhole.
Dr. Ben shouted, “Stop that noise! This is treason! Treason!” But, like dominoes, the line began to falter and finally to topple. And because he was first in the line, Dr. Ben tumbled spread-eagle into the gooey mud.
Dawn lay flat on the ground holding her sides, weak with laughter. Marlee lay beside her and members from the other team wandered over.
“You didn’t put up much of a fight,” Brent said, plopping down next to them.
Cameras clicked and reporters called out joking remarks as Dr. Ben walked past, his front covered with brown gook. Dawn took one look and started laughing again.
“You think this is funny?” Dr. Ben asked, pretending to be angry. He smeared a dollop of mud on her nose. She only laughed harder.
“Don’t forget this one,” Brent shouted, scooping a handful of mud from the doctor’s arm and splattering it on Marlee.
“Hey!” Marlee squealed, grabbing a handful of her own and smearing it on him.
In seconds, a mud-slinging war had erupted. Campers, counselors, even a few reporters began hurling globs of mud at one another. Kids rolled on the grass and slathered one another with brown, wet dirt. Girls ran shrieking as boys threatened to toss them into the sea of mud. Cameras clicked and video cameras hummed, recording the entire mess.
With her sides aching from laughter, Dawn stepped back and watched the fun. A memory from her first Junior Olympics slipped into her mind. She saw Sandy smiling triumphantly as her team won the water balloon toss.
If only you were here,
Dawn thought.
If only we could be doing this together.
Brent came up beside her. “You giving up?” he asked.
His question jerked her back into the present. “Never,” she said, with a huskiness in her voice that made him peer at her more closely.
“You okay?”
“Fine,” she told him. “Never been better.”
“You looked sort of lonesome standing off by yourself.”
She poked him in the ribs. “And
you
look like a pig who’s lost his pen.”
“A pig!” he cried.
With a laugh, she shoved him away and darted off. He chased her and they zigzagged under the hot sun until Dawn was completely exhausted. Too exhausted to think about Sandy for the rest of the day.
* * * *
That night in the main hall, Dr. Ben gave out awards and ribbons for all the week’s activities. “Now, here’s the one I know you’ve all been waiting for,” the doctor said. “The coveted Clean Cabin Award.”
Excited whispers rustled through the crowd. Val leaned over to Dawn and asked, “Do you know who got it?”
“Nope. It’s a big surprise, even for the CITs.”
Dr. Ben continued. “I tallied up all the points from each of the CITs’ reports, and I’m pleased to announce the grand prize winner. There are four large pizzas waiting in the kitchen for the winners to take back to their cabin while the rest of us make do with punch and cookies.”
The crowd booed. Dr. Ben held up his hand. “Those are the rules, folks. The winners get to pig out. When I call out the winner, send one representative to claim your prize. The pizza man’s waiting in the kitchen.” He turned toward his helper. “May I have the envelope, please?”
Dawn handed him a white envelope. Then he ripped it open and pulled out a piece of paper. After a dramatic pause, he read, “The winner is: Cabin Three.”
Dawn and her kids shrieked and hugged one another. Dawn shoved Marlee forward and whispered, “Go collect and we’ll meet you by the kitchen door.”
Marlee hurried forward, while boys from
For some reason, his words struck Dawn as funny and she began to giggle. Her laughter was contagious. Val started snickering, then Marlee, then the kid behind her, and so on, until everyone was laughing. As the laughter swelled, everyone’s strength gave out, and the whole group started sliding faster and faster toward the mudhole.
Dr. Ben shouted, “Stop that noise! This is treason! Treason!” But, like dominoes, the line began to falter and finally to topple. And because he was first in the line, Dr. Ben tumbled spread-eagle into the gooey mud.
Dawn lay flat on the ground holding her sides, weak with laughter. Marlee lay beside her and members from the other team wandered over.
“You didn’t put up much of a fight,” Brent said, plopping down next to them.
Cameras clicked and reporters called out joking remarks as Dr. Ben walked past, his front covered with brown gook. Dawn took one look and started laughing again.
“You think this is funny?” Dr. Ben asked, pretending to be angry. He smeared a dollop of mud on her nose. She only laughed harder.
“Don’t forget this one,” Brent shouted, scooping a handful of mud from the doctor’s arm and splattering it on Marlee.
“Hey!” Marlee squealed, grabbing a handful of her own and smearing it on him.
In seconds, a mud-slinging war had erupted. Campers, counselors, even a few reporters began hurling globs of mud at one another. Kids rolled on the grass and slathered one another with brown, wet dirt. Girls ran shrieking as boys threatened to toss them into the sea of mud. Cameras clicked and video cameras hummed, recording the entire mess.
With her sides aching from laughter, Dawn stepped back and watched the fun. A memory from her first Junior Olympics slipped into her mind. She saw Sandy smiling triumphantly as her team won the water balloon toss.
If only you were here,
Dawn thought.
If only we could be doing this together.
Brent came up beside her. “You giving up?” he asked.
His question jerked her back into the present. “Never,” she said, with a huskiness in her voice that made him peer at her more closely.
“You okay?”
“Fine,” she told him. “Never been better.”
“You looked sort of lonesome standing off by yourself.”
She poked him in the ribs. “And
you
look like a pig who’s lost his pen.”
“A pig!” he cried.
With a laugh, she shoved him away and darted off. He chased her and they zigzagged under the hot sun until Dawn was completely exhausted. Too exhausted to think about Sandy for the rest of the day.
* * * *
That night in the main hall, Dr. Ben gave out awards and ribbons for all the week’s activities. “Now, here’s the one I know you’ve all been waiting for,” the doctor said. “The coveted Clean Cabin Award.”
Excited whispers rustled through the crowd. Val leaned over to Dawn and asked, “Do you know who got it?”
“Nope. It’s a big surprise, even for the CITs.”
Dr. Ben continued. “I tallied up all the points from each of the CITs’ reports, and I’m pleased to announce the grand prize winner. There are four large pizzas waiting in the kitchen for the winners to take back to their cabin while the rest of us make do with punch and cookies.”
The crowd booed. Dr. Ben held up his hand. “Those are the rules, folks. The winners get to pig out. When I call out the winner, send one representative to claim your prize. The pizza man’s waiting in the kitchen.” He turned toward his helper. “May I have the envelope, please?”
Dawn handed him a white envelope. Then he ripped it open and pulled out a piece of paper. After a dramatic pause, he read, “The winner is: Cabin Three.”
Dawn and her kids shrieked and hugged one another. Dawn shoved Marlee forward and whispered, “Go collect and we’ll meet you by the kitchen door.”
Marlee hurried forward, while boys from
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