Chapter 14
Since there were so many people in the cafeteria during camper drop off once the kids were checked in, they were introduced to their counselors. It was easy enough a process; each cabin had a sign on the wall of the gym and all kids were sent down there. The counselors simply stood under the sign to the cabin that they were going to be in and waited for the kids to come to them. There were 10 cabins in total: five for the girls and five for the boys, with two counselors each. The girls had the right side of the gym and the boys had the left, simply to make things a little smoother.
Ross and Barnes were already standing with Peter and Ned, and in less than an hour they were joined by four other 9-year-old boys, all looking excited and eager when they walked over with their parents in tow.
Greg Cooper arrived first. He was about Ned’s height, with dark hair and eyes and a slew of freckles across his nose. Peter and Ned were introduced just by their first names, and there were the usual rounds of where are you from and what school do you go type of questions while waiting for the rest. Barnes was a bit surprised when Ned showed a bit more tact than he usually did when he didn’t mention right away who Peter’s famous father was, but this was because Eric had pointed out on the ride up that he should let the other kids get to know Peter, first, and see what kind of person he was. Then they could talk about parents.
Morgan Anderson was almost as small as Peter. He was blonde and tanned, mirroring his parents who were both fair-haired and tan. They were also carrying twice as many bags as any of the other boys, and set them down with the others, doubling the size of what would need to be carried up to the cabin.
Carlos Edler could have been Bucky’s little brother. Or son. Or grandson. Or great grandson, really, considering how old he was. Dark hair and light eyes and the same haircut, all he was missing was the broody expression. He was just as cheerful as the other kids and his parents were echoing that good humor when they introduced themselves to Ross and Barnes.
Brian Davis was a tall, lanky guy with a shock of blonde hair and a bit of a limp. He was wearing jeans – everyone else was, as well – but there was a shock to all of them when he smiled shyly and lifted his right pant’s leg to show that his leg was actually made of metal and ran down into the tennis shoe that he was wearing. His smile widened at their surprise (something he was clearly used to) and Peter crouched down to get a closer look.
“That’s great,” he said, clearly impressed. “What happened to your real leg?”
The boy wasn’t upset by the question. It was clear he’d expected it – and probably answered the question a hundred times.
“It got chewed off by a lion.”
Peter’s weren’t the only eyes that went wide at the reply.
“Really?”
Brian laughed and shook his head; it was clear he’d done that before to people and enjoyed the shock.
“No. I got a bad infection when I fell into a pond and didn’t know it until it was really bad. They had to cut it off to keep it from making me sick, too.”
“He almost died,” the boy’s mother confirmed.
“Wow…”
“Bucky has a fake arm,” Ned said, pointing at Barnes. “We’re going to be the coolest cabin here, this week.”
Barnes held up the hand when Brian looked at him, curiously, and he gave a slight smile of his own.
“What happened to your arm, Bucky?” Brian asked, catching the nickname Ned had used and more than willing to use it, too.
“Got it chewed off by a giraffe.”
There were a lot of laughs since all the boys (and parents) knew the chances of that were extremely rare – especially since Barnes looked amused.
“Nuh uh.”
“What really happened?” Carlos asked.
“Train wreck. It was pretty mangled.”
“Did it hurt?”
He shook his head; this wasn’t the time or place – or audience – for that conversation.
“I didn’t feel anything.” Time to change the subject. “Are we all here?”
Since the boys didn’t know the answer to that, they weren’t sure, but they had to assume that they were.
“Yeah.”
“Then say goodbye to your parents so we can get up to the cabin and get the week started,” Ross told them, shooing them toward their folks. We only have about an hour to get you guys unpacked and settled in before we need to meet back here for games.”
“What kind of games?” Peter asked while the other boys all started hugging their parents.
“Ice breakers.”
“Neat.”
“Do you know what an ice breaker is?” Bucky asked.
“We’re making ice cubes?” Ned guessed.
Kindle smiled.
“No. They’re games to get to know each other better.”
“Neat.”
Parents were leaving and all the boys turned back to their counselors. Ross clapped his hands.
“Let’s get your stuff up to the cabins.”
“I’ll help carry,” Peter offered, pretty sure that Morgan, at least, had way too much to carry by himself.
“Me, too,” Ned agreed.
In a minute everyone was loaded down – including the counselors – and heading out the door and up the hill to their cabin, talking excitedly about what they were most eager to do that week. Barnes was the only one who noticed that Peter was carrying far more than his little frame should have allowed him to carry, and he was doing it, easily.
OOOOOOOOOOOO
Ross had the bed closest to the door. Bucky had been told that it was always a good idea to have a counselor closest to the door in order to make sure no one snuck out in the middle of the night – or no one snuck in. It wasn’t as big of a concern when they were working with the younger kids, he’d told Barnes, but if there was an emergency or something it was best that the kids knew exactly which bed was a counselor’s.
Bucky had chosen the one closest to Peter and Ned was under his friend’s upper bunk. The rest of the boys took the beds that they wanted and there were a couple of empty ones that would act as convenient places to hold their bags and extra things.
“No one has a cell phone or tablet, right?” Barnes asked, remembering that they were supposed to ask.
Although they were supposed to have asked while the parents were still there.
There were assorted negative responses and the boys gathered around.
“What do we do, now?” Morgan asked.
“We get to know each other a little better,” Kindle replied.
“How?”
“Where is everyone from?”
There were assorted answers, and Peter jumped up on his bunk to see everyone better.
“What grade are you in?” Ross asked, certain everyone was in 4th or 5th grade.
It wasn’t going to help them learn anything, but it was a good way to see which boys were more sociable and which would hold themselves back a little. Sure enough, most of them said 4th grade, but Peter’s response was definitely unexpected.
“I’m going to be taking college classes, next year,” Peter said. “But I’m going to be in 12th. Again.”
“12th?” Brian echoed. “Really?”
“Peter’s super smart,” Ned said, proudly. “I’m going to be going to his school, next year, too. It’s for smart kids.”
“Wow.”
Peter smiled, kicking his legs, cheerfully, but didn’t say anything. He knew he was smart and always got the reaction he was getting just then, so it didn’t make him self-conscious or anything. It did make him happy that Ned was going to be at his school the next year.=, because Ned was smart, too.
“What is your favorite foods?” Bucky asked them to take attention from Peter before Ned slipped and mentioned Tony Stark, yet.
“Pizza!”
“Hamburgers!”
“Fish sticks.”
These were answers that were a little more expected. Even from Peter. It was pretty clever, Barnes had to admit, as he leaned against Peter’s bunk unconsciously staying near the boy while still engaging in the conversation and helping Ross take charge of the order of the questions. Getting the boys to answer these easy questions about themselves was a good way to help them get to know each other a little and to find common ground and to become friends in a very short time.
“Bucky?”
He turned to Peter, wondering if he’d missed a question in his musing, but Peter’s voice was soft, and the question just for him.
“Yeah, buddy?”
“This is neat, huh?”
Barnes nodded.
“Yeah.”