soap were hard and reassuring, and he always felt cleanest when he used a new bar. He washed his hair once, and then rinsed it clean, and then he washed it again. The lather was always way better the second time. Beside him, Ricky was using the shampoo to give himself a mohawk.
“Can I use your soap, Martin?” Ricky said.
“Sure.” Martin passed him the fresh bar of soap, and went back to rinsing his hair.
“He’s gone,” Ricky said, looking back toward the door. “I thought he was gonna stare at us showering the whole time. Jeez.”
Chip was waiting outside in the hallway when everyone finished.
“Cool,” he said. “Is everybody ready?”
“Are we going to write to our parents now?” Martin asked him.
“You’ve only been here one night, and already you want to write to your parents?” Chip laughed. “What, do you miss your mommy? Where’s your sense of adventure? Aren’t you having fun?”
“He doesn’t miss his mommy,” Ricky said, elbowing Martin in the ribs and grinning. “He’s just tired of you bugging us, probably!”
“Well, we’re going to send letters later this afternoon,” Chip said. “But right now we’ve got breakfast and then we have our first chapel. I know that most of you brought a Bible with you, but let me know if you haven’t got a copy of the New Testament. We read along a lot in morning chapel, usually. Afternoon chapel is when Father Tony gives a sermon, and then tonight we’ll probably sing songs. You get used to the pattern pretty quickly. In between chapel we’ve got a ton of fun stuff planned.”
Martin was clean and dry and dressed. He was wearing his nicest button-up shirt today, the white one with pearlized cowboy buttons. He felt ready to see Joan again. He felt like he was at his best. He hoped that she didn’t act different. He liked the way things were before, where everyone acted like themselves. When people fell in love in the movies, they always started acting differently. They acted in love, instead of like themselves. Martin was not going to act in love.
“After chapel we’ll go swimming,” Chip said to them. “Cindy’s cabin is going to come with us. They seem like nice girls, so be on your best behaviour. I want you guys to make me look good today, okay? Don’t embarrass me.”
John Dee couldn’t find his brother. He was in a different cabin than Mitchell, but he hadn’t seen him since last night, and he was starting to get worried. He had walked all over the camp and hadn’t found his brother.
“Hey JD,” Chip said. He was standing right inside the side door when John Dee came into the building. “You find your brother yet?” John Dee shook his head. He didn’t even notice that Chip had called him JD, which he usually hated. Sometimes his father called him John, or JD, but he preferred to be called by both first names.
John Dee wore all black, usually. It made things easier. Everything went with everything else. And it was harder to get the clothes dirty. And, to be honest, it had a slimming effect. Not a lot, but every bit helped.
“I haven’t seen him since yesterday when we got here,” John Dee said.
“The last I saw him he was talking to Father Tony,” Chip told him. “But that was right after everyone got here yesterday. Which cabin is he in?”
“Cabin Four,” John Dee said.
That was the last time he’d seen Mitchell, too. He had seen his brother crying after the priest asked if they had accepted Jesus into their hearts, but he pretended not to notice. It wasn’t his problem if Mitchell wanted to embarrass himself like always. John Dee had gotten up with his friend Gabe and gone to get cake. Mitchell was always crying about something. He was the “sensitive one,” their father told people. He was a pussy, was what he was. But pussy or not, John Dee was getting worried about him.
“I don’t know,” Chip said. He looked at his watch. “You know where Tony’s office is, right? It’s on the top
“Can I use your soap, Martin?” Ricky said.
“Sure.” Martin passed him the fresh bar of soap, and went back to rinsing his hair.
“He’s gone,” Ricky said, looking back toward the door. “I thought he was gonna stare at us showering the whole time. Jeez.”
Chip was waiting outside in the hallway when everyone finished.
“Cool,” he said. “Is everybody ready?”
“Are we going to write to our parents now?” Martin asked him.
“You’ve only been here one night, and already you want to write to your parents?” Chip laughed. “What, do you miss your mommy? Where’s your sense of adventure? Aren’t you having fun?”
“He doesn’t miss his mommy,” Ricky said, elbowing Martin in the ribs and grinning. “He’s just tired of you bugging us, probably!”
“Well, we’re going to send letters later this afternoon,” Chip said. “But right now we’ve got breakfast and then we have our first chapel. I know that most of you brought a Bible with you, but let me know if you haven’t got a copy of the New Testament. We read along a lot in morning chapel, usually. Afternoon chapel is when Father Tony gives a sermon, and then tonight we’ll probably sing songs. You get used to the pattern pretty quickly. In between chapel we’ve got a ton of fun stuff planned.”
Martin was clean and dry and dressed. He was wearing his nicest button-up shirt today, the white one with pearlized cowboy buttons. He felt ready to see Joan again. He felt like he was at his best. He hoped that she didn’t act different. He liked the way things were before, where everyone acted like themselves. When people fell in love in the movies, they always started acting differently. They acted in love, instead of like themselves. Martin was not going to act in love.
“After chapel we’ll go swimming,” Chip said to them. “Cindy’s cabin is going to come with us. They seem like nice girls, so be on your best behaviour. I want you guys to make me look good today, okay? Don’t embarrass me.”
John Dee couldn’t find his brother. He was in a different cabin than Mitchell, but he hadn’t seen him since last night, and he was starting to get worried. He had walked all over the camp and hadn’t found his brother.
“Hey JD,” Chip said. He was standing right inside the side door when John Dee came into the building. “You find your brother yet?” John Dee shook his head. He didn’t even notice that Chip had called him JD, which he usually hated. Sometimes his father called him John, or JD, but he preferred to be called by both first names.
John Dee wore all black, usually. It made things easier. Everything went with everything else. And it was harder to get the clothes dirty. And, to be honest, it had a slimming effect. Not a lot, but every bit helped.
“I haven’t seen him since yesterday when we got here,” John Dee said.
“The last I saw him he was talking to Father Tony,” Chip told him. “But that was right after everyone got here yesterday. Which cabin is he in?”
“Cabin Four,” John Dee said.
That was the last time he’d seen Mitchell, too. He had seen his brother crying after the priest asked if they had accepted Jesus into their hearts, but he pretended not to notice. It wasn’t his problem if Mitchell wanted to embarrass himself like always. John Dee had gotten up with his friend Gabe and gone to get cake. Mitchell was always crying about something. He was the “sensitive one,” their father told people. He was a pussy, was what he was. But pussy or not, John Dee was getting worried about him.
“I don’t know,” Chip said. He looked at his watch. “You know where Tony’s office is, right? It’s on the top
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