Chapter One
Skeeter's Problem
It was the last day of school! Topaz's big brother Del had promised to take us all swimming, but when we went over there the girls where piling clothes.
"What are you doing I thought we were going swimming." Joey protested.
"We are getting clothes ready for the church bizarre," Josie said.
"Boy it's to cold to go swimming," Topaz scolded.
"It's not cold," Jeremy said teeth chattering
"Then why you look like a plucked goose," Topaz giggled.
"Okay guys lets head over the clubhouse, we have to practice for Polka Papa's bike race." Benny said,
"You girls coming?"
"Sure soon as soon as Del comes to drop of these things to the church," Topaz said.
"They are having a bazaar," Josie added.
"Girls are bizarre," Sid giggled.
Then Mick, Jeremy's da showed up and told Jeremy it was time for his guitar lessons and he was not going to pay Rat for lessons Jeremy didn't show up for.
He seemed a bit upset with Jeremy, Benny said he would go with him, they were both taking lessons from Rat also they knew adults usually didn’t jump on their kids too much when other kids were around.
"I got to go too, I just remembered my mom wanted me to come home for a little bit after school," Skeeter sighed.
"Okay club house later," Joey said.
Just then Willie showed up and so did Del.
"Hi guys I am house sitting for my aunt she said I could have friends over and order pizza she has color TV and a killer stereo." Willie announced.
"Cool we will leave the address for Benny, Jeremy, and Skeeter at the club house," Joey said grinning.
"343 East Locust," Willie told the girls and Del, Sid, and Butch.
They watched him and Joey go off on their bikes, and Josie sighed.
"What’s wrong?" Topaz said as they loaded things into Del’s car.
"My brother would think of a way to get out of helping us with these things, you are so lucky to have Del," Josie said looking at the teenager, who always seemed the be so kind to them.
Topaz smiled proudly at her brother, he was special.
Later when Jeremy and Benny got to the club house they saw the note and Jeremy wrote Rat’s new phone number on the back of it and stuck it in his pocket.
"I don’t want to loose that," Jeremy said smiling.
"Come on lets go I am starving for some pizza," Benny said grinning.
"We will swing by and pick up Skeeter," Jeremy said, "He said this is going to be the best summer ever and I think he is right."
"He always says that!" Benny laughed, Skeeter was his best friend of the bunch even though Jeremy and he liked to play guitar together, Skeeter and he were more alike in temperament. Jeremy could be moody and touchy and Jeremy liked to hang out with Nicky Tortelli who everyone knew was trouble walking. Benny’s own mother had told him, I don’t want you around that Tortelli kid, those Tortelli’s are bad news. So Benny tried to stay away from Nicky unless they practiced together which was at least once of week usually at Jeremy’s or the guitar teachers house.
==================================Meanwhile at Skeeters house==============
Skeeter was not happy when his mother took him shopping for summer clothing, it could have waited, most his old stuff still fit. He got new tan swim trunks, a new pair of pjs that had a cool lizard on them, and two short outfits that looked a little like the boy scouts, they had lizards on them too.
He also got 8 pairs of socks, underwear, undershirts, hiking boots and a new toothbrush. He was so shocked at beginning of summer he never got anything new except maybe swim trunks if he had out grown his old ones. Back to school brought out the new underwear and so on. He did get new zories, those little rubber shoes with a thong that went between your big toe and other toes, good for so much. Mom called them shower shoes.
We went home and dad had supper ready, that was a big surprise dad hardly ever cooked indoors. I was glad because I was in a big hurry to go to the club house and practice for the race.
"Paul we must talk to you." Papa said softly.
What had I done, I had done well at school report cards had come out last week, and I got a B something in all my classes but Reading which I received an A and in Gym which I skated by with a D. My parents knew how I loathed being called Paul, even my teacher called me Skeeter.
"Your mother and I . . ." Started papa.
I knew it was bad, when he called me Paul and said your mother and I, if it was good he would have said, Skeeter, your mom and I thought we would all go to the beach or Zoom City this weekend. No it was bad.
"We thought you would like it if you went to summer camp this year, to Camp Aglesha Bay." Papa Finished.
"CAMP AGLESHA BAY!" I cried, "What about my friends? We had plans . . . Polka Pop’s Big Bike Bonanza I am in the race and . . ."
"Paul you will make new friends," Mom said.
"But . . ." I gasped, thinking how would they like it if I made them go somewhere where they knew no one, Mom never liked my friends anyway. She always was saying things about their parents that weren’t too nice. She especially didn’t like Jeremy, something to do with his father liking women or something. She always said she didn’t know Benny’s mother, like that was Benny’s fault. She said the Sandovals let their kids run loose like dogs, and Topaz’s mother was loose, but she seemed nice to me, so Josie and Joey were the only ones she really approved of and barely them. Willie she still didn’t know that well. But they were my friends and good kids.
"Come on Paul I always wanted to go to camp didn’t you Lola?" Papa asked.
"Of course, but there . . ." Mom started
I moaned, here we go again, this is what I get for being an only child all these stories about how my mother had four siblings and my dad had the same, and having five children made it too expensive for them to get anything special or be on baseball teams or . . . oh no the sharks! No baseball for me.
"What about baseball?" I asked, at least papa was proud his clumsy son could make a team. The sharks had done well last year.
"I am sure they play baseball at camp, swimming, horse back riding, hiking, archery, wood crafts, all kinds of fun activities." Mom said smiling at me.
They had been arguing about something lately and I had this terrible feeling they just wanted to get rid of me.
"Look I could go stay with Sid and Butch if you . . ." I started.
"You are going to camp and you are going to enjoy it!" Papa said.
"Now finish eating you need to take a bath and get to bed the camp bus leaves at 5 am sharp and you will be on it," Mom said sternly.
I looked at my food I had eaten about half of it and not tasted more then the first bite it was pot roast, and I loved it but suddenly I couldn’t eat.
"Fine I will go then if it makes you two happy you ruined a perfectly good summer for me." I said and stormed off to take a bath.
The too of them probably looked at each other and sighed and mom would say something about me being difficult. Papa would say something about I was spoiled. I was neither, if they wanted to pawn me off let me spend the summer with friends not at some nimrod camp. Wieners go to summer camp. Little kids and wieners.
I couldn’t even say goodbye to my friends, jeesh what was a guy to do when his parents made all these dumb plans for him and ruined his summer.
"Hey there is Benny and Jeremy and they got the pizza," Willie said grinning.
"I still can't believe your aunt let you have us over here and eat pizza on her account at Del Roma's" Joey laughed.
"I know it’s so cool," Willie laughed.
"I wonder where Skeeter is, not like him to miss pizza," Topaz laughed, "I left him a note at the club house."
"I dunno we went by his place and his bike was gone," Jeremy said, they all loved Del Roma's pizza it was the best.
After my bath I planned to write a note to my friends I would slip out later and leave it at the club house with any luck they would be there drinking soda’s from Polka Pops and talking race strategy. I was fast on my bike I could go faster then almost everyone but Butch and Willie. There weren’t many sports and competitions I was good at but bike and soap box racing were my strong points. My big feet and skinny body didn’t matter when it came to pumping bikes or steering a winning car.
Comet seemed to know something was up and it hit me, who would take care of Comet, mom always said if I went somewhere she had to go or I had to find someone to take care of her.
I started to go back in and asked but they were already in their room, I decided I better leave Comet at the club house even if the gang was not there, they would all be there tomorrow. They would take care of her. Butch and Sid always took care of other guys dogs when their parents were being unreasonable or they were going on vacation. Rowdy would be staying there while the twins visited their grandparents for a week.
I got into bed and waited until everything was quiet.
Quickly I wrote the note I could hear my parents arguing they had argued a lot lately. I hurried out with Comet and had to run all the way to the club house. I felt like just keeping on running, I could have taken my bike but it wasn’t in the usual place behind the coke machine, papa must have locked it in the store room like he did when we were going away on Sunday or I was going to be gone.
Comet and I ran all the way to the club house it was only nine or so. I wanted to keep on running just me and Comet, but I was just a kid what my parents were doing to me was just unfair but I had no money, and I couldn't get my friends in trouble them watching Comet was a big enough burden.
At the tree house, I hugged Comet, left the note the dog food, and some water for her. We always kept extra dog food at the club house. I told her to be good and I would come back for her.
I ran home crying and wondering not for the first time what if my parents got a divorce?
I didn’t think I could sleep worrying about Comet and going to the new camp where I knew no one, I was never good in new situations not like Sid and Butch or even Jeremy, I wish Benny could have came with me but there was no time to ask and even if I did ask I doubt if his mom would send him. He said she was being really tight on money he had to pay for his own dog food, guitar lessons and stuff now out of his allowance and what he could earn bussing tables and helping around the motel.
I fell asleep thinking about how I could get off the bus and sneak back to the club house.
It was not to be the next thing I knew papa was about pulling me out of bed and thrusting my new khaki camp clothes in my hand.
"Come on Skeeter you will miss the bus," he said sounding almost happy I was going.
I wanted to miss that bus more then anything.
But it was not to be. We were at the bus station and they were saying goodbye papa in his corner market store apron mom in a house dress looking pale and plump. She was usually thin tall and lanky like me. There were about a dozen kids lining up all in their khaki outfits. All looking excited and glad to be there.
"Hey Skeeter," a kid called, and I turned around with hope, but my heart sank it was a kid I barely knew from Applegate, I sketched him a small wave. I was trying to think of his name Fred or Davie I thought.
"See there is someone you know," papa said.
I sighed thinking about the time he refused to go fishing with Mr. Beeman a customer, because he barely knew him, yet he expected me to be overjoyed because there was a kid on this bus that I barely knew because he played on the Anglers baseball team against the Sharks and we talked once. I was not spending an after noon fishing but six whole weeks most of the summer! Adult logic was alien.
I got on the bus, Davie that was the kid’s name I remembered, he was with some of his team mates, and I thought the Anglers would be in worse shape then we were.
I didn't even wave as my parents turned to go.
The bus driver was bald and looked about as mean as a pit of snakes soon as my parents were walking back to their car I started to slip towards the door only he looked at me and said, "Sit down boy."
I sat down the bus got a little quieter a dull roar. Then Snyder came on the bus, the kid who Butch called snotty Snyder because his nose was always running.
"Oh gorsh its that sissy snotty Snyder," a kid from the back said, and his buddies giggled. Butch would never call Snyder even snotty Snyder outside of the club.
