Sample Pages: Chapter One
(Each chapter begins with an illustration that sports hidden skateboards)
Imagine me, Ray Nuestrong, a camp
counselor…well junior camp counselor. Camp Turnabout Creek will never be the
same.
Ah, yes! CTC, I love this place. I gazed at the cloudless, blue sky. The sights, sounds, and smells…this is going to be the best week of camp ever. I can hardly wait for the adventure to begin.
I slid out of the van and stretched as I breathed in the fresh mountain air. The warmth of the June sun beat on my face. Birds chirped and squirrels chattered in the trees. The staff buildings, white with dark green trim, formed a half circle.
“Help me unload the office boxes, Ray,” Dad said. He opened the back of the van. “Then you can take your luggage to cabin A, your home for the week. You’ll have a couple free hours. The pre-camp briefing’s at ten. I’ll give you a shout on your phone when it’s time.” One of the perks of being on staff—I could keep my cell phone.
Wow! The pre-camp briefing…I’ve always wondered what went on behind the scenes. Now, I’m an official counselor. It feels great…in a weird sorta way.
The jitters attacked my guts like I was about to take a test I hadn’t studied for. I had turned fifteen a month ago. That meant I couldn’t come to CTC as a camper anymore. This was my favorite place in the world. I’d been coming here since I was nine. I had made a ton of friends from all over the state. Now, I had only one option—become a junior camp counselor. So here I am.
Standing next to Dad as he unlocked the office door, I smiled up at him. Up isn’t as high as it used to be. My shoulders are just inches from his.
*****
After helping Dad, I flung my backpack over my shoulder and hopped on my skateboard. I skated across the parking lot to the trail that led to cabin A, wheeling my suitcase behind me. At the edge of the path I leaped off my board, flipped it up, and caught it with my free hand. Skateboards don’t ride so well over dirt, rocks, and tree roots. I took a deep breath as I strutted down the path. Love the smell of the deep woods. On the slate slab in front of the cabin door, a salamander basked in the sunlight that filtered through the tree limbs. When I entered the one-room log cabin, a waft of stale air hit me in the face. One single bed reserved for the main counselor occupied the space next to the door. Four sets of bunk beds lined the other whitewashed walls. I dumped my gear on the bottom bunk catty-cornered from the single bed…my usual spot. I hoisted both windows to air out the cabin. An angry squirrel chattered from a nearby tree. I chuckled and strapped on my helmet, elbow pads, and knee pads.
*****
At the skate park, I zoomed down one ramp and up the other, turned and soared back. Building momentum, I did an 180 ollie. What a feeling! I imagined myself an eagle soaring a mile above the earth…for a few seconds anyway. Gravity did its job. I landed the board right smack on the wheels, but lost my balance. My rump stung a bit as I skidded across the bottom of the pavement. My skateboard continued up the other ramp without me. I retrieved it and started again. I tried the trick several more times. Each time my skateboard made it farther up the ramp than I did. I sat in the middle of the rink on my board, seriously considering going back for my pillow to tuck in my pants.
Buzz. I jumped at the vibration in my pocket.
Buzz. I jumped again and retrieved my phone. It sure didn’t seem like two hours had gone by.
“Hey, Dad.”
“Ray, come to the office pronto.” Dad’s voice sounded official…urgent even. It felt as though a fistful of crickets leaped in my stomach. I hopped on my board and rushed to Dad’s office.
Ah, yes! CTC, I love this place. I gazed at the cloudless, blue sky. The sights, sounds, and smells…this is going to be the best week of camp ever. I can hardly wait for the adventure to begin.
I slid out of the van and stretched as I breathed in the fresh mountain air. The warmth of the June sun beat on my face. Birds chirped and squirrels chattered in the trees. The staff buildings, white with dark green trim, formed a half circle.
“Help me unload the office boxes, Ray,” Dad said. He opened the back of the van. “Then you can take your luggage to cabin A, your home for the week. You’ll have a couple free hours. The pre-camp briefing’s at ten. I’ll give you a shout on your phone when it’s time.” One of the perks of being on staff—I could keep my cell phone.
Wow! The pre-camp briefing…I’ve always wondered what went on behind the scenes. Now, I’m an official counselor. It feels great…in a weird sorta way.
The jitters attacked my guts like I was about to take a test I hadn’t studied for. I had turned fifteen a month ago. That meant I couldn’t come to CTC as a camper anymore. This was my favorite place in the world. I’d been coming here since I was nine. I had made a ton of friends from all over the state. Now, I had only one option—become a junior camp counselor. So here I am.
Standing next to Dad as he unlocked the office door, I smiled up at him. Up isn’t as high as it used to be. My shoulders are just inches from his.
*****
After helping Dad, I flung my backpack over my shoulder and hopped on my skateboard. I skated across the parking lot to the trail that led to cabin A, wheeling my suitcase behind me. At the edge of the path I leaped off my board, flipped it up, and caught it with my free hand. Skateboards don’t ride so well over dirt, rocks, and tree roots. I took a deep breath as I strutted down the path. Love the smell of the deep woods. On the slate slab in front of the cabin door, a salamander basked in the sunlight that filtered through the tree limbs. When I entered the one-room log cabin, a waft of stale air hit me in the face. One single bed reserved for the main counselor occupied the space next to the door. Four sets of bunk beds lined the other whitewashed walls. I dumped my gear on the bottom bunk catty-cornered from the single bed…my usual spot. I hoisted both windows to air out the cabin. An angry squirrel chattered from a nearby tree. I chuckled and strapped on my helmet, elbow pads, and knee pads.
*****
At the skate park, I zoomed down one ramp and up the other, turned and soared back. Building momentum, I did an 180 ollie. What a feeling! I imagined myself an eagle soaring a mile above the earth…for a few seconds anyway. Gravity did its job. I landed the board right smack on the wheels, but lost my balance. My rump stung a bit as I skidded across the bottom of the pavement. My skateboard continued up the other ramp without me. I retrieved it and started again. I tried the trick several more times. Each time my skateboard made it farther up the ramp than I did. I sat in the middle of the rink on my board, seriously considering going back for my pillow to tuck in my pants.
Buzz. I jumped at the vibration in my pocket.
Buzz. I jumped again and retrieved my phone. It sure didn’t seem like two hours had gone by.
“Hey, Dad.”
“Ray, come to the office pronto.” Dad’s voice sounded official…urgent even. It felt as though a fistful of crickets leaped in my stomach. I hopped on my board and rushed to Dad’s office.
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