Not Having Fun

032

It's finally here, camping day with the Scouts! We can't go to the proper holiday site until summer, but we can camp in the garden outside the Scout hall.

"Do you have everything Max?"

"Yeah Mum," I have a sleeping bag since we've been camping before, but Gregory seems a lot more organised than me.

But I did bring two whole bags of sweets! We aren't allowed, but Chris helped me hide them in my pillowcase. Mum parks outside the Sco it hall and turns back to see us. "Do you boys promise to behave?"

"Yes!"

"Do you promise to follow all the rules?"

"Yes!"

"And most importantly..."

I roll my eyes. I know what's coming! My parents always ask this. "And do you promise - promise! - to have fun?"

"Yeeeees,"

"Good, go ahead and I'll see you boys tomorrow," she puts the child lock off.

We go inside and everyone is there with their camping things. I sit with Gregory and a few other kids, and we talk for a bit. I brought one of my books and I read that. It'll be weird not having a bedtime story. Nobody else seems to care.

"Right everyone, let's get the tents set up!" The Scout master says. Yey! I can't wait. If we do it right we get our Camp Craft badge. I've already got my reading badge because I like reading.

We go outside and get the tents. It's a bit chilly. The Scout master gives us instructions and we start building our tents. I know where the pegs are supposed to go!

It's three to a tent. So me and Gregory... who else?

"Jayden! Come over here!"

Not Jayden! Jayden acts like a little baby. I bet he has to get his Mum to put him to sleep.

"Gregory," I whisper.

"Yeah?"

"I bet Jayden needs his Mum to come and pick him up!"

He looks at Jayden. "Okay. I bet you twenty pence!"

"Deal!"

The Scout master claps. "First pair to get their tent done gets to be the first to roast marshmallows,"

"Wow!" We hurry up.

We aren't the first to finish! Not even second! We're third. That's stupid. It's because Jayden is a baby. I kick one of the pegs out.

"We get to roast marshmallow anyway," Gregory says. "Who cares if we're first?"

Me! But then we start playing and I don't care anymore.

"We're going to play a game called capture the flag," the Scout master explains the rules.

It sounds hard. We split into two teams. We get a blue flag and the others get a red flag. Someone has to be a defender and stay by the flag.

"You should do it, you're the tallest!"

I don't want to, I prefer running. "You're the oldest!"

"Fine," Gregory huffs.

"Three... two... one... go!"

We all run across the campsite to capture the other team's flag. I push a couple of people to get it but nobody notices. My eye is on that flag!

The other team has a defender too. He's bigger than me. But I'm faster. I play football. I swipe left but then flank right to swerve past him. My hand grabs the flag and I double back. I run as fast as I can. I don't look at anyone else or think about them. I'm just running, it's so much fun! I'm having fun.

I tie their flag onto our post. But...

Ours is gone.

It's on the others' post. They must've got it while I was getting theirs!

"You're a rubbish defender," I cross my arms at Gregory.

"It's not my fault! You didn't stop them either, you were right beside them!" He thinks for a second. "Wait, we still won!"

"Oh," yeah, we got ours on first.

"Brilliant!" Gregory and I high-five. I have so much energy. I could do anything!

"Well done, boys. You can have these," he hands us some chocolates. Result!

"Time to roast marshmallows,"

We learn how to build a campfire by arranging stones in a circle. Then we all sit around it, some of us on bigger stones.

"Can I sit on your knee?" Jayden asks. He's smaller than me.

"Okay!" He sits on my knee. It makes me feel like a grownup.

The Scout master tells us to be very careful and he helps us roast our marshmallows. And I don't care what anyone says, I like them burnt!if they don't set on fire then I don't want them.

We eat lots of marshmallows. It starts to get dark early because it's winter so we al go into the tents. The Scout master goes into the hall and fills up hot water bottles for us. Why couldn't we camp in there?

It's not scary, but it is getting dark. My tent has a window and I watch the sun go down.

"You got any snacks?" Gregory asks me. He has a big bag of gummies.

"Yeah," I give him some. I have some too but I don't really want any. It's getting darker. The trees are black, like the hands in Chris' horror movie!

I want the Scout master.

I lie to Gregory and Jayden and say I need some water.

"I've got coke!" Gregory says.

"N-No, I want water," I run over to the Scout Master's tent. I can't knock and I don't want anyone to know I'm scared!

"Sir!" I whisper. "Sir!"

He opens up his tent. "Hi Max, everything alright?"

"I want to go home,"

He checks his watch. "It's only eights. Tell you what, why don't you stay in here till nine and if you still want to go home you can?"

"Okay," I climb into his tent with him. He zips it back up. I read my book and talk to him while it gets even darker.

"Can you tell everyone a lie?" I ask. I don't want them to think I'm a scaredy-cat,"

"You're not a scaredy-cat. You haven't been camping before,"

"But I've been on sleepovers," I pout. "I'm too scared to be outside,"

He nods. "It's different being outside,"

"Yeah,"

"Well, it's nine," he checks his phone.  Why's he allowed to have a phone? "What do you want to do?"

I'm still scared. It's even darker! "Can I go home? I'm sorry,"

"Nothing to be sorry for, mate. Go and get your things,"

"Where were you?!" Gregory asks once I get back to the tent. He sees me packing. "Are you going home?"

"Yeah," I mumble and keep packing. At least they're not laughing. Maybe they don't know it's because I'm scared. I look at Jayden. He's just eating our secret snacks. He's not scared at all! I feel bad for thinking he was a baby. It's okay to be scared of things. And to be small. 

Me and the Scout master wait beside the road for Mum and Dad to come. When Mum parks, I wave goodbye and run to the car. No more scary dark!

"Hi Mum,"

"Hi Max. Let's get you home and into your own bad. That'll feel better,"

"Okay. I'm sorry for having to come home,"

"It's fine. At least you didn't leave it too late. I bet loads of people go home tonight, but their parents will have to get out of bed for it later on. So thanks for being the first,"

I smile. "Thanks Mum,"

"You know, it's only half nine... and the ice cream shop is still open..."