Sixty-Two ☼ Phan

Eight

"You fucking idiot, Japan is in Asia."

I woke up two weeks later to that conversation. It was becoming pretty common, as Peej now was focusing more on his over-the-summer school work. Our cabin had become some sort of educational debate room.

On the weekends the schedule is always a little delayed. It's supposed to let us sleep in more, relax a bit, as if it wasn't summer and that wasn't the whole point of not going to school. I flipped over in bed, groaning.

Today was the Camp "Parent" Scavenger Hunt. They started it last year, and was supposed to be some sort of shiny new tradition. From what Peej and Chris explained, I heard it to be, basically, a giant annoyance. For the older kids especially, if not solely. The older kids partnered up into groups of two. Those groups of two were then given a younger kid to watch over and help complete the hunt. We did not get to actually search for things. We just "parented" over the kid. It was supposed to teach us responsibility or whatever.

The thought of dealing with a child made me groan again. Not that I had anything particularly against children, it was just I didn't know how to handle them. They were like an entirely different species. Everytime one talked to me or asked me for help I just felt overwhelmed. They were cute, I guess, but, then again, so are pandas. And I don't know how to communicate properly with a panda, either.

"But then why aren't people who are Asian also called Japanese?" I heard Chris say.

There was the distinctive sound of Peej smacking himself in the face.

"Because not all Asian people are Japanese!" Peej shouted.

"But you just said they are."

"No I did not!"

This continued for a while. Eventually we made it to breakfast. Phil had not been present in the cabin, as usual, but I did find him at our table. I wondered how he got up so early all the time. Maybe he just slept in his stone house.

Good old Mr. L was stood waiting for us. That being so, we all knew that food would not come first. It never did when he was here. I was getting used to camp life already, it seemed.

"Hello," he said into the microphone.

In response, a jumbled sound that definitely matched nothing in the dictionary. Phil already wasn't paying attention, instead staring upward. Lines over lines over lines of ceiling planks.

"Although word has, presumably, already spread, I would like to announce that today is our annual Parent Scavenger Hunt." Mr. L smiled, his wrinkled face distorting at the stretch. "Firstly: everyone over fifteen must pair into partners. I suggest you do this now rather than later, as to be prepared. Please, pair within your cabin only."

Everybody shifted all at once, moving to sit next to their designated friends. I glanced to Peej and Chris, who were already jointed at the hip, no surprise. They both seemed to realize at the same time that I would not be able to join them, because they looked over at me with apologetic expressions. They felt bad that I had to be with Phil.

"That's okay," I said truthfully.

I was already sitting beside Phil, so I just turned to him. He was still staring upward. I poked him in the arm, making him look at me almost immediately.

"We're partners, yeah?"

He nodded in reply, smiling a little on instinct. Back to the ceiling.

Mr. L cleared his throat. "We will start straight after breakfast. When you finish eating, don't leave, and just wait for further instructions."

To our, rather hungry, relief, he stepped down and did not say anymore. Clink, clunk, clank, the windows to the counters sprung open and everybody stood to race into a line. The four of us walked mechanically into the crowd, dispersing to get the best spots.