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[center][color=00aeef][b]Matthew Jansons[/b][/color][/center]
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Matt’s brother Danny spotted her first, and when he nudged his little brother and nodded her way, he chuckled, [quote]“Maybe we can trade places. I wouldn’t mind being at camp with her.”[/quote]

Turning to where his brother was looking, Matt saw the tall blonde counsellor wearing a yellow tee-shirt, laughing as she spoke to a table of girls. He smiled back at his brother and chuckled, [color=00aeef][quote]“Yeah, I don’t think so. She’s definitely out of your league, big brother. She’s probably in college or something.”[/quote][/color]

With his backpack slung over one shoulder and his suitcase a foot behind, Matt looked around the dining hall. Noticing first the tall A-frame ceiling and then the overly rustic décor, he saw the room was filled with kids his age, all gathered around the tables. Girls sat on one side and boys on the other. He paused for a second, wondering if the boy-girl thing was some camp rule or just the way campers preferred it. He quickly counted the tables: two rows of three for the girls, another six filled with boys. Another count of eight at almost every table, and he quickly calculated 2 × 3 × 8 … 48 … and then doubled … 96. Yeah, he could do math … and he was proud of it.

He bit his lower lip as he glanced around the hall. He could already see the groups that had formed at each table: over there a group of four, some kids in pairs, and at almost every table, one boy or girl who seemed to be on their own, someone who didn’t seem to fit. He remembered what his mom had said on the drive in: [quote]“Don’t worry Matt, you always make friends. It’s your superpower.”[/quote]

He glanced back at his mother, who had followed her two boys into the hall. Muttering quietly, he asked, [color=00aeef][quote]“Are you sure they know I am coming? Maybe you messed this up too.” Instantly regretting it, he gave his mother a grin. “Danny says he wants to stay. He can take my place.”[/quote][/color]

As if she had heard his words, the same blonde girl they had noticed earlier approached Matt and his small family. A whistle around her neck and a name tag that read Sara, it was obvious she was one of the counsellors, and she began, [quote]“You must be Matt. The camp director told us to look out for you.”[/quote]

She looked directly at Matt and continued, [quote]“You’re going to be in Cabin E. It’s for the whole summer kids.” Noticing another yellow shirt nearing, she pointed him out. “That’s your camp counsellor. His name is Brody.”[/quote]


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After Danny and his mother left, Matt remained in the dining hall. Brody and Sara had promised to get him settled into his cabin once the tables cleared and the campers headed off to their first activities of the day. Sitting alone at a table reserved for guests, he watched the room slowly empty. Groups of campers drifted toward the doors, talking and laughing as they went, leaving Matt with nothing to do but wait.

Not particularly upset about missing arts and crafts, Matt pulled his book from his backpack and started reading. Two chapters later, a chorus of “Happy Birthday” erupted somewhere across the dining hall. Looking up from his book, he couldn’t help but notice the excitement on the younger kids’ faces. One little guy was piling pancakes onto his plate and drowning them in syrup as everyone sang. Matt laughed quietly at the sight.

When the song ended, he smiled to himself and shook his head before lowering his eyes back to the page.

One more chapter in, he was interrupted again. [quote]“Don’t any of ya touch my food, I’ll be right back.”[/quote]

Looking up, Matt wondered if the voice was talking to him. He caught sight of a kid with a skateboard talking to the girls at their table. He hadn’t thought about bringing his board, but now he wondered if he should have. Maybe this place had a mini ramp or somewhere to work on his boardslide.

Hearing Sara’s voice, Matt looked up again. She was walking over with Brody, and as they got closer, he stood and reached for his bags. Brody spoke first, and something in his tone made Matt immediately like him.
[quote]“Your mom said you play baseball,” he said. “Any chance you know how to throw a slider?”[/quote]