Cool for the summer.

Chasing the sun

"Ok boys, looks like our next activity is dodgeball." I say to the kids at the table before me in the mess hall. The boys cheer. "Who are we up against?" Asks one of the quieter boys.

"Not sure. But we'll find out once lunch is over. I'd suggest you boys talk strategies. Nicholas, you're pretty fast, so maybe you be upfront as bait. And James," The boy glares at me. "You are angry because you don't want to be here, use it. Get the ball and direct it at the other team. Try not to aim at their faces." I say leaning back, letting the boys discuss.

I look over to Steve's table and see his cabin huddled together, Steve included. He's talking looking around his team, using his hands to emphasize a point. The man, whose hair is now pulled back by a headband, looks up catching my eye and smiles at me. I nod back in acknowledgement before looking down at my watch.

I sigh. "Ok boys, we should get going. Let's get to the court to stretch or something. I don't know, I'm not sporty." I say lazily standing up. The boys follow me out, still talking strategies.

"Trust me, you get me the ball and I'll win it for you." I hear Evan, a cocky 11-year-old say. I shake my head. 'It's still the first week. They don't get points until next week. Let them decide who to follow.' I think to myself.

"Eddie, wait up!" I hear behind me. I turn, my cabin continuing past me. "Steve, what's up?" I say looking at him. "You guys going to dodgeball? We're on our way there." He says his cabin behind him.

I nod. "Looks like our cabins are against each other. I promised my team some time to stretch." I say walking next to him and watching my cabin in front of us.

"Perfect, should always stretch before a game like dodgeball." He says smiling. I look at him like he had grown a second head but nod and jog back to my team.

Our teams go to opposite sides of the court and I look at my team. "Ok, you guys have time to stretch. I hope you have a game plan because I know they definitely do." I say pointing to the opposing team.

~

"AHHGH!" I hear a scream come from the boy now curled on the floor. The boy, Tim, is the smallest and youngest member of my cabin. He promised that him being small would be an advantage. And it had up until a ball collided hard into his stomach, knocking the wind out of him, and him to the floor.

"Good shot!"  The man beside me says pumping his fist in the air. I glare at him and turn to the kid who threw that ball. "Not so hard!" I yell going to help the boy now limping off the court.

Steve looks at me, confused before I glare at him again. He slumps his shoulders, face becoming serious. "He's right." He says turning to the boy who threw the ball.

I turn to the boy helping him sit on the bench. "You ok? Do you need to go to first aid?" I ask. Tim nods and smiles at me. "I'll bounce back." He says holding a thumb up. I squint at him before nodding and returning to Steve's side. Both of us silently watched the game, arms crossed.

Sure enough, Tim had bounced back. In the next round, he was dodging as if he hadn't been thrown to the ground only 5 minutes ago.

"Look, I'm sorry. I should have called that shot out. But he seems Ok." Steve says quietly beside me. I glare at him again. "You've got to admit, it was a good shot though." He says smiling.

"And here I thought bully Steve was gone." I say sourly. He gasps. "You don't know what it's like being the little unathletic kid being targeted just because he can't play as well as the others. I was him, here at camp and at school. And your "friends" were the ones throwing as hard as they could. Not just in dodgeball." I say turning back to the game.