New Believers Of God

CHAPTER TWELVE

Throughout the next few months, I continued with that routine of mass on Sunday, CCD on Monday, and Hangin' In on Thursday, soon becoming much fonder of it. Before long, I had adjusted to it just as much as I had with going to school. No longer did I resent the struggle of waking up early or taking an extra class like I used to. Sure, maybe there was still part of me that didn't want to do it, but at the same time understood why I had to.

"I've got a proposition for you." Kenneth announced one night in early October "Who here would like to go on a little trip?"

As you would expect, the majority of us raised our hands.

"Well hear me out." he continued "Next month, that's exactly what I have planned. It's to a place called Laurelville, and I would love if you could come along. Check this out."

He then walked off the stage and a video was projected onto the screen. In it, we were shown a full montage of what this place had to offer. In simple terms, it took everything great about Hangin' In and multiplied it by a thousand. All the games, skits, and outdoor activities were there, but even more extreme. For a roomful of middle schoolers, to have a whole weekend of action-packed fun away from home was a huge deal, and we couldn't think of anything better.

When it concluded, Kenneth persisted with his offer.

"So," he resumed "What do you say?"

Back when I was in the summer camp, we would always end with an overnight trip. However, while that was a free one-day event at a local park, this was double the length and actually cost money to attend. But my young, lively self couldn't dare pass something like this up. I had to be there. I just had to be.

Even after splitting up, Hunter continued to negotiate with us as well.

"I'm really hoping you guys can come." he said, "Trust me, you won't regret it. I've gone every year since I was in Middle School and enjoyed every second."

A short statement, yet very true. Not one of us doubted him.

Over the next few days, we discussed it further amongst ourselves at lunch.

"My Mom said yes right away." said Shane.

"Mine had no problem either." said Ethan.

"They're probably happy to let us go." said Victor.

"It gives them a chance to be alone." said Daryl.

When it came to my parents though, their reaction was the exact opposite. They were always skeptical about certain things. Personally, I feel like this was their way of convincing me not to go. At my age, two days was a good chunk of time for them, and I had never been away from home that long before, so I could understand to an extent. Still, in the end, it usually never worked.

"What about your homework?" asked my Mom "Will you be able to do it all before you leave?"

"Yeah." I answered, "I'll get it done."

"Are you sure you want to go?" asked my Dad "Will you be alright on your own?"

"Yeah." I answered, "I'll be fine."

"It's over a hundred dollars." he said, "That's more than I expected."

"Please Dad." I said back "All the other guys are going. I can't miss it."

There had been many times before when my Dad had his doubts about paying for stuff like this, and whether doing so would be worth it or not. In other words, he didn't want to spend his money on something unless he knew exactly what it was. Laurelville happened to be one of those things. But I went into great detail about how Kenneth described it, what the video presented, and how incredibly amusing it seemed overall. I gave him a picture-perfect proposal, and eventually, he couldn't say no.

"Alright." he agreed.