The Summer We Believed (Denim Days #1)

Day 2 -- Melody

After our visit to Gustaf's General Store to pick up batteries, Duncan got a screwdriver to take the backs off the walkie talkies. He popped in the new Duracells and depressed the call button. There was a familiar hiss, which made his eyes light up. "Alpha Camp to Bravo camp. Come in Mel," he said like the consummate dork that he is.

"I think you need to have batteries in both. And I'm sitting next to you, in case you hadn't noticed."

He fixed mine and then told me to go to my yard. I went and stood ten feet away and he kept motioning for me to back up. Finally, I got suspicious and looked over just in time to realize he was going to back me right into the lake. When I stopped and held my ground, he gave me the thumbs up. He did his army ranger impression and I depressed my call button. "It works!"

His static voice came back at me. "You're supposed to say Roger."

Duncan had explained to me that Roger was the only appropriate response the first and only time we camped out during the summer between third and fourth grade. Mrs. Wilde bought each of us our own pup tent at Costco. "Wouldn't it be cute!" His parents helped us pitch the tents, which basically meant they just unfolded them so they could pop up, about ten yards from the house under a large evergreen. Mrs. Wilde had given us trail mix for sustenance and so that we'd feel like we were roughing it. My mom had supplied the walkie talkies for safety and security. She wasn't as gung-ho about this idea as Duncan's mom.

We hung out in my tent, then moved to his, while our parents sat in Adirondack chairs and drank beer. The real fun didn't begin until they tucked each of us into our sleeping bags and went inside for the night. We'd said goodnight on the walkie talkies. I was drowsy and slipping off when something that sounded like a ghost hooted in the darkness. My eyes flew open and I made sure I didn't move a muscle. Then came the crackle and hiss of the walkie talkie. "Come in Mel. Are you awake?"

I didn't answer right away, because what if the ghost was trying to trick me into divulging my location?

Crackle. "Melody. This is Duncan. Do you copy?"

At that moment the ghost hooted again and it sounded like it was in the tree directly above us.

"Don't worry. I'll save you," came through the speaker. Geez, did Duncan not know how to stay quiet and hidden?

Seconds later he charged through the door of my tent, belly flopped onto my sleeping bag, and wrapped his arms around me. "Don't be scared. I'm here now."

At the time I thought he was incredibly brave.

As we huddled together, Duncan whispered a make-believe story to me. "There was a beautiful princess with red brown hair."

"It's called auburn," I'd told him.

"Don't interrupt. It's rude." The ghost howled and Duncan held me tighter. "A ghost lived outside her castle and one day a prince came to rescue her—"

Whooo, hoo, ooh

"Ready to make a run for it?" Duncan asked.

We'd grabbed our sleeping bags, bolted for the screen door, and woke his parents with all our crash-boom-bang. His dad explained it was a baby screech owl, not a ghost, but we refused to go back to the tents. I vaguely remember Duncan boosting me to his spot on the top bunk while Cody slept on the lower. I was asleep before he laid out his sleeping bag on the floor, but in the morning, when I woke, that's where Duncan had camped.

All in all, our camp out wasn't a raging success, but it was one of my favorite Duncan memories.

When Duncan popped up the tent under the stars (and the same evergreen), it gave off a musty smell. The purple had faded to a bluish lavender in some spots, but other than that they were practically new. "This is going to be great." His grin almost convinced me.