Dennis:Okay, that’s it. We’re coming over!
Shit. I look at the time. He sent the last text twelve minutes ago. I jump out of bed naked and quickly throw the dresser open, grabbing a fresh pair of briefs. I hurry out of the room and down the hallway toward the bathroom.
“Mom?!” I call down the stairs on my way. “Dennis is coming over!” I smell pancakes and freshly brewed coffee, and my stomach growls angrily.
“Okay,” she calls back.
“I’m grabbing a quick show—fuck!” I curse as I stomp my foot against the laundry basket outside the bathroom door. Hopping on one foot, I push at the door with my shoulder.
“You okay, sweetie?”
“Yeah, yeah. I’m good. Just grabbing a quick shower.”
“Okay…”
“Will you pacify Dennis with a pancake or something? I’ll be right down.”Just got to wash cum off my body and relocate my dignity. Easy peasy.Shit, what if Dennis will be able to tell that I got myself off thinking of him?
“Sure thing, sweetie,” she sing-songs, then goes back to humming along to some song on the radio.
Good, good. Now pull yourself together, Mike Tanner.
Chapter 14
Dennis
Today’sthefirsttimeI’m taking a group of kids out to explore. Each week, we have a different group of kids participating in our summer camp program, learning about nature and conservation.
This is what I want to do full time, not as a summer camp but as a place where kids can build a lifetime of skills and knowledge. A place that takes them away from possible suffering and struggles and replaces them with hope and joy. What I really want is to be part of a non-profit organization that works with kids to help them succeed in life. The state would have to fund such a thing through grants, and while it won’t make me tons of money, it would be completely worthwhile.
I wouldn’t offer only fun activities and hiking, but also real survival skills that push their critical thinking. That’s the kind of educator I want to be and not constrained by the public school system.
Because there are twelve kids between the ages of six and nine, I need some help due to licensing requirements. The maximum number of kids I can watch over alone is eight. That’s where Harper comes in. She’s only working for the summer before she heads back to college, butshe’s helping me out today. She’s a five-foot-nothing nineteen-year-old with soft pink hair.
She’s holding the clipboard to make sure we have all the kids’ names down and faces to match.
I clap to get their attention when she’s done. “What are the rules for today?” I ask them.
A little girl of about six with blonde pigtails raises her hand. “Stay together.”
“Yes! Exactly. Always stay together and close to me. I’m Dennis, and this tiny thing here is Miss Harper. You can’t miss that pink hair of hers. She’s like a bright neon sign.”
She smiles and rolls her eyes, shaking her head. The kids giggle. Who knew I could make kids laugh? This right here makes this job so much more fun.
I remove my baseball hat and wave it in the air. “And while my hat is teal blue, my hair isn’t nearly as pretty.”
More giggles.
“What’s the next rule?” I ask them.
“Stay on the trail,” a boy with brown hair like mine says.
“Perfect! Yes, please stay on the trail. If for any reason you get separated from the group, just stay put on the trail, and either Harper or I will come find you.”
Once we have the rules down, Harper and I lead the troops, who carry their own water bottles. The guided hiking tour is only a couple of hours at most, so there isn’t much else we need. When we return later, we’ll have a craft project for them.
I take a deep breath of the rich soil and incredibly fresh air before I start my lessons. “Did you know that here in Oregon, we’re surrounded by a coastal rainforest?” I say as we walk through the woods, dense andlush with old growth. The trail is thick with ferns and lily pads, a sign of ancient forests.
The kids shake their heads.
