Free Unlikely Allies by Tiffany King Page A

complete.
    My first group arrived as I was pulling out the necessary supplies for the day. It was the older boys, definitely the most intimidating group I would have. They were only three years younger than me, and it was obvious I was being blatantly checked out. I expected to hear some kind of innuendos, but at least they were remaining respectful, even though I could feel all their eyes watching every move I made. I couldn't help wondering if that was due to Rick.
    "Okay, so today I thought we’d work with clay," I said, indicating the chunks of burnt orange-colored clay I had set on each table. "I've worked with this kind of clay before and it's pretty cool because it doe sn't require baking to set..." M y words were cut off when o ne of the boys chucked a rolled- up ball of the clay at his friend across the room. I knew I needed to say something, but it seemed awkward getting onto someone so close to my age. I was debating the best approach in my head to let him know I was in charge when another blob of clay flew across the room, nearly pegging me in the cheek. Before I could get a word out, an all- out clay war erupted among the rowdy boys who were all trying to tag each other. A boy across the room picked up one of the folding chairs to use as a shield and another climbed on top of the table for more accuracy. I ducked under the table, out of the line of fire after a small piece pelted me in the forehead. I knew I'd suck at this, I thought to myself as the shrieking and whooping hit painful decibels.
    A loud piercing whistle broke up the noise of the room and I peeked out from under my hiding place. Rick was standing in the doorway, looking anything but happy. "What the blazing hell is going on in here?" he asked to the now silent room.
    "Dude, Trent totally started it..." a short shaggy-haired kid said, pointing to the tall kid on the far side of the room.
    "What the F , Paul, I thought you had my back," Trent shouted , glaring at Paul.
    "This is NOT the kind of behavior I'm looking for from you guys. I'm all for screwing around, but when supplies and furniture are compromised, that's n ot cool. Folks spend their hard- earned money to make sure this camp is functional and you show your respect by climbing on it like it’s playground equipment," Rick said in a stern " don't mess with me " kind of voice.
    Brushing dust off the knees of my skirt, I stood up, embarrassed to be caught looking like an imbecile.
    "Kimberly, can I see you out here for a moment," Rick asked, sounding slightly disappointed.
    "Um, sure , Rick," I said, feeling defensive from the look on his face. I tried to tell him I wasn't good at this sort of thing. This was not my fault, I couldn't help thinking as I closed the door smartly behind us.
    I looked up defiantly, ready to tell him this whole thing was his fault for entrusting a complete novice with the job. My insolence , however, deflated like a balloon as he just stood there in silence, studying me.
    "I'm sorry," I said, cracking under the pressure. "The situation just got out of control. I'm not used to telling kids near my age what to do," I added as I scuffed the toe of my shoe against the doorjamb.
    "I know I shoved you into this position. I wanted you to learn to love the camp as much as I do in the short amount of time you will be here. I can see now I was unfair in assuming you'd want to be a part of this," he said, sweeping his hands out to indicate the space surrounding us. "I can make arrangements and get your position replaced, but you might have to still camp out in one of the cabins if you don't mind," he added.
    My stomach dropped. He doesn't think I have it in me to do this, I thought despairingly. Only day one and I had shattered his faith in me and stomped on his dreams. All I could think about were my complaints that now seemed insignificant when I looked into his hurt eyes.
    "I can do this , Rick," I said with more bravado than I had felt since my plane had landed days ago.