Free Summer Camp Adventure by Marsha Hubler

didn’t see what happened with Jonathan. He was busy with a kid who had spilled his milk.”
    Mr. Wheaten, deep in thought, rubbed his chin. “I see. Maybe the Lord didn’t want me to get through to Jonathan’s parents.”
    Skye leaned forward, placing her hands on Mr. Wheaten’s desk. “I’ve been praying an awful lot for Jonathan lately. Please give him one more chance. I’m willing to keep trying.”
    “Well, if you’re willing, little lady, then I’m willing,” Mr. Wheaten said with a big smile. “Let’s go find Jonathan and tell him.”
    After supper, Skye took her weekly furlough when she had several hours all to herself. The campers and most of the staff had gone to the gymnasium. There the owner and curator of central Pennsylvania’s Jungleland was put ting on a display of exotic birds and snakes. Wild animals fascinated Skye, but she decided to ride Champ bareback around the deserted campgrounds. I need time to think and pray , she told herself as she trotted Champ around the barn and headed toward the lake.
    Approaching the swimming pool, Skye saw the boys’ locker room door opening. Backing out, Chad was busy wrestling with a mop and a sloshing bucket on wheels. Skye could tell that he had just finished sanitizing the room.
    “I sure hope he doesn’t see me,” Skye whispered to Champ. She leaned forward, patted his neck, and looked the other way as the horse clip-clopped past the pool. “He’s probably entertaining Linda with his mop,” she whispered again.
    “Hey! Skye!” Chad yelled.
    “Oh, no,” Skye said to Champ. “I can’t face him yet. Not after what happened yesterday.”
    “Skye! Over here!” Chad turned his volume up a notch.
    Skye slowed Champ to a walk, straightened her back like a soldier at attention, and looked nonchalantly toward Chad. Feigning surprise, she yelled, “Oh—Chad—hi there!”
    “Wait a minute!” he yelled, throwing the mop against the door. He charged out the open pool gate to Skye. “Do you have a minute?” he said in short breaths. “I have something I need to talk to you about.”
    Skye looked into Chad’s brown eyes, and her heart started to melt. Then she remembered Linda. “Well, I only have an hour left of furlough. I need to take a ride and do some thinking and praying,” she said coldly.
    “But Skye, this is important,” Chad said. He glanced toward the lake. “How about we take a walk down there?”
    For the first time since she had seen Linda and Chad together, Skye found herself saying yes to Chad. She slid off Champ’s back and started leading him toward the lake. After Chad locked the gate to the pool, he rejoined Skye.
    “So, what’s up?” Skye looked straight ahead. He probably wants to tell me he’s marrying Linda .
    “Well, for one thing,” Chad said, “I wanted to know if you had survived the last twenty-four hours. It looks like you did. You’ve had it rough with that Jonathan kid. They said he started the food fight at lunchtime. What a mess!”
    “Yeah, I’m okay,” Skye said in a softer tone. “I’ve been doin’ an awful lot of praying about Jonathan. He’s a very lonely kid. And by the way, Chad, he didn’t start that food fight. The camper next to him did.”
    “No kidding! So Jonathan’s not getting shipped out?”
    “No. And I’m glad.”
    “Yeah, I am too. Everybody deserves another chance.”
    “I sure know about that,” Skye said.
    With Champ following, Chad and Skye meandered down the sloping lawn beside the waterslide. A brilliant sunset gave the lake and surrounding woods a deep pinkcast. If it weren’t for Linda, Skye would have thought she was walking in a dream.
    At the water’s edge, Chad pulled a shoot of tall grass from a cluster of weeds and stuck it between his teeth. Skye dropped Champ’s reins, allowing him to feast on the succulent, moist grass on the shore. Skye picked up several flat stones and skipped them across the water. It doesn’t get any better than this , Skye