Chapter Twenty-Six: Happy World Land

The first bell rang and David, as he usually did, rolled over, ignored it, and shut his eyes. Fifteen minutes to nap.

Someone began to shake his shoulder. "Dave, get up. Come on, no sleeping today, get up!"

"Whazah? Lemmesleep." David shook himself free and buried his head under his pillow to block out the light.

"Get up!"

Someone grabbed David's blanket and yanked it free from his bunk, and David felt the cold air rush in on him, and groaned underneath his pillow. He said something fairly nasty, but the combination of his early morning inarticulateness and the muffling of the pillow kept it from being heard.

This resulted in a tugging match between whoever was trying to wake up David—he had yet to open his eyes and check—and David himself, over is pillow. David clung to it, but eventually it was ripped away from him and he had to let go or be pulled out of bed.

"Fine," David groused and blinked a few times, trying to adjust to the light, and eventually he saw Snitch holding his pillow. "What's wrong with you? It's early."

"It's changeover day!" Snitch tossed his pillow back onto the bed, but before David could attempt to sleep again, he grabbed David's arm and tugged until David grudgingly slid out of bed.

"So?" he demanded.

"So it's the best day of the summer!"

David glanced around at his other bunkmates, who were all in varying levels of waking up. "What's the big deal?"

"Well." Snitch began ticking things off on his fingers. "For one, we go out to see a movie. Two, we go to an amusement park. Three, we get real food. Four, it's awesome!"

"He's like a six-year-old," Skittery mused from the other side of the bunk, pulling on a light pink undershirt.

"Shut up, it'll be great. I'm gonna go on every ride—"

"Until you puke twice. You say that every year."

Snitch shrugged guiltily. "It's from a show I like."

"We know," Skittery said.

"Come on, Dave, hurry up. The sooner everyone gets through breakfast, the sooner we get out of here!"

David responded by yawning heavily, but at Snitch's urgings, the bunk managed to get dressed and get out as the second bell began to ring. David yawned again and turned to Racetrack. "Is he just crazy, or is this actually... Whatever?"

"It's a good day," Race agreed. "I mean, we get out of camp. I've been looking forward to it."

"Do counselors get to come along?"

Race laughed. "Subtle, Dave. Subtle."

"Do they?"

"A few. I don't think Jack is."

"I didn't ask about Jack," David answered defensively.

Racetrack raised and eyebrow, and David shrugged, and they filed into the already open dining hall. It was already filling up, and breakfast was buffet style, not the usual table style, so David decided Snitch probably wasn't exaggerating any more than usual, and it probably was an important day.

He saw Jack already there, spreading cream cheese on a bagel, and waved; Jack waved back, and David got himself breakfast and joined him. "You're not coming with us today?"

"Nope." Jack shrugged. "Gotta work. I get the fun job of moving people's stuff down the hill."

"That sucks."

"Yeah, but a job's a job. Anyway, I've been lots of times. The park is pretty awesome—you should go on the ThunderCoaster, it's the coolest thing ever."

"I'll do that," David agreed, though roller coasters weren't really his thing.

He looked out through the room. He could hear Snitch bouncing up and down and talking about waterslides. A few of the girls who were staying for both sessions were talking about what movie they wanted to see. But others were tearfully saying goodbye; changeover day meant new people coming in to camp, but a lot of people left, too. He knew a few girls from the theater were leaving, but most of the people he'd actually managed to make friends with were staying the rest of the summer. Which was kind of a relief, because David wasn't sure he was up for another round of not recognizing anyone and trying to learn a million new names.

"You'll love it," Racetrack said, coming up on the other side of David. "My birthday is in June, right after it opens, and I used to go every year."

"Yeah?"

"The drive's almost two hours, but it's worth it."

"Okaaaaay." David didn't feel entirely convinced or see what the big deal was, but unlike Snitch, Racetrack usually only got excited when it was something worth getting excited over.

Breakfast on changeover day seemed to be more relaxed than usual; they were allowed to sit wherever they chose, and so David half-shyly at down on the end of the bench at Jack's table, and Jack gave him a sleepy smile over his coffee cup. Most of David's bunk settled in at the same table; only Racetrack was sitting elsewhere, at his usual seat with his parents and a couple of his brothers who were still at home.

"Excited?" Jack asked.

"I guess."

"Man, I remember last year, Race and I went on the Stellar Coaster six times in a row."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah, it was awesome. Snitch tried to go with us, but he puked after three."

Snitch scowled at him, and announced, "That's why I'm not eating a big breakfast." And sure enough, he was nibbling at a piece of toast with jelly—or at least, what the kitchen staff claimed was jelly—spread thinly on it.

"Do you get to come this year, Jack?" Skittery asked.

Jack shook his head. "Nah, I've got work. Hauling people's luggage down hill all day."

"I'll go on the Stellar an extra time for you," Snitch offered, bouncing slightly in his seat.

"Yeah, thanks." Jack rolled his eyes, but smiled a little, and David relaxed. Until the shouting started.

*

When Racetrack saw his mother gesture him over to their table, he knew that something was going on; usually she didn't mind if he sat with his friends on changeover day. But it wasn't like it was a big deal, so he took his plate over to sit between Mark and Paul, who had both extended their visits home.

Racetrack munched on his undercooked eggs and finally his mother commented, "Tony, dear, could you please do me a favor?"

He swallowed. "Sure, what's up?" He was more cautious than he sounded, though; his mother almost never asked him so politely.

"Well, your brothers were supposed to help out with changeover day today," she explained.

"...But?"

"Well, your grandmother called and she isn't feeling well; she needs someone to take her to the doctor."

"...Yeah?"

"Well, I'm sending them to do it, after all, it's pretty tedious to drive her around all day and sit and wait, so I thought if they were together they could keep each other entertained."

Racetrack turned to glower at Mark, who waved innocently, and then to Paul, who shrugged. "So they... aren't helping out, then?" Race asked.

"Exactly. So I'd appreciate it if you would stay and help out today."

Race stared at her. "But..." he finally. "I mean, it's changeover day. It's my last year."

"I know, Tony, and it's unfortunate timing, but if you could help out it would make everyone's life so much easier."

"But I..." He blinked a few time. "I mean, I'd really like to go with my friends."

"I know, but you have to understand the situation."

"Well, I'm sorry Grandma's sick, I mean, I do understand that, but I'd really been looking forward to this is all."

"Tony, don't whine, please."

"I'm not whining!"

Mark snickered and shut up quickly when Race glowered at him.

"Tony, I asked you to do a favor, because you're part of this family so I thought I could count on you to help out."

"I didn't say I wouldn't do it," Race snapped. "It's just that I had really wanted to go."

"Well, if you're going to resent it—"

"Of course I resent it! You can't blame me for that, I was looking forward to the trip and now I can't go, but it's not like I said no."

"I don't appreciate your tone of voice, Anthony."

"Sorry."

But Racetrack glowered at her and she stared back primly and the silence was almost tangible.

Racetrack turned back to his eggs, stabbing viciously with his fork, no longer very hungry. He glanced over to Jack's table, where Jack and David were clearly trying hard not to look adoringly at each other, but everyone else was bouncing and talking excitedly. He sighed and jabbed at his eggs again.

"Anthony, please. Calm down."

He looked up to stare at his mother. "I didn't do anything."

"Tony," she said warningly.

"What? I mean it, what? I already said I'd do it, even if I don't want to. So I don't see what you're complaining about."

"I am not complaining, and I don't appreciate your attitude."

"Mom—"

"Hey," Mark broke in abruptly. "Come on, it's not that big a deal."

"Yeah, since you weaseled your way out of it," Racetrack snapped.

"Hey—"

"Tony, that was uncalled for. Apologize to your brother."

Racetrack glared. Mark shrugged. "He doesn't have to... It's okay."

"I asked him to apologize; Tony—"

"No!" Race yelled. "No, I'm not going to apologize! I didn't do anything wrong and I'm sick of being blamed for everything they do! I'm sick of it, and I'm sick of you dumping on me and expecting me to give up everything I want to do and all of my plans at last second on your whim. I'm just sick of it!"

"Anthony—" his father started, interceding for the first time.

"No, I mean it! She does this to me all the time, just because she can. She won't let me do anything—I don't get to go out with friends all year, I don't get to do anything I want because I'm so busy with sixty things she wants me to do and I never complain, and as soon as I actually let her know that I'm annoyed about something I'm doing as a favor even though I don't want to, she yells at me! It's just not fair!"

He didn't notice that his mother had gone entirely cold and still with anger; he didn't notice that the whole room had gone silent and was staring at him. He didn't even really notice he'd been yelling.

"Anthony," his mother said icily, "I don't believe this is the appropriate place to have this discussion."

"What do you mean, discussion? We don't discuss things. You tell me what to do and then yell at me and ground me if I don't do exactly what you say!"

"Anthony." She stood up. "Come with me, please."

"Mom—"

"Now."

She stood up angrily and he swallowed hard, some of what he'd been yelling sinking in, and followed suit. They left the dining hall together, him trailing behind a few steps petulantly, and the silence seeped into the dining hall for quite a long time.

Twenty minutes later, when Mrs. Higgins returned, Racetrack wasn't with her.

*

David felt queasy on the bus ride, but he didn't think it was from the bumping of the bus or from the awful eggs at breakfast. He'd never heard Racetrack flip out before; Race seemed too levelheaded for that. And no one else seemed to have expected it, either. Jack had looked shocked.

He glanced around, stood and slid back a few seats to find Spot. Everyone knew Race, but Spot seemed to know him fairly well, or so David assumed from their poker games.

"Hey."

"Yo." Spot slid over on the two person seat, squishing closer to Ian on his other side; Ian grinned and put an arm around Spot, who made a slightly strangled face.

"Hey, um, question?"

"Yeah?"

"Was it me, or did Racetrack seriously flip out?"

"Um, yeah, seriously. Kind of scary." Spot shrugged. "If I had his mom, I'd flip out too, though."

"What do you think happened?"

"I dunno. I guess he's grounded."

"Yeah, but... How can you ground someone at camp?"

"I guess you can if you live at camp."

"But..." David shrugged. "Do you think he's okay?"

"Honestly, I couldn't say. I've never seen him yell at anyone before."

"Hmmm." David frowned a little. "Okay... Thanks. I guess."

He stood up and Spot sighed with relief and slid away from Ian, who pouted visibly. Spot winced.

David shook his head, amused, and sat down again. But while Ian tormenting Spot was funny, he couldn't get Race's yelling out of his head. And the movie was fun—not good, but fun—and he still couldn't stop worrying about Race, and the amusement park was pretty awesome (Snitch did indeed go on every roller coaster until he puked), not to mention exhausting.

The late evening bus ride home was subdued, compared to the ride in the morning; all the running around and riding had made everyone exhausted. David found himself on the bus sharing a seat with Skittery, who had said simply that he refused to sit next to Snitch, who had a tendency to puke again on the ride home.

"Hey, Skitts?"

"Yeah?"

"You think Race will be there when we get home?"

"Where else would he be?"

"I dunno." David shrugged and turned to stare at the scenery rushing past outside, then glanced back. "He's kind of stressed out, huh?"

"Yeah, always has been. I figure, he's been waiting to lose it for years. Too many brothers."

David paused to think about that, but his thoughts were interrupted.

"Hey, pull over! Pull over, I'm gonna puke!"

*

Mark found the concept of knocking on the door to the basement bedroom kind of weird. After all, for most of his life it was the room he'd shared with Paul and Tony, and now it was just Tony's. He'd never had his own room until college; now that he was essentially living away from home, he'd volunteered to pack up all his stuff and move out of the room so that, now that Paul was gone too, Tony had his own bedroom.

It had been his birthday present.

But now it was Tony's room, not his, so Paul knocked and didn't get an answer. "Hey, uh... Tony? Anthony?" He paused. "Antoine? Anatole? C'mon, I know you're there."

There was a faint thumping sound from within the room, and after a second of hesitation, Paul pushed the door open, knowing full well that it had no lock.

Tony was lying on his bed. It was actually a bunk bed they'd had to share for years (Paul had had his own bed across the room), and as soon as Mark had moved out, Tony had finally claimed the bottom bunk for his own. And now he was lying there on his back, head on his pillow, tossing a miniature basketball up and catching it after it had bounced off the top bunk. Hence the soft thumping sound.

"I guess you don't really want to talk, then?"

Toss, thump, catch.

"So, Mom's pretty pissed at you, huh?"

Toss, thump, catch.

"And I guess it's kind of Paul's and my fault, huh?"

Toss, thump, catch. Toss smack catch. Mark winced.

"We didn't mean to screw you over, Tony."

Toss, thump, catch.

"I'm just gonna stand here and talk and you can ignore me if you want."

Toss, thump, catch.

"Which I guess you already are, huh? Anyway, uh... We didn't mean to screw you over. No one wants to work on changeover day, you know that." He waited, but all he got was Tony tossing and catching the ball. "So when Grandma called we volunteered to take care of her and we didn't know Mom was going to make you stay."

Racetrack caught the ball and tossed it over at him. "You should have figured. It's always me."

Mark tossed the ball back. "We didn't realize that until after you flipped out."

Racetrack threw the ball rather violently down at the floor. "Yeah, well, I'm sick of it. I'm not her son, I'm her errand boy."

"You're her favorite son. We all know that."

"Yeah, well, I wish she'd decided someone else was her favorite. She never listens to me, she doesn't care about anything I want to do, all she cares about is that I do everything she says and keep my mouth shut."

"Yeah." Mark hesitated, then moved to sit in Tony's desk chair. "Yeah, I can see why."

"She's not like that with you," Tony snapped, almost accusatory. "You're the second youngest. Why isn't she like that with you?"

"Because you're the youngest." He shrugged. "She figures the rest of us are all already screwed up, you're her last chance."

"You're not screwed up."

"I know. But none of us are perfect."

"I'm not perfect."

"Yeah, but out of the eight of us, you're the closet. That gambling thing aside."

Tony made a bitter noise that was a half-laugh. "I'd have made over a hundred dollars if one of you hadn't ratted me out to her. If I ever figure out which one..."

Mark shrugged. "It's the brotherly code of silence. You know."

"Yeah, yeah. I hate Steve's stupid codes. I swear, he only invented them so you could all gang up on me."

"We'd have done that anyway."

"No kidding."

Mark bit his lip, then, "Paul left for home today. But he wanted me to tell you he's sorry."

"Whatever."

"So... you and Mom got into a pretty bad fight?"

"If you can call it that. I sat there and she yelled at me."

"And?"

"I'm grounded."

"No kidding. How long?"

"Until I die."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. She said God would deal with me after that. Because she's tried and tried but there's just nothing she can do for such an ungrateful, bratty, spoiled child."

"She knows you're not any of those things, Tony."

"Maybe she would if she'd listen to me. I guess I shouldn't have yelled at her."

"Hey, you made it sixteen years before you snapped. I think I'm still grounded from when I got into a fight with her when I was twelve."

"Yeah, probably." Tony groaned. "She says if I don't want to be at camp I don't have to. Instead I can spend the rest of the summer sitting around at home, not allowed to use the TV or computer or phone or radio..."

"Ouch." He sighed. "It'll blow over."

"No, it won't."

"Tony—"

"I don't want it to. I'd rather be grounded than let her walk all over me again. I'm sick of it."

Mark nodded. "Well, good luck. If you manage to get her to listen to you, that makes you the first out of the eight of us."

"Yeah. I'll work on that."

Tony stared up at the bottom of the top bunk, and Mark stood up slowly. "Um, are you okay? You seem a little depressed."

"Try resigned."

"Gotcha. I'm... Gonna go watch a movie or something, unless you want me to hang out here. Which I would."

"Nah. Go have fun. You're not grounded."

Mark shrugged. "Only if you're sure."

"Go on. I kind of want to be alone anyway."

"All right... Don't worry, she'll calm down."

"Yeah, yeah. 'Night, Mark."

"'Night, Tony."

Mark let himself out, and Tony reached for the ball and began tossing and catching it again.

*

"He's grounded," Sneakers said.

"He's what?"

"He's ground. Away from camp."

The boys of Pentland fell slightly silent, and David couldn't help but glance over at the bed where Racetrack wouldn't be sleeping and shook his head a little. "That's not fair."

"Mrs. Higgins is pretty exact about how she raises her kids," Sneakers answered. "But I'm sure she'll get over it."

"You really think so?" Blink asked. "'Cause she seems pretty stubborn to me."

"So's he," Mush added.

"Look, I know it sucks, but... It's not any of our business," Sneakers said. "I hope they get over it and he comes back, but..."

"You can't just be resigned to this," David said. "He's our friend."

"Hey, he's my friend, too," Sneakers answered. "But there's nothing we can do, and it isn't our business. It's a family thing."

No one said anything for a long minute, and finally David shook his head. "You're wrong. We're going to find a way to get him ungrounded."

"How?" Snitch asked, leaning forward to peer at David from his own bunk.

"I don't know yet. But we will."

[End Chapter Twenty-Six]
Chapter 27: Rabble Rousing