Camp Wickasaukee celebrated their victory that night with an all-you-can-eat sundae bar followed by an enormous bonfire on the waterfront. While many of his Eagle teammates goofed around or flirted with campers from the girls’ camp, Tim was content to sit and watch the flames. He’d had plenty of excitement for one day and was happy to just be alone—although he didn’t mind when Wanda joined him. In fact, he thought that was very, very nice.
The next morning, he woke with a flutter in his stomach. It was Parent Pickup Day for the youngest campers. In just a few hours, his mentees would be showcasing what they had learned from him in the past week. He hoped it was enough to satisfy their parents!
The demonstration was scheduled for ten thirty. Tim had asked Keanu, Red, and Peter to arrive fifteen minutes early so they could talk about what they were going to do. He himself got to the gymnasium at ten minutes after ten. He looked around for his mentees. They were nowhere in sight.
It’s still early, he thought.
At ten twenty, Mike Gruber and his kids appeared and began to warm up. Shortly after that, parents started arriving. To Tim’s surprise, Tito, Jody, and several campers, some from the Eagles Nest and some from other cabins, showed up and took seats. Wanda and Billy were among them. He didn’t remember telling Wanda about the demonstration but figured he must have while sitting with her the night before.
Tim glanced at the clock. It was ten twenty-five—and Keanu, Red, and Peter were still nowhere to be seen. He didn’t begin to panic until the minute hand ticked onto the six, however.
It’s ten thirty! Where are they? Should I go find them? Should I—
His thoughts were interrupted by a sudden fanfare over the loudspeakers. Then Dick Dunbar’s voice boomed out.
“Good morning and welcome, parents!” he said. “Before we start the basketball demonstration, a few of the kids have a little something they’d like to say to their mentor.” The microphone made a rustling sound as if being covered by a hand, yet a whisper escaped anyway.
“You guys ready?”
The answer must have been yes because all at once, a door at the back of the gym burst open. Dick strode out, holding the microphone in his good hand. Behind him were Peter, Red, and Keanu.
Tim closed his eyes. They were wearing their capes!
“Tim Daniels, can you come forward, please?” Dick called.
Flushed with embarrassment, Tim opened his eyes and moved to join them on the court.
Dick handed the microphone to Red. “Go ahead,” he whispered encouragingly.
Red opened up a piece of paper and began to read from it. “Dear Tim,” he said, “when we first met you, you yelled a lot. You made us do boring drills. We didn’t like that, or you, very much.”
A murmur rippled through the audience. Tim glanced up and saw a few parents frowning. Then he caught Wanda’s eye. She gave him a thumbs-up and a reassuring smile.
Red passed the paper and microphone to Peter. “But then one morning,” Peter continued, “you did something different. Instead of yelling, you laughed and made jokes. Instead of making us do drills, you made up games. Instead of being mean, you were fun!”
Keanu took over. “At the beginning, we hated basketball. But now, thanks to you”—he looked at Red and Peter, who joined in the final words—“we think basketball is the best!”
“And you’re the best, too, Tim!” Keanu added. Then he returned the microphone to Dick, presented the paper to Tim, and said to Red and Peter, “Ready? One, two, three!”
The boys unfurled their capes and turned around. Peter had the letter T and the word WE’LL on his. Red had the letter I and the word MISS. And Keanu’s cape had an M and YOU!
Unfortunately, Peter and Red were standing in the wrong order, so the capes spelled out ITM and read as MISS WE’LL YOU! While the audience laughed, the boys quickly rearranged themselves so their message was clear: TIM WE’LL MISS YOU!
Tim grinned broadly. He tried to thank them but couldn’t. A lump in his throat made speech impossible.
When the applause had died down, Dick spoke into the microphone again. “Tim and Mike, it’s time for your mentees to show their parents what they’ve learned. Since Tim’s kids are already on the court, they’ll go first.” He handed the microphone to Tim.
The grin froze on Tim’s face. Hoo boy, he thought, glancing at the boys in their capes. This could be interesting!
Mike obviously thought so, too. His lips curled in a sardonic smile as he leaned back against the bleachers, spread his arms out wide, and crossed his feet at the ankles. To those around him, he must have appeared relaxed and ready to enjoy the show. To Tim, however, he looked like the cat who was about to swallow the canary—and Tim was the canary!