Love Next Door by Anna Schmidt

Author:Anna Schmidt
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Steeple Hill
Published: 2005-12-15T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eight

After the main meal, Betsy took the microphone. “Ladies and gentlemen, I believe the time has come for the presentation of our awards. Amanda, would you do the honors?”

Pete led the applause as Amanda stepped to the podium. The boys followed his lead as he stood up and whistled through his teeth in concert with the applause.

Instead of her usual feelings of confusion and embarrassment whenever she was around Pete, she felt only pleasure.

“Thank you,” she said, repeatedly signaling for them to stop. “Enough!” But she was laughing and thoroughly enjoying the moment, thoroughly enjoying the way Pete Fleming was looking at her and smiling with genuine admiration.

“Now then, the moment we have all been waiting for,” she said, and the group went quiet. “The envelope, please, Dottie.”

Dottie handed her a large thick envelope. She took her time opening it, letting the suspense build. She loved looking down at those upturned faces—so hopeful and filled with boyish excitement. Even Travis Sanders could not hide his hope that his name might be called.

“I’m going to need some help up here,” she said. “Since the roof-raising competition was Mr. Fleming’s idea, perhaps we should ask him to present the medals?”

The boys leaped to their feet in a fresh round of whistles and applause. Dottie hurried over to Pete’s table and pulled him up to the platform.

Pete signaled for quiet. “Please give it up for my beautiful assistant—Vanna Dottie,” he exclaimed and spun Dottie around, showing her off.

The younger boys didn’t get the joke, but the staff and older counselors did. They led the renewed standing ovation for Dottie.

“We’ll begin with individual awards,” Amanda announced and once again, silence reigned. “As I call each name, please come forward and receive your award, then return to your table.”

The individual awards took some time and once the boys caught on that everyone would receive some award, they relaxed and celebrated each announcement.

“All right, now for the final three awards—most valuable team player overall, most sportsmanlike conduct and, of course, the winning team.”

Dottie presented Amanda with three small envelopes.

“The sportsmanship award goes to,” she paused dramatically, “Mr. Antwone Richards.”

There was a moment of shocked silence and then an explosion of cheers as Antwone made his way through a sea of high fives to the podium. Before he could return to his seat, Amanda caught him and pulled him next to her.

“This is a very important honor because each of you voted for the one other camper who had shown you consideration at any time during the session so far, while the counselors and staff observed conduct during today’s competition.”

Antwone fidgeted and looked as though he’d like to return the medal to get out of this unwelcome spotlight. But Amanda knew the opportunity to teach a valuable lesson when she saw it. She kept her hand firmly on his shoulder. “Antwone received by far the overwhelming number of votes in this category. Antwone, would you like to say a few words?”

Antwone looked at the microphone she held in front of him as if it were a loaded gun.

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