Charlie Joe Jackson's Guide to Planet Girl by Tommy Greenwald

Author:Tommy Greenwald
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781596438439
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press

22

Sunday morning breakfast was everyone’s last chance to hang around together before heading back home, so it was completely mobbed by the time I made it downstairs to the restaurant. I saw Katie in the distance, out of the corner of my eye, sitting at a table with a bunch of our friends. I started to walk over, but then I had a better idea.

The better idea involved doing anything else.

I went up to the buffet and got some eggs, poured myself a glass of juice, and started looking for a place to sit. The first person I saw was Ms. Domerca.

“Charlie Joe!” she exclaimed. “Come eat with us!”

It wasn’t until I sat down that I realized she was sitting with Dr. Mal and a bunch of adults and kids I’d never seen before.

Dr. Mal didn’t look all that thrilled to see me, to be honest.

“Good morning, Mr. Jackson,” he said.

“Morning, Dr. Mal,” I said back.

“Charlie Joe,” Ms. D. said, “this is perfect timing. I’m not sure if you know this, but we also use these reunion breakfasts to meet with families who are not yet part of the Camp Rituhbukkee community, so that we might give them a sense of who we are and what we’re about.”

I introduced myself to the three kids. They smiled awkwardly. Nerds-in-training, for sure.

“Perhaps you can tell them what Rituhbukkee is like, from a camper’s perspective,” Ms. Domerca continued.

Dr. Mal made a face like he’d just eaten a rotten egg.

“Well,” I said, “let me just start by saying, Camp Rituhbukkee is not for everyone.”

Dr. Mal made a face like the rotten egg had just laid new rotten eggs inside his stomach.

“It’s not for kids who aren’t interested in the world,” I continued. “Or kids who don’t want to improve themselves. Or kids who don’t want to be around other kids that are so curious, and so interesting, that it will make them push themselves to be more curious and more interesting themselves.” I smiled brightly at the adults, since they were the ones who were going to be writing the checks. “Like I said, this camp is not for everyone. Which is what makes it the best camp in the world.”

“Well, that’s very impressive,” said one of the parents, a guy who seemed like one of those Dads who wouldn’t be satisfied unless his kid grew up to be president of the United States.

Dr. Mal let out a big, relieved breath, while Ms. Domerca looked at me like, I knew you could do it.

I looked across the restaurant and saw George waving at me, like, Stop stalling! Then Jack saw me, and he started waving me over, too.

“Well I’m going to go join my friends,” I said to the table. “They’re the greatest group of guys in the world, and the fact that I’m not going to see them again until the summer fills me with great sorrow and regret.”

“That’ll do, Charlie Joe,” Dr. Mal said, that rotten-egg look flashing across his face for a quick second.

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