9 Good Surprises and Bad Surprises

9 Good Surprises and Bad Surprises "What's tonight's evening activity?" Ryan asked Uncle Ray as we scraped our dinner plates into the garbage can. "It's a surprise," he replied. Hmmmm. It could be a good surprise, like a pizza party or pickleball. Or it could be a not-sogood surprise, like a meteor hitting the earth and

wiping out all the humans. You never know with surprises. Uncle Ray led us to the rec hall, which is this big building behind the flagpole. It was pretty dark inside, except for some flashing lights that were shooting around like laser beams. Cool! The evening activity was laser tag! I had a laser tag birthday party one year. It was great. But as soon as we got in the door, I realized that we weren't going to be playing laser tag. You'll never believe in a million hundred years what was on the other side of the rec hall. GIRLS! NOOOOOOOOOOO! It looked like all the girls from Camp Botshagotta were there. "Oh no!" said Neil. "Let's get out of here," I said. "We can't," said Michael, turning around. "They closed the doors behind us!" We were trapped, like rats in a cage. I wished the surprise had been a meteor that hit the earth and wiped out all the humans. All the girls were on one side of the rec hall, and all the boys were on the other. Awkward!

Uncle Ahdoanwanna, the camp director, walked out to the middle of the room. "Boys and girls," he said, "welcome to the Camp Ahdoanwanna social. We're going to have a great time tonight. I'd like to introduce our guest DJ, Mr. Klutz, better known as 'The Funkmaster.'" Mr. Klutz came running out wearing a sparkly suit that looked like it was made out of tiny mirrors. He was like a living disco ball. Everybody clapped because that's what you do when people get introduced even though they didn't do anything yet.

"Yo! Yo! Yo!" Mr. Klutz shouted like a rapper. "It's time to get down and funky! I'm gonna drop some beats and spin the tunes you cool cats and kittens dig, you feel me? So let's cut a rug and get your groove on. Shake your booty! We're gonna party like it's 1999." Huh? That was a long time ago. What was he talking about? Mr. Klutz is nuts. Loud, thumping music started coming out of the speakers. Me and the guys went into a huddle, like a football team. "He wants us to dance with those girls," said Ryan. "What are we gonna do?" asked Neil. "I'm not dancing," I said firmly. "Me neither," said Michael. The laser beams were shooting all over the place. Mr. Klutz was scratching the record on a turntable in front of him, bopping up and down to the music, and shouting into a mic. "Come on, you guys!" yelled Mr. Klutz. "Don't be shy. The girls don't bite." The Botshagotta girls were on the other side of the room, giggling and whispering. It was like two armies lined up against each other before a battle.

"Maybe we should go over there and talk to them," Ryan said.

"Girls are scary," said Neil. "I'm not going over there," I announced. "Mr. Klutz can't make us." "Yeah, all for one and one for all," said Michael. "That's what the three musketeers said."* It felt like a million hundred minutes went by. Finally, Uncle Ray walked across the rec hall and went over to one of the girl counselors. He whispered something in her ear, and then the two of them started dancing together. "I'm going over there," Ryan said. "No!" I shouted. "Don't do it, Ryan!" "A.J.," he said, putting his arm on my shoulder. "A man's gotta do what a man's gotta do." Ryan walked over to the other side of the rec hall, went over to a girl, and the next thing we knew, the two of them were dancing. "Look!" shouted Neil. "Ryan is dancing with a girl!" Traitor! The song ended, and Mr. Klutz started playing a new song. Ryan came back over to our side of the rec hall.