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Chapter 11: The Water Truck

I absolutely hated being in that truck with Pendanski.

In my opinion, Peyton got the better end of the water truck situation. Mr. Sir may have been frightening, but at least he didn't talk to you and left you alone. Pendanski was nosy and asked way too many questions and was always so cheery. I would half-listen and give one-worded answers, but he never let up. I wanted to smack him in the face with a shovel like you wouldn't believe.

My job was simple. I would stand at the back of the truck, where the water spigot was, and I would either ask the boys how things were, or I'd fill their canteens. Pendanski would often do the latter, which gave me next to nothing to do, considering I hardly ever talked to the boys. I must have looked like a dork, standing there with my arms folded.

One thing I learned from all of this was that Pendanski didn't like Zero. I still can't figure out the reason. He would always talk down to him, making jokes about poor Zero's intelligence (or lack thereof). It was nearly as teeth-grating as his questions.

Since Zero was the only camper from D-Tent I could label "decent", I decided to talk to him when he was in line. I asked him the same question every day: "How's it going, Zero?" He'd nod, and Pendanski would fill his plastic bottle. It was our own little routine.

With the addition of Stanley, I began to ask him the same question, as well. His response was always, "Fine."

Pendanski was obviously annoyed with this, because he would pester me about it. "I see you like to talk with Stanley and Zero."

Silence.

"Are you three best friends or something?"

Silence.

"You know, Beatrice, it's not nice to play favorites."

Silence.

"The other boys probably feel left out."

Silence.

"Why don't you talk to them, as well, today? I think they'd appreciate that, Beatrice."

Shrug.

When he was filling X-Ray's canteen, he gave me a smile. "Beatrice. Do you have something to say to Rex?"

After a moment of me trying not to look at either of them, I mumbled, "How's it going?"

"I'm fine, Bee. Thanks."

I had to say it to the other four, as well. I refused to look at them, and I didn't care what Pendanski made of that. As long as he got off my back about it.

I gave Zero our customary greeting, and he answered. Pendanski thrust the water bottle at him, pushing him back a step.

What the heck?

I wasn't going to ask. I just smiled at Zero as he walked back to his hole.

Stanley was the last one. I straightened up and patted my braids, suddenly feeling a wave a nervousness wash over me. It had been happening a lot lately, and it was only when I was around Stanley. At the time, I just shook it off as him being new; I didn't know him very well, so I wasn't used to him yet.

Today, he wasn't carrying his canteen (which was slung around his shoulder). He had a slab of rock in his hand, frantically dusting it off. "I found something," he said, handing it over to Pendanski.

The most forgotten rule at Camp Green Lake was a simple one. If you find something the Warden finds interesting, you get the rest of the day off. You don't have to finish your hole, you can go back to camp and hang out and do whatever you want (within reason).

The reason it was forgotten a lot of the time was because no one found anything interesting. All that was in the dirt were rocks, snakes, and the occasional scorpion. So as you can imagine, not a lot of campers got the day off.

I wasn't really sure what my aunt found interesting. I supposed anything that wasn't rocks, snakes, or scorpions counted as such. And what Stanley had found certainly wasn't any of those.

Sure, it was a rock, but it had shapes on it. Embedded in its surface were tiny little animal outlines. From the looks of them, they were some form of prehistoric fish.

"It's a fossil," Stanley said.

"Well." Pendanski studied it, looking mildly curious. "That's interesting."

I ran my hand over the indents. "Yeah...it's very interesting." I chanced a look at Stanley, who was beaming with pride. My heart rate quickened.

"Does that mean I get the day off?" he asked, excited.

I thought for sure he would. There was next to nothing out here, and this was definitely something worthy of -

"What?" Pendanski looked confused. And evidently, his confusion was enough to attract the rest of D-Tent over to our little powwow.

"Well, Mr. Sir said that if I find something interesting, I get the day off."

I probably looked just as perplexed as Pendanski. I mean, Stanley had found something interesting. Pendanski had even said so himself. So that meant he got the day off. Didn't it?

"Stanley," Pendanski said, tossing the fossil back to him, "the Warden isn't interested in fossils." He spoke as if a fossil was nothing more than an ordinary rock.

The look on his face was just...heartbreaking. Okay, maybe it wasn't that sad. But it was still hard to see the excitement die.

As Pendanski filled Stanley's jug, the other boys became curious, as well. "Let me see that!" Squid said, grabbing the fossil.

"What is it?" Zigzag asked.

Armpit smiled. "Look! Look at the little fishies!" The other boys stared at him, and he quickly added, "I mean...they look like those cave fishes, man."

"I think Stanley belongs in a cave," Squid muttered, handing it back to Stanley as they walked back to their holes.

Stanley received his water and was about to go back to dig when he turned around and walked back. I could tell Pendanski thought he was going to argue about his decision, and was preparing to reprimand him.

However, Stanley walked straight up to me and handed me the fossil.

I frowned, taking it. "What's this for?"

He shrugged. "It needs a good home." He smiled shyly and traipsed back to his hole.

I didn't have time to think about what this meant. Even if I did, my mind wouldn't have worked. It was still in shock.

And as the shock wore off, I wasn't thinking about how sweet his gesture had been, like a normal girl. I was thinking about something else.

"The Warden isn't interested in fossils."

Fossils were about as interesting as it got around here. So if my aunt wasn't interested in them, there had to be something else.

But...what else was there?