"YAAAAY!" exulted Scout.
"Umm ... yay!" D3 agreed (because he pretty much wanted to do anything Scout wanted to do).
"This is CRAP!" Declan muttered.
Erin (who had heard him) said, "You never know -- it might be fun, if you give it a chance."
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"So, who's this extra kid we brought camping with us?" Bill asked Dude. (All 4 kids had gotten bored with helping to set up camp, and were now playing horseshoes.)
"That's Erin Garvey," Dude explained. "Her family lives near my parents and -- according to Kelly -- she's Declan's only friend."
"Frankly, I'm amazed that kid has even ONE friend," Bill said under his breath. "But my mission this weekend -- as given to me by my dear wife -- is to do anything I can to make Derek and Kelly's homelife better."
"And Alice told me that Derek has essentially given up trying to have a relationship with his son," Dude remarked ruefully.
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The group ambled to the nearest fishing spot.
"Ooooh -- frogs!" Scout said along the way.
D3 hung back -- he was hardly as enthusiastic about catching frogs as Scout was.
They got to the next mossy log on the way to the fishing site. "DO it!" Scout cried. "I DARE you! I DOUBLE dare you!!!"
She sensed his reluctance. "I triple DOG dare you!!!" she taunted.
D3 was not happy about reaching into some slimy frog habitat, but he was not about to be bested by a girl.
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When D3 and Scout caught up to the group, D3 observed, "This is getting over-fished. Plus, these kids who don't know how to fish are making too much noise."
D3 knew quite a bit about fishing, since he did that a lot with his grandfather, and also with Bill, after school and on weekends.
So D3 and Scout moved on to the next fishing spot.
At least one of the other two kids seemed to be having a good time.
I hope things start looking up for Declan. No kid should feel like nobody wants him around. That's just sad. No wonder he's always so angry! Maybe the other kids can eventually get him to start playing and make friends with him.
ReplyDeleteYou're right, Vanessa. Whereas D3 has a dad who loves him, a nearby grandfather who loves him, and next-door neighbor Bill who spends quality time with him after school, Declan seems to have only Kelly (as a surrogate mom).
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