Author Note:
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Chapter 14.2
"Well, about time you got off the phone," whined Alan. He had a labored look on his face. "We need your help setting up for tonight's wonderful activity."
Nathan scanned the room. "What is he talking about?"
Lafonda stopped setting up chairs and laughed. She wiped the sweat from her brow and placed her hair into a ponytail. "Whew!" she said. "My grandmother is showing a video here tonight, and she asked us to help set up more chairs and tables."
"Oh, okay," said Nathan. He paused to look around the lounge again. "But why?"
Lafonda shook her head. "Seriously, Nathan," she said, "you need more friends. You're starting to sound like Jonas."
Alan let out a big laugh.
Lafonda rested her hands on her hips. "Because of the rain, we are going to watch a video my grandmother wants us to see," she said. "She said the video has something to do with inspiring leadership."
Alan laughed. "Didn't you notice that it's still raining outside?" he asked. "I mean, it's been raining practically all week. Did you honestly think we were still going to have a bonfire with all this rain?"
Angela gave Alan a mean look. "Knock it off, Alan," she said. "I wish you would stop putting on your grumpy pants whenever you actually have to do work."
Alan looked down at his pants and dusted them off with his hands. "That's just it," he complained. "I didn't know that LaDonda would volunteer us to set up these grungy chairs today!"
"Why not?" asked Nathan in a playful tone. "It's been raining practically all day. Didn't you know not to wear your nice pants today?"
Alan rolled his eyes, and his upper lip curled. "Ha-ha. Funny."
Angela laughed.
Nathan turned around to look at Lafonda. "I figured because of the rain we weren't going to be outside today," he said. He spoke louder so that Alan could hear him. "I just didn't know what we would be doing instead!"
Alan looked at Nathan briefly, but turned his attention back to his pants. "Ugh! Look, Angela!" he grumbled. "This black smudge mark is not coming off. I am going to the bathroom to try to wipe this off!"
"Wait!" said Angela. "Shouldn't you wait until we are done setting up? What if you get more spots on your pants?"
"If I get one more smudge on my pants," he protested, "I am going upstairs and you can just tell LaDonda I got sick!"
Nathan shook his head as Alan trotted off to the men's bathroom. "So, where do you want me?" he asked. "What do you want me to do?"
Lafonda stood up again and pointed to where Christina, Eva Marie and Samantha were setting up chairs. "Can you help them?" she asked. She squinted and then scratched her head. "And I don't know what Jonas is doing over there by himself."
Nathan nodded. "Okay, I'll see if I can help the girls." He stopped mid-walk and grinned. "And I'll check on Jonas."
Nathan approached Christina, Eva Marie and Samantha from behind and paused. He figured by the tone of their voices and by the look on their faces, it probably was best not to interrupt their conversation.
"And I don't know what's up with him," mumbled Christina. Nathan could see the worry on her face. "He's been acting strange all week."
"I don't know either," shrugged Eva Marie. "You need to ask him what's going on instead of just talking to us about it."
Christina looked over at Jonas as he attempted to set up a table. "What do you think Sam?" she asked.
"Sorry," she said. "I agree with Christina. You won't know how to react until you know what's going on. As far as you know, you could be overreacting."
"Overreacting!" she howled. "Ugh!" Christina glanced up and looked embarrassed when she noticed Nathan. "Oh — uh — hi Nathan," she uttered.
Nathan grinned. "Hi, Christina." He tried to smile reassuringly. "So, Lafonda said you guys might need my help."
Christina hesitated and her voice quivered. "Uh — sure," she said.
Eva Marie smiled and kindly stepped in front of her. "Excuse Christina," she said, while giving Christina a quick look. "She's a little sick today."
Christina's mouth fell open.
Eva Marie glared at her, raised her eyebrows, and then continued to talk to Nathan. "Can you grab more chairs from the closet for us?" she asked.
"Sure," said Nathan.
Samantha laughed. "Hi, Nathan," she said.
"Hi, Sam," he smiled.
Eva Marie gestured her head towards Jonas. "See, Jonas over there was helping us in the beginning, but it looks like he is preoccupied at the moment."
Nathan and the others looked up to find Jonas struggling to put up the table.
Eva Marie pointed. "The closet is over there," she said.
"Okay," Nathan nodded. "I'll be back with more chairs."
Before heading to the closet, Nathan decided to chat with Jonas, who was bent over and trying to balance the table with one hand while trying to get one of the legs to open with the other. Nathan reached out with his hand and balanced the table. Jonas looked up and smiled. He then proceeded to lower all the legs of the table.
"Thanks Nathan," he smiled, sounding relieved.
Nathan grinned. "No problem."
Jonas proceeded to set up the chairs that were now on the floor next to the table. Nathan could tell by the look on his face that something was bothering him — he didn't even have his basketball with him.
Nathan grabbed a chair and set it up. "So?" he said. "How's it going?"
Jonas continued working. "Good," he responded.
Nathan had a good idea of what was bothering him. Oddly enough, he didn't think it had anything to do with Jonas learning about Nathan's ability or that he himself had powers. He didn't think Jonas was too worried about the creatures they encountered in the pseudo stairway, either. He knew this was mostly about his brother.
"So," he said. "What's new with your brother? Were you able to talk to him again today?"
Jonas's eyes lit up, but there was a hint of sadness in his voice. "Yeah," he said. "Mom's been calling me after she picks up Bobby from Aunt Carol's after work."
Nathan nodded. "Right," he said. "You mentioned before that your aunt was watching him while your mom worked."
"Yeah, and he's also in summer school," said Jonas. "He didn't do too well last year and has to attend summer classes to catch up." He had a somber look on his face. "But it's only temporary."
Nathan paused to set up another chair. "You mean the part about him being watched by your Aunt Carol?" he asked.
Jonas smiled. "Yeah," he said. "Because I'll soon be home again."
"Wait, wait, wait!" called out a familiar voice. "Sorry, but the tables and chairs are facing the wrong direction."
Everyone stopped working to find LaDonda Devaro standing in the middle of the lounge area. She wore a dark blue poncho, from which water dripped on the floor.
"Sorry guys!" she said in a cheery voice. "I need all the chairs and tables facing the other way."
Lafonda stood up and wiped the sweat from her face. She paused to look at the rows of chairs. "But why, Grandma?" she protested. "Why can't we leave them the way they are?"
LaDonda held up a red, white, and blue DVD that was in her hand. "Because you guys will be watching this tonight," she said. "And the screen and the projector are facing that way."
Lafonda's forehead wrinkled. "Oh," she said. She soon had an apologetic look on her face. "Sorry guys, my mistake. We have to turn the tables and chairs the other way."
"Ugh," sighed Christina.
Eva Marie mumbled words of protest underneath her breath, while Samantha helped Angela to turn some of the tables around.
"What are you guys doing?" blurted out Alan.
Lafonda looked up to see Alan standing outside the restrooms.
His mouth was wide open. "We're turning the tables and chairs around?"
Alan's pants leg was wet and he had a distressed look on his face. "Why?" he said. "For what? I thought we were close to being done."
Lafonda pointed to the projector and then the retractable screen. "It's my fault," she said. "I didn't know we were using the projector to watch the movie."
"Who said we were using the projector?" grumped Alan.
Lafonda looked past him. "My grandmother."
Alan turned around to find LaDonda instructing Nathan and Jonas where to move one of the tables.
"Freaking unbelievable!" he said.
Eva Marie stopped turning chairs around and walked over to Lafonda. "Dinner is almost over," she whispered, pointing to the cafeteria doors. "And we probably don't have enough chairs set out yet. Do you want me to go find more people to help set up some more?"
Lafonda scanned the room. "You're probably right," she said to Eva Marie. Lafonda then turned to LaDonda. "Grandma, dinner is almost over. Do you want us to get more people to help us set up?"
LaDonda headed to the front of the room and stood next to Alan and Lafonda. "We have enough chairs," she said. "If we run out of seats, people can just sit on the floor."
Alan stared at the floor and frowned. "Unbelievable," he muttered. "I am not sitting on the floor."
"Why not?" asked Angela.
He gawked at her and pointed to the dripping water from LaDonda's poncho. "Because it's wet."
Angela's face turned sour. "Oh."
Alan took in a deep breath. "So what movie are we watching, anyway?" he sighed.
"Grandma," called Lafonda. "Can I see the DVD?"
LaDonda handed her the DVD and she glanced at it before passing it to Alan.
Alan frowned and leaned over to Angela to whisper. "We're watching this," he muttered. "What does watching the last presidential inauguration have to do with inspiring leadership?"
"Oh, no!" said LaDonda in a worried voice.
A loud crack of thunder filled the room, and the lights flickered on and off. "I hope we don't lose power because of this storm," she said. "Then what are we going to do?"
"Not stay down here," Alan snickered.
Angela and Lafonda laughed.
The door from the cafeteria opened and the lobby filled with the sounds of chatter and laughter. Erin, Jonathan and the other counselors and campers slowly trickled into the lobby area.
Lafonda looked around the room. "Good," she said with an exhausted tone of voice. "Guys, I think we're done!"
Eva Marie and Christina looked at each other with relief and sat down.
"Awesome!" cried Alan. "Finally!" He glanced down at his pants and then at his hands. "Ugh," he sighed. "I'm going to wash my hands."
"Me too!" said Angela, running to catch up with him.
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