Campout: Classified

By M.A.C. Smith

It's been a rough year for Charlotte, 13, and Singer, 12. Their parents separated, a global pandemic hit, and schools shut down. Boredom—either at Mom's place or Dad's—looms. Until they stumble across a cave in the woods, and, inspired by his literary heroes, Singer comes up with a plan. No one has actually said they can't have their own adventures, and so… Charlotte agrees. After remote school each day, the intrepid explorers—in disguise, of course—take off for parts nearby. Which are more full of surprises than they had ever imagined. Even without "normal" school, they learn plenty—about independence, about family, and about themselves.

 

Part summer adventure story and part life lesson, Campout: Classified is realistic fiction for children. In the vein of classics like Hatchet, My Side of the Mountain, and just a touch of From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, adolescent heroes Charlotte and Singer face off with nature and with their own internal obstacles.

• Language: English
• Publisher: M.A.C. Smith
• Release date: Aug 9, 2021
• ISBN: 9798201742706

Book preview

Campout:

Classified

By

M.A.C. Smith

Copyright © 2020 by M.A.C. Smith. All rights are reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner without written permission except in the case of brief quotations used in articles or reviews. Campout: Classified is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used ficticiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons living or dead, actual events, places, incidents, or organizations is coincidental.

ISBN: 978-1-7336199-6-7

Library of Congress Control Number: 2021915231

Printed in the United States of America

Edited and Formatted by Self-Publishing Services LLC.

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Table of Contents

Prologue

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Epilogue

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Prologue

We woke up early, ready to go. It was before sunrise, but there was just enough light in the predawn sky to see Singer’s face. His dirt-smudged cheeks were fit for a ragamuffin. That was a word Dad liked to call us when we were especially grimy. Singer and I made our way down to the creek in silence. We splashed the cold water on our faces, adding to the feeling of anticipation for the journey ahead. We tried to rub off the dirt, which would draw attention to two kids ages twelve and thirteen traveling on their own. We locked eyes, nodded, and said, Ready! at the same time.

Chapter 1

In Which We Enjoy the Last of Our In-Person School

The school bus was unpredictable. Mom said we needed to be out there by 6:30 a.m. That meant getting up by six, which was not fun, especially in the winter. Bus 1040 to Wake Middle School usually came between 6:40 and 7:00, so we usually had time to hang out before the bus arrived, but this year it was only me and Singer at our bus stop. I admit, I mostly looked at my phone. I checked Instagram and liked any post by someone I recognized from school. I tried not to post too much, but if you didn’t at least post for your friends’ birthdays, you were asking to be an outcast.

Singer was looking annoyed, as usual, with his head down and his hands in his pockets. Ever since the news about Mom and Dad, he had become even moodier than normal. He always wanted to have a catch while we waited. At least he stopped bringing a baseball glove, but he always had a ball. He complained that I looked at my phone too much. He even started to quote Mom and Dad about screen time. But hey, having a catch wasn’t exactly brain stimulation.

Hey, Singer! Hey, Charlotte! How are you guys?

That was a voice I couldn't resist. It was Ian. He was five or six or so, lived down the street from us, and treated Singer and me like we were legends.

What's happening, Ian? I asked. What are you doing up so early?

My mom said I could come out and see if you and Singer want to play catch.

Ian lived at the bus stop. Not like a city bus stop, but his house just happens to be where the bus turns left into our neighborhood. Singer actually smiled when he saw Ian, and I confess some part of me was jealous. Ian made people happy, and I realized I didn’t always do that for Mom, Singer, or Dad.

Nice catch, Singer said after he tossed Ian the ball underhand from about ten feet away.

Back up, Ian replied. I can throw farther than that.

Ian, come eat your breakfast. It was Mrs. Gallagher—or Miss Leslie, as we usually called her. Good morning, Singer, Charlotte. I hope Ian is being good.

Yeah, Singer said. Can he stay and play for a few more minutes? Normally it would be Dad playing catch at the bus stop with Singer, but things had changed a lot lately.

After five more minutes, Ian headed inside, but not before handing Singer some gummy bears. Singer smiled and ate them in one gulp. Thanks for sharing, little dude!

Ian had changed the mood at the bus stop. He reminded me of our dog, Tag, always full of positive energy, never bugging you or reminding you of unpleasant things like homework and chores. He even managed to bring a smile to Singer’s face, which was not an easy thing to do lately.

Right after Ian left, the bus pulled up, and Singer and I got into our shared assigned seat. He always got the window seat, and I sat on the outside, shielding him from the other kids. Ian had put me in a good mood despite myself, and I decided to talk to Singer today instead of scrolling through my phone.

So, what do you think of Dad being away in Memphis? I asked.

As I heard myself talk, I realized I sounded like an adult trying to cheer up a kid whose parents had just divorced. Our parents were divorcing, and they both said it was final. Mom tried to explain why, but I’m not sure I was ready to hear it. They both said they would always love Singer and me and, based on all the young adult novels I’ve read, that seemed reasonable.

Singer looked up from the Guinness Book of World Records he liked to read on bus rides. It's not like he’s moving away for good; he’s just getting Grandma and Grandpa settled with Aunt Jennie. He said he would get an apartment or house in Raleigh near us when he gets back. One with room for both of us. Singer sounded a little defensive about Dad being gone from Raleigh, but at least he was acknowledging the situation.

Singer seemed to be okay, but boys were hard to read, especially if they always had the same dumb look on their face no matter what was happening. While he and Ian had been playing catch, I was missing Dad. He always used to play catch with us at the bus stop. It was fun even when he said stuff like, It will help your hand-eye coordination, or something else annoying that adults like to say to take the fun out of everything.

At 7:15, we pulled into the parking lot of our school, a completely awkward world. There were fully grown eighth-graders with beards mixed in with kids like Singer, who looked like they could be in the fourth grade.

The girls were less weird, but more cliquish, and I tried my best to fit in. As soon as I saw Olivia, I headed her way. Good luck, Singer, I muttered. You’re on your own, kid.

Math, science, English, lunch, electives—it was the usual school day grind. I was beat by the time I got back on the bus at 2:20. Some scrolling on my phone, a little nap, and a snack mooched from Singer. He usually had something good packed.

As I drifted off, Singer said, Hey, have you heard of this new virus in China?

Shut up. I’m trying to sleep.

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Chapter 2

In Which We Have No School

We started hearing about the new coronavirus in March. Mom liked to fill us in at dinner. She always tried to correct any bogus information going around. I remember kids saying dumb things like, China made it in a lab, or, It’s just the flu. Although we didn’t always look like we were listening, Mom’s message that a new, scary virus could be coming, even to our town, got through.

But there weren’t many cases in America yet, so we weren’t too worried. I hoped it would just go away so we could go on our spring break trip. We were going to drive to the North Carolina coast and stay in a rented beach house. It was my favorite week of the school year—seven days of no schedule. Singer and I would explore the seashore while Mom caught up on her reading. For the first time, Dad would not be coming, which was especially hard on Singer, but I tried to focus on the sun and the ocean we’d be enjoying.

I still thought everything would go back to normal.

Then Olivia texted me, School’s closed!

OK, I can deal with this. No school, just relax at home.

Teachers didn’t have time to schedule homework. I quickly got into a comfortable routine. Wake up at 9:00. Check my phone. Read my texts from Mom. Take Tag for a walk. Get Singer up. Empty the dishwasher. Total hassle, but really, I knew Singer and I would be done with the list before 10:00. Next, find a comfortable spot on the couch, half-watching Singer play video games and half-scrolling through my phone. I had some new phone apps, and there was so much to watch. It all helped push the sad feelings about Mom and Dad divorcing to the back of our minds.

Eventually, Singer and I felt bad for ignoring Tag and headed out to the street to walk him. We were lucky; we had a nice sidewalk in our neighborhood that went all the way