“Good grief, what have you got in this thing? Rocks?”
Allison turned, then snorted a laugh and replied, “Yeah, actually. Those are rocks my folks and I collected last weekend when we went hiking. You know how they are. Dad read a book about family bonding, and they decided it would be a good experience to go play geologist. My weekend bag is that one.” She pointed to another backpack sitting by the door.
TJ shrugged and trudged over to an identical backpack, then threw it easily over his shoulder and headed out the door. Allison followed him through, her sleeping bag in hand. Checking that her keys were in her pocket, she pulled the door shut, twisted the knob to make sure that it was locked, and then skipped down the walkway to where TJ waited at the open trunk. She tossed the bag into the trunk and twirled over to the passenger-side back door.
TJ let out a chuckle and said in a surprised voice, “Well now, that’s quite the turnaround, isn’t it? I pretty much had to twist your arm to come yesterday, and now you’re raring to go!”
“Well, I decided that if I’m going to look like an idiot for a couple days, I may as well have fun doing it. And if it stinks, I can always grab a ride with someone back home and then spend all day tomorrow eating Cap’n Crunch in my pj’s and binge watching Cartoon Network in an otherwise empty house. Win-win, if you ask me!”
TJ barked a laugh and shook his head. “That’s the spirit! I knew I liked you for a reason, Allie.”
She hopped into the passenger-side backseat and said, “Hi, Mrs. Keller. Thanks for the ride!”
“My pleasure, Allie,” his mom replied cheerfully. “It’s great to see you! Hopefully, we’ll get you over for dinner again soon.”
TJ went around to the rear door on the driver side and got in. As he buckled in, he said, “I’m not going to leave you back here all by yourself, you know.”
She grinned and buckled her own belt.
The car pulled out of the driveway and moved slowly down the street. Allison looked back at her house before turning her attention to her friend, who had begun to talk about his character’s past exploits. The well-manicured lawn and perfect little hedges seemed to mock her decision to spend the weekend with their wilder cousins—poison ivy, poison sumac, and poison who-knows-what-else. But one thing was sure: TJ really seemed to have fun on these things, so maybe it wouldn’t be so bad after all.
The trip took less than thirty minutes on the highway. The group TJ played with had booked a wildlife reserve for the weekend. It was the type of place that Boy Scout troops use for campouts—a good mixture of open land and woods, as well as a few small ponds scattered here and there. Most important, there was a central lodge with running water and even an outdoor shower. On those rainy weekends when people ended the day all covered in mud, even a cold shower was better than nothing, especially when there was a large open hearth waiting to warm them up.
The property’s owner had originally been wary of letting a bunch of teens and young adults run around pretending to chop each other into pieces, and so he had stayed on-site for the first game. It turned out that he had so much fun he decided to keep coming back and was eventually given the role of King of the Realm. Everyone understood that if they didn’t treat the property with respect, not only would the group have to find a new place, but it was entirely possible their character would lose their head to the executioner’s axe.
After the friends pulled their bags out of the trunk, TJ reached back in and removed his costume. He pulled the ornate robe over his head and then topped himself with a floppy hat. “The beauty of robes is that no one knows what you’re wearing underneath. A couple layers of sweats go a long way on chilly evenings. Some folks go for period shoes as well, but if I have to run, I’d rather it be in my Nikes than a pair of sandals.”
After the requisite hug and admonition to be safe from TJ’s mother, the two friends were left standing in a gravel lot adjacent to the lodge, backpacks slung across their shoulders.
“So now what?” Allison asked.
“Now we go get ourselves checked in, see who else is here, and get you a character!”
The pair walked the short distance to the building and slipped through the open door. The room was dark, as one might expect of some medieval tavern. Unfortunately, also like a tavern, the room smelled of unwashed bodies. Sitting in chairs around the room were a couple dozen teenagers in various layers of fantasy gear, each individual’s choice apparently based on their individual physique. Simon, the football player, was something of an outlier, so Allison saw a lot of flowing robes, but no gladiator-style leather harnesses.
Allison had to choke down a laugh at the assembled players, and TJ elbowed her in the ribs. “Shh,” he whispered at her. “They have ears too, so be kind. They’re really nice folks, I promise. Let’s go get us registered.”
In one corner of the room was a desk with official-looking people and a sign that read “Ye Olde Registration” behind it. As they headed in that direction they heard, “Hey, TJ! You made it! And you brought a newbie! Awesome!” The voice came from the opposite corner of the room. The two turned, and TJ broke into a wide grin as he spotted some of his friends gathered around a small table. He took Allison’s elbow and guided her over.
“Hey, guys! Great to see you again. Is this going to be a great weekend, or what?” This was met with vigorous nodding. “And look who I finally managed to convince! You remember my friend Allison, don’t you? Through sheer determination and the promise of hot guys, I convinced her to give in and join us for the weekend.”
The assembled boys looked back and forth at each other in amusement. One said, “Hot guys, huh? I didn’t know I was your type, TJ.” He batted his eyelashes, and the others at the table laughed. “And of course we remember Allison,” he added with a snort. “It’s not like you ever shut up about her or anything.”
TJ’s face turned red. “Come on, Chuck. You look in a mirror lately? I told her Simon was coming, and that’s what pushed her over the edge.” Heads nodded in understanding. “Anyway, Allison, this is the party. Chuck, our thief extraordinaire, can open just about any lock that exists. And we haven’t found a trap yet he couldn’t disarm.”
The small, slightly chubby boy was dressed all in black, with the exception of a conspicuously thick silver chain dangling from his neck. He smiled proudly and declared, “I’ve put all my points into those two skills. I’m totally worthless for pretty much everything else, but I can break us into places that no one else’s character will ever see. I’m up to eight points in each, TJ. I leveled up last game. Gained a bonus weapon skill too, so now I can actually swing a dagger without hitting one of you guys.”
A large boy sitting next to him said, “That’s what you think. I’m still keeping my distance from you, little guy.” He stood up and extended a meaty hand. At his full height he towered over everyone else at the table, and Allison had to look up to meet his eye. “Hey, Allison, good to see you again. It’s been too long.”
She took his hand and shook it a few times. “Nice to see you too, Jimmy. You got big over the summer, didn’t you?”
Chuck piped in. “And once again, Ford Prefect’s assessment of humanity’s ability to cheerfully state the obvious proves true!” Allison looked at him blankly. “C’mon. Ford Prefect? Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy?” She blinked. He glanced at TJ. “Where did you find her? Man, she needs some serious edumacation. Learn you a book.”