Chapter 3: Welcome to Labrador Pond

“Welcome to Labrador Pond,” Lauren smiled as the bus parked in the gravel driveway.

The conversations died down almost immediately as Carl looked up from the Challenge Passport resting in his lap. The forest was a seemingly-endless expanse of pine trees. Sunlight filtered through the branches in scattered beams that blanketed the forest floor. The rustic house sat near the blue water, leaving enough space for a backyard with a small firepit. There was a swing chair in the yard and a hammock between two trees.

“It’s gorgeous,” Amelia whispered as Owen started taking pictures.

No one disagreed. The water perfectly reflected the summer sky as a loon called out from somewhere on the pond. A handful of colorful kayaks rested upside down beside a long wooden dock that extended into the lake. A nearby shed likely contained other equipment for the week. Along the shoreline were other homes with their own setups.

Labrador Pond felt peaceful.

“Does the association own all these houses?” Mei asked as she looked at the neighboring homes.

“No, they’re all privately owned. Including this one,” Lauren answered. “The owners rent out the lake houses a week at a time for vacations. The association organized renting all the houses on this side of the pond for the event.”

“I guess they made a shore investment,” Mei smiled.

Silence.

“Thirty seconds,” Owen sighed. “We’ve been here thirty seconds.”

“Hey, they’re friendly,” Marcus said as he waved to a group of students in a kayak who were waving back.

“They’re on vacation,” Sofia said.

“That definitely helps,” Marcus agreed.

“Before everyone rushes off,” Lauren said while the driver removed their luggage from the bus, “I have a couple quick announcements.”

There were a couple of groans.

“I promise it’ll only take a minute,” she laughed lightly. “First, welcome to Labrador Pond. We are genuinely thrilled to have all of you here, and we hope this becomes the best week of your summer!”

The coordinator gestured toward the house. “Each university has its own house. You’ll have some time to settle in before tonight’s welcome cookout at six. After dinner, we’ll introduce the Labrador Pond Summer Challenge and answer any questions you might have.”

Marcus raised a hand. “Important question.”

“Yes?”

“How soon can I jump in the lake?” Marcus asked.

“As soon as you unpack and change into appropriate swimwear,” Lauren smiled.

“That works!” Marcus grinned.

“You also have to help put away the groceries,” Amelia reminded him.

“Oh,” the big guy pouted.

“Boston University,” the coordinator began enthusiastically, “let’s get you settled in to your home for the next week!”

The side door swung open with a soft creak, releasing the warm scent of cedar, fresh pine, and recently polished wood. They stepped into a small mudroom just inside the side entrance, setting their bags beside a wooden bench before looking into the open kitchen and dining room beyond. Carl blinked in surprise. He’d been expecting an old fishing cabin with mismatched furniture, not a home that looked like it should be in a vacation brochure.

“Okay,” Marcus announced, “this is nicer than my dorm.”

Sofia stepped in behind him. “I imagine your dorm room smells like a testosterone-based mixture of sweat and beer.”

“You say that like it’s a bad thing,” Marcus muttered as the others stepped inside with groceries and luggage.

As tempting as it was to immediately explore, no one wanted the ice cream to melt. Once the groceries were handled, they walked into the living room. A pair of leather couches and two armchairs faced the fireplace, while a coffee table surrounded a stack of board games. They saw the exit to the enclosed back porch, but instead decided to check out the two bedrooms on the bottom floor first. A wide staircase led to the second floor, where four bedrooms and a bathroom were located.