Episode 1: The camp burnt down...

Jennifer had spent the last five years as head counselor at the East Side Glimmer Lake summer camp, an all girls' camp. It was the middle of March when she got a phone call.

"Hello?" "Jennifer? It's Harriet ... Have you heard the news... ? The whole girl's camp has gone up in flames."

"What! Are you sure?"

"Yeah ... I am here at the ruins," the person said.

"You mean the entire camp burned down?" asked Jennifer.

"Yes, there's nothing left except the foundations. I'll get on the phone and start phoning the parents, right away," replied Harriet.

"Wait awhile. Let me call someone else, first." Jennifer hung up the phone, picked it up again and began to push the buttons.

"Robert Hartwell speaking."

"This is Jennifer Partridge, head counselor at the girls' camp. Did you hear what has happened to the girls' summer camp?"

"Yes, I just got the news. This will be a terrible set-back."

"I had an idea," offered Jennifer. "Would we be able to use your site for this summer?"

"I don't know. We are there for the whole eight weeks. What about combining the two camps together?"

"I would have to talk about that with the other counselors. Let me get back to you."

Tom arrived home from school and walked into the house. His mother, Bobbie, was talking on the phone.

"When is the summer camp meeting?"

"..."

"I will try to make it."

She put down the phone.

Tom, having overheard part of the conversation, said "I am not sure I want to go to camp this year."

"Why not?"

"Well, I won't be able to play with Linda, for one thing."

"If you don't want to go, then you don't have to."

Just then there was a knock on the door.

Tom opened the door and Linda was standing there.

"Did you hear the news, Tom?"

"No ... What?"

"The girls' campground burnt down. They're talking about joining the two camps together."

"Wow!" exclaimed Tom, adding "maybe Linda can stay in my cabin!"

Tom's mother became suddenly very hesitant. Linda was almost 13, and Tom was not much younger. The thought of a pubescent girl sharing a room with her son was not one she cherished.

"Oh, I doubt it, Tom," she said quickly.

"Why not? It's not like we fight, or anything."

Tom was rather short for his age, and his hormones hadn't yet kicked in, so the reasons for his mother's misgivings were lost on him. Bobbie just sighed and gave him a hug.

'Enjoy it while it lasts.' she thought to herself.

Just as he patted her back to let her know he was feeling embarrassed with her embrace, his younger sister, Cheri, ran up behind him and yanked his pants, revealing his underwear. Tom's face became bright red; as he tried to pull his pants back up and grab his little sister at the same time. After failing miserably at both, he tripped, but quickly caught himself. Bobbie knew what was coming next. She covered her ears.