TYLER: BUS RIDE

I hurriedly climbed the bus before the others because my mom was on the verge of another one of her waterworks and I'd had enough of them embarrassing me to death. There was no point in avoiding my brothers because we always sat at the back of the bus every year.

Caleb was right behind me and sat across the aisle from me. The backseat was reserved for Reid and Pogue, the poster kids of ADHD, who were now pushing and pulling each other to get to their seats.

"Hey Baby Boy!" Reid called. The other kids inside the bus looked at us, but didn't linger. I scowled at him to no avail. I would be known as Baby Boy Simms, or Baby Boy Tyler until the end of summer until Reid encounters my mother once again.

"Cut it out, guys," Caleb warned. "The counselors are watching." Sure enough, the new counselors—high school kids from the Spencer Academy—were looking at us and whispering to each other. We had one girl and one boy counselor on our bus. They haven't introduced themselves yet, but as soon as the bus started moving, they'd probably start making us sing bus songs.

"We're just playing around," Pogue said as he leaned over Caleb's seat. "Why don't you try it so Melissa will stop ignoring you?" Caleb flushed a brighter shade of red, than I ever did and I leaned forward to see where Melissa Gaines was seated.

She was a few rows ahead of us, but I didn't notice it before because I was too busy looking down at my shoes to see the other campers. Melissa Gaines was our age and the daughter of a family friend. She had blonde hair with perfect Shirley Temple curls that fell down her back and blue eyes like mine. We think she and Caleb are engaged to be married in the future because that's what the covenant usually did. Find suitable companions for the members and marry them off when they graduate high school.

I was glad that my mom didn't like any girl for me, yet. I'd hate to be teased like Caleb if that ever happened.

"Shut up!" Caleb said as he attempted to punch Pogue, who landed on Reid who was laughing his butt off.

"Anyway," Pogue said as the bus driver started the engine. "I've got some gifts for you guys." He started rummaging in his duffle bag and came up with some magazines which I assumed was of the non-minor variety. We ignored the counselors' half-hearted attempt to rile the campers up with their corny songs. Some were interested and sang along, but most of the kids at the back part, like us, had no intention of spending three hours singing 99 Canteens of Juice.

"Penthouse for Reid," he said as he passed Reid a magazine with a woman wearing nothing but a man's shirt on the cover.

"Awesome!" Reid exclaimed as he began to scan the pages.

"Here's a mild one for you, Cay," he said as he passed Caleb an FHM. Caleb was about to refuse but even he was interested in the reading material. FHM wasn't as dirty as the other magazines Pogue and Reid preferred. Sometimes I wondered why I was Reid's best friend and Pogue was Caleb's. It's true, Pogue and Reid sometimes ended up in fistfights with each other but I got the impression that Reid disliked Caleb more than he did Pogue sometimes.

"And for Baby Boy Tyler," he said as he grinned evilly. "A big 400-page spread of Juggs!" Reid and caleb stopped reading their magazines and looked at the thick magazine Pogue was holding.

"That's disgusting, Pogue," I told them, but even Caleb, the boy scout was interested in looking at the pictures of half-naked women. I liked looking at his magazines, but I hated it when they put me on the spot like that. Always treating me like I didn't know a thing about stuff like Penthouse or Playboy. If my mother didn't clean my room every day, I'd probably have a bigger collection than Pogue's. Or maybe not.

"Boys," Pogue announced without taking his eyes off the magazine. "I get first dibs on the last shower stall." Reid groaned and punched Pogue lightly on the back. Everyone knew—the boys, that is—that the last shower stall in the boys' bathroom at camp was the only one that was sufficiently hidden for the guys who wanted to take care of business while at camp.

"You guys," I started. They inclined their heads but they were still looking at the magazine. I hate to admit it but so was I, but still, I couldn't get my mind off what was bothering me.

"Do you think I'll get my powers at camp?" I asked them.

"What the-Shhh!" Pogue exclaimed as he smothered me with the magazine. All I could see was Mammoth Marla's chest, as I tried to get it off.

"Do you understand the concept of Covenant of Silence?" Caleb said as he and the others pulled me further towards the back where we were separated from the others by a row of seats.

"No one heard me," I retorted.

"Yeah, Caleb," Reid interjected. "Stop giving, Baby Boy a hard time." I let that one slide and waited for Reid and Caleb to stop glaring at each other before Pogue answered my question.

"Ty," he said as he patted my shoulder. "We're all gonna get our…er…gifts. It's like tradition or something. You've passed the chronological mark last week, ergo; you'll receive your powers just like the rest of us."

"And it'll be so sweet!" Reid said wistfully as he propped his arms on the back of his head.

"And dangerous," added Caleb. "I just hope we don't get addicted."

"We won't" Reid said derisively. "Unlike some people…" Only I heard that last remark but something told me that Caleb heard it too because his jaw tightened. I wondered what that was about.

"Besides," Reid continued. "They're giving us a whole day to use our "gifts" to let out the backwash of the suppressed powers. After that, it's every man for himself." He was right. Our powers were going to be at its peak after we're awakened and if we didn't let some of it out, there was a slight chance we'd become insane. And I'd hate to get started on that spontaneous combustion thing.

"So when we get our po-gifts, what do you wanna do first?" Pogue asked no one in particular. Caleb and Reid looked at each other, then they both grinned.

"Fly." They said together. These were the times that made me feel good about having them as brothers. We didn't have moments like this anymore, when we all got along even with the teasing.

"I wanna use it on girls," Pogue announced with a hint of mischief in his voice. Reid's ears perked up and Caleb rolled his eyes.

"Girls?" I repeated. "How?"

"Duh!" Pogue said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "Love spell! Or in this case, lust spell!"

"Do you even know how to do that?" I asked him. I didn't want to tell them, but I was as intrigued about it as they were.

"Nope, but I bet Gorman has some books about it," he replied contemplatively.

"Hell, yeah! Let's do that first! Or maybe after flying… We won't get to use these powers like that after our twenty four hours are up." Reid's remark made sense and we all agreed to use our powers to fly after they were Awakened. I couldn't wait. I just hoped that just because I was young, it didn't mean that my powers had to be the weakest.