"Rodolfo! Cousin Rodolfo!" Upon hearing his name being called, the brown eyed boy, who had been walking up to the basketball courts for his first Period C activity, looked over to see Lucia hurrying up to him.
"What's up, Luce?" Rodolfo asked his 'cousin' after she'd caught up to him.
"My friend, Linda, just got a bloody nose, and had to go to the first aid cabin," Lucia explained.
"Well… I'm sorry to hear that, but what do you want me to do?" Rodolfo blinked. It wasn't that he didn't feel sympathy for Lucia's friend, but he couldn't help wondering what that had to do with him.
"With Linda's bloody nose, she can't go to the camp activity period with me," Lucia continued. "Because of that, we're one person below the minimum limit. If we don't find someone to sit in for her, then I won't be able to do the activity at all."
"Let me guess. You want me to be the sit-in guy," Rodolfo sighed. "Why don't you ask Zack? Or even Alvin?"
"Because I can't find them," Lucia stated matter-of-factly. "Please, Rodolfo? You gotta come and fill in for Linda! Please, please, please, please…."
"Okay, okay!" Rodolfo cried. "Just stop saying 'please,' all right? You know, Cousin Penny was right about you. You've been spending way too much time with Auntie Maureen." Lucia just grinned widely and started to pull Rodolfo off to her activity. As they made their way away from the basketball courts, Rodolfo suddenly started to wonder what exactly he'd just volunteered for.
"Why did I agree to this?" Rodolfo mumbled to himself once he was seated within the cabin Lucia's activity was in. He was probably the oldest person in there, and was surrounded with second and third graders.
"All right then, campers," the overseeing counselor began. "Welcome to Adirondack Camp's fine arts activity." Rodolfo could not hold back the slight wince at hearing the words 'fine arts'. Every time he heard those words, he always remembered that infamous school field trip to the Metropolitan Museum in eighth grade. The tour guide his class had gotten stuck with had felt the need to point out every single nuance in what seemed like every artifact on exhibit, even the so-called art pieces that looked like a kindergartener had made them. By the time they were allowed to go home, Rodolfo and Zack had been so wiped out, all they wanted to do was just roll over on their loft beds and not move for a month. Because of the memories of that traumatic day, Rodolfo almost didn't hear the counselor giving the instructions.
"Rodolfo, wake up!" Lucia lightly shoved him, pulling him out of his thoughts. "We're starting. We have to create something with the things on the table." Rodolfo glanced over at the art supplies that had been laid out in front of them, which included crayons, colored pencils, markers, and even some watercolor paints. With a loud sigh, Rodolfo took one of the sheets of paper, and began to stare at it for a moment. He never should have agreed to this. Apart from the coloring books he'd owned as a toddler, he'd never colored or drew anything in his life. He preferred spending time with Zack and Alvin at the park or the arcade. Because of this, he didn't know where to begin.
For the longest time, Rodolfo cast his eyes all around the activities cabin, looking for something he could draw, just to pass the time until this was over and he could go back to the things he wanted to do. Seriously, what was he thinking when he let Lucia talk him into this? This was going to be incredibly hard.
After giving another groaning sigh, Rodolfo glanced out the window and his eyes fell upon a pair of bushy tailed squirrels scampering around, getting into brief scuffles, and chasing each other around. For a few moments, Rodolfo watched their antics with a crooked smile on his face, until he instinctively reached for the box of colored pencils, rooting around for the right shade of gray. For the rest of the activity period, Rodolfo kept switching between colored pencils, glancing back at the squirrels occasionally to refresh his memory of his unwitting models. Just as he went over the tails one last time to make them appear extra bushy, the counselor announced that the activity period had came to an end and it was time to meet at the flagpole for snack time. Returning the colored pencils he'd used to their basket, Rodolfo picked up his drawing, examining it as he and Lucia, now wearing a necklace made from beads and hemp, started to make their way out of the activities cabin. When they arrived at the flagpole, Rodolfo and Lucia immediately caught sight of Alvin, Zack and Kris, who were already receiving the snacks the camp provided.
"Hey, Rodolfo," Zack waved, scooting over to make room for his 'cousin' as Lucia joined her own friends. "You ready for Period D?"
"I guess," Rodolfo shrugged, still occasionally looking at his drawing.
"What's on your schedule?" Kris asked in curiosity between sips of her drink.
"Wasn't it archery?" Rodolfo turning to his friends.
"Yeah, that's what we signed up for," Alvin confirmed. For a time, the four friends ate their snacks in silence.
"You know, I looked on the schedule," Zack began, glancing at Rodolfo. "The first major event for the Blue-White competition is this weekend. It's going to be a canoe race."
"A race, huh?" Rodolfo frowned in contemplation, not forgetting his promise to help the blue team win the competition the way his father did.
"That does sound like fun," Kris smiled to herself. "Uncle Justin taught me how to paddle a canoe when I was nine, when we took a vacation at my grandparents' house in Michigan."
"Wow, what kid did you mooch that drawing off of?" Alvin suddenly noticed the picture of the two squirrels in Rodolfo's hand.
"Whoever it was, he had to have tons of art lessons," Zack agreed, taking the picture to look at it closer.
"Knock it off, guys," Rodolfo snatched his drawing back. "It was just something I did when I sat in for Lucia's friend at her stupid arts and crafts thing."
"No way," Zack stared. "Rodolfo, the person who hates art, actually drew a picture?"
"Hey, quit trying to pull our legs, buddy," Alvin laughed, lightly shoving his friend's shoulder. "You've never drawn anything in your life, and you expect us to believe you did this?"
"Guys, seriously! Why would I lie about drawing a dumb picture?"
"I believe him," Kris spoke up. "You can't lie and look someone straight in the eye unless you have a corrupted soul, and you won't get me believing that about him. And for what it's worth, if this is your first time drawing an actual picture, Rodolfo, then you've had a hidden talent buried away. Not even the squirrels I see at my Grandparents' place look this lifelike." Rodolfo remained quiet for a moment, looking between his drawing and the black-haired girl.
"Thanks, Kris," he nodded in gratitude, folding his picture four ways to put in his pocket.
"You're not kidding, are you?" Zack and Alvin gaped in shock. "You actually drew that?"
"I did," Rodolfo confirmed.
"Dang," Alvin whistled. "The girl's right, buddy. You've been holding out on us talent-wise for years." Rodolfo merely shrugged in response. For the rest of the snack time, the drawing was not mentioned again, and the topic turned to the upcoming canoe race.